1 07 697
NAPOt ; EXD'N- : A'Mt>" JOSEPHINE
THE RJft*E.- ; OF THE EMPIRE
BY WALTER GEER
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION:
A Historical Sketch
NAPOLEON THE FIRST:
An Intimate Biography
NAPOLEON THE THIRD:
The Romance of an Emperor
RECOLLECTIONS OF THE REVOLUTION
AND EMPIRE:
Translated and adapted from the Journal
d'une Femme de Cinquante Ans by the
Marquise de La Tour du Pin
JOSEPHINE
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
THE RISE OF THE EMPIRE
BY
WALTER GEER
AUTHOR OF "THE FRENCH REVOLUTION,"
"NAPOLEON THE FIRST," "NAPOLEON THE THIRD,"
ILLUSTRATED
NEW TORK : BRENTANO'S
1924
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
1763-1779
EARLY YEARS OF JOSEPHINE
PAGE
The Island of Martinique The Tascher Family Fran-
gois de Beauharnais Madame Renaudin Birth of
Alexandra de Beauharnais Birth of Josephine A
Confusion of Dates M. Beauharnais in France
Death of His Wife Misfortunes of the Taschers
Childhood of Josephine Her Education Her Ap-
pearance and Character Alexandre de Beauharnais
His Early Years His Education Madame Re-
naudin's Interest in Him *
CHAPTER TWO
1779-1790
MARRIAGE AND SEPARATION
Alexandre de Beauharnais Enters the Army Madame
Renaudin Plans for His Marriage The Marquis
Writes M. de la Pagerie Josephine Takes Her Sister's
Place She Arrives in France The Contract Signed
The Marriage Life in Paris Birth of Eugfcne
Alexandre Sails for Martinique Birth of Hortense
Alexandre Repudiates Josephine He Returns to
France Refuses a Reconciliation A Separation
Arranged Josephine's Sojourn at the Panthmont
Residence at Fontainebleau Voyage to Martinique 14
CONTENTS
CHAPTER THREE
1789-1794
THE REVOLUTION
PAGE
Beauharnais Elected to the States-General Josephine
Returns from Martinique Alexandra, President of
the Assembly Flight of the Royal Fainily End
of the Constituent Assembly Alexandre Rejoins the
Army Promoted and Made Commander of the
Army of the Rhine His Disgraceful Failure His
Resignation Accepted Jos6phine at Paris and Croissy
Alexandre at Blois Both Arrested and Confined in
the Cannes Execution of Alexandre 27
CHAPTER FOUR
1794^1795
AFTER THE TERROR
Paris During the Terror The Fafl of Robespierre Joy
of the Prisoners Josephine Set Free Her Behavior
in Prison She Returns to Croissy Her Relations
with Hoche Her Financial Difficulties Her Banker,
Emmery Her Love of Luxury Her Intimacy with
Madame Taffien Their Similar Tastes Thfr&ia
Abandons Tallien Josephine's New Home She
Places Her Children in School Paul Bairas His
Political Prominence His Liaison with JosSphine
His Court at the Luxembourg 36
CHAPTER FIVE
1796
THE CITIZENESS BONAPARTE
The 13 Vend&niaire The Parisians ' Disarmed- Eugfene
Reclaims His Father's Sword -| Jos^^dne _J|eets
CONTENTS
PAGE
General Bonaparte Her Appearance at That Time
She Writes the General One of His Love Letters
He Decides on Marriage Josephine's Hesitation
Her Final Consent The Contract The Civil
Ceremony Bonaparte Leaves for Italy. /. 48
CHAPTER SIX
1796
THE VICTORY FESTIVALS
Bonaparte en Route for Italy His First Letter to
Josephine Her Indifference His Second Letter
Brilliant Opening of the Campaign Bonaparte's
Proclamation He Writes Jos6phine to Rejoin Hi
Presentation of the Battle Flags Description of
Josephine's Appearance Victory of Lodi The Fte
Given by the Directory
CHAPTER SEVEN
1796-1797
JOSEPHINE IN ITALY
Bonaparte Enters Milan Josephine's Life at Paris
She Finally Starts for Italy Her Regret in Leaving
Arrival at Milan The Palace Serbelloni Her
Ennui Letter to Madame Renaudin Her Delayed
Honeymoon End of the Campaign Napoleon's
Letters The Court of Montebello The Bonaparte
Family Reunion Jos6phine's Aid to Napoleon's
Policy The Peace of Campo-Formio -- Bonaparte
Leaves for Rastadt His Return to Paris 62
CONTENTS
CHAPTER EIGHT
1798-1799
THE PURCHASE OF MALMAISON
PAGE
Josephine Returns to Paris The Talleyrand F6te
Purchase of the H6tel Chantereine Bonaparte's Tour
of Inspection His Sudden Return Napoleon's
Fortune He Leaves for Toulon The Fleet Sails
Josephine at Plombifcres She Buys Malmaison
Fortunes of the Bonapartes Josephine's Indiscretions
Napoleon Hears the Reports His Liaison with
Madame Fourfes 72
CHAPTER NINE
1799
THE RETURN OF BONAPARTE
Bonaparte Leaves Egypt He Lands in France JosS-
phine Fails to Meet Him Their Reconciliation His
Generous Pardon He Pays Her Debts Her R61e
in the Coup diktat She Invites Gohier to D6jeuner
The Two Days of Brumaire Bonaparte, First
Consul They Move to the Luxembourg 82
CHAPTER TEN
1800
THE CONSULAR COURT
The Luxembourg Important R61e of Josephine Her
Devotion to Napoleon Secret of Her Power Her
Royalism -Assistance to the Emigres Importance
to Napoleon's Policy Marriage of Caroline and
Murat The Tuileries Lif e There The New Soci-
ety Visits to Malmaison The CMteau Napoleon
at BBs Best 88
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ELEVEN
1800
THE QUESTION OF HEREDITY
PAGE
The Season of 1800 at Paris Problems of the First Consul
Success of His Administration His Reception after
Marengo The "Conspiracy of Marengo" Part
Taken by Lucien and Joseph The Meeting at Auteuil
Alliance of Fouche and Talleyrand Joseph in
Italy Napoleon Answers the Pretender Decision
to Amend the Constitution Alarm of Josephine
The "Parallel" Disgrace of Lucien Louis Chosen
Josephine's Plan , , 96
CHAPTER TWELVE
1800-1802
MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE
Louis Bonaparte His Early Ye&rs Change in His
Character His Life at Paris He Avoids Marriage
Hortense de Beauharnais Her Appearance and
Character Love of Her Mother Pride in Her
Father Early Dislike of Bonaparte Fancy for
Duroc The Infernal Machine Narrow Escape of
Napoleon and Josephine Public Demand for an Heir
Josephine's Dismay Louis Goes to Spain Jose-
phine's Visit to Plombifcres Return of Louis His
Marriage to Hortense 104
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
1802-1803
THE CONSULATE FOR LIFE
Bonaparte Made Consul for Life He Takes Possession of
Saint-Cloud His Apartment in the ChUteau Court
CONTENTS
PAGE
Etiquette Established Trip to Normandie Jos6-
phine at Forty Her Life at Saint-Cloud A Scene of
Jealousy at the Tuileries Marriage of Pauline and
Borghfcse Unfortunate Connection of Lucien J6r6me
Marries Miss Patterson 114
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
1803-1804
THE ROYALIST PLOTS
Rupture of the Peace of Amiens The Celebrated Scene
with the English Ambassador The Visit to Belgium
An Unfortunate Episode at Mortefontaine First
Suggestions of the Empire Magnificent Reception
at Brussels The Royalist Conspiracies Cadoudal
and Pichegru Reach Paris Josephine's Pacific Counsels
Petty Vanity of Madame Moreau Her Husband's
Jealousy of Bonaparte Arrest, Trial and Exile of
Moreau Deaths of Pichegru and Cadoudal The
Execution of the Due d'Enghien 125
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
1804
EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH
The Empire Proclaimed The Ceremony at Saint-Cloud
Josephine Hailed as Empress Dissatisfaction of the
Bonapartes -T Chagrin of Caroline Napoleon Yields
Josephine's Attitude Eugfene de Beauharnais
The Fte of the 14 July Visit to the Banks of the
Rhine A Letter from Napoleon The Court at
Mayence Return to Saint-Cloud 139
CONTENTS
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
1804r-1805
THE CORONATION
PAGE
Cardinal Fesch Sent to Rome The Pope Consents to Go
to Paris Astonishment of Madame Mfcre Jos6-
phine's Triumph Over the Bonapartes Preparations
for the Ceremony The Pope Arrives at Fontainebleau
Josephine's Confession The Excitement at Paris
Isabey's Ingenious Idea Religious Marriage of Napo-
leon and Josephine The Procession to the Cathedral
The Ceremony at Notre-Dame Josephine Crowned
by the Emperor Her Joy A Series of Ftes
Baptism of Napoleon-Louis 148
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
1804r-1809
DAILY LIFE OF THE EMPRESS
Josephine's Places of Residence Her Apartments at the
Tuileries Her Frequent Alterations Her Rooms at
Saint-Cloud Her Daily Routine Her Personal At-
tendants Her Toilette Her Lingerie and Robes
Her Lavish Expenditures Her Debts Paid by the.
Emperor Her Life at the Tuileries 158
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
1805
ITALY AND STRASBOURG
The Journey to Italy Grand Review at Marengo Na-
poleon's Reconciliation with Jr6me The Coronation at
Milan The Emperor's Satisfaction Eugfene, Viceroy
of Italy Jos6phine's Grief Napoleon's Attachment
CONTENTS
PAGE
to His Wife The Ftes at Genoa Hurried Return
to France Josephine at Plombifcres The Austerlitz
Campaign Josephine's Sojourn at Strasbourg Her
Life There Napoleon's Letters During the Campaign 169
CHAPTER NINETEEN
1805-1806
MARRIAGE OF EUGENE
Josephine Leaves Strasbourg for Munich Napoleon's Let-
ters from Austerlitz Josephine's Selfishness The
Emperor Arrives at Munich He Plans Three Family
Alliances Princesse Augusta of Bavaria Prince Charles
of Baden Opposition to the Emperor's Projects
Duroc Presents the Official Demand The Elector
Finally Obtains His Daughter's Consent Napoleon
Summons Eugfcne The Young Couple The Marriage
Its Success Napoleon's Reception at Paris
Marriage of Prince Charles and Stephanie de Beau-
harnais 183
CHAPTER TWENTY
1806
QUEEN HORTENSE
Louis Proclaimed King of Holland Hortense's Unhappy
Married Life Birth of Napoleon-Charles Louis
Buys Saint-Leu Birth of Napoleon-Louis Louis
and Hortense at The Hague Josephine at Mayence
The Campaign of Jena Napoleon's Letters The
Emperor at Berlin The Hatzfeld Episode Prussia
Overwhelmed The Emperor in Poland He Refuses
to Allow Josephine to Join Him Battle of Pultusk. . . 198
CONTENTS
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
1807
MADAME WALEWSKA
PAGE
Napoleon's First Meeting with Marie Walewska Begin-
ning of Their Long Liaison The Emperor Orders
Josephine to Return to Paris The Terrible Battle of
Eylau Napoleon Tries to Minimize His Losses
Headquarters at Osterode Napoleon's Letter to Joseph
His Brief Letters to Josephine The Empress Re-
turns to Paris Her Cordial Welcome Her Loneli-
ness Birth of Her First Granddaughter Napoleon
Moves to Finckenstein He Is Joined by Madame
Walewska The Emperor Dictates Regarding Jos6-
phine's Friends. . . , 213
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
1807
DEATH OF NAPOLEON-CHARLES
Birth of Napoleon's First Child Death of the Crown-
Prince of Holland Grief of Hortense Josephine
Goes to Laeken She is Joined There by Hortense
Napoleon's Letters to His Wife and Daughter His
Apparent Indifference Josephine Writes to Hortense
The Emperor's Letters after Friedland The Peace
Conferences at Tilsit Napoleon Declines the Queen's
Rose His Return to Paris 225
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
1807
THE COURT AT FONTAINEBLEAU
Talleyrand Appointed Vice-Grand-lecteur Fte of the
Emperor Marriage of J6r6me and Catherine Re-
CONTENTS
PAGE
turn of Louis and Hortense New Quarrels Louis
Departs Alone for Holland Napoleon's Power The
Court Goes to Fontainebleau Napoleon at Thirty-
eight The Emperor's Program of Entertainment
Life of Josephine Ennui of the Emperor and His
Guests The Gazzani Affair Jerdme's Flirtation with
Stephanie Illness of Hortense She Refuses Any
Reconciliation with Louis 237
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
1807
PROJECTS OF DIVORCE
The Question of Divorce First Seriously Considered Na-
poleon Asks JosSphine to Take the Initiative She
Refuses Fouche's Letter to the Empress Napoleon
Pretends Ignorance He Writes Fouch6 to Cease Med-
dling Talleyrand's Attitude Fouche Influences
Public Opinion End of the Ftes Death of Jose-
phine's Mother Napoleon's Trip to Italy His Inter-
view with Lucien He Adopts Eugfene His Letters
to Josephine 249
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
1808
THE EMPRESS AT BAYONNE
Jos6phine's Fear of Divorce Irresolution of the Emperor
A Remarkable Episode Marriage of Mile, de
Tascher The Spanish Crisis Abdication of King
Charles Murat Enters Madrid The Emperor Goes
to Bayonne His Sojourn at Marrac Letters to the
Empress at Bordeaux Birth of Louis-Napoleon Joy
of Napoleon and Josephine Charles Cedes the Spanish
Crown Joseph Appointed King The Baylen Dis-
aster Return of the Emperor and Empress 261
CONTENTS
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
1808-1809
A YEAR OF ANXIETY
PAGE
The Erfurt Conference Josephine Left at Paris Napo-
leon Opens His Heart to Alexander Talleyrand
Instructed to Begin Negotiations for an Alliance Na-
poleon's Letters to Josephine He Leaves for Spain
The Peninusla Campaign Pursuit of the English
Bad News from Paris The Emperor's Correspondence
His Return to Paris Scene at the Tuileries The
Succession Plot Josephine's Revelations She Ac-
companies Napoleon to Strasbourg The Emperor
Wounded at Ratisbon His Letters During the Cam-
paign End of the War Napoleon Leaves for Fon-
tainebleau 271
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
1809
RETURN OF THE EMPEROR
Napoleon Arrives at Fontainebleau He Informs Camba-
c6rfcs of the Coming Divorce His Cold Reception of
Josephine She Finds the Door of Communication
Closed Hesitation of the Emperor Josephine at
Forty-six Napoleon Breaks the Fatal News The
Scene of the 30 November A Comic Episode The
Verdict of History Napoleon's Sincere Regret
His Interview with Hortense The Final Ftes An
Unfortunate Contretemps at Grosbois 285
CONTENTS
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
1809
THE DIVORCE
PAGE
Eugene Reaches Paris His Difficult Position He Ar-
ranges a Final Conference Refuses the Crown of
Italy The Family Council at the Tuileries Address
of the Emperor Josephine's Touching Reply Eu-
gene's Address to the Senate Napoleon Leaves for
the Trianon Josephine's Departure from the Tuileries
Annulment of the Religious Marriage The Legend
of Josephine 296
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
1809-1810
JOSEPHINE AT MALMAISON
Dowry of the Empress Napoleon's Liberality Her
Debts Paid The First Days at Malmaison Napo-
leon's Visits and Letters Christmas Dinner at Trianon
Josephine Tires of the Country Her Interest in the
Austrian Marriage Napoleon Arranges for Her Re-
turn to Paris Her Arrival at the lys6e Palace l : 306
CHAPTER THIRTY
1810
THE CHATEAU OF NAVARRE
Napoleon's Preference for a Russian Alliance The Matter
Discussed in Conference The Archduchess Marie-Louise
Favored The Marriage Arranged The New Em-
press Arrives at Paris Josephine Goes to Malmaison
The Emperor Gives Her Navarre She Takes Pos-
session of the Chateau Its Dilapidated Condition
Josephine's Letter to Hortense The Empress Wor-
CONTENTS
PAGE
ried Over the Paris Gossip Her Letter to Napoleon
and His Reply The Emperor Agrees to All Her Plans
Josephine Returns to Malmaison 319
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
1810
AIX-LES-BAINS AND GENEVA -
Josephine's Court at Malmaison Her Anxiety About
Hortense A Call from the Emperor Josephine Goes
to Aix-les-Bains Her Life There A Visit from
Eugene The Emperor Announces the Abdication of
Louis Josephine's Narrow Escape from Death Ar-
rival of Hortense Josephine's Tour of Switzerland
She Is Upset by the Reports Regarding Marie-Louise
Advice of Madame de Remusat Josephine's Return 331
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
1811-1812
NAVARRE, MALMAISON AND MILAN
The Monotonous Life at Navarre Josephine's Health
Improved Visits from Hortense and Eugene Jose-
phine's Fte-Day News of the Birth of the King of
Rome Napoleon Again Pays Her Debts She Plans
for a New CMteau at Malmaison Napoleon Exchanges
Laeken for the lyse A Winter at Malmaison
Visit to Milan Sojourns at Aix-les-Bains and Pregny 342
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
1813-1814
THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE
The Malet Conspiracy What It Revealed Josephine's
Anxiety Return of the Emperor Josephine and the
King of Rome Eugfene Commands the Grand Army
CONTENTS
PAGE
Napoleon's Errors in 1813 Hortense at Aix
Her Sons at Malmaison Recollections of Napoleon
the Third A Doting Grandmother Death of Mme.
de Broc Louis Returns to France Eugene's Fidelity
Napoleon's Suspicions He Asks Josephine to Write
Her Son Her Despair She Leaves for Navarre... 353
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
1814
THE LAST DAYS AT MALMAISON
Josephine at Navarre Arrival of Hortense The Emperor
at Fontainebleau The Treaty of the 11 April Pro-
visions for the Family Josephine Returns to Mal-
maison Hortense Arrives The Czar Calls Eugene
Leaves Italy He Is Called to Paris Hortense,
Duchesse de Saint-Leu Eugene Received by the
King Josephine's Fears Her Final Illness and Death
How Napoleon Received the News His Visit to
Malmaison 364
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
1763-1814
JOSEPHINE'S PERSONALITY
Her Connection with Martinique Her Statue at Fort-de-
France Her Legend Her Claims to Beauty Her
Intellect Her Prodigality Her Personal Magnetism
Her Affections Her Desire to Please Her False-
hoods Her Final Deception Her Succession Fate
of Her Homes Napoleon's Last Visit to Malmaison
The Souvenir de Malmaison 375
BIBLIOGRAPHY 385
INDEX 389
03
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Josephine Frontispiece
General Bonaparte 58
Josephine at Malmaison 78
Napoleon, First Consul 88
Chateau of Malmaison 94
Chateau of Saint-Cloud 114
Napoleon 154
Facsimile of Letter of Napoleon 186
Louis, King of Holland 198
Queen Hortense 226
Chateau of Fontainebleau 240
Fouche, Due d'Otrante 252
Empress Josephine 288
Facsimile of Letter of Josephine 334
Eugene de Beauharnais 356
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
THE RISE OF THE EMPIRE
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
THE RISE OF THE EMPIRE
CHAPTER ONE
1763-1779
EARLY YEARS OF JOSEPHINE
The Island of Martinique The Tascher Family Frangois de
Beauharnais Madame Renaudin Birth of Alexandre de
Beauharnais Birth of Josephine A Confusion of Dates
M. Beauharnais in France Death of His Wife Mis-
fortunes of the Taschers Childhood of Josephine Her
Education Her Appearance and Character Alexandre de
Beauharnais His Early Years His Education Madame
Renaudin's Interest in Him
ON THE outer rim of the Caribbean Sea, in the
middle of the chain of the Lesser Antilles, be-
tween the British possessions of Dominica and
St. Lucia, lies Martinique, the birthplace of Josephine.
The island is only forty miles long, by twenty wide, and
its area of less than four hundred square miles makes it
about a third the size of the smallest state in the Union.
A cluster of volcanic mountains in the north, a similar
group in the south, and a line of lower heights between
them form the backbone of the island. The deep
ravines and precipitous escarpments, culminating on the
north in the massif of Mont-Pele, are reduced in appear-
ance to gentle undulations by the drapery of the forests.
The few miles of country between the watershed and
C33
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
the sea are traversed by numerous streams, of which
nearly fourscore are of considerable size, and in the
rainy season become raging torrents.
At the southerly end, a lateral range, branching from
the backbone of the island, forms a blunt peninsula
bounding on the south the beautiful low-shored bay of
Fort-de-France, on which is located the city of the same
name, formerly known as Fort-Royal, the capital of the
island. On this peninsula, directly across the bay from
the capital, is the little hamlet of Trois-Ilets, where
Josephine was born.
By some authorities, Martinique is said to have been
discovered by Columbus in 1493, the year of his second
voyage, but it was not until 1635 that possession was
taken by the French Compagnie des lies d'Amfriqm.
During the next hundred years, Martinique had a full
share of wars. It experienced several revolutions of dif-
ferent kinds, and was attacked on numerous occasions
by the British and the Dutch, but always without suc-
cess. It WJB finally captured, however, by Rodney in
1762, and was only returned to France, by the Treaty
of Paris, in the following year, a few days before the
birth of Josephine. Like Napoleon, therefore, she had
a narrow escape from not being born under the French
In 1726, there landed in Martinique a noble of Blois,
named Gaspard-Joseph Tascher de la Pagerie, who, like
many others, came to seek his fortune. He belonged to
an old family which could trace its origin back at least
to the middle of the fifteenth century. His great-grand-
father had established himself in Blois in 1650, after
having sold his seigneurie of la Pagerie, of which, how-
EARLY YEARS OF JOSEPHINE
ever, his descendants continued to use the name. His
grandfather, retired with the grade of captain of
cavalry, exhausted his last resources, in 1674, in re-
cruiting a squadron of the noblesse of Blois. He left
only one son, Gaspard, who, in spite of his good mar-
riages, did not succeed in restoring the family fortunes.
Gaspard left two sons, of whom the younger rose to
considerable prominence in the Church. The elder,
named Gaspard- Joseph, after his grandfather, was a
mauvais sujet. To escape a life of genteel poverty at
home, he decided to try his fortunes in the New World.
Little is known of the early years of his life in Marti-
nique, but four years after his arrival, he presented to
the Council a request to have his titles registered, in
order to preserve his rights and privileges as a member
of the noblesse. On account of the many formalities,
and the delays in hearing from France, this matter
dragged along over a period of fifteen years. In the
meantime, in 1734, he married a young woman of good,
if not noble, family, who brought him a considerable dot.
He was not at all successful in his business ventures,
however, and was finally obliged to take a clerical posi-
tion. By his marriage, he had five children, two sons
and three daughters; but we are only interested in the
elder son, Joseph-Gaspard, and the eldest daughter,
Desiree.
In 1752, Joseph-Gaspard, who was then seventeen
years of age, left Martinique to take a position as page
in the household of the Dauphine, Marie-Josephe of
Saxony, the mother of the future King Louis the Six-
teenth. This place had been secured for him by the
Abbe de Tascher. After passing three years in France,
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
he returned to Martinique with a brevet commission as
sous-lieutenant in the Navy.
At this time, thirty years after the arrival of Gas-
pard-Joseph on the island, the family was living in a
state of abject misery, without money or social position.
In April 1755, in a period of entire peace between
the two nations, an English fleet of ten vessels, under
the command of Admiral Boscawen, captured two
French battle-ships near the south coast of Newfound-
land. It soon became evident that plans had been laid
by the British Government to attack all the French
colonies. In this emergency the King, Louis the Fif-
teenth, had need in the Islands of an officer of force and
intelligence, and on the first of November 1756 he ap-
pointed Frangois de Beauharnais as governor and
lieutenant-general of all the French possessions in the
West Indies.
The new governor, although only forty-two years of
age, had a record of twenty-seven years of distinguished
service in the Navy. Notwithstanding the fact that
most of this period was passed at Rochefort, his native
4 place, and that he had seen no active service, he was
very highly esteemed for the efficiency with which he
had always discharged the duties of his various posi-
tions.
Monsieur de Beauharnais, (who was not made
a marquis until eight years later), belonged to a
a family of the noblesse de la robe, rather than of the
sword. He was the eldest son of a naval captain, Claude,
and of a Mile. Hardouineau, whose mother had married
for her second husband the then Marquis de Beauhar-
nais* As nephew of one and grandson of the other he
63
EARLY YEARS OF JOSEPHINE
was later to bear the title and to succeed to the hotel
in the Rue Thevenot, in Paris, where the marquis died
in 1749-
When Francois de Beauharnais landed in Marti-
nique, as governor, in May 1757, he was accompanied
by his young wife, whom he had married six years
before. She was his cousin, and had brought him a
large dot. He also had a small income of his own which
he had inherited from a bachelor uncle. They had had
two sons, of whom only one was then living Frangois,
born the previous year. /
What possible point of contact could there be be-
tween this grand seigneur, arriving as master in Marti-
nique, rich with his income of 100,000 and his salary of
150,000 livres, and these Taschers living in misery in
a corner of the island?
As above stated, Gaspard- Joseph had three daugh-
ters, and in some unknown way he was successful in
obtaining for the eldest, Desiree, a position in the
household of the governor, as an upper servant or
demoiselle de compagnie. Once installed in the mansion
it did not take her long to secure a dominating influence
over the governor and his wife, and her favor was in
no way diminished by her marriage to an ordonnance
officer of M. de Beauharnais, Alexis Renaudin, a young
man of good family and connections. But it required
all of the authority of the governor to arrange the
matter, as the Renaudins objected strongly to the
match not so much on account of the lack of dot,
as because of the general discredit of the Taschers.
Finally, M. Renaudin pre died, and the mother gave
a reluctant consent.
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
After her marriage the power of the young Madame
Renaudin seemed to increase from day to day. A good
husband was found for one of her younger sisters, a
command in the militia for her father, and a place on
the governor's staff for her brother.
The administration of M. de Beauharnais proved a
failure. Charges of such gravity were made against
him in France that he was recalled from his govern-
ment, and only saved from disgrace by the influence of
powerful friends at home. By this time his infatuation
for Madame Renaudin was so great that he was reluc-
tant to leave Martinique, and the interesting condition
of his wife served as an excuse. On the 28 May 1760,
another son was born, who received the name of Alex-
andre. Still M. de Beauharnais lingered on the island,
and it was not until the month of April in the following
year that he and his wife finally sailed for France, with
the inseparable Madame Renaudin in their suite. In
order not to expose the young Alexandre to the hazards
of the voyage, he was left behind, in charge of Madame
Tascher mire.
Before the departure of M. de Beauharnais, he ar-
ranged yet another marriage for the Tascher family, and
on the 9 November 1761, Joseph-Gaspard, the former
page of the Dauphine, led to the altar Mile. Rose-
Claire des Vergers de Sannois. She was descended from
the old noblesse of Brie, and belonged to one of the
most highly considered families in the colony. Rose-
Claire, who was born in August 1736, had already
passed her twenty-fifth birthday, and was very glad to
find a husband. The marriage, which was celebrated
before the cure of Trois-Ilets, was not honored by the
83
EARLY YEARS OF JOSEPHINE
presence of any of the dignitaries of the colony. Even
the father of the groom was not present, for some un-
known reason.
From this marriage there was born on the 23 June
1763, a daughter, who five weeks later received in bap-
tism the names of Marie-Joseph-Rose: this was Jose-
phine.
During the three following years, Mme. de la Pagerie
had two more daughters: Desiree, born the n December
1764, who died at the age of thirteen; and Frangoise,
bom the 3 September 1766, who died at the age of
twenty-five.
At this point we find a confusion in the records
which it is not easy to explain. Under date of the 5
September 1791, there is an entry of the burial of
Marie- Joseph-Rose. There is also in existence a docu-
ment of questionable authenticity from which it would
appear that a demoiselle Tascher gave birth the 17
March 1786, to a daughter who was adopted by Mme.
de la Pagerie, and was given a dot of 60,000 francs by
the Emperor Napoleon twenty-two years later, on the
occasion of her marriage. In the certificate of baptism
of this child, the mother may have borrowed the name
of her sister Josephine, who was certainly in France at
that date, and the same name quite naturally might
be used in her burial certificate. In any case, there is
no possible doubt as to the personality of Marie-
Joseph-Rose, nor as to the date of her birth. But this
confusion of names and dates enabled Josephine, when
she wished to appear younger at the time of her second
marriage, to claim that she was born in 1766.
The Treaty of Paris, which ended the struggle be-
C93
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
tween England and France, was signed on the 10 Feb-
ruary 1763, but the news did not reach Martinique
until the end of the following month. The French fleet,
charged with taking possession of the island, arrived
the middle of June, and the white banner of the Bour-
bons was hoisted once more, just a week before the
birth of Josephine.
In the meantime, in France, M. de Beauharnais,
through the support of powerful friends at Court, had
succeeded not only in having suppressed the record of
his unsuccessful administration, but in securing a pen-
sion of 12,000 livres, the rank of chef d'escadre, and the
title of marquis. At the same time he also obtained a
small pension for M. de la Pagerie.
Madame Renaudin, after passing a short time in a
convent, openly took up her residence with the marquis,
both in the city and the country, and his wife, who
seems for a long time to have been blind to their rela-
tions, left Paris to live near her mother at Blois. From
time to time, she made short visits to the city, and it
was on one of these occasions that she died, in October
1767.
Madame Renaudin was now in full control of the
situation, and to consolidate her power she began to
lay plans for the future.
The pension of 450 livres which M. de la Pagerie had
obtained from the Court proved very useful when he
was practically ruined by the great storm of August
1766, which, combined with an earthquake, devastated
Martinique, throwing down houses and destroying
plantations. On the Tascher estate nothing was left
standing except the sugar refinery, to which the family
EARLY YEARS OF JOSEPHINE
fled for shelter. In this building, altered so as to make
it habitable, the family continued to live for the next
twenty-five years. Aubenas visited the place in the mid-
dle of the last century, when it was not much changed
since the days of Josephine's childhood. The village
Trois-Ilets then contained about fifty frame houses, and
a small church, in which was the family vault of the
Taschers. The plantation was located about a mile be-
yond the town, and the description of Aubenas is
interesting:
The homestead is situated on a slight eminence, sur-
rounded by larger hills, only a few steps from the sea,
although it is out of sight, and even out of hearing.
From the extent of the buildings still standing, and the
ruins which the eye can make out, it is possible to
judge the former importance of the estate, one of the
largest in this once flourishing quarter of the island.
The dwelling-house, originally constructed on a large
scale, has become since the storm of 1766 a simple
wooden structure. Next comes the sugar-mill with its
circle of heavy pillars and its huge roof of red tiles of
native manufacture. A few paces from the mill is the
refinery, a large building, over forty yards long by
twenty wide. On looking at the monumental solidity
of this structure it is possible to understand how it
withstood the terrible storm. During the years which
followed, the building was adapted to shelter the
Tascher family. A low gallery was added on the south-
ern side, and rooms were* fitted up in the upper part
until a new dwelling-house could be erected. Built on
the slope of the hill were the huts of the negroes, and
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
round about were the sheds and other buildings used
in the manufacture of the sugar.
Amid such surroundings the future empress and
queen passed the years of her childhood, with no so-
ciety except that of the slaves, and no culture intel-
lectual or moral When she was ten years of age she
was sent to the school of the Dames de la Providence
at Fort-Royal, where she remained four years. Her
education was then thought to be complete, and she
returned to Trois-Ilets. In fact she had received little
more than a primary-school training, with a few lessons
in music and dancing.
At this time Josephine was far from being the
finished coquette that she became later on. She had a
good complexion, fine eyes, pretty hands and feet; but
her face was full, without marked traits, her nose relevS
and ordinary, her figure heavy and ungraceful. Her
mind was hardly cultivated, but to the convent she
owed at least quite an elegant penmanship, with an
orthography not much worse than that of most of her
contemporaries. She had a slender voice, and sang to
the accompaniment of a guitar. In character, she was
very sweet, submissive to authority, very amiable, al-
ways ready to do any one a favor; and such she re-
mained all her life.
While Josephine was passing her childhood at
Trois-Ilets, the boy Alexandre de Beauharnais was
living at Fort-Royal with the elder Madame Tascher.
It was not until two years after the death of his mother,
towards the end of the year 1769, that his father ar-
ranged to have him brought back to France. At that
time he was over nine years of age. There is a record
EARLY YEARS OF JOSEPHINE
of his baptism, under date of 15 January 1770, on the
parish registers of the church of Saint-Sulpice at Paris.
His godmother was the "haute et puissante dame
Marie-Euphemie-Desiree Tascher de la Pagerie, epouse
de M. Renaudin, ecuyer, ancien major de Vile de Sainte-
Lude"
In order to complete his education, which had been
much neglected, Alexandre was placed with his brother
in the College du Plessis, founded by the great Cardinal
Richelieu, which at that time was the rival of Louis-le-
Grand at Paris. Later the boys were sent for two years,
with their tutor Patricol, to the University of Heidel-
berg to learn the German language.
In 1774, Frangois entered the army, and Patricol was
engaged by the Due de La Rochefoucauld as preceptor
for the two sons of his sister, Rohan-Chabot, and he
took Alexandre with him. It thus happened that the
most impressionable years of the boy's life were passed
in the ducal chateau of Roche-Guyon.
During all these years Madame Renaudin never lost
sight of him. She made every effort to secure over the
son the same influence which she exercised over the
father. In the plans which she had formed for the
future, Alexandre held the principal role. The resources
of the marquis were very limited, and the expenses of
the household were paid largely from the income of the
fortune which the boy had inherited from his mother.
This money Madame Renaudin intended if possible to
keep in the family.
CHAPTER TWO
1779-1790
MARRIAGE AND SEPARATION
Alexandra de Beauharnais Enters the Army Madame Renaudin
Plans for His Marriage The Marquis Writes M. de la
Pagerie Josephine Takes Her Sister's Place She Ar-
rives in France The Contract Signed The Marriage
Life in Paris Birth of Eugene Alexandre Sails for
Martinique Birth of Hortense Alexandre Repudiates
Josephine He Returns to France _ Refuses a Reconcilia-
tion A Separation Arranged Josephine's Sojourn at the
Panthemont Residence at Fontainebleau Voyage to
Martinique
WHEN Alexandre de Beauharnais was six-
teen years of age, in December 1776, he
received through the favor of the Due
de La Rochefoucauld a commission as sous-lieutenant
in his regiment of the Sarre-infanterie, At this time he
abandoned the courtesy title of chevalier, then given to
the younger sons of noble families, and assumed that of
vicomte, to which he had no valid claim. Dressed in
his handsome new uniform of white cloth, with facings
of silver-gray, the young vicomte proceeded to Rouen,
where his regiment had just arrived in garrison. Here
he went through his military exercises, and perfected
himself in mathematics and horsemanship. At this time
he was far from thinking of marriage, but he did not
know the plans of that " high and mighty dame," his
godmother.
143
MARRIAGE AND SEPARATION
When he returned home to pass a six months' leave
of absence, Madame Renaudin played her cards so well
that Alexandre readily assented to her ideas, in order
more quickly to enjoy his fortune. On the 23 October
1777, the marquis wrote the following letter to M.
de la Pagerie:
" Each of my children has at present an income of
forty thousand livres. It is in your power to give me one
of your daughters to share the fortune of my chevalier.
The respect and attachment which he has for Madame
de Renaudin make him ardently desire to be united
to one of her nieces. I assure you that I only acquiesce
in his wishes in asking you for the second, whose age
is the most suitable for him.
" I deeply regret that your eldest daughter is not a
few years younger: she certainly would have had the
preference, for I have formed an equally favorable
opinion of her; but I must admit that my son, who is
only seventeen and a half years old, thinks that a young
lady of fifteen is too nearly of his own age. There are
occasions when sensible parents are forced to yield to
circumstances."
As Alexandre, besides the income of 40,000 livres
from the estate of his mother, had expectations of
25,000 more, the marquis did not request M. de la
Pagerie to furnish any dot. He only asked that the
father make haste to bring his daughter to France; or,
if he could not come himself, to send her with a trust-
worthy companion, by a commercial vessel, as "she
would have a more comfortable and agreeable voyage."
When this letter of the marquis reached Martinique,
the second daughter of M. de la Pagerie, Desiree, was
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
dead, of a malignant fever, at the age of thirteen; and
the youngest daughter, Fran^oise, was not yet twelve
years old. In January, the father writes that, in default
of the second daughter, he is willing to offer the third,
but that it would be better to accept the first. He says
that she (Josephine) has a very fine complexion, and
very beautiful arms, and that she is very anxious to go
to Paris.
Madame Renaudin's plan was that Alexandre should
marry one of her nieces: she did not care whether it
was the youngest or the oldest. Therefore, without
wasting time in vain regrets over the death of Desiree,
she wrote her brother, in March 1778, "Come with
one of your girls, or two; whatever you do will be agree-
able to us. We must have one of your children' 9
In reply to this letter, M. de la Pagerie wrote, the
last of June, that his youngest daughter had been ill
for three months, and was in no condition to travel, and
that he would bring Josephine. When received, in Sep-
tember, this information was communicated to Alex-
andre, who was then stationed with his regiment near
Brest, and he accepted the substitution with good grace,
though with little enthusiasm.
Before M. de la Pagerie could sail, however, France
and England were again at war, and his departure was
delayed for more than a year. Finally, in October 1779,
Madame Renaudin received a letter from her brother,
announcing that he and his daughter had arrived at
Brest, after a terrible voyage, and that he was detained
there by illness. She at once set out with Alexandre to
join them.
This was the first encounter between Alexandre and
163
MARRIAGE AND SEPARATION
Josephine since their childhood days, as she was only
six years old when he left Martinique. To judge by his
letters to his father at this time, he was far from en-
thusiastic over his Creole fiancee. He said that she was
not as pretty as his father might expect, but that the
sweetness of her character surpassed anything that had
been said of her.
The party of four travelled slowly to Paris, where
they arrived the middle of November, and joined the
marquis in his hotel, Rue Thevenot, where he was just
installed. The banns had already been published three
times in Martinique in April, and they were now pub-
lished again in Paris. Madame Renaudin at once
occupied herself with ordering . the trousseau, for
which she expended the large sum of twenty thousand
livres.
On the 10 December the contract was signed at the
hotel of the marquis in the presence of all the male
members of the family, no ladies being present! Of the
family of the bride, there was present, aside from M.
de la Pagerie and his sister, only a very distant cousin.
As Alexandre had so large an income, the marquis
did not make any settlement on him at the time of the
marriage. The dot of the bride was furnished by her
aunt. Besides the trousseau, already mentioned,
Madame Renaudin gave her a house at Noisy-le-Grand,
in the vicinity of Paris, which she had purchased in
October 1776, for the sum of 33,000 livres, and had
furnished at a further cost of about 30,000 livres.
To use the expression commonly employed by ladies in
those days (and perhaps since), when they did not
care to state from what source their money was derived,
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
On the 10 April 1783 a daughter was born to Jose-
phine in the new hotel of the marquis, Rue Saint-
Charles, and was baptized the following day as Hor-
tense-Eugenie. In the certificate the father is described
as " Vicomte de Beauharnais, Baron de Beauville, capi-
taine au regiment de la Sarre, actuellement en Ame-
rique pour le service du Roi."
At that time it took at least two months for a letter
to go from Paris to Martinique, and Alexandre did not
receive the news before the middle of June. After wait-
ing three weeks, he wrote Josephine as follows:
" If I had written you in the first moment of my
anger, my pen would have burnt the paper . . . ; but for
more than three weeks I know, at least in part, what
I wish you to understand. In spite then of the despair
of my-soul, the rage which suffocates me, I shall know
how to restrain myself; I shall know how to tell you
coldly that you are in my eyes the vilest of human be-
ings; that my stay here has enabled me to learn of the
abominable life you led here; that I know, in the fullest
particulars, your intrigue with M. de B., officer of the
Regiment de la Martinique, also that with M. d'H ;
I know finally the contents of your letters and I will
bring with me one of the presents you made ... I do
not ask you for repentance: you are incapable of it; a
person who, while making her preparations to depart,
could receive her lover in her arms, when she knows
that she is destined for another, has no soul; she is lower
than all the coqmnes on earth. . . . What can I think
of this last child, born more than eight months after
my return from Italy? I am forced to accept it, but I
swear by the Heaven which enlightens me that it be-
MARRIAGE AND SEPARATION
longs to another, that it is the blood of a stranger which
flows in its veins. . . . Make your own arrangements
accordingly; never, never, will I put myself in a position
to be abused again, and as you are a woman to impose
on the public if we live under the same roof, have the
goodness to retire to a convent, as soon as you receive
my letter; it is my last word, and nothing on earth can
make me change it. I will go to see you on my arrival in
Paris, once only: I wish to have a talk with you and
to give you something."
It is impossible to read this letter without feeling that
Alexandre at the time sincerely believed that he had
been wronged by Josephine both before and after their
union. During his stay in Martinique, he had begun,
as usual, to " courir les femmes," and had formed a
liaison with a young woman who was an enemy of the
Taschers, jealous of the fine marriage which Madame
Renaudin had arranged for her niece, and ready to em-
ploy all means to disturb the peace of the family. It
was from her that Alexandre obtained the information
as to Josephine's early love affairs.
After arranging to meet his mistress in Paris, Alex-
andre sailed the middle of August, and arrived in
France six weeks later. He found awaiting him at the
port letters from his father and Madame Renaudin,
attempting to bring about a reconciliation. En route
for Paris he wrote Josephine that he was surprised to
learn that she was not yet in a convent, and that his
decision was unalterable. On receiving this letter at
Noisy, Josephine rushed to Paris, to meet her husband
on his arrival, but Alexandre did not go to his father's
house.
C2I3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Every possible effort was made by the marquis and
Madame Renaudin to effect a reconciliation, but the
vicomte remained inflexible. After a month of fruitless
attempts, Josephine retired, with her aunt, to the Ab-
baye de Panthemont, Rue de Grenelle, and early in
December began a formal action for separation. In her
complaint she sets forth in the greatest detail the exist-
ence which she has led; the indifference of her husband,
who in nearly three years of married life has passed
less than ten months with her. In conclusion she states
the formal refusal of her husband to resume their life
in common, and files a copy of the letter quoted above,
which constitutes her principal grievance against him.
It is certain that if Alexandre had any proofs of the
misconduct of Josephine subsequent to their marriage,
he would not have hesitated at this time to bring them
forward. The allegation regarding Hortense is dis-
proved by a simple examination of the dates. As for
the other charges, fifteen months later he voluntarily
and explicitly withdrew them. In March 1785, he met
Josephine in the office of his notary and consented
formally to a separation. All the provisions of this act
are greatly to the honor of Josephine, and prove conclu-
sively that there was no basis for the grave charges
Alexandre had made when under the spell of an ignoble
woman.
Josephine was to live where she pleased; to receive
from her husband an allowance of 5000 livres a year;
to have the custody of Eugene until he was five years
old; to keep Hortense, for whose maintenance her
father was to pay 1000 livres quarterly in advance until
she was seven years old, and 1500 livres after that age.
CM 3
MARRIAGE AND SEPARATION
Alexandra further agreed to pay all the legal expenses
of the suit. Such was the end of this famous action,
from which Josephine carried off all the honors of war.
The sojourn of Josephine at Panthemont was of
great advantage to her in every way. The Abbaye was
like an immense furnished hotel, of the highest respec-
tability, open only to women of " la premiere distinc-
tion," and there Josephine for the first time had an
opportunity of meeting women of her own social rank.
She was received as the Vicomtesse de Beauharnais, an
unfortunate, irreproachable young woman, the victim
of a cruel husband.
For a woman of the world, Josephine already pos-
sessed two of the essential requisites: she was a
coquette and she knew how to lie. In these two respects,
her husband undoubtedly had a grievance against her.
And to these two qualities, Josephine adds, by the fac-
ulty of assimilation which is one of her strongest traits,
that physical education which in a new society is to place
her in a class by herself. Little by little a transformation
is effected in her personality, which changes the heavy
and awkward Creole into a being delicate and souple,
a being desirable above all, who knows how to attract
and to hold. From every point of view this retreat of
fifteen months was profitable to her.
On leaving the Panthemont early in 1786 Josephine,
at twenty-three years of age, found herself free, with
an income of 9000 livres for the support of Hortense
and herself. At this time she sold the estate at Noisy,
and with the proceeds she bought at Fontainebleau
a little house, where she went to live with her aunt
and the marquis. They had a few friends in that local-
233
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
ity, and in their society the days passed pleasantly.
At that time the Court was obliged to practice the
strictest economy, and for two years the royal hunt
was abandoned.
In September 1786, under the terms of the act of
separation, Eugene was sent to his father, who placed
him at school. Hortense was brought home from
Chelles, where she had been for two years with a nurse,
and was at once inoculated, by orders of the marquis,
who was a great believer in all innovations.
Abandoned at twenty-three years by her husband,
whose liaisons with other women were open and no-
torious; attractive, passionate, extremely coquette, is
it probable that Josephine did not have a lover? Sev-
eral names have been mentioned in this connection,
but we have no proofs. All we know is that in June
1788 Josephine suddenly sailed for Martinique, taking
Hortense with her. None of her biographers has ever
been able to find a satisfactory explanation of this
voyage. It has been surmised that it was either for the
purpose of concealing the results of her imprudence,
or else was on account of the pressing need of money.
But, if the latter, was it not easier to await at Fontaine-
bleau the remittances from her father, who acted as
ajgent of the marquis, than to go three thousand miles
in search of them? In default of any documents we are
reduced to conjectures, and with our knowledge of
Josephine can only imagine one of two reasons: debts
or love. The biographers friendly to Josephine attrib-
ute her journey to the former cause; but it is rather
strange that her enemies have not seized on the fact
that Decres, writing by Napoleon's orders in 1807,
343
MARRIAGE AND SEPARATION
spoke of " the demoiselle of eighteen years, whom
Madame de la Pagerie has adopted." Had this girl,
known as Marie-Benaquette Tascher de la Pagerie,
been really only eighteen years of age at that time,
she must have been born early in 1789, that is to say
during this visit of Josephine, and not in March 1786,
as stated in the document of doubtful authenticity
already mentioned. Therefore, on the ground of date
alone, there was no reason why " Marie- Joseph-Rose,"
as stated in the certificate, could not have been the
mother, instead of Marie-Francoise. Turquan, who is
always unfriendly to Josephine, does not hesitate to
insinuate that Josephine had a daughter during this
visit to Martinique in 1789, six years after her separa-
tion from her husband, and gives as his authority a
study of M. Frederic Masson upon Josephine avant
Bonaparte, published in the Revue de Paris. This girl,
Marie-Benaquette, was married in March 1808 to the
private secretary of the captain-general of Martinique,
a Monsieur Blanchet, and her dot of sixty thousand
francs was provided by the Emperor, doubtless at the
request of Josephine. The whole episode is a curious
one, to say the least.
Whatever her motive may have been, Josephine was
in great haste to leave France at the earliest possible
moment. Finding on her arrival at Havre that the
government vessel which she had expected to take
could not sail for two weeks, she engaged passage for
Hortense and herself on a private ship, and sailed at
once.
The voyage was pleasant and rapid. Arrived at Mar-
tinique Josephine went directly to Trois-Ilets, where
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
she remained nearly two years. We have no record of
this visit, but her life must have been very dull. The
family was very poor, and both her father and her
sister Frangoise were ill.
Her father died in November 1790, two months after
Josephine's departure, and her sister a year later.
CHAPTER THREE
1789-1794
THE REVOLUTION
Beauharnais Elected to the States- General Josephine Returns
from Martinique Alexandre, President of the Assembly
Flight of the Royal Family End of the Constituent As-
sembly Alexandre Rejoins the Army Promoted and
Made Commander of the Army of the Rhine His Dis-
graceful Failure His Resignation Accepted Josephine
at Paris and Croissy Alexandre at Blois Both Arrested
and Confined in the Carmes Execution of Alexandre
ON the 5 May 1789, the States-General as-
sembled at Versailles, and Alexandre de Beau-
harnais was one of the members. He had
presented himself to the noblesse of Blois as a candidate
for the place of one of the two deputies to be elected
by that bailiwick, and was chosen almost unanimously
through the influence of Lavoisier. This was the
fermier-general Lavoisier, member of the Academy of
Sciences. Established only twenty years at Blois, he
had acquired by his liberality a great popularity. He
was the real head of the electoral assembly, of which he
was chosen secretary, and it was he who drafted the
cahier des doUances.
This memorandum of grievances, which Alexandre
was charged to support, was wholly inspired by the
doctrines of Rousseau, and was the most revolutionary
of any presented to the King.
Beauharnais was faithful to his mandate, and on his
arrival at Versailles he ranged himself with the minority
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
of the Noblesse the Forty-seven beside Aiguillon,
La Fayette, Lally-Tollendal, La Rochefoucauld and the
Due d'Orleans.
On the night of the 4 August, when feudal rights
were abolished, and " every man generously gave away
what he did not own," Alexandre took a leading part. In
recognition of his attitude on this occasion, on the 23
November, after the Assembly had moved to Paris,
Beauharnais was chosen one of the three secretaries,
with Aiguillon as president.
While Alexandre was thus playing one of the princi-
pal roles in the Constituent Assembly, the island of
Martinique was in a state of turmoil. There was open
war between the whites and the blacks. Tascher, the
uncle of Josephine, who was commandant of the port
at Fort-Royal, was elected mayor; there was a collision
at Saint-Pierre between the two parties, and fifteen
blacks were- killed. The garrison of Fort Bourbon re-
volted, and Tascher was made a prisoner by the rebels.
The governor was compelled to evacuate, not only the
capital, but also the forts which defended it. Complete
anarchy reigned on the island.
Josephine was advised by her friends to leave, and
she sailed for France on the 4 September 1790 on the
frigate Sensible. Her departure was so hasty that she
sailed almost without any changes of clothing, and dur-
ing the voyage was thrown upon the charity of the
officers of the ship for toilet necessities for herself and
Hortense. She landed in France early in November, and
went directly to Paris, where she lodged at the Hotel
des Asturies, Rue d'Anjou.
At this time Josephine seems to have made another
THE REVOLUTION
effort to bring about a reconciliation with her husband,
but without success. Alexandre continued to live at
the hotel of the Due de La Rochefoucauld, and Jose-
phine took an apartment in the Rue Saint-Dominique.
The summer of 1791, Josephine and her children
were with the marquis and Madame Renaudin at Fon-
tainebleau. Here she learned of the election of her
husband as president of the Assembly, on the 18 June.
Two days later occurred the flight of the royal family
to Varennes. The announcement was made by Beau-
harnais, in opening the session of Tuesday the 2 1 June,
and the Assembly remained in permanent session until
the afternoon of the following Sunday. During this
period Alexandre, by force of circumstances, was the
personage the most en vue in France, the head of all
authority. The King was suspended, and the President
of the National Assembly, for the moment, was sover-
eign. When his son Eugene was seen in the streets of
Fontainebleau, the people cried: " Voila le Dauphin! "
It was a strange turn of the wheel of fortune which
thus brought face to face the Marquis de Bouille, the
distinguished soldier of the Antilles, the last royal gov-
ernor, who arranged the flight to Varennes, and this
Beauharnais, who a few years before had vainly solic-
ited the favor of being his aide de camp. One had been
a valiant soldier, whose life had been devoted to his king
and country: the other had never seen any active serv-
ice, and his brief existence, up to the present time,
had been a mixture of scandal and -futility. In this
encounter, by the irony of fate, it was the veteran who
lost, and the carpet-knight who won.
The last of September the Constituent Assembly
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
came to an end. As the retiring deputies, by an act of
rare and imbecile disinterestedness, had declared them-
selves ineligible for election to the new Legislative As-
sembly, they were all forced to retire to private life.
Alexandre set out at once for Loir-et-Cher, where he
was named member of the administration of the depart-
ment. At this time he bought some national property in
the vicinity of Ferte-Beauharnais, of which he seemed
to consider himself the sole owner since the emigration
of his brother. But the exercise of his new civil duties
was brief. Since the 25 August he had been on the
rolls of the general staff, with the rank of lieutenant-
colonel, and early in December he received an order to
join the 2 ist division to which he was attached.
The former president of the Assembly certainly took
his time about entering upon his military duties, for
he remained in the country until the last of January,
and then came to Paris, where he devoted another
month to arranging his affairs. At this time he was suc-
cessful in securing a pension of 10,000 livres for his
aged father. Finally he set out for the headquarters at
Valenciennes.
When hostilities began in April he was attached to
the Third Corps, commanded by Marechal de Rocham-
beau in person. He took part in the first operations, and
personally sent to the Military Committee of the As-
sembly an account of the rout at Mons.
For such distinguished services, Alexandre was pro-
moted the last of May and assigned to the Army of the
North under Marechal Liickner. He continued to cor-
respond with the Assembly, to describe the smallest
skirmishes, and to give his impressions of events. He
THE REVOLUTION
was one of the first to accept the revolution of the 10
August, and was rewarded on the 7 September by being
promoted to major-general and named chief of staff of
the new army in course of formation at Strasbourg.
The year 1792 came to an end without the Army of
the Rhine making any forward movement. During the
first months of the following year, Beauharnais was
still in Strasbourg, or that vicinity: his name occurs in
no reports. The 8 March he was promoted to be lieuten-
ant-general; and on the 13 May, when Custine was
made commander of the Army of the North, Beauhar-
nais succeeded him as general-in-chief of the Army of
the Rhine.
In June, after the fall of the Girondins, Alexandra
was summoned to Paris, to succeed Bouchotte as Min-
ister of War* This nomination displeased the all-power-
ful Commune of Paris, which denounced Beauharnais
as an aristocrat, and he wisely declined the appoint-
ment.
By this time the public was beginning to realize that
General Beauharnais was more fond of writing than of
acting. Mayence was besieged, and the commander of
the Army of the Rhine had something more important
to do than to compose addresses. The last of June he
finally set his 60,000 men in motion, and advanced on
the enemy. As usual, he reported in the greatest detail
the slightest skirmishes, but did nothing to effect the
relief of Mayence, which after a brave defence was
forced to capitulate on the 23 July, He then insulted
the heroic defenders of the city by a proclamation to
his army, in which he said: " No one could expect a sur-
render so long as the Republicans had any ammunition
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
or bread." At the same time he wrote the Jacobins of
Strasbourg that the club ought to demand of the Con-
vention the heads of the traitors of Mayence and send
them to the King of Prussia!
He then ordered his army to retreat to the lines of
Wissembourg, and sent in his resignation, on the ground
that, as a member of a proscribed caste, it was his duty
to remove any subject of disquietude from the minds of
his fellow-citizens. Without any authorization, he left
his army and went to Strasbourg. It was a grave error
thus to abandon his post in the face of the enemy, at a
moment when Custine was on trial, Dillon under ar-
rest, and all the generals of noble birth subject to
suspicion.
On the 21 August, his resignation was accepted, in
terms which for all time must cover his name with op-
probrium. He was ordered to retire at once to a distance
of fifty miles from the frontier, to a place of residence
of which he would inform the Convention. So ended
the inglorious military career of Alexandre de Beau-
harnais.
From October 1791 to September 1793, except for
visits to her aunt at Fontainebleau, Josephine passed
all her time in her Paris apartment. Then, on account
of the new law regarding " suspects,' 7 she found it de-
sirable to have a domicile outside the city, in order to
obtain a certificate of civisme (good citizenship). For
some unknown reason, instead of using Fontainebleau,
she decided upon Croissy, a village on the Seine about
ten miles from Versailles. Here she sub-leased a house
from Madame Hosten, a Creole friend from Sainte-
1:3*3
THE REVOLUTION
Lucie, who lived at Paris in the same hotel, Rue Saint-
Dominique. She had a daughter of about the same age
as Hortense, and the mothers had become intimate
friends. The 26 September 1793, the Citoyenne Beau-
harnais presented herself at the municipality of Croissy
to make her declaration, and two days later she was
joined by her son Eugene, who came from his school
at Strasbourg. In her declaration there is no mention
of Hortense, but this was probably only an oversight.
Mile, de Vergennes, who passed this summer of 1793
at Croissy, states that it was then that she made the
acquaintance of Hortense, who was three or four years
younger than herself. At this time, Josephine, to prove
her civisme, placed Hortense with her old nurse Marie
Lanoy at Paris, as an apprentice to learn dress-making,
and Eugene was articled to one Cochard, a carpenter,
who was the national agent of the commune of Croissy.
This attack of civic fever, however, did not prevent
Josephine from seeking society, and extending her ac-
quaintance among the residents of Croissy. Among the
friends she made at this time were: Chanorier, through
whom she afterwards bought Malmaison; Mile, de
Vergennes, who as Madame de Remusat was to be her
dame du palais; and Real, who was to become Council-
lor of State, commandant of the Legion d'honneur,
comte of the Empire.
During the month of January 1794, armed with her
certificate of civisine, Josephine returned to her apart-
ment in Paris.
Leaving Strasbourg so precipitately that he had not
time to take with him his carriages and horses, Alex-
333
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
andre proceeded directly to his home at Ferte. From
there he made haste to write the Jacobin Club of Blois
to announce his early visit. On his first appearance,
however, he was greeted with insults. He made a spir-
ited reply, and thought that he had saved the situation.
Reassured, he leased a small house in the city, and en-
deavored to gain the good will of his neighbors. At the
same time he opened correspondence with his wife: in
the face of their common peril, a kind of intimacy was
established between them. In the meanwhile he was
elected mayor of the little commune of Ferte.
But Alexandre was not to enjoy very long his quiet
life in the country. On the 2 March 1794, by order of
the Committee of General Security, he was arrested,
and conducted to Paris, where, on the 14 March, he was
confined in the Carmes. On the 19 April, by order of
the same Committee, Josephine was also arrested, at
Croissy, taken to Paris, and placed in the same prison.
The old convent of the church of Saint- Joseph des
Cannes, its walls still stained with the blood of the Sep-
tember Massacres, is standing to-day in the Rue Vaugi-
rard close by the Luxembourg and the Od6on. At that
time, it was one of the most insanitary prisons of Paris.
It was cold, damp, dirty; infested with vermin; poorly
ventilated, and badly lighted.
However, the society was excellent, although rather
mixed. Grands seigneurs and grandes dames were min-
gled promiscuously with domestics and artisans.
There Josephine was thrown again with her husband,
and there seems to have been a good understanding
between them, but nothing more. Alexandre conceived
a great passion for Delphine de Custine, while Jose-
THE REVOLUTION
phine engaged in a violent flirtation with General
Hoche, who entered the Carmes at about the same time.
Every possible effort was made_ by Alexandre and
Josephine to secure their liberty. Through Eugene and
Hortense, who were allowed to visit their mother, com-
munication was kept up with the outside world. Jose-
phine's surly pug dog, Fortune, which was not noticed
in the crowd, carried letters placed under her collar.
The case against Alexandre, however, was too strong
for him to hope for acquittal: his military career, his
neglect to relieve Mayence, his desertion of his post,
made a record hard to defend. On the 22 July, he was
taken to the Conciergerie. Realizing that it was the end,
as he passed Madame de Custine, he handed her as a
farewell present an Arab talisman mounted in a ring
which he always wore on his finger.
Alexandre faced death bravely. In those days,
if few knew how to live, all knew how to die. Without
trial, without testimony, without pleadings, without
verdict, he was hurried to the guillotine in a batch of
fifty-five victims.
It was the 5 Thermidor. Four days more!
CHAPTER FOUR
1794-1795
AFTER THE TERROR
Paris During the Terror The Fall of Robespierre Joy of the
Prisoners Josephine Set Free Her Behavior in Prison
She Returns to Croissy Her Relations with Hoche
Her Financial Difficulties Her Banker, Emmery Her
Love of Luxury Her Intimacy with Madame Tallien
Their Similar Tastes Theresia Abandons Tallien Jose-
phine's New Home She Places Her Children in School
Paul Barras His Political Prominence His Liaison with
Jos6phine His Court at the Luxembourg
NO words can depict the conditions in Paris dur-
ing the " Great Terror," which began in March
1794, and ended with the fall of Robespierre
on the 27 July. The Law of the Suspects kept the prisons
packed; the guillotine was constantly employed: the
whole nation appeared doomed to the scaffold. The final
seven weeks between the 23 Prairial (n June) and the
9 Thermidor were horrible. It was nothing more nor less
than a massacre: in the course of these forty-five days
1376 heads fell in Paris. " Fear was on every side; draw-
ing-rooms were empty; wine shops were deserted; the
very courtesans ceased to go to the Palais-Royal, where
virtue now reigned supreme. The Convention was well-
nigh deserted; the deputies had given up sleeping at
home."
When the head of Robespierre fell under the guil-
lotine, a mighty shout of joy went up from the one
hundred thousand beings massed in the Place de la
Revolution. In the popular estimation, Robespierre had
AFTER THE TERROR
been the incarnation of the Terror, therefore his down-
fall meant the end of the Terror. No such thought had
been in the minds of Barras and Tallien when they
struck down the dictator, but they were not slow to
take advantage of this reaction in public opinion.
The joy of the populace, however, was nothing in
comparison with the delight of the reprieved prisoners
who had been hopelessly awaiting death. The daily roll-
call had ceased: it was never to be heard again. While
the tumbrils conveyed to the scaffold the dreaded in-
struments of the Terror Fouquier and the judges and
jurymen, the former captives were daily set free. At
the same time a hundred thousand " suspects " issued
from their hiding places. Their joy was beyond words:
" It was as if they had risen from the tomb, or been
born into life again. 7 '
Josephine was one of the first of the prisoners to gain
her liberty: ten days after the fall of Robespierre, on
the 19 Thermidor (6 August), she left the Cannes.
One of her companions in misfortune has drawn a
sketch of her behavior in prison which is not wholly
flattering: " She was pusillanimous in the highest
degree. . . . She passed her time in telling her fortune
with cards, and in weeping in public, to the great scan-
dal of her companions. But she was naturally affable,
and does not this trait make us oblivious to many qual-
ities which are lacking? Her tournure, her manners, her
voice above all, had a particular charm; but it must be
admitted that she was neither magnanimous nor frank;
the other prisoners pitied her for her lack of courage."
Nevertheless, Josephine was very popular: "When
the prisoners heard her name pronounced, they ap-
plauded furiously." With that grace which never left
her, " she made her adieux to each one, and left amidst
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
the good wishes and blessings of all" It has been stated
that she owed her prompt liberation to Madame de
Fontenoy, the future Madame Tallien, " her companion
in prison/' but Theresia was confined in La Force and
not at the Cannes. Josephine had other friends, how-
ever, who were not less powerful: Hoche, who left his
prison on the 4 August, Real, Barrere, Tallien to
mention only a few of the names. Tallien himself al-
ways claimed the honor, and to him Eugene gave the
credit at a later date.
But very little is known of the life of Josephine dur-
ing the twelve months following her release from prison.
As the seals were still attached to her apartment in the
Rue Saint-Dominique, she probably passed the autumn
of 1794 in her house at Croissy. Barras states in his
Memoires that on leaving the Cannes she became the
mistress of Hoche. If so, the liaison must have been
very brief. Hoche was transferred to the Conciergerie
the middle of May, and was set free only two days be-
fore Josephine. Twelve days later he was appointed
general-in-chief of the Army of the Cotes de Cherbourg,
and left Paris to take up his new command not later
than the first of September. At this time he seems to
have been very much in love with his young wife, from
whom he had been separated almost immediately after
their marriage in February, by being ordered to the
Army of Italy, and later by his imprisonment. Admit-
ting that he carried on a lively flirtation with Josephine
during the few weeks that they were thrown together
in the Cannes, it seems much more probable that Hoche
passed with his bride the short period that he was in
Paris at this time.
383
AFTER THE TERROR
Futhermore, it is absurd to attempt to draw any con-
clusions as to this liaison from the fact that Hoche
gave Eugene a position on his staff. The general had
been in close relations with Alexandre in the army, and
these ties had been drawn closer by their confinement
in the same prison. WKkt then could be more natural,
than the wish of Hoche to relieve the burden of his
friend's widow by assuming the responsibility of her
son? This also is his own explanation of the matter in
a letter written to the marquis two years later, after the
second marriage of Josephine.
There is no doubt, however, that during these twelve
months Josephine was in great financial difficulties. She
had on her hands the lease both of her Paris apartment
and the house at Croissy. Her father had left his affairs
in great confusion, and the difficulty of getting money
from Martinique was further increased by the war with
England. In February 1794 the English had taken pos-
session of the island, and the Tascher estate was in the
hands of the enemy. In France the property of her
husband had been confiscated by the Government.
The expenses of Josephine's household at this time
were quite heavy. She had three domestics: the nurse,
Marie Lanoy; the maid, Agathe Rible; and the valet
(officieux), Gontier. She not only paid them , no
wages, however, but even borrowed their little savings.
Her principal resource was a M. Emmery, a banker at
Dunkerque, who for many years had had business re-
lations with the Taschers.
This Emmery had been colonel of the National
Guard, deputy to the Legislative Assembly, and mayor
of Dunkerque. During the Terror he was imprisoned,
H393
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
and only a serious illness saved him from the guillotine.
In the Year Three (1794-5) he was again elected
mayor, and resumed his commerce with the Antilles.
For a period of three years he had advanced to Jose-
phine the funds of which she had need.
On the first day of January 1795, Josephine writes
her mother that without the aid of her friend Emmery
she does not know what would have become of her. She
urges Madame Tascher to remit to her, either through
London or Hambourg, all the funds at her disposal, not
merely the income, but also the capital sum. Her
mother seems to have done her best, but the remittance
was only moderate in amount. Josephine then drew on
her mother a sight draft for one thousand pounds ster-
ling, writing her at the same time, how important it
was for her to meet the draft, as the money was due
to friends who had already advanced it to her. In the
meantime she succeeded in having the seals removed
from her apartment, and recovered possession of her
effects. She also managed to have turned over to her
the silver and books left by Alexandre in his country
house, and was paid by the Government the sum of ten
thousand livres on account of the furniture which had
been sold.
From these few details it is possible to judge how
precarious was the life of Josephine during the greater
part of this year. But with the small remittances she
received from Martinique, with money which she bor-
rowed on every side, with bills which she contracted
everywhere, she somehow managed to exist; and her
life was far from being devoid of luxury. She was not a
woman to walk, and must have a carriage, which she
AFTER THE TERROR
hired by the month. She had not yet worked out the
combination by which she obtained, in June 1795, from
the Committee of Public Safety, a carriage and two
horses in exchange for the horses and equipages which
Alexandre had left with the Army of the Rhine. She was
fond of flowers, and could not live without them. Her
toilettes, which were quite modest, included such items
as a piece of muslin at 500 livres, two pairs of silk
stockings at 700 livres, and a shawl at 1200 livres. But
let not the reader be amazed at these figures: a thou-
sand livres assignats then represented only about fifty-
three livres in gold.
At this time Josephine was on very intimate terms
with Madame Tallien, the most beautiful woman of her
day. Theresia was the daughter of Francis Cabarrus,
a famous banker and finance minister of Spain. In 1788,
at the age of fourteen, she was married to the elderly
Comte de Fontenoy, a councillor of the Parlement of
Bordeaux. During the early days of the Revolution,
her wit and beauty made her a favorite in the salons of
Paris. Later she attempted with her husband to join
her father in Spain, but they were arrested at Bordeaux
as suspects. At that time Tallien was exercising all the
rigors of the Terror in the department of the Gironde.
He thus met Theresia, fell in love with her, and released
Fontenoy on condition that he should apply for a
divorce. She then became at first the mistress and later
the wife of the proconsul. After the Reign of Terror,
and the dictatorship of Robespierre, the woman-hater,
the new regime found its incarnation in this woman of
easy morals! It is a curious fact that, after her divorce
by Tallien in 1802, she married Prince de Chimay, and
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
became the mother of a son who espoused Emilie, the
daughter of Napoleon and the lovely Madame Pellapra.
She was, so far as known, the only daughter of the
Emperor.
There were many points of resemblance between
Josephine and Theresia. Both had the same tastes, the
same desires, the same love of luxury. Neither of them
had any moral scruples, and they were both looking
for some one rich enough to satisfy their caprices
husband or lover, it mattered little which. Theresia,
who was only twenty years of age at this time, had the
advantage over Josephine both of youth and beauty,
but in grace and charm she could not be compared with
the fascinating Creole.
Theresia was not a woman to be satisfied long with
a man like Tallien. She soon found their " Chaumiere,"
in the Allee des Veuves, too small a theatre for her
talents. Nothing would satisfy her but the rarest
flowers, the most exquisite wines, and toilettes which
did not cost less from the fact that they were most
diaphanous. From Tallien she passed to Barras,
who soon turned her over to the rich banker Ouv-
rard, " tout en conservant les privautes qui lui convien-
nent.
In August 1795, when her affairs were still in the
same precarious condition, Josephine leased from Julie
Carreau, the wife of the actor Talma, from whom she
was separated, a little hotel entre cour et jardin at
Number 6, Rue Chantereine. This was a short street
recently laid out from the Faubourg Montmartre to the
Chaussee-d'Antin. It was lined with the residences of
files entretenues. The lease was for three years, with
AFTER THE TERROR
privilege of two renewals, and the rent was 10,000
francs in assignats.
The entrance to the hotel was by a porte-cochere
through a long corridor, at the end of which was a little
garden, with two small pavilions which contained the
stable and carriage-house. In the middle was the house,
consisting only of a rez-de-chau$see with an attic above
and cellar below. There were five rooms: an ante-
chamber, a bedroom, a salon, which also served as a
dining-room, another small salon, used as a boudoir,
and a wardrobe. The servants' quarters were in the at-
tic. Although small, the house demanded quite a staff
of servants: a porter, a coachman, a chef, and a femme
de chambre. Josephine at this time set-up her carriage,
with two horses: the same which she had obtained from
the Government.
Before taking possession of her new home Josephine
had spent a very considerable amount in repairing and
adding to the furniture of her apartment in Rue Saint-
Dominique. Nothing, however, was very luxurious. The
salon was furnished only with a round mahogany
table, and four chairs covered with black horse-hair.
On the walls were hung a few prints framed in dark
wood.
It is interesting to note in passing that this short
street, or rather the locality where it was afterwards
laid out, was originally known under the name of la
Victoire. Later the place was called Chantereine on ac-
count of the frogs which chanted there. After the Cam-
paign of Italy it was again called Rue de la Victoire in
honor of Napoleon, and is still known by that name
to-day.
Us 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
At this time, the nurse Marie Lanoy was no longer
with Josephine, as she had placed Hortense in the new
school which Madame Campan had just founded at
Saint-Germain. She also sent for Eugene, whom Hoche
would have been only too glad to keep on his staff, and
placed him in quite an expensive institution which had
just been opened at Saint-Germain under the name of
the College Irlandais.
The overthrow of Robespierre on the 9 Thermidor
was due largely to Barras, and for the next two years
he was perhaps the most prominent man in France.
For power in itself he cared but little, but he greatly
enjoyed the advantages derived from it: the money, the
luxury, and above all the women.
Paul Barras was born in Provence in 1755 of a good
family. In his youth he served as a lieutenant against
the British in India. In 1 789 he was chosen a member of
the States-General, and took an active part in the
storming of the Bastille and the Tuileries. The siege
of Toulon owed its success largely to his activity and
energy. After the 9 Thermidor, as president of the Con-
vention he acted with decision both against the in-
trigues of the Royalists and the excesses of the Jaco-
bins. He was brave, he was a gentleman, and with much
reason he despised the rabble by whom he was sur-
rounded. As Lefebvre said of Talleyrand: " He was a
mess of filth in a silk stocking." But unlike Talleyrand
he had courage, and, when occasion demanded, did not
hesitate to draw the sword and throw away the scab-
bard.
It was a curious side of the nature of Barras that
while he associated with the commonest of men, he
AFTER THE TERROR
wished to have around him only women of the Ancien
Regime. He must have, in his intimate relations, grace,
elegance and distinction. He could not expect to find
ladies of the highest rank: they had all emigrated or
died on the scaffold; but he sought those who, to save
their heads or their fortunes, had compromised them-
selves with the leaders of the popular party, and who
with the return of luxury were ready to do anything to
satisfy their caprices. He had not money enough to
meet their demands from his own resources, but he
put them in contact with bankers and contractors whom
he exploited himself, and whom he permitted them to
exploit in turn.
Among this galaxy of pretty women of loose morals
the bright particular stars were Theresia and Josephine.
Some one must have paid for the new luxury of Jose-
phine, and there is little doubt that Barras was at this
time her lover. He is ungallant enough to say so in his
Mgmoires, and for once he seems to have told the truth.
As president of the Convention, member of the Com-
mittee of General Security, general-in-chief of the Army
of the Interior, Barras was really more powerful then
than later as a member of the Directory. In July 1795
he returned from a mission to the North; on the 13
Vendemiaire (5 October) he commanded the troops
of the Convention; on the first of November he became
a Director; and on the fourth he installed himself at
the Luxembourg.
There is a remarkable coincidence between these
dates and the events in the life of Josephine. On the 17
August she signed her lease for the Hotel Chantereine;
the following month she sent her children to school; the
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
second of October she moved into her new home; and
the sixth she gave the orders to furnish luxuriously her
chambre a coucher.
By midsummer the liaison was already well estab-
lished, and during the autumn they met frequently at
Croissy. "We had Madame de Beauharnais for a
neighbor," writes Pasquier. " Her house adjoined our
own. She only came there occasionally, once a week, to
meet Barras with the many persons who followed in his
suite. ... As is not rare with Creoles, the house of
Madame de Beauharnais had an air of luxury while the
most essential things were lacking. Chicken, game, rare
fruits, filled the kitchen, while they came to our humble
abode to borrow the kitchen utensils, plates and glasses
which they lacked."
On the 4 November 1 795 the newly elected Directors
took possession of the Luxembourg, which had been
assigned them as an official residence. The palace had
been used as a prison during the Revolution, and all
of the furniture had mysteriously disappeared. There
was no one to receive them except the concierge, who
loaned them for their first meeting a dilapidated table
and some cane-bottomed chairs. As soon as the salons
were refurnished and Barras began to hold his " Court,"
Josephine and Theresia were among the first to appear.
This Court was made up of women of the old noblesse,
and there reigned, in spite of assertions to the contrary,
a very good tone: a certain cold reserve, rather than the
abandon of bad taste. The ladies were nearly all widows,
and very few husbands were to be seen.
Besides the Luxembourg, and her house at Croissy,
Josephine also met Barras at a house which he owned
AFTER THE TERROR
or leased at Chaillot, as is shown by a tetter still in
existence:
" The Citoyenne Beauharnais invites the Citoyen
Real to give her the pleasure of his company for dinner
chez die (at her home) to-morrow the twenty-fifth:
the Citoyens Barras and Tallien are to be present."
This letter is dated the 24 Pluviose An IV (13 Feb-
ruary 1796) and is written from the residence of Barras
at Chaillot!
CHAPTER FIVE
1796
THE CITIZENESS BONAPARTE
The 13 Vendemiaire The Parisians Disarmed Eugene Re-
claims His Father's Sword Josephine Meets General Bona-
parte Her Appearance at That Time She Writes the
General One of His Love Letters He Decides on Mar-
riage Josephine's Hesitation Her Final Consent The
Contract The Civil Ceremony Bonaparte Leaves for
Italy
IN October 1795 there was a revolt of the Sections
of Paris against the new Constitution, and above
all against the new "Law of Two-Thirds/' by
which the members of the Convention had sought to
secure the election of two-thirds of their number to the
new Corps Legislatif. Barras was placed in command
of the troops of the Convention, and he appointed as
his aide de camp, or chief of staff, a young artillery
officer named Napoleon Bonaparte, who had distin-
guished himself at the siege of Toulon. Bonaparte easily
put down the uprising, and the Convention showed its
gratitude: he was named general en second of the Army
of the Interior, 8 October; promoted general of division,
1 6 October; and succeeded Barras as general-in-chief
of the Army of the Interior on the 26 October.
The day of the insurrection, the 13 Vendemiaire (5
October), and the following day, Josephine was at
Fontainebleau, where she had gone to select some fur-
niture to be sent to her new house in Paris. A week
THE CITIZENESS BONAPARTE
after her return she was notified of the order of the
Committee of Public Safety that all citizens of Paris
must surrender the arms in their possession. This seems
to have been a matter of indifference to her, but Eu-
gene, who was at home, protested warmly against giv-
ing up his father's sword. The commissioner consented
to let him keep it if he secured the authorization of the
general-in-chief . Eugene immediately went to the head-
quarters of General Bonaparte in the Rue des Capu-
cines to make his request. The profound emotion which
he displayed; his name; his pleasant face and man-
ners; the warmth with which he made his plea all
touched the general, who gave him permission to keep
the sabre.
Naturally the mother of Eugene came to express her
thanks, as was only polite. Thus chance brought
together General Bonaparte and the former Vicomtesse
de Beauharnais. With Napoleon it was a case of love
at first sight. His heart, his mind, his imagination all
were taken by storm. She was a lady, a grande dame,
a ci-devant vicomtesse, the widow of a president of the
Constituent Assembly, of a general-in-chief of the Army
of the Rhine. All this meant much to Bonaparte: the
title, the social position, the noble air with which
she expressed her gratitude. For the first time the young
Corsican found himself in the presence of a real lady of
high society. He was invited to call on her some evening
when he was free, and the next night he rung at the
porte-cochere of the little hotel in the Rue Chantereine.
When Josephine met Napoleon about the middle of
October 1795, she was already more than thirty-two
years old a mature age for a Creole. Her hair, which
C493
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
was not thick, but fine in quality, was of a dark chestnut
color. Her complexion was brunette. Her skin was al-
ready wrinkled, but so covered with powder and rouge
that the fact was not apparent under a subdued light.
Her teeth were bad, but no one ever saw them. Her very
small mouth was never more than slightly opened, in
a sweet smile which accorded perfectly with the infinite
softness of her eyes with their long eyelashes, with the
tender expression of her features, with the touching
quality of her voice. And with that, "un petit nez
fringant, leger, mobile, aux narines perpetuellement
battantes, un nez un peu releve du bout, engageant et
fripon, qui provoque le desir."
Her head however could not be mentioned in com-
parison with her form, so free and so svelte, without a
sign of embonpoint. She wore no corset, not even a
brassi&re, to sustain her breast, which was low and flat.
Lucien writes in his M tmoires that she had very little
wit, and no trace of what could be called beauty, but
there were certain Creole characteristics in the pliant un-
dulations of her figure, which was rather below the
average height.
Arnault, in his Souvenirs, says that she had a charm
which transcended the dazzling beauty of her two
rivals, Mesdames Tallien and Recamier.
Madame de Remusat describes her friend in these
words: "Without being precisely beautiful, her whole
person was possessed of a peculiar charm. . . . Her
figure was perfect, every outline well rounded and
graceful; every motion, easy and elegant. Her taste in
dress was excellent. . . . Her education had been rather
neglected, but she knew wherein she was wanting, and
THE CITIZENESS BONAPARTE
never betrayed her ignorance. Naturally tactful, she
found it easy to say agreeable things."
With all these qualities, the jemme attracted Na-
poleon at their first meeting, while the dame impressed
him by her air of dignity, as he put it: " Ce maintien
calme et noble de Pancienne societe frangaise."
The first call was quickly followed by another, and
soon Bonaparte was a daily visitor at the little hotel.
Events moved rapidly in those days, and two weeks
after the first visit Napoleon and Josephine were al-
ready on most intimate terms. On the 28 October she
writes him:
You no longer come to see a friend who loves you; you
have entirely neglected her: you are very wrong, for she is
tenderly attached to you.
Come to breakfast with me to-morrow; I must see you
and talk with you about your interests.
Good night, my friend, I embrace you.
VEUVE BEAUHARNAIS
Henceforth Napoleon follows Josephine everywhere.
He accompanies her to, or meets her at, the houses that
she frequents; he makes the acquaintance of Madame
Tallien; as soon as the receptions begin at the Luxem-
bourg he joins her there.
It is at this time that he writes her one of the first of
his glowing love letters:
" I awake full of thoughts of thee. Thy image and the
intoxicating evening of yesterday have left no repose to
my senses. Sweet and incomparable Josephine, what
strange effect do you have upon my heart? If thou art
displeased, or sad, or uneasy, my soul is overcome with
grief, and there is no rest for thy friend; but it is en-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
tirely different, when, yielding to the profound senti-
ment which masters me, I draw from thy lips, thy heart,
a scorching flame. ... I shall see thee in three hours. In
the meantime, my dear love (mio dolce amor), a mil-
lion kisses, but do not give me any, for they set my
blood on fire."
On the 21 January, anniversary of the execution of
" the last king of the French/' Barras gives a large
dinner. Among those present are Josephine and The-
resia. Bonaparte's conversation is very animated, and
he appears to interest the ladies greatly. After dinner
they retire to one of the private salons, and the general
sits on a sofa between Theresia and Josephine. The
liaison seems to be generally recognized.
It is impossible to state at what date Napoleon con-
ceived the idea of transforming " en mariage cette
bonne fortune," but it was probably when his appoint-
ment to Italy was practically decided upon, and he
knew that they must soon be separated.
For her part Josephine hesitated for some weeks. In
a letter to a friend she admits that she does not love
Napoleon, but adds that her feeling towards him is one
of indifference, rather than of dislike. She admires the
General's courage, the vivacity of his mind, which en-
ables him to grasp the thoughts of others almost before
they have been expressed, but she is afraid of his domi-
neering nature. She is also frightened by the force of his
passion, which he expresses with an energy which leaves
no room for doubt of his sincerity. Can she, a woman
whose youth is past, hope to hold for any length of time
this violent love which resembles a fit of delirium? Will
he not later regret having failed to make a more advan-
1:523
THE CITIZENESS BONAPARTE
tageous marriage, and reproach her with what he has
done for her?
Josephine consulted all of her society friends.
They told her that Bonaparte had genius, and would
go far; that it was no secret that Carnot intended to
give him the command of the Army of Italy. Still she
hesitated: she was nearly thirty- three years of age
almost an old woman; but what else could she do? She
knew how uncertain was the attachment of Barras, how
little trust she could place in him. She was tempted to
accept this chance, perhaps the last she would ever
have, and link her fortune to that of this brilliant youth,
so ardent, and so passionate in his vows of eternal
devotion.
This unexpected opportunity, this union with Bona-
parte, who was to make true for her all and more than
all that she could ever have dreamed, Josephine was
far from grasping at first. It was to be months and years
before she fully realized her good fortune. Even after
she understood what Napoleon meant to her, she never
really appreciated the man it was beyond her intel-
ligence. She was fond of her position as the wife of the
head of the State, but did she ever love Napoleon for
himself?
On the 24 February Josephine finally made up her
mind. Only eleven days before, she had done the honors
of the little house of Barras at Chaillot!
Nevertheless, she had precautions to take: above all
to conceal her age, for she did not wish to admit the
facts to this boy of twenty-six. She placed the matter
in the hands of her man of confidence, Calmelet, who
appeared before a notary and certified that " he knew
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Marie- Josephe Tascher, widow of the citizen Beauhar-
nais; that she was a native of the island of Martinique,
in the Windward Islands; and that, at this moment, it
was impossible for him to procure her birth-certificate
on account of the actual occupation of the island by the
British." Armed with this declaration, Josephine was
able to state to the civil officer who performed the mar-
riage that she was born on the 23 June 1766, while she
was really born three years before.
The marriage contract was one of the most remark-
able ever drawn up in France: no details of the bride's
property were given; all that she possessed was to be-
long to the communautb which existed between her and
the late M. de Beauharnais. For his part, Bonaparte
did not hesitate to admit his lack of fortune. He stated
that he had nothing except his wardrobe and his war
equipment, upon which he placed a merely nominal
value.
The contract was signed the 8 March 1796, and the
marriage took place the following day, before a civil
officer, who graciously gave the groom twenty-eight
years instead of twenty-six, and the bride twenty-nine
in place of thirty-two. This mayor, remarks a commen-
tator, had a mania for tgaliti! The witnesses were
Lemarrois, an aide de camp of the General, who was a
minor; the inevitable Calmelet; Tallien and Barras!
No mention was made of the consent of the parents:
they had not been consulted.
Two days later Bonaparte was on his way to Italy,
leaving his bride alone in the Hotel Chantereine.
" Heureusement on avait pris des avances sur la lune de
mid."
CHAPTER SIX
1796
THE VICTORY FESTIVALS
Bonaparte en Route for Italy His First Letter to Josephine
Her Indifference His Second Letter Brilliant Opening of
the Campaign Bonaparte's Proclamation He Writes
Josephine to Rejoin Him Presentation of the Battle Flags
Description of Josephine's Appearance Victory of Lodi
The Fete Given by the Directory
FROM this time on, the life of Josephine is so
closely associated with that of Napoleon that it
is impossible to speak of her without mention-
ing him.
Leaving Paris on the n March 1796, forty-eight
hours after his marriage, Bonaparte set out for Italy,
accompanied only by his aides de camp, Berthier,
Duroc, Junot, Marmont and Murat, and his paymaster-
general Chauvet, who carried with him 48,000 francs
in gold a small sum for the succor of an army which
had long been destitute of everything.
En route Napoleon stopped a night with the father
of Marmont at Chatillon-sur-Seine. Here he wrote Jose-
phine, enclosing a power of attorney to enable her to
collect some money which was due him.
On. the 14 March, at six o'clock in the evening, from
the relay station at Chanceaux, he despatched his first
long letter. He wrote:
" Every moment carries me further away from you,
my dearest love, and every instant finds me with less
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
force to endure my separation from you. You are the
constant object of my thoughts, and my imagination is
exhausted in trying to conceive what you are doing.
If I think that you are sad, my heart is torn, and my
grief intensified; if you are gay, playful with your
friends, I reproach you for having so soon forgotten
the painful separation of three days. ... As you see, I
am not easy to satisfy; but, my dear love, it is very
different if I fear that your health is altered, or that
you have reasons for grief: then I regret the speed which
carries me away from my heart. If I am asked if I have
slept well, before replying I must have a courier to let
me know that you have had a good night. . . . May my
good angel, who has always protected me in the midst
of the greatest dangers, surround and cover you, and
leave me exposed. . . . Write me, my dearest love, and
at length, and receive the thousand and one kisses of the
most devoted and most faithful of lovers.''
At this time Josephine was very far from recipro-
cating the love of her husband. H.^_adored. Jter^ jehile
she was only moderately touched by his passion. His
strange, violent character, inspired her with astonish-
ment, rather than with sympathy. She was in her ele-
ment in this brilliant, but bizarre society of the Direc-
tory, which tried to imitate the former splendors of
Versailles. She enjoyed the opening of the few salons,
where her grace and amiability caused her to be gen-
erally admired. She gave but few thoughts to this young
Republican general, to whom Destiny had united her,
who seemed to her more of an eccentric than a genius.
Napoleon turned from his route to pass two days with
his mother at Marseille and hand her a letter from
563
THE VICTORY FESTIVALS
Josephine. His mother was not yet reconciled to his
marriage, and it was only after a hard struggle, and
a family council of war, that Madame Letitia was
finally persuaded to write a very formal and stilted
letter of congratulation to her new daughter-in-law.
A week later, the 29 March, Bonaparte arrived at
Nice, and took command of the Army of Italy. During
the opening days of this marvellous campaign, which
was to render his name immortal, Napoleon was not so
carried away with ambition as to be forgetful of his
love. Before the first battle, he wrote Josephine from
Port-Maurice on the 3 April:
" I have received all your letters, but none of them
has made such an impression on me as the last. What
can be your idea, my adorable love, to write me in such
terms? The sentiments that you express are like fire:
they consume my poor heart! Do you not think that
my position is already critical enough without increas-
ing my regrets and upsetting my spirit? . . . My only
Josephine, away from you there is no joy; far from
you, the world is a desert, where I am alone. You have
taken away from me more than my soul; you are the
one thought of my life. If I am weary with the burden
of affairs, if I fear the outcome, if I am disgusted with
men, if I am ready to curse life, I place my hand upon
my heart: your portrait beats there; I regard it, and
love is for me absolute happiness: all is gay except the
space that I am separated from my love."
His whole soul in a state of ecstasy over the receipt
of a few tender lines traced by the adored hand, he con-
tinues: " By what art have you been able to captivate
all my faculties, to concentrate in yourself my moral
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
existence? To live for Josephine is the whole aim of
my life! I strive to be near you; I die to approach you.
Fool! I did not realize that I was separating myself
from you. How many lands, how many countries lie
between us, how many days before you read these lines
which are but feeble expressions of a troubled heart
where you reign."
Unfortunately the sunshine of love is never long
without its clouds, and Bonaparte, who was then in the
seventh heaven of joy and confidence, was soon to be-
come suspicious and jealous. Although he did not as
yet doubt either the love or the fidelity of his wife, at
times he was overcome with melancholy. But this feel-
ing was not of long duration. The lover soon was lost
in the man of action. Victory followed victory with
amazing rapidity. From the heights of Monte-Zemolo
the army suddenly saw at its feet the fertile plains of
Italy, the promised land, with its splendid cities, its
broad rivers, its cultivated fields. A shout of joy broke
from the ranks. The young general, pointing to the
scene of his coming triumphs, cried: " Hannibal scaled
the Alps; we have turned them! "
After the armistice of Cherasco, on the 28 April,
Bonaparte thus summed up in a few ringing words the
achievements of his army:
" Soldiers! In two weeks you have gained six vic-
tories, captured twenty-one flags, fifty cannon, several
strong places, and have conquered the richest part of
Piedmont. You have made fifteen thousand prisoners,
and killed or wounded ten thousand men. Destitute of
all, you have supplied everything. You have gained
battles without cannon, crossed rivers without bridges,
GENERAL BONAPARTE
THE VICTORY FESTIVALS
made forced marches without shoes, often bivouacked
without bread. Only Republican phalanxes are capable
of deeds so extraordinary. Thanks to you, soldiers! "
On the 24 April Bonaparte sent his brother Joseph
and his aide de camp Junot to Paris. Joseph was the
bearer of a letter to Josephine in which her husband
strongly urged her to rejoin him in Italy. Junot carried
the flags captured from the enemy, to be presented to
the Directory.
In his Memoires Joseph tells the story of their
journey. They left in the same post-chaise, and reached
Paris in five days after their departure from Nice. En
route they were everywhere received with the greatest
enthusiasm. At Paris the Directors expressed their
satisfaction with the army and its commander.
Murat, who had been sent directly from Cherasco
with the papers of the armistice, reached Paris before
Joseph and Junot. Josephine received from the three
envoys the most circumstantial details of the success of
her husband. Like Napoleon, she had passed in a few
days from obscurity to glory. For the first time she
began to realize that she had not made a mistake in
marrying the young hero of Vendemiaire.
The Moniteur of the 10 May 1796 contains a report
of the formal presentation of the flags to the Directory,
by Junot, the future Due d'Abrantes.
In her interesting Memoires Madame d'Abrantes
speaks of the impression created on this occasion by
Madame Bonaparte and Madame Tallien who were
present. " At that time," she says, " Madame Bona-
parte was still charming, while Madame Tallien was in
the full ,flower of her beauty." She continues: "One
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
may well believe that Junot was not a little proud to
escort these two charming women when they left at the
end of the reception. ... He offered his arm to Madame
Bonaparte, who, as the wife of his general, had
the .right to the first place, especially on this occa-
sion; the other arm he gave to Madame Tallien,
and so descended with them the staircase of the
Luxembourg." There was an immense crowd outside
the palace, and the people pushed and crowded to ob-
tain a better view. There were cheers for General
Bonaparte, and for his charming wife, who was ac-
claimed as " Notre-Dame-des-Victoires."
The poet Arnault, in his Souvenirs d'un sexagdnaire,
recalls the profound impression made upon him so many
years before by the loveliness of Josephine on this oc-
casion. He compares her with her two competitors for
the sceptre of Venus: Madame Tallien and Madame
Recamier. " Beside these two rivals," he says, " al-
though she was not so brilliant or so fresh as they,
thanks to the regularity of her features, the elegant
souplesse of her figure, the sweet expression of her
countenance, she also was beautiful. I can still see them,
on this perfect May day, as they entered the salon
where the Directors were to receive the flags. Each of
them was attired in the toilette the best fitted to show
off her particular advantages; their heads were crowned
with the most beautiful flowers: one would have said
that the three months of springtime had been reunited
to fete the victory."
The same day that the flags were presented, the 10
May, Bonaparte gained the spectacular victory of
Lodi, which made so vivid an impression on the popular
THE VICTORY FESTIVALS
imagination. Carrying a banner in his hand, at the
head of his grenadiers, the young general led the charge
across the long and narrow bridge upon which the fire
of the enemy was concentrated. From that time forth,
his soldiers believed him infallible and irresistible. Five
days later he made his triumphal entry into Milan.
The day after the battle of Lodi, Salicetti, the com-
missioner with the army, wrote the Directory: " Citizen
Directors, immortal glory to the Army of Italy! Grati-
tude to the wisely audacious chief who directs it! The
date of yesterday will be celebrated in the annals of
history and of war. . . . When the Republican column
was formed, General Bonaparte rushed along the ranks.
His presence filled the soldiers with enthusiasm. He was
received with cries a thousand times repeated of: ' Vive
la Republique! ? He ordered the drums to beat the
charge, and the troops, with the rapidity of lightning,
rushed upon the bridge! "
To celebrate the new triumphs the Directory organ-
ized a fete, half patriotic, half mythological, which was
celebrated on the Champ-de-Mars the 29 May. At ten
o'clock in the morning a salvo of artillery announced
the beginning of the ceremonies. The National Guard
of Paris was present, under arms. Carnot, the president
of the Directory, delivered the oration, which was in the
nature of a martial rhapsody. He ended his discourse
with a glowing tribute to the armies of the Republic and
their valiant chiefs.
After the fete the people danced on the Champ-de-
Mars until nightfall, and a grand dinner was given in
the evening.
CHAPTER SEVEN
1796-1797
JOSEPHINE IN ITALY
Bonaparte Enters Milan Josephine's Life at Paris She
Finally Starts for Italy Her Regret in Leaving Ar-
rival at Milan The Palace Serbelloni Her Ennui
Letter to Madame Renaudin Her Delayed Honeymoon
End of the Campaign Napoleon's Letters The Court
of Montebello The Bonaparte Family Reunion Jose-
phine's Aid to Napoleon's Policy The Peace of Campo-
Formio Bonaparte Leaves for Rastadt His Return to
Paris
ON Sunday the 15 May 1796, Bonaparte made
his entry into Milan through streets lined by
the National Guard, commanded by the Due
de Serbelloni. When the general arrived at the Porta
Romana the soldiers presented arms. Preceded by a
large detachment of infantry, and surrounded by his
guard of cavalry, he proceeded to the archducal palace,
where he took up his residence. In the evening, there
was a large dinner given in his honor, followed by a
brilliant ball.
But in the midst of his triumphs, Bonaparte was far
from happy. His adored wife failed to respond to his
letters praying her to join him in Italy, and he had just
received news of the proposal of the Directory to divide
his forces, giving the northern army to Kellermann,
while he was to be sent with the balance of the troops
to conquer the southern part of the Peninsula. He im-
JOSEPHINE IN ITALY
mediately wrote the Directory that he considered it
most unwise to divide the Army of Italy into two parts,
and against the best interests of the Republic to have
two different generals. The majority of the Directory
accepted his view of the situation and the order was at
once cancelled.
Bonaparte found it more difficult, however, to over-
come the resistance of his wife. Josephine was more
interested in enjoying at Paris the triumphs of her hus-
band than in going to join him at Milan. She was per-
fectly happy in her life at home, and had no desire to
leave her children and tier friends. She loved the
theatres, the manners of the Ancien Regime, which were
beginning to reappear, and the receptions at the Lux-
embourg, where she was treated like a queen. It cer-
tainly was not customary, since the beginning of the
wars of the Republic, to see the wives of the generals
accompany the armies, and it was too much to demand
of the Creole nature of Josephine that she should rush
to Italy at the first call of her husband, and expose
herself to the fatigues and dangers of a great war.
But Napoleon could not understand her hesitation.
He wrote her letter after letter, each one more burning
and more pressing than the one before. Murat, who car-
ried to Paris the papers of the armistice, was also the
bearer of a letter to Josephine urging her to rejoin
him. This letter, which she did not hesitate to show to
her friends, was characterized by the most violent pas-
sion, not entirely free from jealousy. Arnault writes:
" I can still hear her reading a passage in which her
husband cries, ' What are you doing? Why do you not
come to me? If it is a lover who detains you beware of
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
the poinard of Othello! ' And Josephine, smiling with
amusement at his exalted sentiments, says with her
funny Creole accent, < II est drole, Bonaparte! ' "
In his Life of Napoleon, Sir Walter Scott writes that
the correspondence of Bonaparte with Josephine reveals
the curious character of a man as ardent in love as in
war: the language of the conqueror who disposed of
States according to his good pleasure, and beat the most
celebrated generals of his time, is as enthusiastic as that
of an Arcadian shepherd. The statements of the great
English writer are certainly borne out by the tone of
the long passionate and eloquent letter which Napoleon
wrote Josephine on the 15 June 1796 from Tortona.
It was despatched by a special courier, who had orders
to remain only four hours in Paris, and to bring back
her answer. Josephine could not resist this final touch-
ing appeal; and she decided, although with great regret,
to leave for Italy.
Her friend Arnault, in his interesting memoirs, gives
us a curious insight of the feelings of Josephine at this
time. He says that the love which she inspired in a man
so extraordinary as Bonaparte evidently flattered her,
although she took the matter much less seriously than
he; she was proud to see that he loved her almost as
much as his glory; she enjoyed this fame which in-
creased from day to day; but she wished to enjoy it at
Paris, in the midst of the acclamations which hailed her
appearance, on the receipt of each new bulletin from
the Army of Italy. Her chagrin was great when she saw
that there was no chance for further hesitation. She
would not have exchanged her little hotel in the Rue
Chantereine for the palace prepared for her reception at
H643
JOSEPHINE IN ITALY
Milan in fact, for all the palaces in the world. It was
from the Luxembourg that she finally set out for Italy,
after having supped there with a few friends, " Poor
woman! " says Arnault, " she broke out in tears, and
sobbed as if she were going to the scaffold. She was go-
ing to reign! "
Josephine arrived at Milan the 9 July 1796, escorted
by her brother-in-law Joseph, by Napoleon's aide de
camp Junot, and by a young officer on the staff of Gen-
eral Leclerc, named Hippolyte Charles, whom we shall
encounter later on in close connection with Josephine.
Bonaparte, who had not expected so prompt a
response to his last appeal, was absent on a tour of the
principal cities of northern Italy. The first day of July
he paid a visit to the Grand Duke Ferdinand at Flor-
ence. From there he went to Bologna and Verona, and
did not reach Milan until the middle of the month.
What a change in the situation of Bonaparte in the
four short months since he parted from Josephine at
Paris! In order not to excite the jealousy of the Direc-
tory he had abandoned the archducal palace, but was
lodged in almost regal state in the Serbelloni Palace
on the Corso Venezia, a few squares behind the cathe-
dral. The Serbelloni is far handsomer than the Royal
Palace and perhaps the most beautiful of all the palaces
of Milan. Since the opening of the campaign in April
his troops had overrun nearly all of northern Italy.
Piedmont, delivered from the yoke of Austria, had
made peace with France, and the remainder of the Im-
perial army was blockaded at Mantua. He had treated
as an equal with the King of Sardinia, the Pope, the
Duke of Modena, and the Grand Duke of Tuscany, all
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
of whom owed to his generosity their political existence.
Genoa and Venice, Rome and Naples, had all with-
drawn from the coalition. The great cities of northern
Italy had surrendered their most celebrated works of
art to enrich the collections of the Louvre. Millions of
francs had been levied on the different States, part of
which had supplied his army, while the balance had
been transmitted to Paris to fill the empty coffers of the
Directory. What wonder that the name of Bonaparte
was everywhere acclaimed!
Josephine passed the summer at Milan, except for
a short visit to headquarters before the battle of Cas-
tiglione. Having resumed the siege of Mantua after this
victory, Napoleon went to Milan where he spent only
twenty-four hours with his wife before rejoining his
troops.
While Bonaparte was gaining his victories Josephine
was bored to death in Italy. The feeling of sadness
which oppressed her is shown in a letter which she wrote
at this time to her aunt Madame Renaudin, who had
finally married her old lover the Marquis de Beauhar-
nais. The Due de Serbelloni who was going to Paris was
charged with the delivery of this epistle which ran as
follows:
" Monsieur Serbelloni will tell you, my dear aunt,
of the manner in which I have been received in Italy.
All the princes have given me fetes, even the Grand
Duke of Tuscany, the brother of the Emperor. Well,
I prefer to be a simple private individual in France!
I do not care for the honors of this country; I am much
bored. It is true that my health contributes much to
make me sad; I am often indisposed. If good fortune
C663 ,
JOSEPHINE IN ITALY
could assure good health, I ought to be well. I have the
most amiable husband that a woman could hope for.
I have no chance to desire anything: my wishes are his.
All day long he is in a position of adoration before me,
as if I were a divinity. I could not have a better hus-
band. He often writes my children of whom he is very
fond. He is sending Hortense by M. Serbelloni a beauti-
ful enamelled repeating-watch; to Eugene a handsome
gold watch."
Comparatively few of the letters of Josephine have
been preserved for us, and this one is particularly in-
teresting because it displays more appreciation of her
husband's devotion than we should expect to find.
Ten days after the battle of Arcole, on the 2 7 Novem-
ber, Napoleon returned to Milan, where he expected to
find Josephine. Great was his surprise and disappoint-
ment to learn that she had accepted an invitation from
Genoa to pay a visit to the city. There she was given a
magnificent reception by the citizens who were favor-
able to the French.
On learning of Napoleon's arrival Josephine returned
at once to Milan, where they spent the month of De-
cember together at the Serbelloni Palace. It was really
their " lune de miel," the first time that they had been
united for more than a few hours since their marriage
nine months before.
Lavalette, who had then just been appointed one of
Bonaparte's aides de camp, gives us in his Memoires
an interesting picture of this kind of military court. He
says: " The general-in-chief was then in all the intoxi-
cation of his marriage. Madame Bonaparte was charm-
ing, and all the cares of his command, all the tasks of
673
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
the government of Italy, did not prevent her husband
from fully enjoying his domestic happiness. It was dur-
ing this short sojourn at Milan that the young painter
Gros made the first portrait that we have of the gen-
eral He represents him upon the bridge of Lodi at the
moment that he seized the flag and called upon the
troops to follow him. The artist could not obtain time
for a sitting, so Madame Bonaparte took her husband
upon her knees, after dejeuner, and kept him there for
several minutes. I was present at three of these sittings:
the age of the young couple, the modesty of the painter,
and his enthusiasm for the hero excuse this familiarity."
With the beginning of the new year Austria resumed
hostilities, and Bonaparte left Milan to take command
of his army. On the 14 January he won the brilliant
victory of Rivoli, and two days later that of La Favo-
rita, which settled the fate of Mantua. Without waiting
to receive the surrender of the fortress, he proceeded to
Tolentino, where on the 19 February he concluded a
treaty with the Pope. Two months later, at Leoben,
he signed the preliminary articles of peace with Austria,
which marked the end of the great Campaign of Italy.
During his absence from Josephine, Napoleon as
usual wrote her nearly every day. Madame de Remusat,
who is always reluctant to admit that Napoleon was
ever more controlled by his heart than by his head, is
neverthless struck by the passion revealed in every line
of this correspondence. In her Memoir es, she says: " I
have seen the letters of Napoleon to Madame Bona-
parte at the time of the first campaign of Italy. . . .
These letters are very singular: a writing almost illeg-
ible, a faulty spelling, a style bizarre and confused; but
JOSEPHINE IN ITALY
withal, a tone so passionate, sentiments so strong, ex-
pressions so animated and at the same time so poetic,
a love so apart from all other loves, that there is no
woman who would not prize having received such
letters/'
As Milan is one of the hottest places in Italy, during
his second summer Napoleon resided at the magnificent
chateau of Montebello (or Mombello), which is situ-
ated on the old Como road a few miles from the city.
It was then a great country villa sitting far back from
the highroad in a large park with cool shady avenues,
pretty fountains and all the exquisite loveliness of an
Italian retreat. From the broad high terrace that ran
around the front and the sides of the chateau, the Alps
could be seen on one side and the beautiful spires of the
Milan cathedral on the other.
Here most of the Bonaparte family were reunited for
the first time since they left Corsica four years before.
Madame Bonaparte came to secure Napoleon's ap-
proval of the marriage of his eldest sister Elisa to Felix
Bacciochi, which had been celebrated at Marseille the
first of May, and to persuade him to furnish a dot.
Napoleon finally yielded to his mother's wishes, and at
the same time informed her of a marriage which he had
arranged between General Leclerc and his sister Pau-
line. The marriage was celebrated on the 14 June, with
both civil and religious forms, by the express orders of
Napoleon, and the civil union of Bacciochi and Elisa
was blessed by the Church at the same time.
This family meeting was not prolonged. After a visit
of two weeks Madame Letitia left for Corsica, accom-
C691
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
panied by Elisa and her husband. At the same time
Joseph set out for Rome, where he had just been made
minister, taking with him his wife and his youngest sis-
ter, Caroline. Jerome was sent back to college at Paris,
and Pauline remained in Italy with Leclerc, who had
been named chief of staff in the army.
The three months which Napoleon and Josephine
passed at Montebello were perhaps the happiest of
their lives. The Conqueror of Italy lived in regal style,
surrounded by his military court. The attention of
Europe was more drawn to this chateau than to all the
palaces of the emperors and kings. At Milan, as later at
Paris, Josephine admirably served the interests of her
husband. By her antecedents, her relations, her char-
acter, she formed a connecting link between him and the
old aristocracy: without her, by his own admission
made later on, he never could have had any natural
rapport with the old regime. The salon of the former
Vicomtesse de Beauharnais recalled the traditions of
the most brilliant circles of the Faubourg Saint-Ger-
main. Josephine received the noble families of Milan
with an exquisite grace, and there reigned a kind of
etiquette which contrasted in a singular manner with
the democratic air affected by the general.
On the 1 8 August Napoleon and Josephine made a
short excursion to Lake Maggiore, accompanied by
Berthier and Miot. Immediately upon their return they
set out for Udine where Napoleon was to meet the
Austrian plenipotentiaries. On the 27 August they ar-
rived at Passeriano where they took up their residence
in a chateau still in existence which had formerly be-
longed to a doge of Venice. It was a fine country resi-
70:1
JOSEPHINE IN ITALY
dence situated upon the left bank of the Tagliamento
about ten miles from Udine.
The peace negotiations had dragged along through
the summer and far into the autumn of 1797 mainly
owing to the hope of the Emperor that events in France
might turn to his advantage. The coup d'etat of the 18
Fructidor (4 September) had destroyed the last hope
of the Royalists, and Bonaparte's victorious army was
still in Venetia ready to march on Vienna, so nothing
remained except to conclude peace. The final treaty
was signed on the 17 October: it bore the name of the
Peace of Campo-Formio from a village situated halfway
between Passeriano and Udine.
On the second day of November Napoleon and Jose-
phine were again back at Milan. Leaving his wife there,
Bonaparte started two weeks later for Rastadt, travel-
ling by way of Geneva, where he stopped for a day.
He was accompanied by his aides de camp, Duroc, La-
vale tte and Marmont; his secretary, Bourrienne, and his
physician, Yvan.
On the 25 November Bonaparte reached Rastadt,
where he remained only long enough to exchange with
the Austrian plenipotentiaries the ratification of the
Treaty of Campo-Formio, and then left for Paris. He
arrived home on the 5 December, and took up his resi-
dence in the little hotel in the Rue Chantereine, from
which he had set out twenty-one months before an ob-
scure man, to which he returned as a celebrity. On the
29 December, by decree of the department of the Seine,
the Rue Chantereine was changed in his honor to Rue de
la Victoire.
C70
CHAPTER EIGHT
1798-1799
THE PURCHASE OF MALMAISON
Josephine Returns to Paris The Talleyrand Fete Purchase
of the Hotel Chantereine Bonaparte's Tour of Inspection
His Sudden Return Napoleon's Fortune He Leaves
for Toulon The Fleet Sails Josephine at Plombteres
She Buys Malmaison Fortunes of the Bonapartes
Josephine's Indiscretions Napoleon Hears the Reports
His Liaison with Madame Foures
JOSEPHINE finally reached Paris upon the second
day of January. She took nearly six weeks for the
journey, and did not seem to be in as great haste
as she claimed in her letters, to leave that tiresome
Italy, and see her beloved daughter again. After a visit
to Turin, she crossed Mont-Cenis in terrible weather,
and stopped severaLdays at Lyon. The fete to Bona-
parte, planned by Talleyrand, had to be put off from day
to day, as the general wished his wife to be present.
Aside from the necessary calls on the Directors and
ministers, during the month after his return Napoleon
made only a few appearances in public. On the 10
December he attended the fete given in his honor by the
Directors at the Luxembourg. Another evening he was
present during one act of a play at the Frangais. The
rest of the time he deliberately stayed at home and re-
fused to receive the applause of the people which
greeted him on every appearance.
C723
THE PURCHASE OF MALMAISON
The day after the arrival of Josephine it was neces-
sary for him to issue from his retirement to attend the
fete arranged by Talleyrand. The Minister of Foreign
Affairs then occupied the luxurious Hotel Gallifet, in
the Rue du Bac, which had been splendidly decorated
for the occasion. At half past ten Bonaparte appeared,
in civilian costume, accompanied by his wife, who wore
a Greek tunique, with cameos in her hair. Somewhat
embarrassed by the ovation he received, Napoleon took
the arm of Arnault and made the tour of the salons.
It was during this promenade that Madame de Stael
forced herself upon his attention, and received, in
answer to her impertinent questions, the celebrated
reply which was to make of her his life-long enemy.
" General," she said, as soon as she had met him,
" what woman do you love best? "
" My wife."
" Naturally; but whom do you esteem most? "
" That one who is the best housekeeper."
" Very true; but who do you think is the first among
women? "
" Madame, the one who bears the most children."
There is little wonder that the conceited Madame de
Stael did not love Napoleon after this brief passage at
arms.
During the supper Bonaparte was seated beside his
wife, to whom he was most attentive. At one o'clock
they left the ball.
On her return from Italy Josephine had settled again
in her little hotel of the Rue de la Victoire, upon which
she had ordered extensive alterations made, at a cost of
over one hundred thousand francs, although at the time
733
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
she still had only a lease. However, on the last day of
March Bonaparte purchased the property for the sum of
52,000 francs. The house was soon full to overflowing
with the many rare paintings and objets d'art which
Josephine had shipped from Italy. This was the begin-
ning of the immense collection which later entirely
jailed her chateau of Malmaison.
In October, before his return from Italy, Bonaparte
had been appointed general-in-chief of the Army of
England. On the 4 February he left Paris for a twelve
days' tour of inspection of the Channel ports from
Calais to Ostende. On his return he reported to the
Directory that the proposed invasion of England was
a most dangerous and difficult undertaking, and, as an
alternative plan, suggested an eastern expedition which
would menace the British trade with the Indies. He
had little difficulty in obtaining the consent of the Di-
rectory to the new plan, and on the 4 March the Gov-
ernment formally approved of the expedition to Egypt.
All the familiars of Josephine stood in the greatest
awe of Napoleon, but the moment he was absent the
house was filled with the friends of the mistress of the
mansion. As soon as Bonaparte left for his tour of
the Channel ports, Josephine seems to have renewed her
intimacy with Barras. There is certainly ground for
suspicion in the note she hastily scribbled to the secre-
tary of the Director on the unexpected return of her
husband: " Bonaparte arrived to-night. I beg you, my
dear Bottot, to assure Barras of my regret that I cannot
go to dinner with him. Tell him not to forget me. You
know better than any one my position."
It was a notorious fact that most of the generals of
C743
THE PURCHASE OF MALMAISON
the Republic had not returned to Paris with empty
hands, but Bonaparte pretended that he was different
from the others. Later, at Saint Helena, he claimed
that on his return from Italy his fortune did not exceed
three hundred thousand francs, but it seems probable
that he had nearer three millions. In addition, he had
his salary of forty thousand francs as general-in-chief ,
and seven thousand francs a month while head of
the French legation at Rastadt. During his absence in
the East he left his funds in the hands of Joseph, as a
common purse for the family, and it is well known that
the Bonapartes did not suffer for lack of money while
he was away. It is very possible that in his recollections
Napoleon omitted a zero from his calculations.
On the 3 May 1798 Napoleon and Josephine, after
dining informally with Barras at the Luxembourg, went
to the Theatre-Frangais to see Talma in Macbeth. That
evening the Conqueror of Italy was greeted with the
same enthusiasm as during the first days of his return.
After the play they went home, and at midnight set
out for Toulon. Besides Josephine, Napoleon had in
the carriage with him his secretary, Bourrienne, and his
aides de camp, Eugene, Duroc and Lavalette. To escape
the vigilance of the English spies Napoleon had kept
his plans entirely secret, and even forbade Josephine to
go to Saint-Germain to say adieu to Hortense.
Upon their arrival at Toulon, Bonaparte informed
Josephine for the first time that he did not intend to
take her with him, as he did not wish to expose her to
the dangers and fatigues of the voyage, and the severity
of the climate. In vain she pleaded that the voyage had
no terrors for her after three trips across the Atlantic,
C753
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
and that the heat of Egypt could not affect a Creole.
To console her, Bonaparte finally promised that, as
soon as he was well established in Egypt, at the end of
two months, he would send for her the frigate Pomone,
under the convoy of which she had made her first voy-
age from Martinique to France.
Bonaparte knew that there was no time to be lost
in setting sail, but the expedition was detained ten days
by contrary winds. Although he was not then aware of
the fact, on the second day of May Nelson had been
detached from the fleet that was blockading Cadiz, to
go in search of information regarding the preparations
at Toulon. He arrived off that port on the 17 May, but
was driven back by an adverse wind, and was not able
to return until ten days after the departure of the
French expedition. Never was Fortune more favorable
to Napoleon! If the French fleet had encountered Nel-
son at any time during the long voyage of six weeks it
had not more than one chance in a hundred of escaping
absolute destruction.
The adieux of Bonaparte and Josephine were very
tender. The signal for departure was given, and before
a strong north-west wind the fleet moved out of the
port. Bonaparte was on the Orient, a vessel of one hun-
dred and twenty guns, and from a balcony Josephine
with a glass followed her husband as long as the ship
was in sight.
After the departure of the expedition Josephine did
not return directly to Paris, but went to Plombieres in
the Vosges to take the waters. While there she met with
a serious accident: a wooden balcony, upon which she
was standing with several friends, gave way under
THE PURCHASE OF MALMAISON
them, and she fell fourteen feet to the pavement be-
low. Fortunately no bones were broken, but she was
painfully bruised. Hortense was sent for, at the school
of Madame Campan, and nursed her mother during the
convalescence. No sovereign was ever better cared for.
Barras received the bulletins of her health drawn up
by the resident physicians; all the authorities of the
department called; musicians, brought from Spinal,
gave her serenades; her rooms were filled with rare
flowers.
At Plombieres she received the first news of the ex-
pedition, from the capture of Malta to the occupation
of Cairo. She also learned from Bonaparte's letters that
she must give up the idea of sailing to rejoin him. The
fleet of Nelson was in full command of the Mediter-
ranean, and all the French ports were closed. The frig-
ate upon which she was to have sailed had been cap-
tured by an English cruiser in leaving Toulon.
The last of August Josephine was back in Paris. At
this time she arranged to purchase the estate of Mal-
maison. The price is generally stated to have been
160,000 francs, " paid in part with her dot, and in part
with the resources of her husband." As a matter of fact
the deed which was passed before a notary of Paris the
21 April 1799 shows that the price agreed upon was
225,000 francs, with 37,500 francs additional for the
furniture, and over 9000 francs for the recording fee.
Josephine only paid down in cash the amount of the
furniture, 37,500 francs, with the avails of " diamonds
and jewelry belonging to her." The balance was left un-
settled.
From the funds deposited by Napoleon with Joseph
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
was drawn the money to pay for the princely estates
bought about the same time by other members of the
family. In Italy, Lucien purchased of a Roman princess
an estate bringing in a revenue of 4000 francs a year;
at Paris, a hotel corner of the Rues du Mont-Blanc
and de la Victoire; near Villers-Cotterets, a fine
chateau, which with the farm of Soucy brought in over
17,000 francs a year. Joseph also acquired, at Paris, a
new hotel which cost him at the outset over 100,000
francs; and, near Senlis, the magnificent estate of
Mortefontaine, with a vast park and one of the finest
English gardens in Europe, for which he paid 258,000
francs. As the place had been much neglected during the
Revolution, he was obliged to spend in its restoration
another quarter of a million the first year. Truly, the
modest three hundred thousand francs brought back
from Italy by Napoleon went a long way!
At the same time Josephine had much difficulty in
obtaining from Joseph the payment of the small allow-
ance of forty thousand francs fixed by Napoleon, and
was very indignant over the way in which he disbursed
her husband's money. With her magnificent jewels, her
priceless paintings and objets d'art, she was actually
short of money to meet her current bills.
In acting as he did, Joseph may have gone beyond his
brother's orders; but the conduct of Josephine since her
return from Plombieres had been anything but exem-
plary. She was again on very intimate terms with Bar-
ras, and her liaison with Hippolyte Charles, which had
begun at Milan, was a matter of public notoriety. At
Malmaisori this young officer ruled almost as lord and
master. Did Josephine think, like many others, that
C783
JOSEPHINE
THE PURCHASE OF MALMAISON
Bonaparte would never return from the Orient, or did
she imagine that Egypt was so far away that he would
never hear of her conduct? If so, she was mistaken in
both suppositions: he was to return, to give her a very
mauvais quart d'heure, and the reports were to reach
him in Egypt, through an indiscretion on the part of
Junot. Both Bourrienne and Madame Junot have given
us a vivid picture of Napoleon's rage and despair on
this occasion. He cried: " I would give all the world to
know that Junot's tale is false, sa much do I love Jose-
phine. But if she is really guilty, a divorce must sepa-
rate us forever. I will not submit to be the laughing-
stock of all the imbeciles of Paris. I will write Joseph
to have the divorce declared."
It is absurd to claim, as many historians have done,
that Napoleon at the time of his marriage was ignorant
of Josephine's past life. He certainly must have known
of her relations with Barras, at least; but the past did
not concern him: all that he asked for was fidelity in
the future. The nobleness of his character, and his un-
derstanding of the situation, are clearly shown in the
letter he wrote her from Milan n June 1796: " Every-
thing pleased me, even the remembrance of your errors
and of the afflicting scene which took place two weeks
before our marriage." His rights over her heart and mind
only date from the hour that she accepted his love and
freely gave him her hand: the past no longer counts.
But from that moment she belongs to him, and if she
deceives him, all is over. If Josephine had been true to
him, without doubt Napoleon would liave remained
faithful in Egypt as he had been in Italy.
At Cairo the favorite rendez-vous of the officers was
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
a garden modelled upon the Tivoli at Paris, which was
kept by an old school-friend of Bonaparte at Brienne.
Here Napoleon met a very pretty young woman with
blond hair, a dazzling complexion, and beautiful teeth.
Her name was Marguerite-Pauline Bellisle, and she was
an apprentice to a modiste at Carcassonne when she
married a young lieutenant in the chasseurs a cheval
named Foures. In the midst of their honeymoon came
the command to embark for Egypt, with stringent
orders that no wives were to accompany the expedition.
Like several other devoted wives, the young woman
donned one of her husband's uniforms and sailed on the
same ship with him.
Either from virtue or calculation, Madame Foures
did not yield to the first attack. It required declarations,
letters, handsome presents. Finally all was arranged.
The middle of December, Foures received orders to
leave for France, this time alone, as bearer of letters to
the Directory. A mansion was hastily furnished, near
the general's palace, and the young lady installed there.
Unfortunately for the peace of the new menage the
vessel upon which Foures took passage was captured
by the English, who were well informed regarding
events at Cairo, and were malicious enough to send
him back to Egypt. He rushed to Cairo, and made a
scene with his wife, who promptly secured a divorce.
Napoleon seems to have become very much in love
with the little Bellisle, or Bellilote as se became
known, and went so far as to offer to marry her after
divorcing Josephine, provided she gave him a child.
"Mais quoi! la petite sotte n'en sait pas avoir," he
said with humor. When he returned to France he ar-
THE PURCHASE OF MALMAISON
ranged to have her follow him, but she in turn was
captured by the English. When she finally reached
Paris it was too late. Napoleon was reconciled with
Josephine, and the coup d'etat of the 1 8 Bmmaire had
made him master of France. The Consul refused to see
her, but made her a handsome allowance. She was
afterwards married again, separated from her husband,
and lived to the good old age of ninety-two years, dying
in March 1869 during the last year of the Second Em-
pire.
CHAPTER NINE
1799
THE RETURN OF BONAPARTE
Bonaparte Leaves Egypt He Lands in France Josephine
Fails to Meet Him Their Reconciliation His Generous
Pardon He Pays Her Debts Her Role in the Coup
d'fitat She Invites Gohier to Dejeuner The Two Days
of Brumaire Bonaparte, First Consul They Move to
the Luxembourg
AT midnight on Thursday the 22 August 1799
Bonaparte embarked at Alexandria on the
frigate Muiron, which with three other
smaller ships set sail at five o'clock in the morning. He
was accompanied by Murat and Lannes, both recently
wounded, as well as by Berthier, Bessieres, Duroc, La-
valette and Marmont. He also took with him Eugene
de Beauharnais, and his secretary, Bourrienne.
He had the same good fortune as on his outward
voyage. The English fleet had gone to Cyprus for re-
pairs and he slipped out unmolested. Contrary winds
forced the little fleet to hug the African coast, and they
only made three hundred miles in twenty days. The
English ships cruising between Sicily and Cape Bon
were eluded. Then the wind changed and better prog-
ress was made.
After a voyage of forty days Bonaparte entered the
port of Ajaccio on the first of October. Here he was
detained for a week by adverse winds. Finally, on the
7 October, he sailed for France. It was his last visit to
his native island.
C82]
THE RETURN OF BONAPARTE
At noon on the 9 October Napoleon landed at Frejus,
and at six o'clock started for Paris. His journey was
one long ovation. At every city through which he passed
he was received with transports of enthusiasm. After a
stop of half a day at Lyon, where he attended the
theatre, at midnight he again set out, travelling in a
post-chaise at great speed, not stopping by night or day.
He reached Paris at six o'clock on the morning of the
1 6 October and went directly to his hotel in the Rue
de la Victoire, where, as upon his return from Italy, he
found no one to receive him.
Josephine was dining at the Luxembourg with
Gohier, the president of the Directory, when the news
was received of the unexpected landing of Bonaparte
at Frejus. She had almost forgotten that he existed,
and seemed to think that he would never return. But
there was no time now for hesitation: she immedi-
ately set out to meet her husband, and tell her story
before he had a chance to see his brothers. She naturally
took the usual route by Dijon and Macon, but Napo-
leon was travelling by way of the Bourbonnais, and she
did not meet him. On her return to Paris, a few days
later, Bonaparte locked his door and refused to see her.
His brothers had taken advantage of her absence to tell
Napoleon the story of her conduct, and he was fully
resolved upon a divorce. For a whole day she knocked
in vain, and cried and sobbed before the closed door.
Finally, at the suggestion of her maid, she sent for
Eugene and Hortense, who joined their supplications
to those of their mother. The door at last was unlocked,
and Bonaparte appeared with open arms, his eyes wet
with tears, his face convulsed with the long and ter-
C833
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
rible struggle which he had had with his heart. When
his brothers appeared the next morning they found
that all had been forgiven and forgotten.
Notwithstanding all of Josephine's indiscretions Na-
poleon was wise to abandon the idea of a divorce, which
would have interfered seriously with his plans. He
did well to disregard the advice of his family, who had
always disapproved of his marriage and done their best
to bring about a rupture. During his absence, in spite
of his orders to Josephine not to mingle in public affairs,
she had manoeuvred like a skilled diplomatist, and had
well prepared the way for his return. Although her
relations with Barras had now ceased, she was on very
cordial terms with her former admirer, as well as with
Gohier, the new president of the Directory. Her salon
was also frequented by Talleyrand, Fouche, Cambace-
res, and many others whose support was essential to the
success of his plans. It is possible that without the as-
sistance of Josephine, Napoleon might never have be-
come emperor.
When Napoleon pardoned Josephine, it was in no
half-hearted way it was a pardon generous and com-
plete, an entire wiping out of all her errors. He had the
remarkable faculty, when his confidence was renewed,
of no longer remembering: of suppressing in his marvel-
lous memory all recollections of faults which he did
not wish to punish. Not only did he forgive his wife,
but, a virtue even rarer, he disdained to punish her
guilty accomplices, and never stood in the way of their
advancement in life.
He was equally generous in the payment of the
enormous debts contracted by Josephine during his
THE RETURN OF BONAPARTE
absence. He gave her the money to complete the pur-
chase of Malmaison, and settled with the decorators
their account of over a million francs, which, after a
careful scrutiny of the bills, he reduced by one-half, for
over-charges and articles not actually furnished. On the
12 November he also paid over a million francs for the
national property in the department of the Dyle, which
she had contracted to purchase. Five years later this
estate was to furnish the dot for Adele, the natural
daughter of Alexandre de Beauharnais, when Jose-
phine arranged her marriage with a Captain Lecomte.
A husband willing to pardon his wife's infidelity, and
at the same time pay over two millions of her debts, is
one not often found, and if Josephine was incapable of
fully appreciating such generosity, she at any rate, up
to the time of her divorce, gave no further grounds for
public scandal. In her own words, she was too much
afraid of losing " her position."
During the weeks of preparation for the coup d'etat
of the 1 8 Brumaire (9 November), Josephine played
an important role. In spite of all the precautions that
were taken it was impossible to prevent rumors from
reaching the ears of the three Directors who were not
in the plot. Barras received warnings; also Gohier and
Moulin, but they all ignored the reports. In order to
,keep Gohier out of the way on the critical day, Bona-
parte took advantage of his admiration for Jose-
phine, to have his wife invite the Director to dejeuner.
At midnight on the 17 Brumaire she wrote a short note,
and sent it by Eugene to the Luxembourg:
Will not you and your wife, my dear Gohier, come to
breakfast with me to-morrow morning at eight o'clock. Do
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
not fail, for there are some very interesting matters which
I would like to talk over with you. Adieu, my dear Gohier.
Believe me always your sincere friend
LAPAGERIE-BONAPARTE
But Gohier was alarmed over an invitation for so
early an hour in the morning, and remained home, send-
ing his wife in his place. While the stirring events of
the morning were taking place, Josephine used all of
her charm to keep Madame Gohier at her house. The
wife of the director finally succeeded in making her
escape; and with some difficulty reached the Luxem-
bourg, through the streets thronged with spectators
and encumbered by the movements of the troops. As
a profound secret, Josephine had informed her visitor
of the intention of Talleyrand to see Barras and de-
mand his resignation. This information led Gohier to
think that only Barras was to be eliminated, and from
that moment he made no further efforts to oppose the
plans of the conspirators. So this little plot did not
entirely fail.
Late in the evening Bonaparte returned from the
Tuileries to the Rue de la Victoire, and gave Josephine
a full account of the events of the day. The night
passed quietly. Lannes guarded the Tuileries, and
Moreau, the Luxembourg. The troops occupied all the
strategic points of the capital. The theatres were
crowded, as usual. Without, the rain fell in torrents,
and the streets were practically deserted.
On Sunday morning, the 19 Brumaire, the air was
clear and cool, after the storm of the night before. At
dawn the troops began their march from Paris to Saint-
Cloud, where the Councils were to meet at midday.
863
THE RETURN OF BONAPARTE
The " army of generals " gathered at Bonaparte's house
to receive his final orders. He soon appeared upon the
steps of the hotel, in his uniform of general, wearing
the little hat which was already legendary. Entering his
carriage, with his aides de camp, he set out for Saint-
Cloud, escorted by a small detachment of cavalry.
The day was long and tiresome, and for many hours
the result was in doubt. It finally ended in the dissolu-
tion of the Directory, and the appointment of three
temporary Consuls: Bonaparte, Sieyes and Ducos. It
was after midnight before all the legislative work was
finished, and the new Consuls took their oath of office.
" At three in the morning," writes Bourrienne, " I
accompanied Bonaparte in his carriage to Paris. Ex-
tremely fatigued after so many trials, and absorbed in
his reflections, he did not utter a single word during the
journey. . . . Back in the little house in the Rue de la
Victoire he kissed Josephine, who was in bed, and told
her all the incidents of the day. Then he rested for a
few hours, and woke up in the morning, the master of
Paris and of France."
The day following the 19 Brumaire, the n Novem-
ber by our calendar, was a decadi, or Republican day
of rest. At ten o'clock in the morning, Bonaparte,
dressed in civilian costume, left his house, and in a
carriage, escorted only by six dragoons, proceeded to
the Luxembourg, to join his two colleagues and set the
new government in operation. During the course of the
day Josephine also left the little hotel in the Rue de la
Victoire, and moved across the Seine. In all but name,
the " little Creole " was now sovereign of France!
CHAPTER TEN
1800
THE CONSULAR COURT
The Luxembourg Important Role of Josephine Her Devo-
tion to Napoleon Secret of Her Power Her Royalism
Assistance to the Emigres Importance to Napoleon's
Policy Marriage of Caroline and Murat The Tuil-
eries Life There The New Society Visits to Mal-
maison The Chateau Napoleon at His Best
AT the Petit-Luxembourg Napoleon occupied
the former apartment of Moulin on the
ground floor, on the right as you enter from
the Rue Vaugirard. His cabinet was near a private
staircase which led to the first floor, where Josephine
was installed in the old quarters of Gohier. The dinner
was served at five o'clock, and the table was always
set for twenty persons. Josephine did the honors with
her usual grace. If Bonaparte was tired, or absorbed,
and refused to talk, no one felt neglected. Since the
rude shock which she had received on the return of
Bonaparte, Josephine had conducted herself with so
much tact that she had entirely regained her former
place in his esteem. She was no longer loved with the
same blind devotion, but she had become a very im-
portant element in the new Consular Court. By nature
and by experience she was admirably adapted to serve
her husband's interests in rallying all parties and all
factions to the support of the new government. The
NAPOLEOX, FIRST CONSUL
THE CONSULAR COURT
nobles of the old regime who had frequented the hotel
in the Rue Chantereine, such as Caulaincourt, Just de
Noailles and Segur, began to encounter in her salon at
the Luxembourg men of the Revolution like Monge,
Real and Cambaceres.
No one was received except upon a written invitation,
and formal notice was served by Bonaparte that the
dress, or rather undress, of the ladies who frequented
the Court of the Directory, would no longer be toler-
ated. In the Moniteur appeared a report worded as
follows:
" During the month of December past there was a
large assembly at the Luxembourg. When every one
was in the reception room, Bonaparte ordered the serv-
ants to make a large fire. He even repeated this order
two or three times. When some one made the remark
that it was impossible to put more wood in the fireplace,
he said, ' That will do. I wanted a good fire because the
cold is excessive, and these ladies are nearly nude! "
Advice to readers: decency is the order of the day; and
decency in dress would bring in its train decency in
morals.
For their trips to Malmaison, as for every other func-
tion in life, Josephine has the rare faculty of being
always ready, and ever submissive to her husband's
orders. Her hours of rest, of meals, of every kind, are
arranged so as not to interfere with his work. As soon
as his task is finished, Josephine is always ready, at any
hour of day or night, to eat, to go out, to start on a
journey without previous notice, in a costume which
becomes her, and is suitable for the occasion. She has
constantly on her lips the same smile, which always
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
seems natural, and never forced; her voice is ever soft
and soothing, with her pretty Creole accent, which
pleases the ear, and is like the caressing touch of a
loving hand. To this man of thirty years, who has never
known a home, who has always lived in an inn or a tent,
she gives the delightful experience of a well-ordered
and luxurious household, a touch of domestic life.
At this time Josephine has no official role to play:
she has no recognized place in the State; she is present
on occasions of ceremony only as a distinguished guest,
who looks on from window or balcony. She makes a
point of seeming to exercise no influence over her hus-
band, except in deeds of good-will. This is the real
secret of her power, and she knows it. The day that
she even attempted to direct his actions, her power
would be lost. Bonaparte would tolerate no Pompadour,
no Marie-Antoinette at his side. As for the rest, he
cares little. She can have all the money she wants, to
pay for her toilettes and her jewels, to settle her old
debts; but political influence, never! Her indirect
power, in the form of charity and social duties, receives
his entire approbation, as it is directed to the same ob-
ject which he himself is striving to attain.
In all her sentiments, Josephine is a royalist, both
from natural inclination and from reasons purely per-
sonal to herself. She has the most tender attachment
to the name of the King, and the Ancien Regime. The
reason is not hard to find. If Bonaparte plays the role
of Monk and recalls the Bourbons, he will have at least
the title of due and peer, the dignity of marshal or con-
stable of France, a great position at Court, and she will
have the assurance of sharing his fortune and of never
THE CONSULAR COURT
being repudiated. " Indeed/' remarks one of her his-
torians, " how, in 1 799, only seven years after the fall
of the Throne, could Josephine have any other ideas?
What was there greater in ancient France, after the
king and no one then thought that he could become
king, because one does not become king what was
there greater than due and peer, marechal de France?
What was there higher than these dignities to which,
in the most dizzy dream of ambition, a private individ-
ual could aspire? "
She does not suspect, she cannot imagine, that this
new society demands a new form of government, that
the man who is to accomplish this task has appeared
on the scene, and that that man is her husband!
Bonaparte is by no means displeased with the royalist
sympathies of his wife. He wishes to gain time in his
negotiations with the rebels in the Vendee, to endeavor
to rally them to his cause, and enlist them in his armies.
For this reason he does not wish to break too abruptly
with the Pretender, who has already made advances to
him. He knows that the emigres are only too anxious
to return to France and recover at least a part of their
property. Josephine is practically the retained advocate
of the Royalists and the Emigres, and the favors
which she solicits, and is accorded, one by one, are not
calculated to excite the alarm of the purchasers of the
national property, or arouse the wrath of the Jacobins.
" Little by little this immense social force, lost for the
France of the Revolution, will flow back from every
part of Europe towards the France of the Consulate,
and bring back, with the habits of courtesy and ele-
gance, administrators for the departments, magistrates
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
for the superior courts, diplomats for the legations,
officers for the troops, causews for the salons, person-
ages for the Court. . . . Bonaparte feels that the glory
of the past, represented by illustrious names, is neces-
sary to the splendor of the future; and to create a
France worthy of the destiny which he prepares for
her, he has need of all her children." Without in the
least suspecting the fact, Josephine thus played a most
important role in that policy of fusion, which was one
of the greatest principles of Napoleon's administration,
and one which specially characterized it.
On the 20 January 1800, at Mortefontaine was cele-
brated the marriage, by civil forms only, of Caroline
Bonaparte and Joachim Murat. According to Madame
Recamier, Caroline, although not so beautiful as her
sister Pauline, was very attractive. She strongly pos-
sessed the Napoleonic type of countenance, and had
much intelligence, and a strong will.
Murat, who at that time was only a general of
division, was the most striking cavalier in the French
army. Young, handsome, full of life, with his brilliant
uniforms, on the field of battle or in a review, he at-
tracted universal attention.
Napoleon at first was very much opposed to the
match. When Murat was sent to Paris after the armis-
tice of Cherasco, he was too attentive to the wife of his
general-in-chief, and boasted rather indiscreetly of his
bonne fortune. Later he fell in love with Caroline, dur-
ing l^r visit to Milan, and was accepted by her. To
secure the consent of Napoleon, they solicited the good
offices of Josephine. What better means of convincing
THE CONSULAR COURT
Bonaparte that ; if Josephine had ever favored Murat's
suit, all was now over? Josephine warmly espoused his
cause, with the double object of putting an end to
Napoleon's suspicions, and of securing in Murat a
strong ally in her constant struggle against the enmity
of the Bonapartes.
On the occasion of her marriage Caroline received
from her brothers a dot of forty thousand francs, the
same amount that they had given to Pauline. In addi-
tion she had a trousseau and presents of the value of
twelve thousand francs. Nearly all the members of the
family were present at the ceremony, but no mention
can be found of the First Consul and his wife. The
young couple took up their residence in the Hotel de
Brionne, near the Tuileries, and continued to be on the
wannest terms of intimacy with Josephine.
After living for three months at the Luxembourg, on
the 19 February 1800 Napoleon moved to the Tuileries,
which became his principal place of residence during the
Consulate and the Empire. He occupied the suite of
Louis the Fourteenth on the first floor, facing on the
Gardens, while Josephine lived below him on the ground
floor, in the former apartment of Marie-Antoinette.
As at the Luxembourg, life at the Tuileries at first
was very simple. It was too soon for the appointment of
chamberlains and ladies of the palace. On the day of
the formal entrance of the First Consul to the Tuileries,
Josephine, who had preceded him in a private carriage,
was modestly placed in a window of the Pavilion de
Flore, to view the ceremony. But two days later, when
Bonaparte received the diplomatic corps, she had all
C933
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
of the members presented to her, and held a court which
recalled that of the queens.
During the early days, it was not easy to constitute
a new society at the Tuileries. Bonaparte himself had
had no experience in the world. Having passed all his
time in the army, he had but few acquaintances at
Paris, and found it necessary constantly to call upon his
colleague Lebrun for information regarding persons
and things. There would also have been a great outcry
from the Republicans if he had immediately received the
personages of the Ancien Regime, the royalists and the
emigres. These persons, at first, affected to draw a line
between the First Consul and his wife. While they did
not mount the steps to the apartment of Bonaparte
on the first floor, they filled the rooms of the former
Vicomtesse de Beauharaais on the floor below. Each
decade, the First Consul gave in the Galerie de Diane
a grand dinner with two hundred converts. As the Rus-
sian Princesse Dolgorouki wrote at this time: " It was
not exactly a Court, but it was no longer a camp."
As often as he could lay down the cares of office, gen-
erally three or four times a month, Bonaparte went to
Malmaison for a day's rest. This estate, purchased by
Josephine during his absence in Egypt, had become his
favorite place of recreation. The chateau was situated
in a fine location, near the village of Rueil, on the left
bank of the Seine, about nine miles from Paris. The
building, which has recently been restored and pre-
sented to the State as a museum of Napoleonic souve-
nirs, consisted then, as now, of three stories, with a
plain fagade, and a tile roof. On the ground floor, at
the left of the large vestibule, were the dining-room, the
C943
a
a
THE CONSULAR COURT
council chamber and the library; in the other wing,
the billiard-room, the boudoir, the salon of Josephine,
and the gallery. From the library there was access to the
garden by a little bridge thrown across the moat which
runs along this side of the chateau.
From the billiard-room there was a staircase to the
first floor. Here, at the right, an antechamber opened
into Josephine's bedroom, which was oval in form, and
hung in red. For many years this was their common
chamber, and here Josephine drew her last breath while
Napoleon was in exile at Elba. Two other adjoining
rooms, and a bath-room, completed the private suite.
In the other wing were the rooms occupied by Hortense
after her marriage. In the middle there was a long cor-
ridor, from which opened several small rooms, occupied
by the aides de camp on duty, or invited guests.
Malmaison was for Josephine what the Petit-Trianon
had been for Marie-Antoinette. In her time the grounds
extended as far as the village of Rueil, and were beauti-
fully decorated with exotic trees, rare plants, exquisite
flowers, and small lakes with their white and black
swans.
At Malmaison, Napoleon always appeared at his
best. The great man relaxed, and threw off his cares;
he was amiable, familiar, indulgent. He took part in
the games with the ardor of a youth. He joked, he told
stories with a spirit which astonished everybody. He
was an admirable host, affable, spirited, putting all his
guests at their ease. At that time he had not yet aban-
doned his republican simplicity, and adopted the tire-
some and chilling etiquette of the Imperial Court.
1:953
CHAPTER ELEVEN
1800
THE QUESTION OF HEREDITY
The Season of 1800 at Paris Problems of the First Consul
Success of His Administration His Reception aftei
Marengo The "Conspiracy of Marengo " Part Taker
by Lucien and Joseph The Meeting of Auteuil Alliana
of Fouche and Talleyrand Joseph in Italy Napoleoi
Answers the Pretender Decision to Amend the Constitu-
tionAlarm of Josephine The " Parallel" Disgraa
of Lucien Louis Chosen Josephine's Plan
THE winter season of 1800 in Paris was verj
brilliant. On the 26 January the new Minis-
ter of the Interior, Lucien Bonaparte, gave
a grand ball in honor of his sister Caroline and hei
husband, at the magnificent Hotel Brissac, Rue de
Crenelle, which he occupied at the time. Dinners anc
balls, which recalled the fetes of the fermiers-generam
under the monarchy, were also given by the greai
bankers of the day. All classes of society took part ir
the social whirl, and the dance was never so popular
For a period of ten years the Parisians had been de
prived of the popular masked balls of the- Opera, anc
their reopening was one of the features of the Carnival
But while Paris danced and played the First Consu
was occupied with very serious problems. The interna
affairs of France were in very bad shape: the treasury
was empty; civil war still raged in the Vendee; th<
soldiers were ill-fed and ill-clad; and the armies wer<
demoralized from frequent defeats. The foreign situa
C963
THE QUESTION OF HEREDITY
tion was equally discouraging. The English Government
had declined his pacific overtures, and with Austria it
was clear that there was no chance of peace except
through victory.
During the winter the energy and activity of Bona-
parte were everywhere in evidence, and the sudden
resurrection of France at this time is one of the most
remarkable events in modern history. " Instantly, as
if by enchantment," writes the English historian, Alison,
"everything was changed; order reappeared out of
chaos, talent emerged from obscurity, vigor arose out
of the elements of weakness. The arsenals were filled,
the veterans crowded to their eagles, the conscripts
joyfully repaired to the frontier. La Vendee was paci-
fied, the exchequer began to overflow. In little more
than six months after Napoleon's accession, the Aus-
trians were forced to seek refuge under the cannon of
Ulm, Italy was regained, unanimity and enthusiasm
prevailed among the people, and the revived energy of
the nation was launched into a career of conquest."
On the 6 May, Bonaparte left Paris for Italy; two
weeks later he crossed the Grand-Saint-Bernard; on the
second day of June he entered Milan; on the fourteenth
he decisively defeated the Austrians at Marengo, and
at one stroke regained nearly all of the territory in
northern Italy which had been lost during his absence
in Egypt.
On his return to France, Napoleon received a perfect
ovation at every stage of his journey. When he entered
Paris the night of the second of July, after an absence
of less than two months, the enthusiasm was indescrib-
able. An innumerable crowd gathered in the Tuileries
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Gardens to cheer him, and he expressed his pleasure
to Bourrienne by saying: " The noise of these accla-
mations is as sweet to me as the sound of the voice of
Josephine! " Twenty years later, on the rock of Saint
Helena, he spoke of this as one of the happiest days of
his life.
During Napoleon's absence occurred the so-called
" Conspiracy of Marengo," the details of which are
little known. While he was still engaged in putting down
the civil war at home, and repelling the foreign invaders
from the frontiers of France, his brothers Joseph and
Lucien had already begun the struggle for the supreme
power in the event of his death. The question of hered-
ity, which was to be the source of his greatest troubles,
and one of the causes of his final downfall, had al-
ready been raised, before his supreme power was even
definitely established.
As early as the month of February, Lucien was ex-
changing views with Bernadotte, who, during the Con-
sulate and the Empire, never lived a day without plot-
ting to overthrow Napoleon. A month before the
departure of the First Consul for Italy, in his cabinet at
the Tuileries, Fouche, regarding Lucien with his ter-
rible eyes, exclaimed: " I will have the Minister of the
Interior himself arrested, if I learn that he is conspir-
ing! " A contemporary who endeavors to find excuses
for Lucien, and to defend him from the charge of con-
spiracy, is forced to admit that: "The political im-
morality, the civil dishonesty of his administration; the
disgraceful peculations, the insatiable cupidity of the
agents by whom he was surrounded, did much to injure
his brother's government."
THE QUESTION OF HEREDITY
Joseph, for his part, acted much more discreetly, but
he let his brother know that he wished to be designated
as his successor. Nothing in the new Constitution gave
this power to the First Consul, who had been elected
for ten years, and was reeligible. With his childish
vanity, Joseph could see no reason why he should not
be as acceptable to the French nation as the conqueror
of Italy and Egypt, and thought that it only needed a
word from Napoleon to amend in his favor a Constitu-
tion adopted by the practically unanimous vote of
three million citizens!
In a conversation with the First Consul, the day be-
fore his departure for Italy, Joseph seems to have raised
for the first time the question of the Consular heredity,
and he showed his hand more clearly in a letter written
on the 24 May. In all Corsicans there is a strong senti-
ment of the clan, from which Napoleon himself was not
exempt. Joseph felt that, as the eldest, he was the chief
of the clan, the head of the family; therefore, it was
not a favor which he solicited: it was a right which he
claimed.
But he did not rely entirely upon the support of
Napoleon to gain his point. Upon the suggestion of
his friend Miot, a council was held at Auteuil, at which
were present nearly all the leading members of the
former Assemblies. The possibility of the death of
Bonaparte, and the question of his successor, were dis-
cussed; but the name of Joseph was not even men-
tioned. After wavering between La Fayette and Carnot,
they decided in favor of the " organizer of victory,"
whom Napoleon had recalled from exile and made Min-
ister of War.
C993
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
At this same time an alliance was formed between
Talleyrand and Fouche, which was to bear its full fruit
fourteen years later, when these two arch-conspirators
and under-handed enemies of Napoleon were to pre-
cipitate his fall and bring back the Bourbons. At this
time, however, their plans only contemplated the forma-
tion of a triumvirate, consisting of themselves and one
accommodating colleague.
Lucien was not involved in any of these later schemes.
On the 14 May, he lost his wife; and for at least ten
days he retired to his country estate, abandoning en-
tirely the direction of his department.
In the meantime, Joseph was so anxious to obtain
an immediate response from his brother that he could
not remain quietly at Paris, and set out for Italy. When
he arrived at Milan, the victory of Marengo had set-
tled the whole question. Napoleon was now the abso-
lute master of France, and the decision of the matter
was entirely in his own hands. He was fully informed
of the plots and counter-plots, but chose to ignore
them all. The only outcome was that Carnot lost his
portfolio.
Leaving for Italy in the costume of the Institute, on
his return Napoleon presides over the Council of State
in the uniform of general. It is only after Marengo that
he feels his place secure as head of the State. It was
not until the 7 September that he finally and definitely
replied to the proposals of the Pretender:
" I have received, sir, your letter; I thank you for the
polite things you say to me. You can not hope to return
to France; it would be necessary for you to march over
five hundred thousand dead bodies. Sacrifice your in-
1003
THE QUESTION OF HEREDITY
terests to the repose and happiness of France. History
will give you credit for your action."
The " Conspiracy of Marengo " is interesting be-
cause it marks the first grouping of factions which on
several occasions were again to come to the front dur-
ing the Empire; and because it reveals the principal
weakness of Napoleon's personal regime. These plots
convinced him of the necessity of providing for the
Consular succession. The new Constitution, perhaps in-
tentionally, had left the matter in very vague shape.
For the first time Napoleon now fully realized the
necessity of facing this question of heredity, so impor-
tant to himself, to his brothers, and, above all, to Jose-
phine.
Napoleon, at the age of thirty-one, could not aban-
don the hope of an heir hence the constant menace
of divorce for Josephine, who, after four years of mar-
riage, could hardly expect to bear another child. Her
hope also of a restoration of the Bourbons had now been
extinguished by the action of her husband. In this di-
lemma she naturally sought the support of such former
Jacobins as Fouche and Real, who were opposed to the
extension of the powers of the First Consul, and above
all to the designation of his successor.
As for Napoleon's brothers, they felt that there could
be no question of their rights to the succession. One
would think, as Napoleon once expressed it, that he,
as the younger brother, had usurped the place and the
rights of Joseph, as successor to their father the late
king! They were also so convinced that it was impos-
sible for Napoleon himself to have any children, that
they could not conceive of his repudiating Josephine,
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
and marrying a younger woman in the hope of having
an heir.
Lucien apparently recognized the rights of Joseph,
as the elder, and was willing to await his turn as heir
presumptive, especially as his brother had no children.
The two brothers therefore sought, each in his own way,
to secure the adoption of the principle of designation,
after which each one hoped to be chosen.
With the death of his charming wife, Catherine
Boyer, who, notwithstanding her common origin, had
finished by gaining the love of all the family, as well
as the general esteem of society, Lucien had more and
more neglected his official duties, and plunged into all
kinds of dissipation. Napoleon was obliged to call him
to account, and there were several unpleasant scenes
between the brothers.
Matters were finally brought to a head by the publi-
cation of the famous " Parallel." One morning, towards
the end of October, Fouche entered the cabinet of the '
First Consul and handed him a little pamphlet entitled
Parallels entre C&sar, Cromwell et Bonaparte. Two
paragraphs were specially marked, which suggested
the idea of heredity and pushed the candidacy of the
brothers of the Consul.
This brochure, written by Lucien, although he denied
it, and widely distributed under the frank of the Min-
ister of the Interior, had caused a great sensation in all
the departments. Lucien is summoned from his country
place, Plessis, and there is a violent scene between him
and Fouche in the presence of the First Consul. Napo-
leon remains a passive spectator of the discussion. Jose-
phine enters the room and takes part. She seats herself
THE QUESTION OF HEREDITY
upon Napoleon's knees, and runs her fingers gently
through his hair and over his face. " I beg you, Bona-
parte/' she says, " do not make yourself a king. It is
this wretch Lucien who urges you to it; do not listen
to him."
With much regret, Napoleon asked for Lucien's resig-
nation, and to cover his disgrace sent him as ambassa-
dor to Madrid, with an enormous salary.
This exile in disguise of Lucien is not all that
Josephine gains from the publication of the Parallel
and the opportune intervention of Fouche. Napoleon
is now fully convinced of the necessity of adopting the
principle of the right of designation, but the choice of
the individual presents many difficulties. He puts aside
Joseph, a most worthy man, but with no application,
and no capacity for public affairs. Lucien is now out
of the question. For a moment he thinks of Eugene de
Beauharnais, who would have been the best choice of
all, but decides that he is too young and inexperienced.
The next day he makes his decision. "It is not neces-
sary," he says, " to cudgel our brains to find a successor.
I have found one: it is Louis. He has all of the good
qualities, and none of the faults of his brothers."
Josephine was delighted when Napoleon informed
her of his choice, in which, unconsciously, he may have
been influenced by his wife. " Louis has an excellent
heart, a very superior mind," she said. " He loves Bona-
parte as a lover loves his mistress."
From that moment her plan was settled: Louis must
marry Hortense!
103!!
CHAPTER TWELVE
1800-1802
MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE
Louis Bonaparte His Early Years Change in His Character
His Life in Paris He Avoids Marriage Hortense de
Beauharnais Her Appearance and Character Love of
Her Mother Pride in Her Father Early Dislike of
Bonaparte Fancy for Duroc The Infernal Machine
Narrow Escapes of Napoleon and Josephine Public
Demand for an Heir Josephine's Dismay Louis Goes
to Spain Josephine's Visit to Plombieres Return of
Louis His Marriage to Hortense
LOUIS BONAPARTE, who was born on the 2
September 1778, was nine years younger than
Napoleon, who regarded him very much in the
light of an adopted son. In February 1791, when Napo-
leon returned from his home in Corsica to his regiment
at Auxonne, after an absence of nearly seventeen
months, he brought with him his favorite younger
brother. On his meagre pay of one hundred francs a
month he had undertaken this care in order to relieve to
some extent the financial difficulties of his widowed
mother. In his shabby little room, with its sparse
furniture, there was no place for Louis, and he slept on
a mattress in an adjoining cabinet. Napoleon himself
prepared their frugal meals. He gave his brother lessons
in mathematics and generally supervised his education.
At a later date he complained of his brother's ingrati-
tude, and reminded him that for his sake he had de-
ll 104]
MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE
prived himself even of the necessaries of life. The blind-
ness of Napoleon to the faults of his brothers and
sisters is almost the only weak point in his character, as
it also reveals one of the most attractive sides of his
heart. He never could do too much for his family, who,
almost without exception, repaid him with the basest
ingratitude. They all seemed to think that their good
fortune was due entirely to their own merits, and not at
all to the senseless partiality of their great brother.
In 1795, Napoleon procured for Louis admission to
the military school at Chalons. At this time he wrote
in the warmest terms of his brother's fine qualities of
heart and mind. The following year Louis, who was
then only eighteen years of age, was one of Napoleon's
aides de camp in Italy. He was his messmate, his private
secretary, his man of confidence. At this time Louis was
splendid company always full of life and spirits. At
Milan, he contracted a disease which in a short time
not only affected his health, but seemed to change his
moral character. For the rest of his life he was a regular
hypochondriac constantly worrying about his health
and persuaded that he was doomed to an early death.
During the Egyptian expedition, Louis again acted
as, aide de camp to his brother, but was sent back to
France with despatches some time before the return of
Napoleon. In January 1800, when only twenty-two
years of age, he was appointed chief of brigade. He
then took up his residence in Paris, where he associated
with men of letters and occupied himself with every-
thing except his military career. He took no part in the
Marengo campaign, during which he remained at Paris,
occupied with his literary pursuits. None of his friends
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
seemed to understand the radical change in his char-
acter. Napoleon thought that a journey might rouse
him from his melancholy, and proposed a trip to Ger-
many, which Louis eagerly accepted, " to escape," he
said later, " the solicitations for his marriage with
Hortense."
It is impossible, however, for us to believe that Hor-
tense was so disagreeable, or the plans of Josephine so
objectionable to him at this time as he tries to make out
in his Reflections upon the government of Holland,
drawn up twenty years later. Even if Josephine, as early
as August 1800, had formed in her secret heart the proj-
ect which she carried out a year later, she certainly had
not made any moves which could arouse in Louis the
apprehension that she had designs upon his independ-
ence.
At that time Hortense was only seventeen years of
age. She was not very pretty, but was singularly at-
tractive from the beauty of her form and the grace of
her movements. Her nose was large and her mouth
ugly, with her mother's poor teeth, but her blond hair
and soft violet eyes gave to her face an expression of
exquisite tenderness: the tout ensemble was one which
attracted and fascinated everybody. She had been edu-
cated at the fashionable school of Madame Campan and
possessed all the accomplishments of a youn lady of
good family. She sang and danced well, she played the
harp and the piano, she embroidered, she excelled in
all the little tasks of the salon, she was quite literary in
her tastes. She was a fine equestrian, and took a leading
part in the sports and pastimes of the chateau life. In
character, she was very sweet and amiable, but became
106:3
MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE
very obstinate when she was crossed. Her finest trait
was her life-long adoration of her mother, which, it
must be confessed, Josephine had done little to deserve.
After their return from Martinique, her mother had
placed her at the age of seven in a convent; when that
was closed during the Revolution, she was apprenticed
to a sempstress. Later she was practically abandoned
for four years by her mother in the school at Saint-Ger-
main. On the few rare occasions that Josephine visited
the school she was prodigal in her demonstrations of af-
fection, with her kisses which cost her so little, for this
mother was " coquette even with her children." Hor-
tense regarded her mother as a wonderful being, and
returned her affection a hundred fold. In her innocence
she knew nothing of her mother's worldly life, of her
struggle for existence, of the connections she formed,
either from taste or necessity.
She knew that her father was the Vicomte de Beau-
harnais, a handsome cavalier, who attended the Queen's
balls, was president of the Constituent Assembly, gen-
eral-in-chief of the Army of the Rhine, and guillotined
under the Terror. Her conception of her father's career
was similar to that which we find in many of the his-
tories, and equally far from the truth. She was proud
of her name, one of the finest in France, and also of her
mother, whom she considered worthy of her father.
Hortense had therefore been much chagrined when
her mother married an obscure Republican general, of
doubtful nobility, who had been absolutely unknown
before the Revolution. She had only seen him once be-
fore the marriage, at a dinner given by Barras at the
Luxembourg in January 1796. Hortense, who was then
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
not quite thirteen, had been taken from school for the
occasion. She was jealous of the attentions to her
mother of the little general, whose name she did not
even know. She said: " He talked with great vivacity,
and seemed only interested in my mother."
She next saw Bonaparte, for a few days only, on his
return from Italy, and then again at the painful scene
in the Rue de la Victoire, when she implored him to
pardon her mother, without very clearly understanding
what her mother had done. Under all the circumstances,
would it not be strange if she had any love for her step-
father?
Like most young girls, Hortense had a very sentimen-
tal side to her nature. She wished to marry for love, and
to find love in her marriage. It has often been said that
Duroc, the favorite aide de camp of Napoleon, loved
her, and that she reciprocated his affection. The First
Consul had thought of him for one of his sisters: he
certainly would have accepted him for his step-daughter.
Duroc was a gentleman perhaps not of an illustrious
family, but of better birth certainly than Bacciochi,
Leclerc, or Murat But Duroc was sent on a diplomatic
mission to Berlin, and nothing came of this incipient
love affair.
With her usual selfishness, Josephine, in considering
the partis who presented themselves, never thought of
the happiness of her daughter, but only of her own per-
sonal interests. But this was usual in those days. Her
aunt, Madame Renaudin, certainly had not thought of
Josephine's happiness when she married her to Alex-
andre de Beauharnais.
Even if Josephine had not already made up her mind
MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE
to bring about the marriage of Louis and Hortense, she
would have been decided by the attempt to assassinate
the First Consul on Christmas eve 1800. The conspira-
tors knew that he expected to be present at the Opera
that evening to hear the new oratorio of The Creation,
by Haydn, the most popular composer of the day. They
expected that his carriage would take the usual route
by the Rue Saint-Nicaise, which is no longer in exis-
tence. This was a long narrow street bordering the
Carrousel and running from the Seine to the Rue Saint-
Honore, where it ended near the Rue Richelieu in which
the Opera was then situated. In this street an infernal
machine, installed in a one-horse cart, was placed at
a point which Bonaparte's carriage would pass, and
the time that it would take him to come from the Tuil-
eries was carefully calculated so that the machine would
explode at the right moment.
After dinner, Napoleon, who was fatigued from a
hard day's work, had fallen asleep on a sofa, and was
with difficulty aroused and persuaded to start by the
ladies of the Tuileries, Josephine, Caroline and Hor-
tense, who did not wish to miss the performance. At
eight o'clock he set out, accompanied by Lannes, Bes-
sieres and an aide de camp, and followed by a small
escort of mounted grenadiers. The coachman, who had
already begun his Christmas celebration, was half-
drunk, and drove at a furious rate. This fact alone
saved Bonaparte's life. The carriage passed the infernal
machine, and had just rounded the corner into the Rue
Richelieu when the explosion occurred. Lannes and
Bessieres wished to stop, but Bonaparte ordered the
coachman to proceed. A minute later he entered the
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
loge with his usual calm face, and demanded a copy of
the libretto.
The life of Josephine was also saved by an incident
equally trivial. She was wearing that evening for the first
time a magnificent Oriental shawl presented to Bona-
parte by the Sultan. Rapp, the aide de camp on duty,
who was to escort the ladies, ventured to remark to
Josephine that she had not arranged the shawl with her
usual grace. At her request he showed her how the shawl
was draped by the Egyptian ladies. The party then
descended the staircase of the Pavilion de Flore, and
entered their carriage. They traversed the Carrousel,
and had just turned into the Rue Saint-Nicaise when
the machine exploded. The windows of the carriage
were shattered and the arm of Hortense was slightly
cut by a piece of glass. Rapp descended to see if the
First Consul had been injured, and the carriage contin-
ued its way by another street. When the three ladies
entered the box, Napoleon greeted them with a smile, as
if nothing unusual had happened.
The news of this dastardly outrage, in which over fif-
teen people lost their lives, soon spread through the hall,
and the oratorio was interrupted while the audience
arose and frantically applauded the First Consul. A few
minutes later the party left the Opera and returned to
the Tuileries, where Bonaparte received the reports of
the police and the congratulations of his ministers.
This attempt on Napoleon's life was a terrible shock
to Josephine: it gave new impetus to the public demand
for an heir to the First Consul, as necessary to the secu-
rity of the State; and this for Josephine aroused again
the dreaded spectre of the divorce.
MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE
This conspiracy, following so closely on that of Arena
only two months before, which the police had discov-
ered in time, convinced everybody that it was desirable
to give the First Consul the right to designate his suc-
cessor, and thus assure the heredity of the Consulate,
or at least the continued existence of the government as
established by him. It was no longer an academic ques-
tion, to be debated and postponed from time to time,
but an actual, urgent public necessity, which demanded
immediate action. Josephine realized that the crisis had
come, and was more determined than ever to carry out
her plan for the union of Louis and Hortense. If she her-
self could not give Napoleon an heir, he might find one
in her grandchild and his nephew, the son of his favorite
brother. Although Josephine did not live to see her
dream come true, all of Napoleon's plans came to
naught, and it was the son of Louis and Hortense
who occupied the Imperial throne as Napoleon the
Third.
Louis was already tired of his tour of Germany, and
asked permission of his brother to return to Paris. No
sooner was he back than the strange idea possessed him
of buying a country place, where he went to bury himself
in midwinter. The house which he purchased was a
simple rural mansion, in the woods, a league from the
highway, about midway between Mortefontaine and
Plessis, the country estates of Joseph and Lucien.
He had hardly taken possession of his new home, and
begun some alterations, when he again became uneasy,
and set out for Bordeaux to rejoin his regiment, which
at his request had been included in the army of ob-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
servation under the command of Leclerc which was go-
ing to Portugal.
In July i So i, Josephine, who had not yet entirely
abandoned all hope, went again to Plombieres to take
the waters, which the year before had succeeded so
well in the case of Madame Joseph that, after seven
years of marriage, she was just on the point of present-
ing her husband with their first child. A month later
Josephine returned to Malmaison to await in vain the
miraculous effects of her cure.
At the end of three months Louis was tired of his
military duties, and asked for a leave of absence. After
spending several weeks at the baths of Bareges, to cure
his rheumatism, at the end of September he came to
Malmaison for a visit. There he fell in love with Hor-
tense, and finally decided upon the marriage which he
had previously dreaded.
There is absolutely no truth in the statements so
often made by Louis in after years that the marriage
was forced upon him. Three months elapsed between
his return and the ceremony. During this period Louis
showed himself very devoted to Hortense, while she
seemed resigned to her lot. On the 3 January 1802 the
contract was signed at the Tuileries in the presence
of the whole family, and the following day the civil
marriage took place, followed the same evening by
a religious ceremony at the hotel in the Rue de la
Victoire.
The nuptial benediction was pronounced by Cardinal
Caprara, who- was then negotiating the Concordat with
the French Government. At the same time Caroline
and Murat, who had only been united by a civil bond,
MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE
had their marriage blessed by the Church. Josephine
ardently desired the same privilege, but Napoleon ab-
solutely refused, either from reasons of public policy or
in order to keep the way open for a divorce if in the
future he desired one.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
1802-1803
THE CONSULATE FOR LIFE
Bonaparte Made Consul for Life He Takes Possession of
Saint-Cloud His Apartment in the Chateau Court Eti-
quette Established Trip to Normandie Josephine at
Forty Her Life at Saint-Cloud A Scene of Jealousy
at the Tuileries Marriage of Pauline and Borghese Un-
fortunate Connection of Lucien Jerome Marries Miss
Patterson
ON the second day of August 1802 the Senate
declared Napoleon Bonaparte Consul for
Life, with the power to name his successor.
The decree conveyed to him, in its official terms, the
expression of " the confidence, the admiration, and the
love of the French people." In the plebiscite he received
the votes of over three and a half million Frenchmen,
with less than nine thousand in the negative.
At the same time the government gave him as a sum-
mer residence the royal chateau of Saint-Cloud. This
palace was built at the edge of a magnificent park, on
a long terrace overlooking the Seine, with the city of
Paris at a distance in the background. The main build-
ing and the two projecting wings framed the court of
honor; in the rear was a beautiful French garden,
bordered on one side by an extension of the palace, and
on the other by an alley shaded by magnificent trees.
The property, which had previously belonged to private
parties, was purchased by Louis the Fourteenth and
V
1
THE CONSULATE FOR LIFE
presented to his brother the Due d 'Orleans. In 1785,
Calonne, the prodigal controller of the finances, bought
the chateau for six million francs, and the King gave it
to Marie-Antoinette. She made extensive alterations
in the building, and frequently resided there before the
Revolution. Her last visit was in the summer of 1 790,
at which time she had her celebrated interview with
Mirabeau. During the Revolution all of the furniture
and hangings disappeared, and the palace had to be
refurnished for the First Consul. As soon as the work
was completed, Napoleon moved there, on the 20 Sep-
tember.
At Saint-Cloud, Josephine occupied the apartments
of Marie-Antoinette in the left wing. The suite of the
First Consul was on the ground floor in the other wing.
His cabinet was a large room, with the walls covered
with books from floor to ceiling. He usually sat on a
small sofa, placed near the mantel, which was decorated
with two bronze busts of Scipio and Hannibal. Behind
the sofa, in the corner of the room, was the desk of his
secretary, Meneval, who had taken the place of Bour-
rienne, discharged for dishonesty. Adjoining the cabinet
was a small salon, where the First Consul received his
ministers and gave private audiences. In this salon there
was a fine portrait of Gustavus Adolphus, the favorite
hero of Napoleon. The only ornament of his bedroom,
which faced on the garden, was an antique bust of
Caesar.
From the first, a rigid court etiquette was established
at Saint-Cloud. Duroc, who was appointed governor of
the palace, had a table for the officers, the aides de
camp, and the ladies on duty. The First Consul took
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
his meals alone with his wife, but gave formal dinners
twice a week for important officials of the government.
The military household was composed of the four gen-
erals commanding the Consular Guard, Lannes, Bes-
sieres, Davout and Soult, and the seven aides de camp,
among whom were Caulaincourt, Rapp and Savary.
There were four prefects and the same number of ladies
of the palace, of whom the best known were M. de
Remusat, and his wife, the author of the celebrated
memoirs. The usages of the Court of Versailles had been
copied so closely that there was even a serious idea of
reviving the custom of powdered hair, but Napoleon
could not bring himself to this, so hair was worn au
naturel.
For the first time since the Revolution, religious prac-
tices were renewed; the First Consul insisted that on
Sunday every one should go to Mass, and the Chapel
at Saint-Cloud recalled that at Versailles.
The last of October Napoleon and Josephine made
a fortnight's trip to Normandie. The first day they went
over the field of battle where Henry the Fourth gained
the victory of Ivry. Then they passed a week at Rouen,
where the First Consul visited all of the principal manu-
factories, and held a review of the National Guard.
Another week was spent at Havre and Dieppe, inspect-
ing the ports, the fortifications, and the ships under
construction. On the evening of the 14 November the
party was again back at Saint-Cloud.
The following ten weeks were spent at Saint-Cloud,
except one day, the first week in December, when the
First Consul went to the Tuileries to receive the English
ambassador, Lord Whitworth, who presented his cre-
THE CONSULATE FOR LIFE
dentials. On the 23 January 1803 Napoleon and
Josephine returned to the Tuileries for the winter.
In 1803 Josephine was forty years of age. Her beauty
was somewhat faded, but she was so adroit in the use
of cosmetics, she dressed with so much taste, that with
her charm of manner and her air of distinction she could
still be called a very attractive woman. No sovereign
was ever more to the manner born. She received so well;
she possessed in so high a degree the art of saying some-
thing appropriate and pleasant to every one; she had
so much tact, and so much presence of mind, that any
one would have thought she was born on the steps of
a throne. She was popular with all parties and all fac-
tions. Fouche, who represented the element of the Rev-
olution, was her friend, and all the personages of the
Ancien Regime regarded her as their ally. She had done
much good in her life, and had never injured anybody;
even the severest critics of Bonaparte had only words
of praise for his wife. All classes of society united in
rendering her homage. She was not only popular, but
she deserved her popularity. She was so much loved
and admired that even the most rigid moralists had no
words of reproach for her past indiscretions.
No woman ever justified better than Josephine the
saying that the eyes are the mirror of the soul. Her own,
of a deep blue color, were almost always half -closed by
her long eyelids fringed with the most beautiful eye-
lashes in the world; and her glance was absolutely ir-
resistible. Another of her great charms was her voice,
which was soft and musical, with the slightest Creole
accent. She read well, and loved to read aloud. Napo-
leon preferred her to all other readers.
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
All who knew Josephine unite in speaking of her
kindness. Madame de Remusat says: "She had a
remarkable evenness of temper, much good-will, and the
faculty of forgetting any wrong done her." Constant,
the valet de chambre of Napoleon, bears the same
testimony. " Kindness," he writes, " was as inseparable
from her character, as grace was from her person; gen-
erous to the point of prodigality, she made every one
around her happy. No woman was ever more loved by
those near her, or more deserved to be."
Without having great intelligence, Josephine pos-
sessed the most perfect savoir jaire. She always found,
without searching, the exact word for the occasion, the
expression which touched and charmed, and this is
better than esprit, because it comes, not from the head,
but the heart. She was also a good listener, a trait both
rare and remarkable. She never forgot a name or a face,
and on meeting some one whom she had not seen in
years, could always recall some pleasant incident con-
nected with him.
As nearly always happens, Josephine had the defects
of her qualities: she was generous and charitable to a
fault, but she was also prodigal to excess. As we shall
see later, only the revenues of Imperial France could
ever have sufficed to pay her debts.
At this time the First Consul and his wife made
quite a happy household. At Saint-Cloud they always
occupied the same chamber. About eight o'clock Napo-
leon arose, and went to his cabinet, where he break-
fasted alone. Then he began his day's work, which
generally occupied him until six o'clock, when he went
for a drive with Josephine. They dined together, and
THE CONSULATE FOR LIFE
he usually remained for a short chat afterwards. Then
he returned to his cabinet, while Josephine played
cards, to finish the evening. Between ten and eleven, a
chamberlain came to announce, " -Madame, the First
Consul has retired." Josephine immediately dismissed
her company, and went to rejoin her husband.
After their return to the Tuileries this year, Napo-
leon decided to have his own room, separate from his
wife. In this connection Madame de Remusat recounts
a scene which constitutes one of the strangest episodes
in her interesting, but not always trustworthy, memoirs.
That season a new actress, named Mile. Georges, had
made her debut. She had very little talent, but great
beauty, and Napoleon was seduced by her charms.
Josephine was informed that the young actress, on
several evenings, had been secretly conducted to a quiet
apartment in the Chateau. One night Josephine kept
Madame de Remusat later than usual, and talked of
her grievances. At one o'clock in the morning, they were
alone in her salon, and the most complete silence
reigned over the Tuileries. Suddenly Josephine ex-
claimed: " I cannot keep' quiet any longer. Mile.
Georges is certainly upstairs, and I am going to surprise
them. Follow me; we will go up together." The lady of
the palace protested, and tried, but in vain, to turn
Josephine from her purpose. They silently ascended the
private staircase which led to the suite of Napoleon on
the first floor. Suddenly they heard a slight noise, and
stopped in their course. " It may be Roustan, who is
guarding the door," said Josephine. "The wretch is
capable of cutting both our throats." Pale with terror,
at these words Madame de Remusat rushed back to
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
the salon, carrying the candle which she held in her
hand, and leaving Josephine in the dark. She followed,
after a few minutes, and burst into laughter at the sight
of her maid's discomposed countenance. After this they
abandoned their enterprise.
Before adopting this change in his habitudes Napo-
leon one day asked Madame de Remusat if she thought
a husband should yield to the caprices of a wife who
wished always to share his bed. The lady of the palace
returned an evasive answer. Bonaparte began to laugh,
and, pulling her ear, a favorite trick of his when in
good humor, said: " You are a woman, and you are all
in league together."
A recent biographer tells us that there is a pretty pic-
ture of Josephine at this time, as she appeared at the
wedding of Napoleon's sister Pauline: " With her short
sleeves, bare arms, and her hair enclosed in a gilt net,
she looked like a Greek statue." The first Consul led her
to a mirror, that he might see her on all sides at once,
and, kissing her shoulder, said: " Ah, Josephine, I shall
be jealous. Why are you so beautiful to-day? " It is
really a pity to destroy so idealistic a picture, but as a
matter of fact Napoleon was not present at his sister's
wedding.
The first day of January 1803, Pauline returned from
the disastrous expedition to Saint-Domingue, where
her husband, Leclerc, had succumbed to the unhealthy
climate. She herself was suffering from a grave malady,
from which she never entirely recovered. For two
months after her return to Paris, Pauline lived with
Joseph at his town house, but in April she purchased
1203
THE CONSULATE FOR LIFE
for four hundred thousand francs the magnificent
Hotel Charost in the Faubourg-Saint-Honore, a few
doors from Joseph's Hotel Marbeuf .
At this same time there arrived in Paris the Prince
Camillo Borghese, the chief of one of the richest and
most illustrious Roman families. At a house party at
Mortefontaine in June he was presented to Pauline.
By this time the young widow, who was not yet twenty-
three, had somewhat recovered from her real grief over
the loss of Leclerc, and was tired of wearing mourning,
which did not become her style of beauty. She was
much attracted by the personality of Borghese, but
perhaps even more by the idea of being a real princesse,
and taking the pas over her dear sisters Bacciochi and
Murat, as well as her sisters-in-law, Josephine and
Hortense. A few days after their first meeting, she
authorized Joseph to make overtures to the prince.
The matter was quickly arranged, and on the 2 1 June
Borghese formally announced to Joseph his desire to
marry Pauline. He only asked that the proposed al-
liance should remain a secret until he had time to obtain
his mother's consent. At the same time Pauline wrote
the First Consul to ask his approval. The mother of the
prince was delighted with the alliance, and on the first
day of August the engagement was announced by the
Paris journals. On the 23 August the marriage con-
tract was signed, only by Pauline and Borghese, at the
Hotel Charost. On the 14 August, and again a week
later, the banns were published at Mortefontaine. It
was generally anticipated that the marriage would take
place on the 28 August, but just then a difficulty arose:
they had forgotten Leclerc! He had died on the second
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
day of November 1802, and the social rules, reestab-
lished and formally promulgated by the First Consul
himself, forbade a widow to remarry during a period of
one year and six weeks after the death of her husband.
In this dilemma Madame Bonaparte, who was as domi-
neering and imperious as her great son, took charge of
affairs, and ordered the marriage to take place. On the
28 August, or perhaps four days later, the ceremony
was performed at Mortefontaine by an Italian priest,
who may have been Cardinal Caprara himself. The ex-
act date is uncertain, as the certificate was never filed.
This " marriage of conscience " was known only to
the mother, and two of the brothers of the bride, Joseph
and Lucien. Napoleon was so ignorant of the matter
that on the 25 September he gave Pauline a dinner of
two hundred converts at the Tuileries, and afterwards
took her to Saint-Cloud to pass several days with him.
A month later, the 23 October, he gave another large
dinner to his sister, to which Borghese was invited.
Napoleon intended on this occasion to announce for-
mally the date of the marriage. He was still ignorant of
the fact that a religious ceremony had taken place,
without a previous civil contract as required by law.
The official marriage was finally celebrated at Morte-
fontaine on the 6 November, but the First Consul was
not present. He had left for Boulogne three days before,
to inspect the fleet, and did not return to Saint-Cloud
until after the middle of the month. This absence was
intentional: Napoleon was enraged at having been thus
deceived by his favorite sister, by his mother and his
brothers, in short, by everybody.
At the wedding there were present all the members
1223
THE CONSULATE FOR LIFE
of the family except Napoleon, and Lucien, who ten
days before had secretly contracted another alliance,
which was to disgrace him with his brother. The wed-
ding of Pauline was announced by only two lines in the
official journal: " Madame Leclerc has married Prince
Borghese; the marriage was celebrated at Mortefon-
taine." Napoleon pressed the departure of the newly
married couple, and several days before his return from
Boulogne they were on their way to Italy.
The marriage of Pauline had wounded the heart of
Napoleon, but almost at the same time there occurred
two other weddings in the family which brought other
cares; which disturbed the family harmony, and exer-
cised a decisive influence on the fortunes of two of the
brothers.
In May or June 1802, Lucien had met, while on a
visit in the country, a young woman with whom he
became desperately enamored. Her name was Alex-
andrine de Bleschamp, and at the age of nineteen she
had married a certain Monsieur Jouberthou. Later she
had been abandoned at Paris, almost without resources,
when her husband sailed for Saint-Domingue to try and
retrieve his fortunes. A few months later she met
Lucien. Affairs moved quickly, and in August Madame
Jouberthou was installed in Lucien's mansion at Plessis.
When he returned to Paris she was lodged in a house
which communicated by a subterranean passage with
Lucien's hotel in the Rue Saint-Dominique. There, on
the 23 May 1803, was born a child who was declared
before the municipality under the name of Jules-
Laurence-Lucien. This eldest son of Lucien was subse-
quently legitimized by the marriage of his parents, and
1233
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
he was later called Charles after his grandfather. This
ceremony, however, was not performed until the 23
October 1803, after Lucien had finally succeeded in ob-
taining a certificate of the death of Jouberthou at Port-
au-Prince the 15 June 1802.
If the affair of Lucien was serious, in the eyes of
Napoleon that of his youngest brother was worse. In
February 1802, Jerome sailed with the French fleet for
the West Indies. Born the 15 November 1784, he was
then only seventeen years of age. Two months later he
returned to Paris as bearer of despatches from Leclerc.
Promoted to the rank of ensign, he sailed again on the
1 8 September for Martinique. Soon tiring of his naval
career, Jerome decided to return to France by way of
New York, and sailed for Virginia on an American pilot
boat. He landed at Norfolk the 20 July 1803, and a
week later he was in Washington. During his stay there
he met at Baltimore a very attractive girl of about his
own age, named Elizabeth Patterson, the daughter of
a wealthy merchant, and on the 24 December they were
married. The charge d'affaires at Washington, Pichon,
had done everything in his power to prevent the mar-
riage. He wrote Mr. Patterson and Jerome to point out
that any marriage contracted without the consent of
Madame Bonaparte, during her lifetime, under the
French law would be absolutely null and void. Jerome
was too much in love to hesitate, and the young lady
and her father were willing to take a chance.
When the news reached France, the First Consul sent
his brother peremptory orders to return, but owing to
various causes Jerome did not reach Europe until over
a year later.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
1803-1804
THE ROYALIST PLOTS
Rupture of the Peace of Amiens The Celebrated Scene with
the English Ambassador The Visit to Belgium An Un-
fortunate Episode at Mortefontaine First Suggestions of
the Empire Magnificent Reception at Brussels The
Royalist Conspiracies Cadoudal and Pichegru Reach Paris
Josephine's Pacific Counsels Petty Vanity of Mme.
Moreau Her Husband's Jealousy of Bonaparte Arrest,
Trial and Exile of Moreau Deaths of Pichegru and
Cadoudal The Execution of the Due d'Enghien
ON the 27 March 1802, the long war between
England and France had been ended by the
Treaty of Amiens, which was very popular in
both countries. Unfortunately the peace was to last
only a year. On the 13 March 1803 at the Tuileries oc-
curred the celebrated scene between Bonaparte and the
English ambassador, which presaged the renewal of
the struggle.
Once a month the First Consul was accustomed to
receive the ambassadors and their wives in Josephine's
apartment. This audience was always a very ceremo-
nious affair. The ministers were conducted to a salon,
and when all were present the First Consul and his wife
appeared, followed by a prefect and a lady of the
palace. After the formal presentations had been made,
Napoleon and Josephine carried on a short conversa-
tion, and then withdrew.
125:1
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
On the present occasion, Madame de Remusat
entered Josephine's room a few minutes before the hour
fixed for the reception. She found Bonaparte there,
sitting on the floor, and playing gaily with the baby
Napoleon, the child of Louis and Hortense, who was
then only five months old. At the same time he amused
himself by commenting on the toilettes of the two
ladies, and giving his advice about their dresses. He
laughed continuously, and seemed to be in the best pos-
sible humor.
In a few minutes he was notified that the ambassa-
dors had all arrived. Getting up, his whole expression
suddenly changed; the laughter left his lips, and his
features became very severe. Exclaiming, " Let us go,
ladies! " he rushed from the room, and entered the
salon. Without saluting any one, he walked directly
to the English minister, and immediately began to
complain of the measures of his Government. His
anger seemed to increase from moment to moment, and
rose to a point which terrified the whole assembly. The
harshest words, the most violent menaces, issued from
his trembling lips. No one dared to make a movement,
and Josephine looked on mute with astonishment. The
phlegmatic Englishman was so disconcerted that he
could hardly find a word to reply.
Leaving the dumfounded ambassador, Bonaparte
spoke to two of the other ministers, then returned to
Lord Whitworth, and made a few polite personal re-
marks. Suddenly his anger seemed to return. " You are
then decided on war? " he exclaimed; "we have al-
ready had it for ten years; you wish to have it for ten
years more; and you force me into it. ... Why these
1263
THE ROYALIST PLOTS
armaments? If you arm, I shall arm too. You can per-
haps destroy France, but intimidate her, never! " At
this moment his face was red with anger, and he seemed
in a paroxysm of fury.
Two months later Lord Whitworth demanded his
passports, and the long contest was resumed, which
was only to end on the field of Waterloo. Xapoleon im-
mediately began his preparations, and as a preliminary
to the gigantic struggle decided to visit in state the
northern departments, and in particular the great port
of Antwerp, " that pistol pointed at the heart of Eng-
land."
The First Consul decided that the journey should be
made with the greatest magnificence, and that his wife
should accompany him, in order to make use of her
well-known powers of attraction. He had the Crown
jewels taken out of the safe deposits where they were
stored, and gave them to Josephine, who, we may be
sure, was not reluctant to employ them. Two of the
ladies of the palace, Mesdames de Remusat and Tal-
houet, were chosen to accompany the party, and the
First Consul gave each of them thirty thousand francs
for the expenses of their toilettes. On the 24 June 1803
they left Saint-Cloud, with a cortege of several car-
riages, two generals of the Guard, the aides de camp,
Duroc, and two prefects of the palace, of wham M. de
Remusat was one.
The first night was passed at the country home of
Joseph, Mortefontaine, where nearly the whole Bona-
parte family was reunited. Here a very unpleasant
scene occurred. Just before dinner, Joseph notified
Napoleon that he intended to take in their mother, and
127:3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
place her at his right hand, with Josephine at his left.
The First Consul was offended at this arrangement,
which put his wife in second place, but Joseph refused
to yield When the dinner was announced, Napoleon
gave his arm to Josephine, entered unceremoniously be-
fore every one, and placed her by his side. The whole
party was so disarranged that poor meek Madame
Joseph found herself at the foot of the table, as if she
did not belong to the family. During the dinner Napo-
leon occupied himself exclusively with his wife, and
did not address a word to any one else.
The second night was passed at Amiens, where the
First Consul was received with enthusiasm impossible
to describe. The people detached the horses and drew
the carriage themselves. Josephine was moved to tears
by the cries of joy, the garlands of flowers which
crowned the route, the triumphal arches erected in
honor of the restorer of France, the benedictions which
were too general not to have been absolutely spon-
taneous.
In several of the cities of Flanders the mayors in
their addresses ventured to suggest that the First Con-
sul should replace his precarious title by one more in
accord with the high destiny to which he was called.
Bonaparte could hardly conceal his pleasure at these
words, but interrupted the orator to say in a tone of
assumed anger that he could not think of changing the
Republic: like Caesar he rejected the crown which
nevertheless he was not reluctant to have presented to
him.
After these receptions the First Consul usually
mounted his horse, and showed himself to the people,
128:1
THE ROYALIST PLOTS
who received him with cheers; then he visited the public
buildings and the manufactories, in his usual hurried
manner. In the evening he attended the dinner offered
him, which was the most tiresome part of his day's
work, for, as he expressed it: "I am not made for
pleasure."
Everywhere in old France the party was received
with the same enthusiasm, but in Flanders there was
not so much warmth. On arriving at Antwerp the First
Consul showed great interest in this important port,
and gave orders for the great works which were after-
wards carried out.
The entry into Brussels was magnificent. At the gate
of the city, the First Consul was received by several regi-
ments of troops; he mounted his horse, and Josephine
found a superb carriage placed at her disposal. The
whole city was decorated; the artillery fired salutes;
all the church bells were rung; the streets were
thronged by the people; and the July day was perfect.
During the week there was a succession of fetes. It was
on one of these occasions that Talleyrand replied in
a manner so adroit and so flattering to a sudden ques-
tion of Bonaparte, who demanded how he had made his
large fortune so quickly. " Nothing easier," replied the
minister, " I bought government securities on the day
before the 18 Brumaire, and sold them the day after! "
From Brussels the party returned by way of Liege
and Sedan to Saint-Cloud, where they arrived on the n
August after an absence of seven weeks. Josephine was
delighted with this trip, during which she left every-
where recollections of her charm and grace, which were
never to be effaced.
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
This triumphal progress of Bonaparte through the
northern departments excited to the highest degree the
rage of the Royalists, and plots were immediately
formed for his removal. The heads of this conspiracy
were the Chouan leader, Georges Cadoudal, and the
former Republican general, Pichegru. Moreau, the
victor of Hohenlinden, considered by many as the
second soldier of France, was also gravely impli-
cated.
Not far from Dieppe there is a cliff two hundred and
fifty feet high: this was the point where Cadoudal en-
tered France on the night of the 22 August 1803. It
was a place well known to smugglers, who nightly
climbed the rock with the aid of a ship cable hung from
the top. By the same route Pichegru and several other
conspirators arrived several weeks later. Walking by
night, and hiding by day, they all eventually arrived at
Paris, where under different disguises they eluded for
a long time the vigilance of the police.
On a dark night in January Pichegru had an inter-
view with Moreau on the Boulevard de la Madeleine.
The two generals had not met since the days that on
the borders of the Rhine they were gloriously fighting
the battles of France. The meeting was not entirely
harmonious, and the Comte d'Artois was deceived by
false reports when he exclaimed with joy: " Now that
our two generals are in accord I shall soon be back in
France! "
During this time Bonaparte was far more nervous
and uneasy than on the field of battle, where he always
displayed the greatest calm. He directed the movements
of the secret police and stimulated their zeal In the
THE ROYALIST PLOTS
midst of these hidden perils Josephine showed great
courage. With her usual kindness of heart, she urged
her irritated husband not to confound the innocent with
the guilty, and not to hold the whole royalist party
responsible for the acts of a few fanatics. Unfortu-
nately Napoleon did not listen to these wise counsels.
In the state of excitement to which his nerves had
been wrought up by the renewal of these infamous
attempts on his life, he decided on a policy of ven-
geance which should strike terror to the hearts of his
foes.
At a special meeting of the Council on the night of
the 14 February the only subject discussed was the
Cadoudal-Pichegru conspiracy, and orders were issued
for the immediate arrest of Moreau.
When a great crime is under investigation in France
the prosecutor always enjoins upon the agents of jus-
tice: " Cherckez la femme!" The woman in this case
was Madame Moreau. Without the jealousy and petty
vanity of this woman her husband, instead of meeting
an ignominious death fighting in the ranks of the ene-
mies of his country, would have become like Davout,
Massena and Ney, a due and prince, a marechal de
France.
Moreau had met Bonaparte for the first time after
his return from Egypt, and the two celebrated generals
had become quite friendly. On the 18 Brumaire Moreau
had taken an active part in the coup d'etat. Exactly a
year later, on the 9 November 1800, he married a Mile.
Hulot, who had been a companion of Hortense in the
school of Madame Campan. Josephine had contributed
much to bring about this match, which she thought
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
would be useful to the interests of the First Consul. Ten
days after the wedding Moreau left Paris to take com-
mand of the Army of Germany, and on the 3 December
1800 he gained the brilliant victory of Hohenlinden,
which led to the Peace of Luneville two months later.
Shortly after the battle Madame Moreau rejoined her
husband in Germany, and her pride was increased by
the sight of the eclat with which he was everywhere
received.
On their return to Paris, the amour-propre of
Madame Moreau was wounded on several occasions by
what she considered to be the incivility or social slights
of the First Consul. Like Josephine, she was the daugh-
ter of a Creole, and her mother, who was a sensitive, as
well as a very vindicative woman, told her that she
was younger, prettier and better educated than Madame
Bonaparte; that her husband had commanded as large
armies, and rendered as brilliant services to the Repub-
lic as Bonaparte, and that there was no reason why
General and Madame Moreau should occupy a second
place in the State.
There were only too many persons at Paris, both
republicans and royalists, who were interested in fan-
ning the flames. The royalists, in particular, paid very
marked attentions to Madame Moreau, and frequented
her handsome hotel in the Rue d'Anjou-Saint-Honore.
Bonaparte was exasperated by the petty social war
which was waged against himself and his wife. He
detested the pin-pricks, and feared them more than the
strokes of a dagger.
Influenced by his wife, Moreau refused an invitation
for dinner at the Tuileries, and also declined to accom-
THE ROYALIST PLOTS
pany the First Consul to a review. This coldness shortly
degenerated into declared enmity. The city hotel of the
general and his handsome country place, Grosbois, soon
became centres of opposition to the Consular govern-
ment.
When Madame de Remusat arrived at the Tuileries
one February morning she found Josephine much
troubled. Napoleon was seated near the fireplace play-
ing with the little Napoleon. " Do you know what I have
done? " he said. " I have just given the order to arrest
Moreau." He continued: " Twenty times have I pre-
vented him from compromising himself; I have warned
him that they would embroil us; and he felt that I was
right. But he is feeble and proud; the women directed
him: the parties urged him on." Thus speaking, Bona-
parte arose, went to his wife, took her by the chin, and
raised her head. " Everybody has not a good wife like
mine. You are crying, Josephine, but why? Are you
afraid? " " No," replied she, " but I do not like what
they will say." Then turning to the lady of the palace,
Bonaparte continued: " I have no hatred, no desire for
vengeance; I have deeply reflected before arresting
Moreau; I could have closed my eyes, and given him
time to escape, but people would have said that I was
afraid to put him on trial. I can convince them that he
is guilty; I am the government; everything will be easily
settled."
At the trial the evidence against Moreau was not
conclusive. He was condemned to two years in prison,
but was accorded the permission to retire to America.
In order to furnish him with funds for his exile, Napo-
leon purchased his Paris house for 800,000 francs, much
NAPOLEON. AND JOSEPHINE
more than its real value, and presented it to Berna-
dotte; also his handsome estate of Grosbois, which he
gave to Berthier.
Pichegru was finally betrayed by an old companion-
in-arms, one of his most intimate friends, who came
to the police and offered to give him up for a hundred
thousand crowns. On the last day of February he was
arrested in Paris, and six weeks later was found stran-
gled in prison. His death has often been charged to
Napoleon, but without the slightest evidence.
On the 9 March, Cadoudal was taken at seven o'clock
in the evening in the Place de POdeon, and was exe-
cuted the last week in June.
According to the police reports the conspirators had
expected the early arrival in France of a prince of the
royal house. Attention was at first directed to the cliff
of Seville, near Dieppe, where Cadoudal and Pichegru
were now known to have entered the country, but the
watch was in vain. Then the search was turned to the
banks of the Rhine. It was learned that the young Due
d'Enghien, the son of the Due de Bourbon, was at
Ettenheim in the grand-duchy of Baden, just across the
river. As a youth of twenty he had served twelve years
before in the army of the Emigres organized by his
grandfather, the Prince de Conde, for the invasion of
France. In 1801, after the peace of Luneville, he had
laid down his arms and taken up his residence in the
former chateau of Cardinal de Rohan on the right bank
of the Rhine ten miles from Strasbourg. Here he lived
the life of a private citizen, in the company of a young
and charming woman who was devoted to him, the
Princesse de Rohan.
THE ROYALIST PLOTS
An under-officer of the gendarmerie was secretly sent
in disguise to Ettenheim in search of information. The
prince at this time had with him an emigre by the name
of Thumery, which the German servants pronounced
Thoumeriez, and the spy reported that the French
traitor Dumouriez was with the Due d'Enghien. This
information reached Paris on the 10 March 1804, and
on the same day a servant of Cadoudal deposed that
a young man, who was treated with the utmost respect,
on several occasions had been in conference with the
conspirators at Paris. On the strength of these various
reports the First Consul jumped to the conclusion that
the young Bourbon prince was deeply implicated in the
conspiracy against his life.
A special meeting of the Council was held at the
Tuileries at ten o'clock on the evening of the 10 March,
at which were present the three Consuls, and all the
ministers. It was decided to issue orders for the imme-
diate arrest of the Due d'Enghien and the supposed
General Dumouriez. Caulaincourt was sent with a
letter to the Grand Duke of Baden, explaining this
violation of German territory.
Five days later thirty dragoons and twenty-five gen-
darmes under the command of Colonel Ordener crossed
the river at Rheinau, opposite Ettenheim, and sur-
rounded the chateau just as the day was beginning to
break. The prince was taken without any resistance,
and was conducted directly to Strasbourg, where he was
interned in the citadel. At the end of three days he was
placed in a postal-chaise and transferred to the chateau
of Vincennes at Paris where he arrived late on the after-
noon of the 20 March.
1:1353
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Let us now see what was taking place at Paris during
this time. On Passion Sunday, the 18 March, Madame
de Remusat took up her duties again as a dame du
palais. Early in the morning she went to the Tuileries
to be present at the Mass, which at this time was cele-
brated with much pomp. Afterwards, Josephine held
an informal reception in the salons, and then descended
to her own apartment, where she announced that they
were going to Malmaison to pass the week. Several
hours later they set out, Bonaparte in one carriage, and
Josephine with Madame de Remusat in another. Jose-
phine seemed sad and preoccupied, and had little to say.
Finally she remarked: "I am going to tell you a great
secret. This morning Bonaparte informed me that he
had sent Caulaincourt to the frontier to seize the Due
d'Enghien. They are going to bring him here." "Ah!
mon Dieu, madame," cried the lady, " what do they
intend to do? " " Why, I think they mean to put him
on trial."
Josephine went on to say that she had done every-
thing she could to obtain an assurance from the First
Consul that the prince should not be condemned, but
she was afraid that Bonaparte's mind was made up, and
that the due must die.
Before dinner the First Consul played chess, and ap-
peared as calm and serene as usual. After the dinner, at
which nothing important transpired, he retired to his
cabinet to work with the police. The two following days
passed quietly and sadly. Convinced that the fate of the
prince was decided, Josephine made no further efforts
to turn her husband from his purpose.
Tuesday morning Josephine said: " It is all hopeless.
136:1
THE ROYALIST PLOTS
The Due d'Enghien arrives this evening; he will be
taken to Vincennes, and tried to-night, Murat is in full
charge. He is odious in this matter. It is he who is
urging Bonaparte on. ... Bonaparte has forbidden me
to say anything more to him on the subject/' In the
afternoon, the First Consul again played chess, and in-
sisted on having the little Xapoleon at dinner. He had
the baby placed in the middle of the table, and was
much amused to see him upset everything around him.
After dinner Bonaparte seated himself on the floor, and
played with the child. Noticing the pallor of "Madame
de Remusat he asked why she had forgotten to put on
her rouge, and added with a laugh: " That would never
happen to you, Josephine! "
When they came downstairs at eight o'clock the next
morning Savary was already in the salon. Josephine
said: " Well, is it done? " " Yes, madame," he replied.
" He died this morning, and, I must admit, with fine
courage." He then gave the details, which are now
well known.
By many persons, the execution of the Due d'Enghien
is considered the greatest blot on the fame of Napoleon.
Talleyrand, with his usual cynicism, said: " It is worse
than a crime; it is a blunder." Naturally there was a
cry of indignation from the royalists everywhere. It
was perfectly legitimate for them to attempt the life
of the plebeian usurper, but he must not shed a drop
of the blue blood of the Bourbons! Napoleon himself
never offered any excuses for his action on this occa-
sion. Upon the threshold of eternity, in his last testa-
ment at Saint Helena, he wrote with his own hand: " I
had the Due d'Enghien arrested and tried because it
n 137:1
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
was necessary for the security, the interest, and the
honor of the French people, at a time when the Comte
d'Artois, by his own admission, was maintaining sixty
assassins at Paris. Under the same circumstances I
would again do the same."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
1804
EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH
The Empire Proclaimed The Ceremony at Saint-Cloud
Josephine Hailed as Empress Dissatisfaction of the Bona-
partes Chagrin of Caroline Napol eon Yields Jose-
phine's Attitude Eugene de Beauharnais The Fete of
the 14 July Visit to the Banks of the Rhine A Letter
from Napoleon The Court at Mayence Return to
Saint-Cloud
THERE is no city in the world where things are
forgotten so quickly as in Paris, and the im-
pression made by the death of the Due
d'Enghien soon passed away. Even with the royalists
the event caused more sorrow than indignation. The
First Consul decided to appear in public as usual,
and soon went with his wife to the Opera, where he
was greeted with the customary applause. A week after
the execution, the Senate in an address formally called
on Bonaparte to guarantee the future by rendering his
work " as immortal as his glory."
In the Tribune, on the 28 April a member suggested
a hereditary empire, and five days later the proposition
was adopted by the vote of all the members except
Carnot The Senate disputed the initiative of the
Tribune in this matter, because six weeks before Fouche
had made an appeal to that body to establish heredi-
tary power in the person of Bonaparte as the surest
means of preserving the benefits of the Revolution*
NAPOLEOX AND JOSEPHINE
At the session of the 18 May the Senate adopted a
decree worded as follows:
k * The French people decree the heredity of the Im-
perial dignity in the descent, direct, natural, legitimate,
and adopted, of Napoleon Bonaparte; and in the
descent, direct, natural, and legitimate, of Joseph Bona-
parte and of Louis Bonaparte.' ?
Then the Senate adjourned, and proceeded in a body
to Saint-Cloud to hail the new sovereign, Napoleon i r .
Xapoleon, in uniform, received them in the magnificent
Gallery of Apollo where four and a half years before,
in the early hours of a gloomy November morning, he
had taken his oath as consul. Now it is a day of splendid
May sunshine, and Josephine, radiant with joy, is by
the side of her husband, whose triumph she modestly
shares.
In the name of the Senate, Cambaceres pronounces
a solemn discourse, which ends with the expression of
the hope that the decree shall immediately be executed,
and Napoleon instantly proclaimed as Emperor of the
French. There is enthusiastic applause in the gallery,
which is echoed throughout the chateau, and in the
courts and gardens. The cry of " Vive I'Empereur! " to
be heard later on so many fields of battle, for the first
time splits the air.
Napoleon, arrived at the goal of his ambition, con-
ceals his pride under an air of outward calm. He is so
much at ease in his new role of monarch, that one would
imagine he was born to the purple.
It is next the turn of the new Empress to receive the
homage of the Senate. Cambaceres, in his most flowery
manner, conveys to Josephine the expression of the
EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH
respect and gratitude of the French people for her never
failing kindness and sympathy in cases of misfortune,
the living remembrance of which would teach the world
that, to dry the tears, is the surest way to reign over the
hearts. Behold therefore the modest and gracious Creole
elevated to the rank of sovereign!
In the chorus of acclamations which echoed from
every part of France there was scarcely a discordant
note. The people ratified the Napoleonic dynasty by the
almost unanimous vote of over three and a half millions
in the affirmative against twenty-five hundred in the
negative a majority larger than that obtained for
the Consulate. If supreme power is ever to be based
upon the foundation of a nation's will, no ruler in
history ever had a clearer title to his throne than
Napoleon Bonaparte !
In the midst of these scenes of joy, the only persons
who appear dissatisfied are the members of the new
imperial family, who ought to be the most delighted,
and the most astonished at their grandeur. Nothing
seems sufficiently splendid to meet their extravagant
desires. When we think of the modest mansion of their
father at Ajaccio, it is impossible to suppress a smile
at the pretentions of these new princes and princesses
of the blood. Of the four brothers of Napoleon, two are
absent and in disgrace: Lucien, for his marriage with
Madame Jouberthou; Jerome for having wedded Miss
Patterson. His mother has espoused the cause of Lucien,
and followed her son into exile at Rome. Joseph and
Louis are disappointed because their children, instead
of themselves, are designated in the line of succession.
Elisa and Caroline are full of chagrin because they are
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
placed in the official scale below their sister-in-law, the
Empress, and they are plunged in despair because they
do not yet receive the title of princesse like the wives of
Joseph and Louis. They certainly must have expected
that the wife of the Emperor would receive an exalted
rank, but they did not imagine that Julie and Hortense,
who were not of the blood, could bear titles which they
themselves did not have.
After the reception of the Senate at Saint-Cloud, at
which Elisa and Caroline were present, the Emperor
asked them to remain for dinner. As they were about
to go to the table, Duroc announced the titles which
should be given to each one, and in particular to the
wives of the princes. Mesdames Bacciochi and Murat
appeared astounded at the difference between them-
selves and their sisters-in-law. Madame Murat, espe-
cially, found it difficult to conceal her chagrin. About
six o'clock the Emperor appeared, and began, without
any appearance of embarrassment, to salute each one
with his new title. The Empress showed her usual ami-
ability; Louis appeared satisfied; Madame Joseph,
resigned to what was expected of her; Madame Louis,
equally submissive; Eugene de Beauharnais, simple and
natural, with an air free from all signs of ambition or
disappointment. It was not the same with the new
marshal, Murat, but fear of his brother-in-law forced
him to self-restraint, and he displayed a thoughtful
reticence. As for Madame Murat, she was in despair,
and had so little self-control that when she heard the
Emperor, on several occasions during the dinner, ad-
dress the Princesse Louis, she could not repress her
tears; she drank in succession several large glasses of
EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH
water, in the endeavor to recover her composure, but
the tears continued to fall.
Her sister, Madame Bacciochi, older, and more mis-
tress of herself, did not cry; but she was brusque and
cutting in her manner, and treated the dames du palais
with marked hauteur.
After a while the Emperor became annoyed, and in-
creased the discomforture of his sisters by teasing them
with indirect banter. On this occasion there were too
many people present for the matter to go further, but
the following day at the family dinner, Madame Murat
broke out in tears and complaints. Napoleon lost his
temper, and replied very severely. Caroline, who could
endure no more, fell on the floor in a dead faint. This
had an immediate effect on Napoleon, who calmed
down, and agreed to do what they wanted. The next day
the official paper inserted the following note: " To the
French princes and princesses is given the title of Im-
perial Highness: the sisters of the Emperor bear the
same title! 9
In the midst of all these family desagr&ments Jose-
phine maintained her usual amiable serenity. The con-
duct of his brothers and sisters was in such contrast
with that of his wife and her children that Napoleon
could not help being impressed with the difference.
Except for money, from time to time, to pay her debts,
Josephine asked nothing. For the rest, she accepted
whatever it pleased her husband to give her, but with-
out any appearance of desiring it, and without any pre-
tention that it was due her. If he gave to others, she
approved, and never displayed any envy. Her conduct,
whether calculated or not, was so adroit that every one
CI433
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
was struck by her disinterestedness, and her husband
most of all.
With respect to her children Josephine showed ex-
actly the same spirit. As Napoleon himself stated later,
she never asked anything for Eugene; never even
thanked him for what he did for her son, and never
showed any particular appreciation of his favors. At
the debut of the Empire, Napoleon did nothing for
Eugene, who found himself relegated, by his duties and
his rank, to the waiting-room the most distant from the
Emperor's apartment. Eugene seemed to consider this
entirely natural, and made no complaint. When Napo-
leon offered him through Josephine the office of Grand
Chamberlain, Eugene modestly declined, saying in ex-
cuse that this employment suited neither his tastes nor
his character, his vocation being entirely military. No
reply could have better pleased the Emperor, who at
once increased his allowance from 30,000 to 150,000
francs, and appointed him colonel-general of the Chas-
seurs a cheval, which made him a grand officer of the
Empire.
The new Empire opened brilliantly; and no one
seemed to give a thought to the Republic, of which al-
most the only vestige left was the gold coins that con-
tinued for several years to bear the anomalous inscrip-
tion: " Republique Frangaise, Napoleon Empereur."
The first public appearance of the new sovereigns on
a formal occasion was at the fete of the 14 July, anni-
versary of the fall of the Bastille, which this year was
to be the occasion of the presentation of the crosses of
the Legion d'honneur. For the first time they traversed
in a carriage the grande allee of the Tuileries Gardens,
EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH
and proceeded with great pomp to the Hotel des In-
valides. The ceremony took place in the church, which
during the Revolution had been made a Temple of
Mars, and was now again consecrated for religious uses.
After the Mass, and a discourse by the grand chancellor
of the Order, the Emperor pronounced the oath, and
each of the members cried: " Je le jure! ?J Xapoleon
then called to him Cardinal Caprara, who had nego-
tiated the Concordat, and who was soon to be of great
service in deciding the Pope to come to Paris for the
Coronation. Detaching from his neck the cordon of the
Legion, the Emperor presented it to the venerable
prelate.
On this occasion the Empress had a great personal
triumph. She wore a robe of pink tulle covered with
silver stars, with a very decollete corsage, as was then
the fashion, although the ceremony took place in full
daylight. Clusters of diamonds crowned her head. Ra-
diant with happiness, she never appeared to greater
-advantage.
Four days later the Emperor left Saint-Cloud for
Boulogne on a general tour of inspection of the Chan-
nel ports from Calais to Ostende. He left Josephine
occupied with the preparation of her toilettes for the
visit which she was soon to make with him to the
banks of the Rhine. He was to meet her the first of Sep-
tember at Aix-la-Chapelle, where the Empress was to
precede him by several weeks for the purpose of taking
the waters.
As was his custom, before leaving Saint-Cloud Napo-
leon dictated in the minutest details the itinerary of the
journey of the Empress. Everything was worked out
1453
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
with the same precision that he would have given to the
orders for an army corps to arrive at a certain hour on
the field of battle. He also dictated the replies that
Josephine was to make to the addresses of welcome that
she would receive at the different cities through which
she passed. Every day, before her departure, Josephine
could be seen, a large page of manuscript in her hand,
trying to commit these discourses to memory, as a
school-girl learns her lesson. Fortunately her replies
were brief, and she soon knew them by heart.
Josephine's life at Aix was very monotonous. After
the morning toilette, the Empress went to the thermal
establishment for a bath. An hour of rest followed, and
then she dressed for breakfast. In the afternoon she
usually went out for a drive. Upon her return she again
changed her robe for dinner. In the evening, unless she '
went to the theatre, she retired at an early hour.
It will be interesting here to read one of the letters
written at this time by Napoleon to Josephine, if only
for the purpose of comparing it with the ardent effusions
he sent her during the Campaign of Italy:
To the Empress, at Aix-la-Chapette
CALAIS, 6 August 1804
Mon amie, I am at Calais since midnight; but expect to
leave for Dunkerque this evening. I am satisfied with my
inspection, and in quite good health. I trust that the waters
will do you as much good as the sight of the camp and the
sea has done me. Eugene has left for Blois. Hortense is
well. Louis is at Plombieres. I long to see you. You are
ever necessary to my happiness. A thousand best wishes.
NAPOLEON
EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH
After a visit of nine days at Aix, where he arrived on
the 2 September, Napoleon left with Josephine for
Cologne. From there they travelled separately to May-
ence, which they reached on the 20 September. At
Mayence the sovereigns received the warmest of wel-
comes. The houses and public buildings were all illumi-
nated in their honor. The Emperor found himself
surrounded by a regular court of German princes. Per-
formances were given by the second company of the
Theatre-Frangais, which had been summoned from
Paris.
On the 12 October the Emperor and Empress were
once more back at Saint-Cloud. This visit to the banks
of the Rhine made a great impression on France, and
indeed on all Europe. No theatrical manager ever had
a greater talent than Napoleon for what may be called
the art of the mise en scene. The stage was now set for
the Coronation, and the curtain was about to rise on one
of the grandest spectacles the world has ever seen.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
1804-1805
THE CORONATION
Cardinal Fesch Sent to Rome The Pope Consents to Go to
Paris Astonishment of Madame Mere Josephine's Tri-
umph Over the Bonapartes Preparations for the Ceremony
The Pope Arrives at Fontainebleau Josephine's Con-
fession The Excitement at Paris Isabey's Ingenious
Idea Religious Marriage of Napoleon and Josephine
The Procession to the Cathedral The Ceremony at Notre-
Dame Josephine Crowned by the Emperor Her Joy
A Series of Fetes Baptism of Napoleon-Louis
DURING his absence from Paris the Emperor
had not lost sight of his plans for the Corona-
tion, and had sent his uncle Cardinal Fesch
to Rome as a special ambassador. He was to arrange
with the Pope to come to Paris to crown the new Charle-
magne in his capital. If the Holy Father consented,
Fesch had full powers to arrange with him all the
details of the ceremony.
After much hesitation the Pope finally agreed to
yield to the wishes of the Emperor and go to Paris. This
unheard-of act of condescension filled the new sover-
eign with delight. The political consequences to him
were enormous: on the one hand, it assured his standing
with the large Catholic population of France, and on
the other, it legitimized his title in the eyes of the other
sovereigns of Europe, and put an end to the claims of
the Bourbons.
THE CORONATION
The visit of the Pope to Paris was an event so ex-
traordinary as to seem to every one almost incredible.
When the report was first spread abroad, Madame
Letitia, who was now called Madame Mere, was simply
astounded at the thought that the Pope, il santissimo
Padre, should condescend to make the journey to
Paris to crown her bambino Napoleone as Emperor
of the French! The good woman could hardly realize
it
No one had followed the negotiations with more in-
terest than Josephine. For her the important question
was, would she be crowned with the Emperor? This,
she thought, would mean an assured future, with no
more worry over the perpetually recurring menace of
divorce, which empoisoned her entire existence. As she
had anticipated, the Bonapartes took this occasion to
renew their efforts to persuade Napoleon to repudiate
his wife, and this time they might have gained their
end if they had used more tact. But they went too far
in their attacks on Josephine, and as usual only suc-
ceeded in arousing their brother's wrath. In this crisis,
Josephine displayed so much grief, and at the same
time so much submission to his wishes, that Napoleon
could not bring himself to the point of repudiating her.
" He took Josephine in his arms, and told her effusively
that he would never have the strength to part with her,
even though public policy demanded it; then he prom-
ised her that she should be crowned with him, and
receive at his side, from the hands of the Pope, the
divine consecration." Monsieur Thiers, in relating this
incident, adds that he took it from the manuscript of
the unpublished memoirs of a reliable person attached
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
to the imperial family, who was an eye-witness of the
scene.
The preparations for the Coronation were on a grand
scale, and nothing was left undone to make the spec-
tacle imposing, and memorable. The costumes were
designed by the great painters David and Isabey. The
crown of the Emperor, modelled upon that of Charle-
magne, was made by Fonder, the leading jeweller of
Paris, and was a wonderful work of art. It can still be
seen in the Gallery of Apollo at the Louvre.
In order to have the ceremony as perfect as possible,
there were several " dress-rehearsals " held at Notre-
Dame. David arranged the groups, and the scenes were
repeated until each one knew his role perfectly. The
painter profited by these rehearsals to make the sketches
for his great painting of the Coronation, afterwards
ordered by the Emperor, which now hangs in the
Louvre. When some one said later to David that in his
painting he had made Josephine absurdly young, he
replied: " Go and tell her so! "
For the Coronation two dates had been considered:
first, the 14 July, anniversary of the fall of the Bastille,
and second, the 9 November, the day of the 18 Bru-
maire, when Bonaparte overthrew the Directory. But
both of these dates were manifestly inappropriate, and
the delay of the Pope in reaching a decision finally
caused the day to be set for the first week in December.
On the second day of November, the Pope, Pius the
Seventh, then sixty-two years of age, left Rome for his
long and tiresome journey to Paris. At the same time
Napoleon was hurrying the work on the chateau of
Fontainebleau, so that it should be ready to receive the
THE CORONATION
Holy Father on his arrival. As if by magic, in less than
three weeks the palace was redecorated and refurnished,
with all its former splendor.
The Pope was expected to arrive on Sunday the 25
November. To avoid all ceremony, Napoleon, dressed
in hunting costume, left the palace an hour before noon,
and directed his horse to the part of the forest by which
the Pope was to arrive. As soon as his carriage stopped,
on meeting the Emperor, the Pope descended, and
Napoleon dismounted. The two illustrious sovereigns
embraced cordially, and then entered the Emperor's
carriage, which had been sent to meet them.
At the door of the palace, the Empress and the
grand dignitaries of the Court were gathered, to meet
the Supreme Pontiff. Dressed in a long white soutane,
which fell around him like the drapery of an antique
statue, with his face devoid of color, the Pope had a
most ethereal air. His handsome and noble countenance,
his sweet expression, his soft but resonant voice, pro-
duced a strong impression.
The two sovereigns dined together, and the Pope re-
tired at an early hour, to rest after the fatigues of so
long a journey-. The following day Josephine managed
to have a confidential interview with the Pope, during
which she confided to him the fact that she and Napo-
leon were only united by a civil bond. She prayed him
to use all his influence with the Emperor to have him
put an end to this situation which was filling her heart
with remorse! " Rest in peace, my daughter," he said
on retiring, " that will be arranged."
On Thursday the Pope made his entry into Paris,
where he was received with the same honors accorded
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
the Emperor. He was lodged at the Tuileries in the
Pavilion de Flore, which had been prepared specially
for his reception. He arrived at the palace about eight
o'clock in the evening, in the same carriage with the
Emperor. Josephine, who left Fontainebleau in the
morning, had reached Paris a few hours earlier.
All Paris was excited over the approach of the great
day. The hotels were crowded with strangers who had
come from far and near to be present at the ceremony.
All the shops were working night and day to have the
uniforms and the robes ready in time. The ladies were
to wear ball-dresses, with trains, with a collerette of
blond lace called cherusque, which, fastened upon the
two shoulders and rising quite high behind the head,
recalled the fashions of the time of Catherine de Medi-
cis. The costumes of the men were also very rich.
A week before the ceremony the painter Isabey re-
ceived from the Emperor an order to make seven
sketches, representing the number of principal scenes
in the spectacle at the cathedral. To prepare seven such
designs, each containing over a hundred figures, in the
short time at his disposal, was manifestly out of the
question. In this dilemma Isabey conceived the in-
genious idea of purchasing a hundred dolls and dressing
them to represent the various personages. These he
placed iij. a plan in relief of the interior of Notre-Dame,
and toofc them to the Emperor. Napoleon was much
amused and also much pleased at this solution of the
problem, and the miniature stage with the puppets was
used to instruct the actors as to their rdles in the
spectacle.
The Pope kept his promise to Josephine, and, on the
THE CORONATION
night before the Coronation, Cardinal Fesch, at an altar
erected in the Emperor's cabinet, performed the
religious marriage of Napoleon and Josephine. No wit-
nesses were present, but after the ceremony the cardinal
gave Josephine a formal certificate of her marriage,
which she always carefully guarded.
At last the great day arrived. The second of Decem-
ber dawned cold and foggy, but the bright sun soon
dissipated the mists. At an early hour the streets were
crowded with spectators, and windows along the route
of the procession rented as high as three hundred francs.
Before the departure for Notre-Darne the ladies of
the palace were introduced to the apartment of the
Empress. Their costumes were very brilliant, but they
paled before those of the Imperial family. Josephine,
resplendent with diamonds, her hair dressed in the
mode of Louis Quatorze, did not appear over twenty-
five. She wore a robe and court mantle of silver brocade,
embroidered with golden bees, the Imperial emblem.
She had a head-band of diamonds, a necklace, earrings,
and a girdle, of very great value, all of which she wore
with her accustomed grace.
The Pope left the Tuileries at nine o'clock in a car-
riage drawn by eight dapple-grey horses. According to
Roman usage he was preceded by one of his cameriers,
mounted upon a mule, and bearing a large cross. This
unaccustomed sight greatly amused the Parisians.
The Emperor and Empress started over an hour later.
Their carriage, which is still preserved in the museum
of the Grand-Trianon at Versailles, was drawn by eight
cream-colored horses, covered with brilliant harnesses.
It was decorated with allegorical paintings on a gold
C 153 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
background, and all the panels were of glass, so that the
sovereigns could be seen from every side. They left the
Tuileries by way of the Carrousel, and followed the
Rue Salnt-Honore, as the Rue de Rivoli was not then
completed. Marshal Murat, at the head of twenty
squadrons of cavalry, led the way, and eighteen six-
horse carriages followed, 'with the principal personages
of the Court. The streets were guarded by a double line
of infantry, who'kept back the crowds.
Arrived at the palace of the archbishop, Napoleon
put on the coronation costume. Over a narrow robe of
white satin, he wore a heavy mantle of crimson velvet.
On his head he placed a crown of golden laurels; on
his neck, the collar of the Legion d'honneur, in
diamonds; at his side, a sword ornamented with the
Regent diamond.
After the High Mass, the Pope blessed the Imperial
ornaments, and then returned them to the Emperor: the
ring, which he placed upon his finger; the sword, which
he replaced in its sheath; the mantle, which was at-
tached to his shoulders by the chamberlains; then the
sceptre and the " hand of justice," which he gave to
the Arch-Treasurer and the Arch-Chancellor.
The only ornament which remained to be handed to
the Emperor was the crown. As the Pope was about to
proceed with this final act of the ceremony, Napoleon
took from his hands the emblem of supreme power and
proudly placed it himself upon his head.
It had been arranged that the train of the mantle of
the Empress should be borne by the five Imperial prin-
cesses: Julie and Hortense, the wives of Joseph and
Louis, and the three sisters of the Emperor, Elisa,
NAPOLEON
THE CORONATION
Pauline and Caroline. It was not without violent pro-
tests that Napoleon's sisters accepted this " servile "
role.
When the moment arrived for Josephine to take her
part in the ceremony, she arose and advanced towards
the steps of the altar, where the Emperor awaited her.
All the ladies of the palace arose at the same time, and
the princesses who formed her "service dTionneur"
proceeded to perform their duty. The mantle of the
Empress, of red velvet embroidered with golden bees,
and lined with ermine, was very heavy, and the role of
the princesses was far from being merely honorary.
The three sisters entirely neglected their part and the
Empress was unable to move forward. The quick eye
of Napoleon at onde took in the situation, and a few
sharp words to his sisters quelled the mutiny.
Arrived before the altar, Josephine knelt, joined her
hands, and gracefully bowed her form. Napoleon then
placed upon her head the small closed crown surmounted
by a cross; he even seemed to take a loving pleasure in
carefully arranging it upon her hair. Josephine had
never been so happy, or seemed so charming as on this
Dccasion. Isabey, who had touched up her features with
bis painter's art, had removed the traces of time, and
she looked fifteen years younger than her real age. The
bead of Josephine in David's well known painting is a
Faithful representation of her appearance on this day.
Mile. Avrillon writes in her MSmoires: " Never have
[ seen upon any countenance an expression of joy, of
satisfaction, of happiness, which could be compared to
ihat which animated the face of the Empress: she was
radiant! The crown placed upon her brow by the hands
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
of her august spouse had assured her future, and seemed
for all time to have ended the rumors of divorce with
which she had been so often tormented."
After the ceremony the procession returned to the
Tuileries by way of the boulevards and the present Rue
Royale, and entered the palace from the Gardens. The
day had been long and tiresome, and Napoleon was
glad to resume his modest uniform of colonel of the
Chasseurs de la Garde. He dined alone with Josephine,
whom he begged to retain the diadem which she wore
so gracefully, and which became her so well. He was in
excellent humor, and paid his wife a thousand compli-
ments, saying that she was the most charming empress
in the world!
The Coronation was followed by a series of fetes. On
the 5 December the Emperor distributed to the Army
the Imperial eagles. The ceremony took place on the
Champ-de-Mars in the presence of the Empress and all
the high dignitaries of the Empire. Unfortunately the
weather was terrible: an icy rain fell in torrents, and
the field was a sea of mud. Notwithstanding the storm,
the streets along the route of the procession were
crowded with spectators. In the evening there was a
grand banquet, served in the Galerie de Diane at the
Tuileries. The table of the sovereigns was, placed on a
magnificent dais: the Empress was seated in the centre,
with the Emperor at her right, and the Pope at her left.
Of all the entertainments, the finest was that given
by the marshals at the Opera on the 7 January 1805.
The hall was transformed into a magnificent ball-room,
by a floor built over the parquet on a level with the
stage. The marshals arrived at eight o'clock, the Em-
THE CORONATION
press at ten, and tlie Emperor an hour later. After a
concert, the ball was opened by Prince Louis, Marshal
Murat, Eugene de Beauharnais, and Marshal Berthier,
who danced with the four Imperial princesses. The Em-
peror twice made the tour of the room, and then retired
at an early hour.
The last of the fetes was the baptism on the 24 March
at Saint-Cloud of Napoleon-Louis, the second son of
Louis and Hortense. The ceremony was performed by
the Pope himself, a week before his departure for Rome.
Josephine had been the god-mother of the older boy,
but on this occasion Madame Mere was chosen to fill
the role. Josephine was entirely satisfied, as this bap-
tism seemed to seal the reconciliation between the two
families, and assure her future, as well as that of her
grandson.
From this date, up to the time of the divorce, there
were no more solemn baptisms. Napoleon and Jose-
phine indeed promised to give their names to many
children, but the Emperor always put off the ceremony,
which finally took place at Fontainebleau in November
1810. But on this occasion there was another marraine,
and the numerous Josephines were presented at the
font by a' new Empress, who was called Marie-Louise!
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
1804-1809
DAILY LIFE OF THE EMPRESS
Josephine's Places of Residence Her Apartments at the Tuil-
eries Her Frequent Alterations Her Rooms at Saint-
Cloud Her Daily Routine Her Personal Attendants
Her Toilette Her Lingerie and Robes Her Lavish
Expenditures Her Debts Paid by the Emperor Her
Life at the Tuileries
ABANDONING for a moment the chronolog-
ical sequence of events, let us endeavor to
depict Josephine's mode of life during the
time that her career was linked with the Empire: from
the 1 8 May 1804, when she was saluted as Empress at
Saint-Cloud, to the 15 December 1809, when her mar-
riage was dissolved at the Tuileries. To Frederic Mas-
son, of the Academie Frangaise, we owe many interest-
ing details of the existence of the Empress at this
time.
During these five years and a half, Josephine passed
less than twelve months in all at the Tuileries; she lived
thirteen months at Saint-Cloud, eight at Malmaison,
and four at Fontainebleau. She went twice to Plom-
bieres and once to Aix-la-Chapelle for the baths; she
lived six months at Strasbourg and four at Mayence ;
she visited Germany, Italy and Belgium, the borders
of the Rhine, and all of the centre and south of France.
To follow her in her journeys, to trace her itinerary,
158:1
DAILY LIFE OF THE EMPRESS
would be both tedious and unprofitable; wherever she
lived her surroundings were practically the same, and
the details of her daily life never varied.
In the endeavor to emancipate himself from a part
of the slavery to which the sovereigns of France had
always submitted, Napoleon divided his existence into
two parts: one, the exterior, which belonged to the
public; the other, the interior, which was intimate and
private. The first had for its theatre the State apart-
ments, the second was passed in the private rooms. But
for the Empress this division was more apparent than
real: the two lives were constantly overlapping.
Now that the Tuileries have been destroyed for fifty
years, it is difficult to give any clear idea of the apart-
ments occupied by Josephine, and especially so as she
was continually changing the arrangement of the rooms.
The " Appartement d'honneur " of the Empress was en-
tered from the Carrousel at the corner of the Pavilion
de Flore. The windows in the salons were so high from
the floor that a person, when seated, could not see out;
but Napoleon would allow no alterations made, as it
would have injured the appearance of the facade of
the palace. On the other side, the private rooms, which
faced on the Gardens, were only separated from the
public sidewalk by a low terrace, and it was possible
for any passerby to see into the windpws. Again the
the Emperor refused to have any change made which
would have deprived the Parisians of the privilege of
passing through the Gardens. It was not until the days
of the " people's king/' Louis-Philippe, that the windows
were cut down, and a part of the Gardens was
reserved.
1:1593
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
The private apartment of Josephine comprised only
a library, a bedroom, a dressing-room and bath-room.
All these rooms, on the ground floor, faced on the
Gardens, and were the same that Josephine and Hor-
tense had occupied when they first came to the Tuileries.
The personal suite of the Emperor, on the first floor,
was reached by several private staircases, one of which
ascended from Josephine's bedchamber. These stair-
ways were so narrow that two persons could not pass.
The rooms on the Gardens were separated from those
on the court by a long dark corridor. Above a part of
Josephine's suite there was a mezzanine floor, or entre-
sol, in which were located her wardrobes.
The decorations of her apartment; made at the begin-
ning of the Consulate, had never pleased Josephine,
who wished, above all, to have a handsome bedroom.
Accordingly, when she was absent in Germany in 1806,
her rooms were entirely redecorated and refurnished by
Fontaine, in a truly imperial style, at a cost of one
hundred thousand francs. But Josephine considered the
work frightful, and a year later gave orders to have it
all done over, to suit her own taste. In the budget of
1808, the Emperor allowed a credit of sixty thousand
francs for this work, but the final cost exceeded a
quarter of a million. This time the architects, discour-
aged by so many contradictory orders, decided to follow
their own ideas. When Josephine returned from
Bayonne the work was all finished. She was furious be-
cause her orders had been disregarded: the decorations
were " heavy and out of style "; the furniture was " too
plain and too cheap." She went to live at * the Elysee,
and, with her numerous absences from Paris, never
1603
DAILY LIFE OF THE EMPRESS
again occupied the Tuileries for more than three months
up to the day of her divorce. At the time of his second
marriage, therefore, Napoleon did not think it necessary
to make any great alterations for Marie-Louise in the
rooms which Josephine had hardly used.
The arrangement of Josephine's rooms at Saint-
Cloud was very similar to that at the Tuileries, except
that they were located on the first floor, and were dec-
orated in a more modern and more feminine style. Na-
poleon, who liked everything severe, but handsome,
was not pleased with the furniture, which he did not
consider in accord with the majesty of his person and
his reign. He said that Josephine's apartment was fit
only for a " fille entretenue." Most of the visitors did
not agree with this opinion: they considered the rooms
in good taste, and much pleasanter than those in the
Tuileries. On the walls were hung many fine paintings
taken from the Musee Napoleon. In the salon of the
Empress there was a handsome portrait of Madame
Mere by Gerard. But what attracted'the most attention
was a large mirror in one piece, over the mantel: this
was mounted on a back of solid silver, which disap-
peared when a spring was pressed, and furnished a fine
perspective of the park, with the fountains, the vases
and statues.
The chamber of Josephine was particularly attrac-
tive, with the bed, in the form of a small boat, of
mahogany ornamented with gilded bronze; and mirrors
on all sides. The bath-room was entirely in marble, with
painted antique friezes.
At Saint-Cloud the etiquette was somewhat relaxed,
and the life more private. It was possible to walk in the
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
restricted gardens, and to make extended excursions in
carriages, through the park and in the neighborhood,
particularly to Malmaison.
To give an idea of the tastes and occupations of
Josephine, we will trace briefly the routine of one day.
If the Emperor had passed the night in her apartment,
he rose at eight o'clock, and, at Paris, ascended, or at
Saint-Cloud, descended to his own rooms: only, at
Saint-Cloud, there was no private staircase, and he was
forced to pass through a long corridor to reach the pub-
lic stairway.
Then the Empress' women entered and drew the
curtains. For her first repast, Josephine drank, in bed, a
cup of infusion or a lemonade. She always wore a night-
cap of percale or embroidered muslin, trimmed with
lace. Although she had no end of night-dresses, she usu-
ally wore a chemise, over which at night she put on a
camisole. The door was then opened for the entrance of
her favorite pug dog, Fortune, an ugly mongrel cur.
This was a successor to the dog of the same name under
whose collar she concealed her letters at the Cannes in
1794: that one had been killed at Montebello.
Never later than nine o'clock, Josephine enters her
dressing-room, where she always passes at least three
hours of her day, for she never neglects the mysterious
rites of her toilette. Under the Empire, Josephine -had
no less than twelve attendants to care for her person
and her wardrobe, but the two premieres femmes were
only there for the etiquette, and had few functions to
perform beyond drawing their salary of six thousand
francs. The four femmes de chambre were pretty young
DAILY LIFE OF THE EMPRESS
girls, who after the end of 1805 were called dames
d'annonce. Two of them were in service every other
week, and their duty was to announce to the Empress
the persons who called upon her. Their salary was three
thousand francs a year. The real attendants of Jose-
phine were, the garde d'atours, Madame Mallet, and
the four femmes de garde-robe, of whom one was Mile.
Avrillon, who, in her Mlmoires, calls herself " premiere
femme de chambre de I'lmperatrice." These women
were the ones who entered into the familiarity of the
Empress, and were most in her confidence. To them
Josephine intrusted not only her jewels and her robes,
but also her most secret thoughts. To them she made
presents of five hundred or a thousand francs at a time,
gave them dots when they were married, and a pension
when they retired. While guarding her rank, Josephine
always treated these attendants with the greatest kind-
ness and politeness, and naturally she was adored by
them.
For Josephine, the rites of her toilette were long and
complicated. She always took a bath every day, which
was rather unusual at that time. But the most impor-
tant act was to faire sa fete, to efface the ravages of
time. In those days it was customary for all society
women to employ rouge, but Josephine carried it to ex-
cess: not content with putting a little on her cheeks,
she covered her entire face with powder and rouge. The
eye of Napoleon was so accustomed to this excess of
color that he thought any woman who did not show it
must be ill: " Go and put on some rouge, Madame,"
he said to one, "you look like a corpse." On the
other hand, Napoleon could not endure the scent of
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
any perfume except a little lavender water or eau de
Cologne.
The intricate details of her toilette completed, Jose-
phine dresses for the morning. From her five hundred
chemises, she selects one of muslin, percale, or batiste,
embroidered at the bottom, and trimmed at the neck
and sleeves with Malines or Valenciennes. The plainest
ones cost a hundred francs, and some of them three
times that amount. As Josephine changes all her linen
three times a day, the number of the garments is not
so extraordinary.
She almost always wears white silk stockings, costing
from twenty to seventy francs a pair: no garters, as the
new silk stockings stay in place. In the morning she puts
on house shoes of taffetas or satin, at eight francs the
pair, of which she orders over five hundred a year. She
usually wears a light corset of lined percale trimmed
with Valenciennes, for which she pays about forty
francs. After the corset she puts on a flimsy petticoat
of percale trimmed with her favorite lace. That is all,
absolutely all: " Josephine n'a dans sa garde-robe que
deux pantalons en soie de couleur chair pour monter a
cheval."
When Josephine has put on a peignoir, her coiffeur,
Herbault, is introduced. He is an important personage,
in embroidered costume, with a sword by his side, and
receives in salary and gifts eight thousand francs a year.
But Herbault is only employed on ordinary occasions:
for days of ceremony there is Duplan, who is paid twelve
thousand francs, and later, in the time of Marie-Louise,
receives the magnificent salary of forty-two thousand
francs. It is impossible to attempt to describe the
CI643
DAILY LIFE OF THE EMPRESS
coiffures employed by Josephine, for they varied from
day to day. Her hair was of a decidedly auburn shade,
and in color and thickness remained the same to the end
of her life.
After these first details, which had consumed much
time, there was a regular council of war as to the robe,
the hat and the wrap to be selected. In summer her
dresses were of muslin, batiste or percale, and she had
over two hundred to select from; in winter she wore
cloth or velvet gowns, of which she had no less than six
or seven hundred in her wardrobe! To wear with these
costumes there were endless wraps, of every possible
material, mostly trimmed with the rarest and most
expensive furs.
Josephine always wore a hat in the morning, and
frequently also in the evening. Her choice was limited
to two hundred and fifty, all different in form, color,
and trimming!
Twice a year she went carefully through her ward-
robe, and gave away a large part of her collection. Most
of the articles, some of which she had never used, were
presented to her femmes de chambre; but even Madame
Mere and the Queens of Naples and Westphalia, did
not disdain to accept such gifts'.
In six years Josephine spent for her wardrobe the
enormous sum of a million and a half, and this did not
include accounts not settled, or costumes for ceremonies
like the Coronation, for which the Emperor made her
a special allowance. In addition, during the same period,
she spent over five million francs for jewelry. When
Napoleon, after her divorce, paid up all her debts, her
total expenditures for the six years reached the enor-
1:1653
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
mous total of 6,647,580 francs, or an average of more
than a million francs a year! When we consider that the
Empress had the use of the finest Crown jewels in the
world, valued at over five millions, it is difficult to un-
derstand why she made all these purchases for her own
private collection. Her motive does not seem to have
been to accumulate a reserve, for use in case of neces-
sity, but rather a real mania for spending money. Her
collection, which she left to Hortense, was appraised
after her death at over four million francs, which was
probably a third less than the actual value.
We have at first hand the story of the scene which
preceded the first payment of her debts in 1806. Jose-
phine came to the table with tears in her eyes. Napoleon
leaned over and whispered to her:
" Well, Madame, you are in debt."
No reply except a sob.
" You owe a million."
"No, Sire, I swear that I only owe six hundred
thousand."
" Only that, you say; does that seem to you only a
bagatelle? "
He adds a few words of reproach, and she begins to
sob louder than ever. Then he whispers again:
" Cornel Josephine, come, my little one, do not cry,
compose yourself."
And the debts are paid.
After she was dressed Josephine received her physi-
cian. She had a constitution of iron, and was rarely ill,
but she was a " malade imaginaire," and was always
taMng medicine. Corvisart, the chief physician of the
DAILY LIFE OF THE EMPRESS
Emperor, generally succeeded in curing her by a pre-
scription made up of bread pills!
At eleven o'clock precisely, for she was punctuality
personified, Josephine entered the Salon Jaune, where
were introduced the ladies she had invited for dejeuner.
The menu, which was usually prepared for ten persons,
comprised a soup, two releves, six entrees, two roasts,
six entremets, and six dishes of dessert. A bottle of
Beaune and two bottles of fine Bourgogne were served.
Coffee was taken at the table, and a half-bottle of
liqueur was provided.
Josephine, who ate but little, did the honors with
.charming courtesy, drawing out her guests to tell her all
the latest gossip of the city and the Court, which the
Emperor was always interested in hearing repeated.
Napoleon usually took a hasty breakfast on a little
table in his cabinet, but sometimes he came down and
joined his wife's party.
After breakfast Josephine returned to the salon. To
walk in the Gardens was impossible, and the only exer-
cise she took at Paris was an occasional game of bil-
liards. She rarely read anything, and never called upon
her ladies to read for her. But she was fond of conversa-
tion, and there was always some one with whom to talk.
At five o'clock Josephine went to her rooms to change
her toilette for dinner, which was served at the early
hour of six o'clock. She changed completely, and
selected an evening gown, which was always very decol-
lete. In the evening she always wore a great many
jewels.
* Her toilette finished, Josephine waits for the prefet
du palais to announce that the Emperor is ready to go
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
to dinner. Sometimes, absorbed in his work, Napoleon
forgets that he has not dined, and she waits one hour,
two, occasionlly three or four. She is never impatient,
and never disturbs Napoleon at his work. She passes the
time in conversation with her ladies. When the Emperor
is ready she goes to the room where the dinner is served
sometimes in her apartment, and sometimes in that
of Napoleon on the floor above. At Paris they usually
dined alone, except Sundays, when there was a family
party.
After dinner Napoleon always went to Josephine's
salon, where she herself served the coffee. Unless they
were going out to the theatre, or there was a ball, con-
cert or spectacle at the Chateau, which happened about
twice a week, the Emperor remained for a short time,
and talked with any dignitaries who had called. He then
returned to his cabinet, and Josephine passed the even-
ing in conversation, or in a game of backgammon or
whist, both of which games she played remarkably well.
Quite often the Emperor, after he had retired for the
night, sent for her to read to him, as he loved the sound
of her voice. As soon as he was asleep, she returned to
her salon, and resumed her game. At midnight all vis-
itors departed, and Josephine made her toilette for the
night, which took nearly as long as that of the morning.
" In this also she was elegant," said the Emperor; " she
was graceful even in going to
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
1805
ITALY AND STRASBOURG
The Journey to Italy Grand Review at Marengo Napoleon's
Reconciliation with Jerome The Coronation at Milan
The Emperor's Satisfaction Eugene, Viceroy of Italy
Josephine's Grief Napoleon's Attachment to His Wife
The Fetes at Genoa Hurried Return to France Jose-
phine at Plombieres The Austerlitz Campaign Jos6-
phine's Sojourn at Strasbourg Her Life There Napo-
leon's Letters During the Campaign
ON the 2 April 1805 Napoleon left Fontaine-
bleau for Milan, where he was to be crowned
as King of Italy. He had not intended to take
Josephine with him, but she pleaded so warmly that he
finally yielded. The first night was spent at Troyes, and
the following day the Emperor went alone to Brienne,
to see the school where he had received his first educa-
tion. He slept at the chateau, and the following morning,
without any escort, he visited the old familiar scenes of
his boyhood.
Following the usual route via Macon the imperial
party reached Lyon a week later. In order not to fatigue
the Empress, Napoleon had arranged to stop every
night in some city, instead of travelling night and day
as was his regular habit. The sovereigns usually stayed
at the prefecture, where they found the dinner ready to
serve, and the lodgings prepared by the servants sent in
advance.
CI693
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
At Lyon they descended at the palace of the arch-
bishop, Cardinal Fesch, who had recently been ap-
pointed to this see. The entire journey from Fontaine-
bleau had been a triumphal march. The villagers had
flocked from far and near to line the route and cheer
their Emperor, with an enthusiasm which at that time
was as sincere as it was spontaneous.
It was three hours after noon when the party en-
tered Lyon, and the entire populace of the second city
of France had gathered to acclaim the Emperor. Napo-
leon had done much to increase the prosperity of this
large silk-manufacturing town, and he was extremely
popular there.
After a sojourn of five days, they left for Turin by
way of Mont-Cems. The fine road over the Alps, con-
structed by Napoleon, was not yet completed, and, to
cross the mountains, chaises a porteur were provided for
the women, and mules for the men. The Pope, who had
left Fontainebleau two days after the Emperor, was
still at Turin, where he had stopped for a short rest on
his way to Rome. As he occupied the palace, the Em-
peror deferred for several days his entry into the capi-
tal, and stopped at an old villa of the King of Sardinia
a few miles from the city.
Before proceeding to Milan, the party turned aside
to visit Alessandria. Here, the 5 May, the Emperor
held a grand review on the field where five years before
he had gained the great victory of Marengo. He had
brought from Paris, and wore again on this occasion the
old and faded uniform, the shapeless hat, and the heavy
sabre, which recalled so many glorious memories. The
manoeuvres were directed by Eugene under the orders
CI703
ITALY AND STRASBOURG
of the Emperor, and Napoleon expressed to Josephine
his satisfaction with the manner in which her son had
performed his task.
On the following day, Napoleon saw Jerome for the
first time since his brother's marriage. Jerome had ar-
rived at Lisbon with his wife during the month of April.
He was allowed to land, but, under orders from the
Emperor, she was forced to reembark for England.
Jerome was summoned to meet the Emperor in Italy,
and travelled there post-haste. After a decisive inter-
view with Napoleon, he basely agreed to abandon his
wife and her unborn child, and was again restored to
favor.
On the 8 May the Emperor entered Milan, where his
welcome was not so spontaneous as in the cities of
Piedmont. Napoleon was much disappointed at the lack
of real enthusiasm, and spoke of it to Josephine. His
coronation as King of Italy took place on the 26 May
in the cathedral. The weather was perfect, and the city
was crowded with spectators. The ceremonies were simi-
lar to those at Notre-Dame, but on a much smaller
scale. Cardinal Caprara, the Archbishop of Milan, offi-
ciated. Napoleon himself placed upon his head the cele-
brated Iron Crown of the ancient kings of Lombardy,
at the same time using the traditional formula: " God
gave it me; woe to him who touches it! " Josephine,
although she bore the title of Queen of Italy, was not
crowned as at Paris, and was present at the ceremony
only as a spectator.
" After our return to the palace," writes Mile. Avril-
lon, " I was occupied in the room of the Empress when
the Emperor entered. He was full of glee; he laughed,
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
nibbed his hands together, and said with great good
humor: ' Well, mademoiselle, did you have a good view
of the ceremony? Did you hear what I said in placing
the crown upon my head? ' Then he repeated in nearly
the same tone he had used in the cathedral: Dieu me I'a
donnee, gare a qui y touehel I replied that nothing had
escaped me. He was most amiable to me, and I have
often remarked that when nothing disturbed the Em-
peror he was very familiar with the persons of his house-
hold; he spoke to us with a sort of bonhomie, of
freedom, as if he were our equal. . . . Often he gave us
a little tap, or pulled our ears: it was a favor which he
did not accord to everybody; and we could judge of
the extent of his good humor by the greater or less
degree of pain that he caused us. ... Very frequently
he did the same to the Empress when we were dress-
ing her: he gave her some taps playfully upon the
shoulders. It was useless for her to cry: Finis done,
finis done, Bonaparte! he continued as long as the play
amused him."
On the 10 June the Emperor announced the appoint-
ment of Eugene as Viceroy of Italy. This elevation of
her son, which should have delighted Josephine, was
only a cause of chagrin. She shed tears at the thought
of being separated from her child. One day when the
Emperor found her very sad he said: "You weep, Jose-
phine: it is not reasonable. Do you cry because you are
going to be separated from your son? If the absence of
your children causes you so much grief, judge what I
myself must endure! The attachment to them which
you show makes me cruelly feel the misfortune of not
having any." These words were far from assuaging the
ITALY AND STRASBOURG
grief of the Empress: they raised once more the dreaded
spectre of divorce. Napoleon certainly had no idea of
increasing her grief, and Josephine could not let him see
what an interpretation she put upon his speech. " The
Emperor," says Mile. Avrillon, " was one of the best
husbands that I have ever known; when the Empress
was indisposed he passed by her side all the time that
he could take from his affairs. He always came to her
before retiring, and very often when he awoke during
the night, he came himself, or sent his Mameluke
to have news of Her Majesty. He had for her the most
tender regard, and it is only true to say that she fully
returned it. ... Nothing that I say here would seem
exaggerated if others, like myself, could have witnessed
the proofs of affection which they both displayed; and
I am certain that when political reasons forced them to
separate, all the grief was not on one side."
On the 10 June the Emperor left Milan for a visit to
the Austrian frontier and the famous Quadrilateral, the
scene of so many of his brilliant victories. Three days
later he held another grand review of his troops on the
battle-field of Castiglione. Josephine took advantage of
his absence to make with a few attendants the tour of
the Italian lakes. She was happy to be free for a few
days from the irksome etiquette which the presence of
the. Emperor always imposed.
On her return to Milan, she dismissed most of her
suite, who were to leave directly for Paris, and with
a few attendants proceeded to Bologna, where she re-
joined the Emperor. In this city the new sovereigns of
Italy received a very warm greeting, which partially
atoned for the coldness of the Milanais. On the last day
CI733
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
of June the party arrived at Genoa, well named the
Superb, where they had a brilliant reception. During
the following week there was a succession of magnifi-
cent fetes to celebrate the incorporation of the ancient
republic in the French Empire.
Late on the 6 July a special courier from Paris
brought to the Emperor the news of the formation of
the Third Coalition, and at ten o'clock that evening he
set out for Turin, where he arrived early on the fol-
lowing morning. He then told the Empress of his inten-
tion to start the next day post-haste for Paris, leaving
her to follow him more leisurely. Josephine begged to
accompany him, and the Emperor finally consented, on
her promise not to have one of her headaches!
The party started in three carriages one for the
Emperor and Empress, another for the grand officers of
the household, and a third for the service with a
small escort of cavalry. But after crossing Mont-Cenis,
the Emperor travelled so rapidly that the other car-
riages and the escort were left far behind. Napoleon and
Josephine reached Fontainebleau about ten o'clock on
the night of the n July, after an absence of exactly
one hundred days. Four days later the Emperor wrote
Eugene: " I arrived eighty-five hours after my departure
from Turin. Nevertheless I lost three hours on Mont-
Cenis and I stopped constantly on account of the Em-
press. One or two hours to breakfast and one or two
hours to dine made me lose eight or ten hours more."
The express trains via the Mont-Cenis tunnel now make
the run of about 440 miles in fourteen hours. Allowing
for the delays of which he speaks, and the longer dis-
tance by road, the Emperor 'made the trip in about
ITALY AND STRASBOURG
seventy hours, at the rate of nearly seven miles an
hour.
The arrival of the Emperor at Fontainebleau was so
unexpected that there was no one to receive him except
the concierge of the palace, an old servant named
Gaillot, who had been his cook in Egypt. " Come, my
good fellow," said the Emperor, "you must resume
your old calling; you must get us some supper." Fortu-
nately Gaillot had in his larder some mutton chops and
some eggs, and Napoleon and Josephine ate the simple
repast with a good appetite.
A week later the Emperor reached Saint-Cloud, while
the thunder of the cannon of the Invalides announced
his return to the capital. The same evening, after a call
on Madame Mere, the sovereigns attended the Opera,
where they received a warm welcome from the audience.
On the second day of August the Emperor left Saint-
Cloud for a month's tour of inspection of the Grand
Army, which was in cantonments along the Channel,
prepared for a descent on England. Here, ten days later,
he received news that Admiral Villeneuve, after an in-
decisive action with the English fleet off Ferrol, had set
sail for Cadiz, instead of Brest, as ordered. Losing no
time in vain regrets over the failure of his well-laid
plans, Napoleon called Daru to his headquarters at
Pont-de-Brique at four o'clock in the morning, and
dictated at one sitting the plan of the Austrian campaign
as far as Vienna.
In the meantime Josephine had gone to her favorite
watering-place, Plombieres, to take the baths. What a
marvellous change in her fortunes since her earlier visit
as Madame Bonaparte after the departure of her hus-
CI7S3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
band for Egypt! Then, after her accident, she was
almost alone, and Hortense was called in haste from*
Saint-Germain to nurse her mother. Now a company of
infantry is sent to escort Her Majesty from Nancy to
Plombieres; there are receptions by authorities civil
and military, addresses and salutes; triumphal arches
at the gates of the cities; at Plombieres, illuminations
and fireworks. She is accompanied by a pref et du palais,
an ecuyer d'honneur, a dame d'honneur and two dames
du palais, five femmes de chambre, and a score or more
of servants. The charges for the post, going and coming,
amount to nearly forty thousand francs, and the entire
expenses of the trip total over 134,000 francs.
By way of diversion, Josephine had her portrait
painted by a very popular artist named Laurent whom
she met at Plombieres. For this small full-length por-
trait, eighteen inches by fifteen, she paid six thousand
francs. Except for a few excursions in the neighbor-
hood this was the only occupation of her days. At
Bondy, on her return, she was greeted by the prefect
and all the authorities. She survived the addresses, and
without any escort continued her journey to Malmaison,
which she reached the last of August.
On the 24 September, between four and five o'clock
in the morning, accompanied by Josephine, Napoleon
left Saint-Cloud to put himself at the head of the Grand
Army, which exactly four weeks before had begun its
march from the Channel to the Rhine. The journey of
315 miles to Strasbourg was made in sixty hours with-
out any stop. In accompanying the Emperor to Stras-
bourg, and taking up her residence there, Josephine's
thought was, " to escape from the Parisian addresses
1:1763
ITALY AND STRASBOURG
which bored her; from the surveillance of her brothers-
in-law; and from the ennui of the palace of Saint-
Cloud." She was amused with a new entertainment.
In the ancient capital of Alsace, Josephine lived in the
episcopal mansion at the foot of the cathedral It was
a real palace, completed in 1741, and entirely modern
in its appointments. Built by the first bishop of the
house of Rohan, Armand-Gaston, cardinal and grand
almoner, it had been visited by Louis the Fifteenth in
1744, and had received Marie-Antoinette on her ar-
rival in France as Dauphine in 1770. Sold early in the
Revolution as national property, it had been bought by
the city and become the seat of the municipal adminis-
tration. After the foundation of the Empire the city
had offered the palace to the State as one of the " four
imperial residences to be established at the four prin-
cipal points of the Empire." From Boulogne, the Em-
peror had ordered Duroc to send Fontaine to Stras-
bourg to put the mansion in order to receive him. In
less than two weeks the architect cleared out the derks
and the archives; cleaned, redecorated and refurnished
the^palace all at a cost not much exceeding two hun-
dred thousand francs. Furniture was collected from the
neighboring cities and chateaux; linen, glass and silver
were sent from Paris. Three days before the Emperor's
arrival all was ready, even to the carriages and horses
in the stables.
The private suite of the Emperor, facing on the court,
comprised five rooms, while in the rear, fronting on the
terrace of the HI, were the State apartments, seven
magnificent salons on the first floor. On the first and
second floors, there were fourteen small rooms at the
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
disposal "of the Empress; the quarters were not very
commodious, but she was satisfied.
The Emperor remained only four days at Strasbourg
and then proceeded to the headquarters of the army.
The life of Josephine after his departure was one con-
tinual round of dinners, balls, concerts and spectacles.
In two months Bausset, the prefect of the palace, paid
out over two hundred thousand francs for the running
expenses of the household. As the success of the Em-
peror became known there were visits from all of the
South German princes. Josephine received the homage
rendered her; she missed no ceremony; she remained
until the end of all the balls she gave, and had a smile
and a polite word for every one.
Not content with enjoying all the pleasures of the
city, Josephine indulged to the limit her mania for
spending. Everything that was offered, she bought: pic-
tures, porcelains, plants, living animals all of which
went to swell her collection at Malmaison. With the
expenses of the palace, she left over a million francs
behind her in Strasbourg.
The story of the campaign of 1805 is told in the
letters which Napoleon wrote almost daily. From every
bivouac, from every field of battle, came one of his
letters not burning and delirious as nine years before,
but full of tenderness and loving thought.
To the Empress, at Strasbourg
ETTLINGEN, 2 October 1805
I am still here and in good health. The grand manoeuvres
have begun; the army of Wiirtemberg and Baden is now
united with mine. I am in a good position, and I love thee.
NAPOLEON
ITALY AND STRASBOURG
LUDWIGSBURG, 4 October
I leave to-night. There is nothing new. The Bavarians
have united with my army. I am well. In a few days I hope
to have something interesting to tell you. Take care of your-
self, and believe me ever yours. . . .
NAPOLEON
LUDWIGSBURG, 5 October
I leave at once to continue my march. You will be five
or six days without news of me: do not be anxious, for that
is due to the operations which are about to take place.
All goes well, and as I had expected. Adieu, mon amie, I
love and embrace thee.
NAPOLEON
On the 6 October the Emperor surveyed the passage
of the Danube at Donauworth, and passed the night at
Nordlingen, where on the following day he issued the
first of the famous bulletins of the Grand Army. He
remained in this vicinity for four days, directing the
passage of the river by the troops of Murat, and the
operations which followed. He reached Augsbourg on
the night of the tenth, and lodged with the former Elec-
tor of Tr&ves.
To the Empress, at Strasbourg
AUGSBOURG, 10 October
I have been on the move for a week. The campaign has
opened favorably. I am very well although it has rained
nearly every day. 'Events have moved rapidly. I am sending
to France 4000 prisoners and eight flags, and have fourteen
cannon taken from the enemy. Adieu, mon amie, I embrace
thee.
NAPOLEON
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Two days later the French Army entered Munich in
triumph, and the Emperor continued his correspon-
dence:
To the Empress, at Strasbourg
AUGSBOURG, 12 October
The Qnemy is lost: everything presages the most fortunate
campaign, the shortest and the most brilliant that I have
ever made. I leave in an hour for Burgau. I am well, al-
though the weather is frightful; I change my clothes twice
a day. I love and embrace thee.
NAPOLEON
On the eve of the capitulation of Ulm, from his head-
quarters Napoleon sent the good news to Josephine:
To the Empress, at Strasbourg
ELCEHNGEN, 18 October
I have accomplished my purpose: I have destroyed the
Austrian army by simple marches. I have made 60,000
prisoners, taken 120 cannon, more than 90 flags, and more
than 30 generals. I am going to move on the Russians: they
are lost. I am content with my army. I have lost only 1500
men, of whom two-thirds are but slightly wounded. Adieu,
my Josephine. A thousand good wishes for everybody. . . .
NAPOLEON
ELCHINGEN, 21 October
I am quite well, ma bonne amie. I am just starting for
Augsbourg. Here 33,000 men have laid down their arms. I
have from 60 to 70,000 prisoners, more than 90 flags, and
200 cannon. Never such a catastrophe in the annals of war!
Take care of thyself. I am rather tired out. The weather for
three days has been fine. ...
NAPOLEON
ITALY AND STRASBOURG
AUGSBOURG, 23 October
The last two nights have rested me, and I leave to-morrow
for Munich. ... I long to see thee, but do not count upon
my sending for thee unless there is an armistice or we go
into winter quarters. Adieu, mon amie. A thousand
kisses. . . .
NAPOLEON
MTTNTCH, 27 October
I have your letter, and see with regret that you were
over-anxious. I have received reports which show all the
tenderness you feel for me, but you must have more strength
and confidence. . . . My health is quite good. You must not
think of crossing the Rhine under two or three weeks. You
must be gay; enjoy yourself, and hope that we shall see
each other before the end of the month (Brumaire). . . .
Adieu, ma bonne amie. A thousand best wishes for Hortense,
Eugene, and the two Napoleons. . . .
NAPOLEON
HAAG (near WELS), 3 November
I am in the midst of a long march. The weather is very
cold; the earth covered with a foot of snow, which is rather
severe. Fortunately we are still in the midst of the forests,
and there is plenty of wood. I am quite well, and would like
to hear from you, and know that you are not anxious. . . .
NAPOLEON
LINZ, 5 November
The weather is fine. We are twenty-eight leagues from
Vienna. ... I long to see you. My health is good. I embrace
you.
NAPOLEON
The Emperor of Austria, obliged to flee from his
capital, had taken refuge at Briinn, where lie joined the
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Czar and his army. On the 13 November Napoleon
entered Vienna, and took up his residence at Schoen-
brunn.
To the Empress, at Strasbourg
VIENNA, 15 November
I have been here for two days, and am a little fatigued. I
have not yet seen the city by day, but have been through it
at night. Nearly all my troops are across the Danube in
pursuit of the Russians. Adieu, my Josephine. I will send
for you as soon as possible. A thousand best wishes.
NAPOLEON
The following day the Emperor sent Josephine the
welcome message that he had made all the arrange-
ments for her to proceed to Munich.
1823
CHAPTER NINETEEN
1805-1806
MARRIAGE OF EUGENE
Josephine Leaves Strasbourg for Munich Napoleon's Letters
from Austerlitz Josephine's Selfishness The fimperor
Arrives at Munich He Plans Three Family Alliances
Princesse Augusta of Bavaria Prince Charles of Baden
Opposition to the Emperor's Projects Duroc Presents the
Official Demand The Elector Finally Obtains His Daugh-
ter's Consent Napoleon Summons Eug&ne The Young
Couple The Marriage Its Success Napoleon's Recep-
tion at Paris Marriage of Prince Charles and Stephanie
de Beauharnais
THE letter which Napoleon wrote to Josephine
from Vienna on the 1 6 November 1805 is
interesting as showing how, in the midst of an
arduous campaign, he thought of the smallest details of
his wife's comfort and pleasure:
To*tke Empress, at Strasbourg
*
* VIENNA, 16 November 1805
I am writing M. d'Harville that you are to set out for
Munich, stopping at Baden and Stuttgart. At Stuttgart you
will give the wedding present to the Princesse Paul. Fifteen
or twenty thousand francs will be enough to pay: with the
balance you can make presents at Munich to the daughters
of the Elector of Bavaria. ... Be kind, but receive all the
homages: they owe you everything, but you owe them only
kindness. The Electrice of Wiirtemberg is a daughter of the
1833
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
King of England; she is a good woman, and you should
treat her well, but without affectation. I shall be very glad
to see you the moment my affairs permit. I am leaving for
the front. The weather is frightful; it snows all the time.
For the rest, all goes well. Adieu, ma bonne amie.
NAPOLEON
As soon as she received the permission of the Em-
peror, Josephine made haste to start. At an early hour
on the 28 November, with her suite, she left Strasbourg
amidst the cheers of the populace, and the thunders of
the cannon of the fortress. On her arrival at Carlsruhe
the same evening, she was received with salvos of artil-
lery; the chateau was illuminated and the Margrave
was at the door to welcome her, with his entire Court.
That evening there was a banquet, followed by a ball.
Two days later she left for Stuttgart, where she was
received with the same honors. On the 3 December she
continued her journey to Munich. All along the route,
she passed under triumphal arches, and was welcomed
with salutes. At Ulm, Marshal Augereau, who was in
command, had arranged a parade, and a splendid fete
for the evening, but the Empress had overtaxed her
strength and was obliged to retire with a headache.
^ Passing through Augsbourg, she finally reach Mu-
nich, where she found awaiting her, at the gates of the
city, the Court carriages, celebrated as chefs-d'oeuvre
of painting and sculpture. From the date of her arrival,
on the 5 December, until the last day of the month, she
was alone. The time passed quickly in a succession of
entertainments of every kind, and Josephine had
scarcely a moment to herself.
While the Empress was on her way to Munich, Napo-
184:1
MARRIAGE OF EUGENE
leon had won the great victory of Austerlitz, and
finished his most brilliant campaign. His affectionate
interest in Josephine is displayed in the three letters
which he sent her from the field of battle:
To the Empress, at Munich
AUSTERLITZ, 3 December 1805
I have beaten the Russian and Austrian armies com-
manded by the two Emperors. I am somewhat fatigued; I
have bivouacked a week in the open air and the nights have
been quite cold; to-night I sleep in the chateau of Prince
Kaunitz. The Russian army is not only defeated but
destroyed. I embrace thee.
NAPOLEON
AUSTERLITZ, 5 December
I have concluded a truce. The Russians are going back.
The battle of Austerlitz is the finest that I have ever fought:
45 flags, more than 150 cannon, the standards of the Rus-
sian Guard, 20 generals, 30,000 prisoners, more than 20,000
killed a horrible sight. The Emperor Alexander is in
despair, and has set out for Russia. I met the Emperor of
Germany yesterday at my bivouac, and talked with him for
two hours: we have agreed to make peace quickly. ... I
am looking forward with great pleasure to the moment that I
can join thee. Adieu, ma bonne amie. I am quite well, and
I long to embrace thee.
NAPOLEON
AUSTERUTZ, 7 December
I have concluded an armistice; in a week peace will be
made. I am anxious to know if you reached Munich in good
health. . . . Adieu, mon amie, I long to see thee again.
NAPOLEON
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
But Josephine was no more prompt in answering his
letters than during the Campaign of Italy, and a few
days later Napoleon wrote again:
To the Empress, at Munich
BRUNN, 10 December
It is a long time since I have received any news of thee.
Have the fine fetes of Baden, Stuttgart and Munich made
thee forget the poor soldiers covered with mud, drenched
with rain and blood? I leave soon for Vienna. We are work-
ing to conclude peace. ... I long to be near thee. Adieu, mon
amie.
NAPOLEON
The silence of Josephine still continued, and Napo-
leon addressed her once more, in a tone of wounded
pleasantry:
VIENNA, 19 December
Great Empress, Not a letter from you since your de-
parture from Strasbourg. You have visited Baden, Stuttgart
and Munich without writing us a word. That is neither kind
nor affectionate. . . . Deign from the height of your gran-
deurs to bestow a thought upon your slaves.
NAPOLEON
The profound 6goisme of Josephine, and the affec-
tionate kindness of Napoleon, were never displayed
more clearly than during this separation of three
months. While the Emperor was risking his life and Ms
fortunes on the snow-bound plains of Moravia, Jose-
phine was amusing herself like a debutante at the bril-
liant Courts of the South German princes, without a
FACSIMILE OF LETTER OF NAPOLEON
MARRIAGE OF EUGENE
thought for any one but herself. By her indifference and
her infidelities she had long since killed the early pas-
sionate devotion of her husband, and the day was not
far distant when reasons of State would force him to
stifle the feelings of tender affection which still bound
him to Josephine, and reluctantly decide upon a divorce.
Finally Josephine finds time to write, and pleads ill-
ness as the reason for her silence. Napoleon immediately
replies in a tone of tender solicitude:
To the Empress, at Munich
SCHCBNBRTTNN (VIENNA), 2O December
I have just received your letter of the 25 Frimaire (16
December). I am worried to learn that you are indisposed.
It is not well to travel a hundred leagues at this season.
I do not know what I shall do: it all depends on events; I
have no volition; I await the issue. Remain at Munich. Have
a good time: it is not difficult amidst such society, and in
so fine a country. I am myself quite busy. In several days
I shall have reached a decision. Adieu, mon amie. A thou-
sand loving thoughts.
NAPOLEON
On the last day of December, at one-forty-five in the
morning, Napoleon entered Munich under a triumphal
arch. The following day the Elector was proclaimed
King of Bavaria. The Treaty of Presburg, signed on
the 26 December, gave to Bavaria, Wiirtemberg and
Baden considerable increases of territory, also to the
two electors the title of king, and Napoleon had deter-
mined that these aggrandizements should be paid for by
three marriages: that of his step-son Eugene with the
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Princesse Augusta of Bavaria; that of Prince Charles
of Baden with Josephine's cousin, Stephanie de Beau-
harnais; and finally that of his brother Jerome with the
Princesse Catherine of Wiirtemberg.
Augusta was the only daughter of Maximilian, the
new King of Bavaria, by his first wife. After her death
he had married Caroline, the sister of Charles of Baden,
to whom Augusta was now betrothed. The Wittelsbach
family, one of the oldest and most distinguished in
Europe, had ruled in Bavaria for eight centuries. But
Maximilian had become Elector only a few years before,
upon the extinction of the senior ruling lines of the fam-
ily. Belonging to the cadet branch, and having no for-
tune, in his youth, before the Revolution, he had served
in the French army, and commanded the Regiment of
Alsace. The happiest days of his life had been passed in
France, and he was very French in his sympathies. Dur-
ing the Austrian war his troops had fought with the
Grand Army, and the Emperor now repaid his loyalty
by raising him to the royal dignity.
The Margrave of Baden, then seventy-seven years
of age, had lost his only son, and his heir was his grand-
son, Charles, a youth of twenty-two. One of the sisters
of this young prince had married Alexander, the Czar
of Russia, with whom Napoleon was still at war;
another was the second wife of Maximilian, of whose
daughter, Augusta, Prince Charles was himself the
fiance. Here indeed was a matrimonial tangle which it
required all of the skill of Napoleon to unravel.
For some time past the Emperor had begun to lay
plans for alliances with the reigning houses of Europe.
With no children of his own, three of his brothers al-
MARRIAGE OF EUGENE
ready married, and Jerome for the moment unavailable,
he had been obliged to fall back on the family of Jose-
phine. As early as the month of July 1804 he had
charged his minister in Bavaria to make inquiries about
the young daughter of the Elector, and let him know
if there were any projects for her marriage. At that
time Napoleon's plans were all in the air, but a year
later they were definitely fixed. At Boulogne, in Sep-
tember 1805, he gave instructions to M. de Thiard, one
of his chamberlains, to proceed to Munich and open
negotiations. At the very outset Thiard encountered
the obstacles already mentioned. The Elector, with all
his French sympathies, could not undertake lightly to
offend so many powerful dames, among whom the Em-
peror had few friends. To break alliances already pro-
jected, in order to conclude one with the " Corsican
adventurer," was a difficult proposition. Another serious
obstacle was the attachment which the young Princesse
Augusta had formed for her fiance.
Talleyrand, tired of seeing the negotiations drag
along, and realizing the powerful effect of the Em-
peror's victories, now ordered Thiard to go directly to
the Elector, and officially demand the alliance. " The
Emperor/ 7 he wrote, " has no prince of his name avail-
able. Young Beauharnais is free. . . . Brother-in-law of
an imperial prince, uncle of the one who will probably
be called to the succession, step-son of the reigning
Emperor, only son of the Empress, there is dignity for
you! " Then he drives home his argument with the
words:." It is not necessary for me to analyze the con-
sequences, and to apply them, in order to be understood
by the Elector of Bavaria."
1893
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
It was not necessary, however, for Thiard to use
these instructions, as the Elector had already reached
a decision and sent his minister to see the Emperor at
Linz, where all the arrangements were made on the 5
November.
But Napoleon was well aware that it was one thing
to convince men, and quite another to win women to
his cause: for this he counted on Josephine. Ten days
later he sent the Empress instructions to leave her bril-
liant Court at Strasbourg and proceed to Munich.
When Josephine reached Munich the first week in
December, she found the young princesse far from
ready to carry out the agreements which her father had
made for her at Linz a month before. In spite of all the
charms of Josephine, she continued to refuse to break
her engagement to Charles. Affairs were in this state
when Duroc arrived from Vienna on the 2 1 December,
to present the official demand. La his letter to the Elec-
tor, the Emperor insisted that the arrangements made
at Linz should be carried out, and expressed his wish " to
see the marriage celebrated' at the same moment as the
conclusion of the general peace, which will certainly be
signed within a fortnight."
On Christmas day, the eve of the conclusion of the
treaty at Presburg, the Elector, to avoid a " painful
explanation," writes his daughter:
" If there were a glimmer of hope, my dear Augusta,
that you could ever wed Charles, I should not beg you
on my knees to give him up; still less should I insist
that you give your hand to the future King of Italy if
this crown were not to be guaranteed by the Powers at
the conclusion of the peace, and if I were not convinced
MARRIAGE OF EUGENE
of all the good qualities of Prince Eugene, who has
everything to render you happy. . . . Reflect, dear
Augusta, that a refusal will make the Emperor as much
our enemy as he has been until now the friend of our
House,"
" My very dear and tender Father," Augusta replied,
" I am forced to break the pledge which I have given to
Prince Charles of Baden: I consent, as much as that
costs me, if the repose of a dear father and the happi-
ness of a people depend upon it; but I am not willing
to give my hand to Prince Eugene if peace is not con-
cluded and if he is not recognized as King of Italy."
The Emperor had not yet informed the Viceroy of
his plans, but Eugene had no doubt been notified by
his mother, and had raised no objections. The day after
his arrival at Munich Napoleon had a long talk with
Augusta, and flattered himself that she was reconciled
to the marriage. He therefore wrote Eugene that the
matter was all arranged. Affairs of State urgently de-
manded the presence of the Emperor at Paris, and he
wanted to set out as soon as the contract was signed,
leaving Josephine to represent him at the wedding. But
three days passed, and nothing was done about the con-
tract. On the night of the third the Emperor called
Duroc and told him that the contract must be signed
at noon the next day, and that it must provide for the
marriage on the fifteenth. Accordingly the papers were
signed. At the same time the Emperor wrote Eugene to
make haste to arrive as soon as possible so as to be
certain to find him at Munich. Napoleon had learned
that the Queeii of Bavaria was trying to delay matters,
with the idea of breaking off the marriage as soon as
1 19* 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
he left for Paris. Augusta was doing her part by pre-
tending a sudden indisposition, but was quickly cured
when the Emperor sent his personal physician to see
her.
Napoleon made up his mind that it was necessary
for him to remain at Munich until after the ceremony.
In the meantime he left nothing undone to remove the
petty obstacles to the marriage. He ordered from Paris,
as a wedding present, magnificent jewels, costing over
two hundred thousand francs; and directed each of his
brothers and sisters to send gifts to the value of at least
fifteen or twenty thousand francs.
The opposition of the Queen was the most difficult
thing to overcome, for she had two special grievances:
the execution of the Due d'Enghien and the breaking of
the engagement with Prince Charles. Napoleon was as-
siduous in his attentions to the Queen, and was so de-
voted that he even aroused the jealousy of Josephine.
The Queen was not over thirty; she had beautiful eyes,
a countenance full of life, and a fine figure. What woman
could resist the attentions of a man as fascinating as
Napoleon, when he wished to please!
Meanwhile Eugene had made haste. Leaving Padua
on the sixth, the day he received the Emperor's letter,
he crossed the mountains on the eighth, and reached
Munich two days later. At this time Eugene was twenty-
four years of age. Without being in any way remark-
able, his face was pleasing; he was well built, with a
good figure, of medium height. He excelled in all phys-
ical exercises, and like his father was a beautiful dancer.
Kind, frank, simple in his manners, without hauteur,
he was affable with everybody. He had a sunny dispo-
MARRIAGE OF EUGENE
sition and was always gay. Napoleon was very fond of
him and treated him like a son. As soon as he saw
Eugene, the Emperor ordered him to shave off his
moustache, which might displease the princesse.
At the time of her marriage, Augusta was only seven-
teen. She was tall, well formed, with a sylph-like figure,
and a countenance in which kindness was mingled with
dignity. She had received an excellent education, and
had a good head for affairs, as plainly appears in her
letter to her father.
Eugene showed all of his mother's savoir faire in his
attentions to his future wife, and courted her as warmly
as if their marriage were not already arranged. The
fears of the young princesse soon turned to joy, and
what was to have been a mariage de convenance be-
came a real love-match.
The contract was signed on the 13 January in the
grand gallery of the Royal Palace. The exact terms
never have become public, as the contract was not
read as usual, and the copy which Napoleon sent Joseph
for deposit in the archives of the Empire was afterwards
withdrawn by order of the Emperor. It is known, how-
ever, that Napoleon refused absolutely to appoint Eu-
gene King of Italy, or even to name him as heir to
the throne except in case of failure of his own " children,
natural and legitimate." Eugene henceforth was termed
by the Emperor mon fils, instead of mon cousin; he had
the qualification of Imperial and Royal Highness; he
passed the first after the Emperor, before Joseph and
Louis. In the Imperial Almanac he was called the
" adopted son of the Emperor."
After the contract was signed, Maret, the Secre-
C 193 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
tary of State, performed the civil marriage, which he
really was not legally qualified to do. The following
day, the 14 January 1806, the religious ceremony was
celebrated in the Royal Chapel.
Thus Napoleon has forced his entrance into the
family of European sovereigns, by an alliance with the
ancient House of Wittelsbach, which claims Charle-
magne for its founder, and so, through his adopted son,
becomes related to most of the reigning families.
This first attempt of Napoleon as a match-maker was
a great success. Eugene and Augusta lived very happily
together, and after the fall of the Empire she resisted
all the entreaties of her family to abandon her husband.
Their six children all made distinguished marriages.
Eugene, the eldest son, married the Queen of Portugal,
and his brother Max espoused a daughter of the Czar
of Russia. Of the four daughters, Josephine married the
Crown Prince of Sweden; Eugenie, a Hohenzollern
prince; Am&ie, the first Emperor of Brazil, Dom
Pedro; and the youngest daughter, the Count of Wiir-
temberg.
A week after the wedding Prince Eugene and his wife
left Munich for Milan. Napoleon and Josephine were
already on their way to Paris, where they arrived on
the night of the 26 January.
At Paris the news of the victory of Austerlitz had
been received with transports of joy. Even Madame de
Remusat, so severe, so implacable for Napoleon, in her
M^mdres composed after the Restoration, wrote her
husband on the 1 8 December 1805: "You cannot
imagine how every head is turned. Every one sings the
194:1
MARRIAGE OF EUGENE
praises of the Emperor. ... I was so wrought up that I
think, if the Emperor had appeared at that moment, I
should have thrown myself upon his neck, ready after-
wards to beg pardon at his feet."
The prolongation of the Emperor's stay at Munich
had only served to increase the impatience of the Pari-
sians, and had well prepared the stage for his return.
The Bank of France, to celebrate the occasion, resumed
specie payments. On the 4 February there was a gala
performance at the Opera. When Napoleon entered
with Josephine during the second act, the performance
was interrupted while the whole audience arose and
cheered.
Soon after his return to Paris the Emperor carried
out the second part of his scheme for alliances with the
royal families of Europe. On the 8 April 1806, in the
chapel of the Tuileries, was celebrated with great pomp
the marriage of Charles of Baden and Stephanie de
Beauharnais.
Prince Charles, then twenty-three years of age, with-
out being exactly ugly, had a very plain face; his pink
and white complexion and his chubby figure gave him
the appearance of a Dutch doll; and his extreme timid-
ity contributed an air of awkwardness. But these ap-
parent defects were only superficial; on better acquaint-
ance one could appreciate the rare and excellent qual-
ities of his heart, the refinement of his feelings. He had
that true spirit of kindness which inspires more affection
than qualities more brilliant
Stephanie, who was born in Paris on the 28 August
1789, was a distant cousin of Josephine's first husband,
Alexandre de Beauharnais. Abandoned by her father,
1953
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Comte Claude de Beauharnais, when he emigrated at
the beginning of the Revolution, the child had owed
her existence to the charity of friends. At the end of
1804 she was brought to Paris and placed in the school
of Madame Campan by the express orders of the Em-
peror, who was indignant at Josephine's treatment of her
niece a la mode de Bretagne. On his return to Paris after
the Austerlitz campaign, Napoleon installed the young
girl in the Tufleries, and soon became very much in-
terested in her. With her golden hair, her blue eyes, her
slight form, her free ways, this girl of sixteen greatly
attracted the Emperor, and especially so because she
showed not the slightest timidity in his presence. The
first week in March she was formally adopted by the
Emperor, who gave her a dot of a million and a half on
the day of her marriage, besides a magnificent collection
of jewels, and a trousseau, selected by Josephine, which
was in excellent taste and of rare elegance.
This marriage, made under such auspicious circum-
stances, seemed to promise a happy future, but these
hopes were disappointed, at least at first. Charles, on
account of his timidity, failed to win the love of his
wife, who was too young and too frivolous to appreciate
his really fine qualities. But, as the old French proverb
says, tout vient a point <J qui salt attendre (everything
comes to him who waits). The eyes of Stephanie were
finally opened, and she came to love her husband very
dearly. So this union ended, as so many others begin,
in perfect happiness. Their greatest trial was the loss
of their two sons, who died soon after birth. Both of
them still young, Charles and his wife had every reason
to hope for another son, but it was not to be. In Decem-
196:1
MARRIAGE OF EUGENE
her 1818 Charles died suddenly at the age of thirty-
five. This made a great change in the position of
Stephanie. The previous year, Charles had issued a
pragmatic sanction insuring the succession to the crown
to the counts of Hochberg, the issue of a morganatic
marriage between his grandfather, the Grand Duke
Charles Frederick, and the Countess Hochberg.
Stephanie won the warm affections of the grand-ducal
family and of her subjects. Her death in 1860, during
the Second Empire, was deeply regretted in Baden, as
well as at Paris, where she was a frequent visitor. Her
eldest daughter, Louise, married Prince Gustave de
Wasa, and became the mother of the Queen of Saxony;
the second, Josephine, married Prince Charles of
Hohenzollern, and was the mother of the first King of
Roumania, as well as of that prince who in 1870 was
the indirect cause of the Franco-German war. Prince
Louis-Napoleon wanted to marry the youngest daugh-
ter, but Stephanie thought that her visionary cousin
was not a good match for her child, so Marie became
Duchess of Hamilton instead of Empress of the French!
CHAPTER TWENTY
1806
QUEEN HORTENSE
Louis Proclaimed King of Holland Hortense's Unhappy Mar-
ried Life Birth of Napoleon-Charles Louis Buys Saint-
Leu Birth of Napoleon-Louis Louis and Hortense at
The Hague Josephine at Mayence The Campaign of
Jena Napoleon's Letters The Emperor at Berlin The
Hatzf eld Episode Prussia Overwhelmed The Emperor in
Poland He Refuses to Allow Josephine to Join Him
Battle of Pultusk
ON THURSDAY the 5 June 1806 at the Tuile-
ries Louis Bonaparte was proclaimed King of
Holland. He seems to have accepted his new
dignity with much reluctance, not that he felt unequal
to the position for he believed himself superior to
any task but because he feared the dominating force
of his brother. That the Emperor, in sending Louis to
Holland, intended to make that country in fact a part
of the Grand Empire, clearly appears in his formal
address. In effect he said to Louis: " You are first of all
a Frenchman; you are Constable of the Empire; you
are the guardian of my strong-places; the interest of
France commands, you must obey." Louis, in substance,
replied: " I am a Hollander; the people who acclaim me
look to me for their happiness."
If Louis was not fully satisfied, for her part Hortense
was in despair. She felt that it was almost an act of
198:1
LOUIS, KING OF HOLLAND
QUEEN HORTENSE
suicide for her to leave Paris to go to this distant coun-
try, so cold and damp 3 to be shut up with a husband she
detested.
After their marriage in January 1802 Louis and Hor-
tense had resided in the little hotel loaned them by Na-
poleon in the Rue de la Victoire. Almost from the first
day they quarrelled over Josephine, whom Louis dis-
liked, and whom he wished as far as possible to keep
separated from her daughter. He soon left Paris and
was absent for many months. Practically abandoned by
her husband the second month of her marriage, Hor-
tense spent most of the spring and summer with Napo-
leon and Josephine at the Tuileries and Malmaison.
During the three weeks that her mother went to Plom-
bieres, Hortense did the honors of the Chateau. The
situation was rather equivocal, and naturally gave rise
to scandal. It was at this time that rumors were first
circulated regarding the relations of Napoleon and Hor-
tense. That there was no foundation for these reports
may be stated most positively. Even Bourrienne, who
cannot be accused of any great good-will towards Napo-
leon, declares: " I am happy to be able to give the most
formal and positive denial to the infamous supposition
that Bonaparte ever had for Hortense any other feel-
ings than those of a step-father for a step-daughter.
Authors without belief have attested without proofs not
only the criminal liaison which they have imagined, but
they have even gone so far as to say that Bonaparte
was the father of the eldest son of Hortense- It is a lie,
an infamous lie! "
These reports, first put in circulation by the Royal-
ists, were repeated by members of the Emperor's own
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
family, and soon reached his ears. Under the circum-
stances Napoleon thought it advisable for Hortense to
have a permanent home of her own. The last of July,
accordingly, he purchased in the name of Louis and
Hortense, and presented to them, a fine mansion near
their temporary residence. Here on the 10 October 1802
was born their first child, Napoleon-Charles. In re-
sponse to a formal order from his brother, Louis re-
turned to Paris just in time to be present on the
interesting occasion.
The birth of this child brought about a temporary
reconciliation between Hortense and her husband, but
Louis soon became uneasy again and left Paris for an-
other absence which lasted until September 1803. Then
for a short time they lived together at Compiegne where
his brigade was stationed.
In the spring of 1804 Louis bought a large hotel in
Rue Cerutti, now Rue Laffitte, a most pretentious, but
very gloomy house, without a ray of sunlight. At the
same time he acquired at Saint-Leu, about twelve miles
from Paris, a very beautiful country estate. For these
two properties he paid approximately a million francs.
Hortense spent the summer at Saint-Leu, which is very-
near MaJmaison. On the 10 October 1804 she returned
to her Paris house, where on the following day was
born her second son, Napoleon-Louis. This was the
child who was baptized with so much pomp by the Pope
himself at Saint-Cloud just a week before his return to
Rome.
During the campaign of Austerlitz, Louis was gover-
nor of Paris, and displayed so much zeal and activity
in his new post that he won the enthusiastic approval
2003
QUEEN HORTENSE
of the Emperor, who always showed for him a strong
partiality. After his great victory of the 2 December
1805, Napoleon began to carry out his projects for
family alliances, and for the formation of a ring of buf-
fer states surrounding the French Empire. Pursuant to
this policy he arranged the two marriages spoken of
above, and now he appointed Louis King of Holland.
Under the orders of the Emperor, Louis should have
set out for Holland at once, but upon one pretext or
another he deferred his departure for a week. On the 18
June the new King and Queen of Holland arrived at
The Hague, where they passed the night in the old
royal villa known as the House in the Wood (Huis ten
Bosch}, about a mile and a half from the city. Five
days later they made their solemn entry into the capital,
escorted only by native troops.
On the first day of July, Louis wrote the Emperor
that as soon as his affairs were in good order he should
leave The Hague for a month or six weeks to visit the
baths. Exactly a month after his arrival, therefore, he
set out for Wiesbaden accompanied by Hortense. Not
satisfied with this course of baths, a month later he pro-
ceeded to Aix-la-Chapelle. While Prussia was arming,
and Russia preparing for war, the new King of Holland
continued conscientiously to take his cure.
At first Hortense seemed quite contented at The
Hague. Her vanity was flattered and her imagination
carried away by the glamour of royalty. In departing
for Wiesbaden she took with her the little crown-prince,
who was her favorite child, but left the younger boy in
Holland. She was on better terms with her husband
than at any period since their marriage. She was also
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
looking forward to going to Paris for the fete of the
Emperor, when she expected to meet Eugene " only
to think of it was happiness."
At daybreak on Thursday the 25 September 1806, ac-
companied by Josephine, the Emperor left Saint-Cloud
to put himself at the head of his army. They dined at
Chalons, and continued their route during the night. At
two o'clock the next afternoon they reaxed Metz,
where the Emperor passed six hours in inspecting the
fortifications. At ten o'clock they resumed their jour-
ney, and arrived at Mayence on the morning of the 28
September.
It is not easy to explain why Josephine wanted to
accompany Napoleon to Mayence and take up her resi-
dence there during the campaign. The Emperor cer-
tainly wished her to remain at the capital and fulfill her
obligations there. Her thought seems to have been to
keep as near as possible to Napoleon, in the hope that
he would send for her, as at Strasbourg, as soon as his
affairs would permit.
Napoleon remained only four days at Mayence, leav-
ing on the evening of the first of October. When the
hour for departure came he embraced Josephine, who
was in tears, and did not seem able to tear himself away
from her. With one arm around his wife, he drew Tal-
leyrand to him with the other, and cried: " It is very
hard to leave the two persons that you love the most! "
Then, after once more embracing Josephine very ten-
derly, he departed.
Hortense and Stephanie both came to Mayence to
keep Josephine company. The two cousins were not
202:1
QUEEN HORTENSE
sorry to be separated for a time from their uncongenial
husbands. As at Strasbourg the previous year, Josephine
held a miniature court, and received the homage of the
princes of the Confederation of the Rhine.
The sadness of Napoleon was not of long duration:
once more in his element, at the head of his troops, he
regained his habitual composure. As usual his corre-
spondence kept Josephine fully informed of his move-
ments:
To the Empress, at Mayence
BAMBERG, 7 October 1806
I leave to-night for Cronach. My whole army is on the
march. All goes well; my health is perfect. I have not yet
received any letter from you, but have heard from Eugene
and Hortense. Stephanie must be with you. Her husband,
who wishes to take part in the campaign, is with me. Adieu,
a thousand kisses and good health.
NAPOLEON
GERA, 2 A.M., 13 October 1806
My affairs are going well, and everything as I would
wish. With God's help, in a few days, I think that matters
will take a very bad turn for the poor King of Prussia, whom
I pity personally, because he is good. The Queen is at Erfurt
with him. If she desires to see a battle she will have that
cruel pleasure. I am in splendid health; I have put on flesh
since my departure; nevertheless I personally cover twenty
to twenty-five leagues a day, on horseback, in carriage, in
every way. I retire at eight and get up up midnight. I often
think that you are not yet in bed. Ever thine.
NAPOLEON
2033
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
JENA, 3 A.M., 15 October 1806
I have conducted some fine manoeuvres against the Prus-
sians. I gained a great victory yesterday. They had 150,000
men; I have taken 20,000 prisoners, 100 cannon, and some
flags. I was near to the King of Prussia, and just failed to
capture him and the Queen. I have been at my bivouac for
two hours. I am very well. Adieu, mon amie; take care of
yourself, and love me* If Hortense is at Mayence, kiss her
for me, also Napoleon and the little one.
NAPOLEON
WEIMAR, 5 P.M., 16 October 1806
Monsieur Talleyrand will have shown you the bulletin:
in it you will have perceived my success. Everything has
turned out as I planned: never was an army defeated worse,
nor more completely destroyed. It only remains for me to
say that I am well and that the fatigue, the bivouac, the
night-watches have fattened me. Adieu, ma bonne amie.
A thousand best wishes to Hortense and to the big M.
Napoleon.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
POTSDAM, 24 October 1806
I am here since yesterday, and remain here to-day. I
continue to be satisfied with my affairs. My health is good;
the weather very fine. I find Sans-Souci very agreeable.
Adieu, mon amie.
NAPOLEON
At Sans-Souci the Emperor found the chamber of the
great Frederick in the same condition that he left it at
the time of his death, and still cared for by one of his
old servants. On Sunday he visited the Garrison Church,
where in a vault under the severely plain Lutheran
2043
QUEEN HORTENSE
pulpit is the marble sarcophagus which contains the
ashes of the King. He ordered sent to the Hotel des
Invalides at Paris the sword and hat and sash of the
great warrior which lay upon his tomb. Departing now
for the first time from his usual practice, on Monday
the 27 October Napoleon entered Berlin in triumph
and took up his residence in the Royal Palace.
Meanwhile, at Mayence, Josephine was sad and un-
easy because the Emperor still failed to send for her.
Napoleon writes:
To the Empress 9 at Mayence
BERLIN, i November 1806
Talleyrand has arrived, mon amie, and tells me that you
do nothing but cry. What then do you wish? You have your
daughter, your grandchildren, and good news; these cer-
tainly should be reasons enough to feel contented and
happy. The weather here is superb; during the whole cam-
paign not a single drop of rain has fallen. I am in excellent
health and all goes well. . . .
NAPOLEON
Napoleon, who rightly held Queen Louisa largely
responsible for the war, and for the disasters which had
overwhelmed her people, in his bulletins had referred to
the unfortunate woman in terms which were hardly chiv-
alrous. Josephine was struck by his lack of delicacy, and
ventured to reproach him for his references to the
Queen. This called forth the following reply:
2053
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
To the Empress, at Mayence
BERLIN, 6 November 1806
I have received your letter in which you seem to be dis-
pleased because I have spoken disparagingly of women. It
is true that I detest meddlesome women above everything.
I am accustomed to women who are kind, sweet and win-
ning: those are the ones I like. If they have spoiled me, it
is not my fault but your own. Besides, you will see that I
have been very good for one who proved herself sweet and
reasonable. When I showed Madame Hatzfeld her hus-
band's letter, she said to me with sobs, and great simplicity,
" It is indeed his handwriting! " When she was reading it
her accent went to my heart: she troubled me. I said to her:
" Very well, Madame, throw the letter into the fire; I shall
no longer have it in my power to punish your husband." She
burned the letter and seemed very happy. Since then her
husband is entirely tranquil: two hours later he would have
been lost. You see then that I like women who are good,
sweet, and naive, for they are the only ones who resemble
you. Adieu, mon amie. I am well.
NAPOLEON
To explain this episode, it should be stated that
Prince de Hatzfeld, the Prussian governor of Berlin,
had been allowed to retain his position upon his prom-
ise, under oath, that he would attend solely to the safety
and welfare of the capital. A letter from him had been
seized, in which he gave information of the positions of
the French army around Berlin. This, by the laws of
war, was military treason, and the penalty was death,
if found guilty by a military commission.
This short campaign is without parallel even in Na-
poleon's marvellous career. The pursuit of the defeated
QUEEN HORTENSE
army by Murat was the most remarkable on record.
With his cavalry, in three weeks he literally galloped
from the Saale to the Baltic, sweeping up the remnants
of the Prussian army and capturing the fortresses as
he passed.
To the Empress, at Mayence
BERLIN, 9 November 1806
Ma bonne amie, I have good news to tell thee. Magde-
bourg has surrendered, and the 7 November I captured at
Lubeck 20,000 men who escaped a week ago. Thus the
whole army is taken: Prussia has left only 20,000 men,
beyond the Vistula. Several of my army corps are in Poland.
I still remain at Berlin. I am quite well.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
BERLIN, 16 November 1806
I have thy letter of the n November. I see with satis-
faction that my sentiments give thee pleasure. Thou art
wrong to think that they are flattering: I have spoken of
thee as I see thee. I am sorry to learn that them art
bored at Mayence. If the journey were not so long it would
be possible for thee to come here, for there is no longer
any enemy: he is beyond the Vistula, 120 leagues from
here. I will wait to hear what you think of it. I should also
be very glad to see M. Napoleon. Adieu, ma bonne amie.
Tout a toi. My affairs will not yet permit me to return to
Paris.
NAPOLEON
In his final letter from Berlin, on the 22 November,
Napoleon wrote Josephine that he would make up his
mind in a few days either to send for her or to have
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
her return to Paris. Four days later, from Kustrin, he
told her to be ready to start, and that he would let her
know in two days if she could come.
To the Empress, at Mayence
MESERIXZ, 27 November 1806
I am going to make a tour in Poland: this is the first
city. This evening I shall be at Posen, after which I will
caU you to Berlin, in order that you may arrive the same
day as myself. My health is good; the weather rather bad:
it has rained for three days. My affairs go well: the Russians
are in flight.
NAPOLEON
POSEN, 29 November 1806
I am at Posen, the capital of Great Poland. Cold weather
has set in. My health is good. I am going to make a little
trip in Poland. My troops are at the gates of Warsaw. . . .
NAPOLEON
POSEN, 2 December 1806
To-day is the anniversary of Austerlitz. I attended a ball
in the city. It is raining. I am well. I love and long for thee.
My troops are at Warsaw. It is not yet cold. All these Polish
women are like French women, but there is only one woman
for me. Dost thou know her? I could easily paint her por-
trait, but I should make it so flattering that you would
hardly recognize it; nevertheless, to tell the truth, my heart
would only have kind things to say. The nights are long,
all alone.
Tout & toi
NAPOLEON
C2083
QUEEN HORTENSE
The following day, from the same place, Napoleon
wrote two long letters, one at noon, and the other at
six o'clock:
To the Empress, at Mayence
POSEN, 3 December 1806
I am in receipt of your letter of the 26 November, in
which I note two things: You say that I do not read your
letters you are entirely wrong. I am vexed with you for
having such a wrong idea. You tell me that it may have come
from some dream, and you add that you are not jealous.
I have observed for a long time that persons who lose their
temper always claim that they are not mad, that those who
are afraid often say that they have no fear you are there-
fore convicted of jealousy: I am delighted! Nevertheless
you are wrong. Nothing could be further from my thoughts:
in the wastes of Poland one thinks little of the fair sex.
Yesterday I gave a ball for the provincial nobility: the
women are quite pretty, quite luxurious, quite well-dressed,
even in Parisian style.
Tout & toi
NAPOLEON
POSEN, 3 December 1806
I have your letter of the 27 November, from which I see
that your little head is turned. I thought of the verse: Dhir
de jemme est un feu qui dlvore. You must calm yourself. I
have written you that I was in Poland, that as soon as winter
quarters are settled, you can come: you must therefore
wait several days. The greater one is, the less volition he
has: he is the slave of events and circumstances. You can
go to Frankfort and Darmstadt. In a few days I expect to
send for you, but it is necessary for events to be favorable.
The warmth of your letter shows me that you pretty women
2093
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
have no limitations: what you wish, must be; but I am
forced to admit that I am the greatest of slaves: my master
has no bowels of pity, and this master is the course of
events. Adieu, mon amie; keep well.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
The Emperor remained at Posen two weeks longer,
and during that period he wrote Josephine again four
times. Her jealousy was far from being calmed by his
letters, but to show her affection, and her thought of
him " alone " during the " long nights/' she sent him a
rug as a present.
To the Empress, at Mayence
POSEN, 9 December 1806
I have your letter of the first, and am glad to see that
you are happier; also that the Queen of Holland wants to
come with you. I am late in giving the order, but you must
still wait several days. Everything goes well. Adieu, mon
amie. I loye thee and wish to see thee happy.
NAPOLEON
POSEN, 10 December 1806
An officer has brought me a rug from thee. It is a little
short and narrow, but I thank thee none the less. I am quite
well. The weather is very changeable. My affairs are going
quite well. I love thee, and much desire thee. Adieu, mon
amie. I shall be as happy to send for thee, as thou to come,
Tout & toL A kiss for Hortense, Stephanie, and Napoleon.
NAPOLEON
QUEEN HORTENSE
POSEX, 12 December 1806
I have received no letters from you, but I know that you
are well. My health is good; the weather very mild. The
winter season has not yet begun, but the roads -are bad in
a country where there are no paved highways. Hortense
will then come with Napoleon: I am delighted! I am only
waiting for matters to be in shape for me to have you come.
I have made peace with Saxony. The Elector becomes King,
and joins the Confederation. Adieu, my beloved Josephine.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
PosEtf, 15 December 1806
I am leaving for Warsaw, but shall be back in a fortnight:
I hope then to be able to send for you. However, if my stay
is prolonged I should be glad to have you return to Paris,
where your presence is much desired. You know well that
I am governed by circumstances. My health is very
good never better.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
The Emperor left Posen before daybreak on the 16
December and arrived at Warsaw at one o'clock on the
morning of the third day, having made two stops en
route. Learning that the Russian army was at Pultusk,
about thirty miles to the north, he at once headed his
corps in that direction, and started for the front. The
battle fought on the 26 December proved indecisive.
The French, under the command of Lannes, were in-
ferior in numbers, and could make little progress
against the stubborn resistance of the Russians. The
weather was frightful, and the roads almost impassable.
The short day was made even shorter by the premature
3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
darkness due to the stormy cloudy weather. The Em-
peror, with his Guard, lost the way, and arrived on the
field of battle long after the affair was over. In three
letters to Josephine, Napoleon tells of his arrival at
Warsaw and the events which followed:
To the Empress, at Mayence
WARSAW, 20 December 1806
I have no news of you. I am well. I have been here two
days. My affairs go well. The weather is very mild, and even
a little moist. As yet we have had no frost: the season is like
October. Adieu, ma bonne amie. I am very anxious to see
thee; in five or six days I hope to send for thee.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
GOLYMJNE, 29 December 1806
I send you only a line. I am in a miserable barn. I have
defeated the Russians; I have taken 30 cannon, their bag-
gage, and 6000 prisoners. The weather is horrible: it rains,
and we are in mud up to our knees. In two days I shall be
back at Warsaw, and will write thee.
Tout k toi
NAPOLEON
PULTIJSX, 31 December 1806
I had a good laugh over your last letters. You have
formed an idea of the fair ones of Poland which they little
deserve. ... I received your last letter in a wretched barn,
where there was nothing but mud and wind, with straw for
a bed. To-morrow I shall be at Warsaw. I think that all is
over for this year: the army is going into winter quarters.
Tout & toi
NAPOLEON
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
1807
MADAME WALEWSKA
Napoleon's First Meeting with Marie Walewska Beginning of
Their Long Liaison The Emperor Orders Josephine to
Return to Paris The Terrible Battle of Eylau Napo-
leon Tries to Minimize His Losses Headquarters at
Osterode Napoleon's Letter to Joseph His Brief Let-
ters to Josephine The Empress Returns to Paris Her
Cordial Welcome Her Loneliness Birth of Her First
Granddaughter Napoleon Moves to Finckenstein He Is
Joined by Madame Walewska The Emperor Dictates
Regarding Josephine's Friends
ON the first day of the new year, when the Em-
peror was returning from Pultusk to Warsaw,
he stopped to change horses at the gate of the
little city of Bronie. At that time Napoleon was the idol
of the Poles, who hoped through him to secure their
independence, and an enthusiastic crowd had gathered
to welcome the " liberator." Duroc descended from the
carriage, and with difficulty pushed his way through
the throng. Some one touched his arm, and he turned
to look .into the large innocent blue eyes of a young
girl who seemed almost a child. Her beautiful face,
fresh as a rose, was flushed with excitement; her figure
was small, but perfectly proportioned. She was very
simply dressed, and wore a black hat, with a heavy veil
which almost concealed her blond hair. As Duroc at a
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
glance took in these details, a sweet voice said to him in
perfect French: " Monsieur, can you not arrange for
me to speak a moment to the Emperor? " Duroc con-
ducted her to the door of the carriage, and said to the
Emperor: " Sire, here is a lady who has braved all of
the dangers of .the crowd for you." Napoleon bowed and
started to address her, but she did not allow him to
finish. Carried away by her enthusiasm she wished him
a thousand welcomes to her native land, and expressed
her gratitude for what he had done to free it from the-
yoke of Russia.
Napoleon was so struck with her beauty that he
ordered Duroc to find out the name of the " belle in-
connue." After many inquiries the marshal learned that
her name was Marie Walewska. Of an old but ruined
Polish family, two years before, at the age of sixteen,
she had married the chief of one of the most illustrious
houses of Poland, a man seventy years of age, with a
grandchild nine years older than herself.
Comte Walewski, who was as intensely patriotic as
his young wife, was then staying at his town-house in
Warsaw. The Emperor requested Prince Poniatowski,
in whose palace he was residing, to give a ball, and
invite the comte and his wife to be present. The prince
called in person to extend this invitation. Marie was
frightened at this special mark of attention, and at
first refused to accept,, but finally yielded to the en-
treaties of her husband.
At the ball the Emperor paid her many compliments,
and the following day wrote her in terms of warm but
respectful admiration. He also sent her very handsome
presents; but she refused to answer his letters or accept
C2I43
MADAME WALEWSKA
his gifts. Her coldness only increased the ardor of the
Emperor, who never yet had met such opposition to
his desires. Yielding finally to the importunities of all
around her the chief magistrates of Poland, her fam-
ily, even her husband Marie accepted a rendez-vous.
She was made to believe that the fate of her country
was in her hands, that Heaven had chosen her to be
the instrument of reestablishing the ancient glory of
Poland.
- Up to this time Napoleon's affaires d'amowr had been
of short duration, but this attachment was to end only
with his departure for Saint Helena. With the exception
of Josephine, Marie Walewska was the only great love
of his life.
During the winter Napoleon continued to write Jose-
phine as frequently as before, but a change will be
noted in the tone of his letters, which must have been
perceived at once by a woman as jealous and suspicious
as Josephine:
To the Empress, at Mayence
WARSAW, 3 January 1807
I have received your letter, mon amie. Your grief has
moved me, but we must submit to circumstances. There are
too many lands to traverse between Mayence and Warsaw.
Before writing you to come, you must wait until I am able
to return to Berlin. Although the defeated enemy is with-
drawing, there are many matters for me to settle here. I
am strongly of the opinion that you ought to return to
Paris, where you are needed. ... I am well, but the weather
is bad. I dearly love thee.
NAPOLEON
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
WARSAW, 7 January 1807
Mon amie, I am touched by all that you say to me; but
the season is cold, the roads are very bad, and hardly safe;
I cannot consent therefore to expose you to so much fatigue
and danger. Return to Paris for the winter. Go to the Tuile-
ries; give receptions, and lead the same life that you usu-
ally do when I am there. This is my wish. Perhaps I shall
soon rejoin you there; but you must certainly give up the
idea of travelling three hundred leagues at this season,
across a hostile country, upon the rear of the army. Believe
that it costs me more than you to delay by several weeks the
happiness of seeing you, but such is the demand of circum-
stances and the advantage of affairs. Adieu, ma bonne
amie; be happy, and display character.
-NAPOLEON
In eight letters which Napoleon wrote during the
following three weeks there is only a repetition of the
same words: The weather is too bad, the distances too
great, and the roads too dangerous for me to consent to
your making the journey; Paris demands your return,
to give a little life to the capital; I forbid you to cry, or
be sad and uneasy; I wish you to be amiable, gay and
happy; you are very unjust to doubt my love and
devotion!
The winter was unusually mild for Poland, but the
Emperor, whose troops were in winter quarters, did not
expect the campaign to reopen before spring. In this he
was doomed to disappointment: at the end of January
the Russians began a forward movement, and Napoleon
was forced to leave Warsaw to put himself at the head
of his army.
216 3
MADAME WALEWSKA
To the Empress, at Paris
WITTEMBERG, noon, i February 1807
Your letter of the n January from Mayence made me
laugh. I am to-day forty leagues from Warsaw. The weather
is cold, but fine. Adieu, mon amie; be happy; show char-
acter.
NAPOLEON
EYLATT, 3 A AT., 9 February 1807
We had a great battle yesterday; the victory remained
with me, but my losses are very heavy. The losses of the
enemy, which are still greater, do not console me. Neverthe-
less I am writing these few lines myself, although I am very
tired, to tell you that I am well, and that I love thee.
NAPOLEON
In another letter, written at six o'clock on the night
of the same day, and in four other letters sent during
the week following, Napoleon gives further details of the
battle. Both in his correspondence and in his bulletins
he tries to minimize his losses, which had been enor-
mous. He states that he took 40 cannon, 10 flags, 12,000
prisoners, and only lost 1600 killed, 3-4000 wounded.
He says nothing of the vicissitudes of this terrible day,
of this victory which was so nearly a defeat; of the
terrible suffering of Ms army from cold and hunger; of
'regiments, and even entire army corps, wiped out; of the
great personal danger which he had run in the cemetery
when he was almost captured by the Russian grena-
diers, and only saved by the valor of his Guard. He does
not speak of the words wrung from his pale lips as the
night fell on this field covered with dead and dying:
NAPOLE$J AND JOSEPHINE
" This sight is enough to inspire in princes the love of
peace and the horror of war! " Well would it have been
for Napoleon if he had taken these words to heart!
After the battle the Emperor was too weak to follow
up the retiring Russians, and was glad to put his troops
again in winter quarters. He selected Osterode for his
headquarters and here for weeks he shared all the priva-
tions of his men. During all this time his only residence
was a miserable barn, and it was not until he moved to
the castle of Finckenstein the first of April that his
quarters became more comfortable.
Napoleon's letters to Josephine from Osterode were
cold, brief, commonplace, almost insignificant. He spoke
of his health, the weather, and ended always with the
injunction to be gay! A letter to his brother Joseph,
under date of the first of March, gives a better idea of
the horrors of this terrible winter campaign:
To Joseph, at Paris
The officers of the general staff have not had their clothes
off in two months, some in four; I myself have gone a fort-
fiight without removing my boots. We are surrounded with
snow and mud; without wine or eau-de-vie; with no bread,
eating only meat and potatoes; making long marches and
counter-marches; fighting usually with the bayonet, and
obliged to drag the wounded in sleighs, without cover, over
a space of fifty leagues.
NAPOLEON
In the eleven letters he sent to Josephine from Oste-
rode, Napoleon says, in substance:
Endeavor to pass your time agreeably; do not worry.
c8 3
MADAME WAL$|VSKA
I am in a wretched village, where I shall still pass
considerable time. I have never been in better health.
I have ordered what you want for Malmaison. Be gay
and happy: it is my wish.
I am looking for the spring, which ought to come
soon. I love thee, and wish to see thee gay and happy.
They say many foolish things about the battle of Ey-
lau; the bulletins tell all; the losses are exaggerated
rather than under-stated.
I learn that the gossip of your salon in Mayence has
been renewed: make them stop talking.
You should not go to a small box in a little theatre.
That does not accord with your rank: attend only the
four large theatres and always use the large box.
To be agreeable to me you must live in all respects
exactly as you do when I am in Paris. Grandeurs have
their inconveniences: an empress cannot go to the same
places as a private individual.
Your letter grieves me. You must not die; you are in
excellent health, and you have no reasonable ground
of chagrin. You should go to Saint-Cloud for the month
of May, but remain in Paris during April You must
not think of travelling this summer. I know how
to do other things than make war, but duty is the first
consideration. All my life I have sacrificed everything
tranquillity, self-interest, happiness to my des-
tiny.
These fine phrases were far from satisfying Josephine,
who knew that her Napoleon, in spite of his pre-
tended Spartan simplicity, sometimes gave himself dis-
tractions!
For nearly four months at Mayence Josephine had
NAPOLEQN AND JOSEPHINE
waited in vain for the permission of the Emperor to re-
join him. Finally, on the 3 January he had expressed his
wish that she should return to Paris. This desire he re-
iterates in four other letters, and in more positive form.
It was his letter of the eighteenth which decided her:
" If you continue to cry, I shall believe you devoid of
courage and character. I do not like cowards. An em-
press should have heart." Nothing remained but to
start.
The brilliant winter of 1805, after the Coronation,
had been followed by the two dead seasons of 1806 and
1807, and a Paris without a Court, without balls, fetes
or receptions, was very hard on the merchants, who
complained bitterly. By order of the Emperor, the
princes of the Empire hrf opened their houses, but this
did not make up for the absence of the sovereigns.
Leaving Mayence on the 26 January, the Empress
Spent the following night at Strasbourg, where a small
fete had been improvised in her honor. The hall of the
hotel of the prefecture was brilliantly decorated. After
a contredanse and a vake, the Empress made the round
of the room, addressing with her usual gtece and affabil-
ity a pleasant word to each one of the ladies present.
At an early hour on the following morning Josephine
resumed her route, and arrived at the Tuileries at eight
o'clock on the night of the 31 January. Her return to
the capital was announced the next day at noon by a
salvo of artillery fired by the guns of the Invalides. A
little fatigued by her journey, the Empress did not hold
a reception until the fif tl^ when all the high officials of
State called to -render their homage. By Monge, presi-
dent tlf the Senate, by Fontanes, president of the Corps
220:1
MADAME WALEWSKA
Legislatif , by the president of the Tribunal, the vicar-
general of Notre-Dame, and the prefet de la Seine, she
was welcomed in speeches almost as flattering as those
usually addressed to the Emperor.
In spite of all this adulation, more or less sincere,
Josephine was far from happy. She regretted the ab-
sence of her children, and of her husband; she was
worried over the dangers which Napoleon was running
in this distant campaign, and the reports of his liaison
with the " belle Polonaise." A few days after her return
she wrote Hortense:
My journey has been happy, if I may so call it when
it has separated me so far from the Emperor. I have received
five letters from him since my departure, I want you to
write me, especially as you are not now near to console me.
Let me know how you are, also your husband and children.
Although I indeed receive more people here flian at May-
ence, my heart is nevertheless very lonely, and, in writing,
you will still keep me company. Adieu, my dear daughter.
I love and embrace you tenderly. -
During the following month the heart of Josephine
was rejoiced by the news of the birth at Milan on the
17 March of a daughter to Augusta and Eugene, who
was named Josephine by order of the Emperor. This
was the princesse who twenty years later married the
son of Bernadotte, Oscar, crown-prince, and later King
of Sweden. Josephine longed to go to Italy to see her
first granddaughter in her cradle, but feared to leave
Paris without the permission of the Emperor. She wrote
Hortense that Eugene was delighted at the birth of his
daughter, but complained that he could hardly see her
" as she slept all the time."
221:1
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
The first of April the Emperor changed his residence
to Finckenstein where he occupied a fine chateau built
by the governor of Frederick the Great. At this time it
was the property of Comte de Dohna, grand master of
the household of the King of Prussia, It is still owned
by the same family, and at a recent date the room oc-
cupied by Napoleon was carefully preserved in the same
condition. Here Napoleon was very comfortably in-
stalled, with his staff and his military family. An apart-
ment adjoining his own was fitted up for Madame
.Walewska. She left at Warsaw her aged husband, whom
she was never to see again, and spent three weeks with
the Emperor. They took all of their meals alone, and
were served by Constant, the valet de chambre of Na-
poleon. When the Emperor was not with her, Marie
passed her time in reading, or in watching from the
windows the parades in the court of the chateau, which
were often commanded by the Emperor in person. She
had a very sweet, even disposition, was always gay and
full of life, and Napoleon became more attached to her
every day.
During the two months that he lived at Fincken-
stein, Napoleon as usual wrote Josephine two or three
times a week:
To the Empress, at Paris
FlNCZENSTEIN, 2 April 1807
I have just moved my headquarters to a fine chateau,
much like that of Bessieres, where there are many fireplaces.
This is very pleasant for me, as I often rise during the night,
and enjoy seeing the fire. My health is perfect. The weather
222]
MADAME WALEWSKA
is fine, but still cold. The thermometer is at four to five
degrees. Adieu, mon amie.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
During the visit of Marie, the letters of Napoleon
were even shorter and more commonplace. In them
there were only a few lines about the weather, the tem-
perature, the state of his health, and his desire to know
that she was " gay and contented." Alas! poor Jose-
phine, her days of happiness were about over.
After the departure of his inamorata Napoleon's cor-
respondence once more becomes interesting:
To the Empress, at Paris
FIXCKEXSTETN, 2 May 1807
Mon amie, I have your letter of the 23 April, and am glad
to see that you are well, also that you still love Malmaison.
They say that the arch-chancellor (Cambaceres) is in love.
Is that a joke, or is it true? It amuses me, but you have not
said a word. I am very well, and the weather is fine at last:
springtime appears and the leaves begin to push. Adieu,
mon amie. A thousand loving thoughts.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
FINCZENSTEIN, io May 1807
I have your letter, I do not know what you mean by ladies
in correspondence with- me. I love only my little Josephine,
good, boudeuse and capricious, who knows how to quarrel
gracefully, as she does everything else, for she is always
amiable except when she is jealous: then she becomes a
regular little devil. But let us return to these ladies. If I
2233
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
must occupy myself with some one among them I assure you
that I should wish them to be pretty rose-buds. Are those
of whom you speak in this class?
I wish you never to dine except with persons who have
dined with me; that your list should be the same for your
assemblies; that you never admit at Malmaison, in your
inner life, ambassadors and strangers. If you act otherwise,
you will displease me. Finally, do not allow yourself to be
surrounded by people whom I do not know, and who would
not come to your house if I were there. Adieu, mon amie.
Tout & toi
NAPOLEON
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
1807
DEATH OF NAPOLEON-CHARLES
Birth of Napoleon's First Child Death of the Crown-Prince of
Holland Grief of Hortense Josephine Goes to Laeken
She Is Joined There by Hortense Napoleon's Letters to
His Wife and Daughter His Apparent Indifference
Josephine Writes to Hortense The Emperor's Letters
after Friedland The Peace Conferences at Tilsit Na-
poleon Declines the Queen's Rose His Return to Paris
ON the fifth of May, a date to be ominous in the
annals of Napoleon, the little crown-prince of
Holland died at the age of four years and
seven months.
Only a few months before, in her hotel in the Rue de
la Victoire, at Paris, a certain Mile. Eleonore Denuelle
had given birth to a male child who received the name
of Lon. He was the fruit of a short liaison between the
Emperor and a reader of his sister Caroline. Leon, who
bore a striking resemblance to his father, but inherited
none of his talents, was destined to live through four
Governments of France, and die in poverty at Paris in
April 1881 under the Third Republic.
These two events, apparently without any connec-
tion, were to change the destiny of Napoleon, and to
have a decisive influence upon the fate of Josephine.
The heir-presumptive to the imperial throne was dead,
and for the first time the Emperor was convinced that
2253
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
it was possible for him to have a direct heir of his own
blood. Although the denouement was to be postponed
for two years and a half, from that time the divorce
was absolutely certain.
Napoleon-Charles, the eldest son of Louis and Hor-
tense, was a child of unusual beauty and intelligence.
The Emperor, who loved children, was particularly
fond of his little nephew, whom he fully intended to
adopt as his heir. He had played with the child, as a
baby, and had seen him develop with great interest.
The little Napoleon was sweet, loving, full of life and
spirits, adored by his mother, and also by his gloomy
father. In her unhappy married life this boy was the joy
and the consolation of Hortense, her hope and her pride.
During the night of the fourth-fifth of May 1807
the little prince was suddenly attacked by the croup, a
disease little understood at that time. In the morning he
was better, and the physicians were hopeful of his re-
covery. But the trouble returned again during the even-
ing, and at ten o'clock the child passed away.
No words can describe the despair of the unfortunate
mother. Hortense seemed petrified with grief, and they
were afraid that she would lose her reason.
Josephine also was overwhelmed with sorrow. She did
not dare to leave the Empire, to go to The Hague, but
proceeded at once to the chateau of Laeken, near Brus-
sels, whence she wrote Hortense:
To Hortense, at The Hague
LAEKEN, 10 P.M., 14 May 1807
My dear child, I have just arrived at the chateau of
Laeken, where I await you. Come and give me life: your
QUEEN HORTENSE
DEATH OF NAPOLEON-CHARLES
presence is necessary, and you also must need to see me,
and to weep with your mother. I would have liked to go
further, but my strength failed me, and besides I have not
had time to notify the Emperor. I have found the courage
to come thus far, and I hope that you too will be brave
enough to come to your mother. Adieu, my dear daughter.
I am overcome with fatigue, but above all with grief*
* JOSEPHINE
The following night, Hortense and Louis arrived, with
their only remaining child, Napoleon-Louis, who was
then two years and a half old. Hortense was like a statue
of despair. She did not shed any tears, and her cold
calm, her absolute silence, were more alarming than the
most violent manifestations of grief. When she spoke,
which was rarely, it was only to talk of him. When ten
o'clock struck, she turned to one of her ladies, and
remarked: " It was at this hour that he died."
A special courier had been sent to announce the
fatal news to the Emperor* He immediately wrote Jose-
phine:
To the Empress, at Saint-Cloud
(FINCKENSTEIN), 14 May 1807
I can conceive all the grief that the death of poor Napo-
leon has caused you; you can understand the pain that I
feel. I should like to be near you, in order that you might
be moderate and reasonable in your grief. You have been
fortunate enough never to lose a child, but it is one of the
conditions and penalties attached to our human misery.
Let me hear that you have been reasonable and that you are
well! Do you wish to increase my pain?
Adieu, mon amie.
NAPOLEON
227 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
(FINCKENSTEIN), 16 May 1807
I have your letter of the 6 May. I see by it already the
pain that you feel; I fear that you are not responsible and
that you are too much afflicted by the misfortune which
has come to us.
Adieu, mon amie. Tout & toi
NAPOLEON
To the Empress, at Laeken
(FINCKENSTEIN), 2o May 1807
I am in receipt your letter of the 10 May. I see that
you have gone to Laeken. I think that you can remain
there a fortnight: that will please the Belgians, and will
serve as a distraction for you.
I have noticed with regret that you are not sensible.
Grief has its limits which should not be passed. Take
care of yourself for your friend, and believe me most
sincerely yours.
NAPOLEON
It will be interesting to read here the letter written
the same day by the Emperor to his step-daughter:
To the Queen of Holland
FINCZENSTTEIN, 20 May 1807
My daughter, all the news that I receive from The Hague
tells me that you are not reasonable: no matter how legit-
imate your grief may be, it should have its limits. Do not
let it affect your health; look for distractions; know that
life is full of such trials, and may be the source of so
many misfortunes that death is not the greatest of all.
Your affectionate father
NAPOLEON
DEATH OF NAPOLEON-CHARLES
In two other letters to Josephine at Laeken, the Em-
peror writes in much the same vein:
To the Empress, at Laeken
24 May 1807
I have your letter from Laeken. I see with regret that
you are still full of grief, and that Hortense has not yet
arrived. She is not reasonable, and does not deserve to be
loved, because she loved only her children.
Endeavor to calm yourself, and do not cause me grief.
For every evil without remedy, we must find some consola-
tion.
Adieu, mon amie.
Tout 3, toi
NAPOLEON
(FDTCXENSTEIN), 26 May 1807
I am in receipt your letter of the sixteenth. I see with
pleasure that Hortense has arrived at Laeken. I am annoyed
at your report of the kind of stupor which she still shows.
She should have more courage, and control herself. I can-
not conceive why they want her to go to the baths: she
would be much more diverted at Paris, and find more con-
solation. Control yourself; be gay, and take care of yourself.
My health is very good.
Adieu, mon amie. I suffer much on account of your grief,
and regret that I am not with you.
NAPOLEON
During a brief visit which he made to Dantzig the
first of June, the Emperor wrote Josephine, and also
Hortense at the same time:
2293
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
To the Empress, at Malmaison
(DANTZIG), 2 June 1807
Mon amie, I have just learned of your arrival at Mal-
maison. I have no letters from you. I am angry with Hor-
tense: she has not written me a word. I am grieved with
all that you tell me of her. How does it happen that you
have not been able to divert her a little? You cry! I hope
that you will get yourself under control, in order that I may
not find you entirely sad.
I have been at Dantzig for two days. The weather is
very fine, and I am very well. I think more of you than
you think of the absent one.
Adieu, mon amie; a thousand loving thoughts. Send this
letter to Hortense.
NAPOLEON
To the Queen of Holland
2 June 1807
My daughter, you have not written me a word, in your
just and great grief. You have forgotten everything, as if
you were never in the future to endure other losses. They
tell me that you no longer care for anything; that you are
wholly indifferent; I perceive it from your silence. It is
not well, Hortense! It is not what you promised us. Your
son was all in all to you. Your mother and I are then of
no account! If I had been at Malmaison, I should have
shared your grief; but I should also have wished to have
you turn to your best friends. Adieu, my child, be gay,
be resigned. Take care of yourself in order to fulfill all
your duties. My wife is very sad over your condition: do
not cause her more grief.
Your affectionate father
NAPOLEON
Two days after the battle of Friedland Napoleon
again wrote Hortense:
2303
DEATH OF NAPOLEON-CHARLES
To the Queen of Holland
(FRJEDLAXD), 16 June 1807
My daughter, I have received your letter dated at
Orleans; your griefs touch me, but I would like to know
that you had more courage: to live is to suffer, and the
worthy man strives always to remain master of himself.
I do not like to see you unjust to the little Napoleon-Louis,
and to all of your friends. Your mother and I had hoped
that we were of more account than we seem to be in your
heart. I gained a great victory the 14 June. I am well,
and love you dearly. Adieu, my daughter. I embrace you
with all my heart.
NAPOLEON
It must be admitted that Napoleon does not appear
to advantage in these letters. To a mother stupefied
with grief, and to a grandmother almost equally
overwhelmed, he has nothing more consoling to say
than the injunction to be " gay," and to seek " diver-
sions." Yet Napoleon dearly loved the little prince, and
had fully expected to make him his heir. The loss of the
child must have been a severe blow both to his affec-
tions and his family pride. The Emperor had in his
composition much of the stoicism of the American In-
dian, and under this appearance of nonchalance he may
have concealed his own deep sorrow. He really had a
very profound sensibility, and was not so callous as his
remarks on many occasions would lead one to think.
To quote his own words: " Man often appears more
cold and selfish than he really is." At one moment he
exclaims: " Friendship is but a name! " At another he
says: " We only feel how much we love when we meet
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
again, or during absence." And again: " Love for one's
children and one's wife are those sweet affections which
subdue the soul by the heart, and the feelings by ten-
derness."
In his letters to Fouche and Monge, the Emperor
displayed more feeling. To Fouche on the 18 May he
wrote: " I have been much afflicted by the misfortune
which has befallen me. I had hoped for a more brilliant
destiny for this poor child." To Monge: " I thank you
for all that you say regarding the death of the poor
little Napoleon: it was his destiny! " Again to Fouch:
" The loss of the little Napoleon has caused me much
grief. I wish that his father and mother had received
from nature as much courage as myself to know how to
endure the evils of life; but they are younger and have
reflected less upon the fragility of earthly ties! " Such
is his philosophy. He is too much of a fatalist to feel
any revolt against death. He is always ready; for every
day, at every moment, he faces it, and the unexpected
does not disconcert him. Manifestations of grief are for-
bidden by his calling, by his duty as a commander: he
had faced death on too many bloody fields to be ap-
palled by the everlasting night " when deep sleep f alleth
tm men."
After a short stay at Laeken, Hortense went with
Josephine to Malmaison, and a few days later pro-
ceeded to Cauterets in the Pyrenees to take the baths.
Her mother wrote her from Saint-Cloud on the 27 May:
I have often cried since your departure, my dear Hor-
tense; this separation has been very painful to me. ... I
have received news of your son: he is at the chfiteau of
Laeken, in good health, and awaiting the arrival of the
DEATH OF NAPOLEON-CHARLES
King. The Emperor has written me again: he participates
deeply in our grief. I needed this consolation, for I have
none since your departure. . . . Adieu, my dear daughter;
take care of yourself for a mother who tenderly loves you.
On the 4 June Josephine again wrote from Saint-
Cloud:
Your letter has comforted me very much, my dear
Hortense. . . . The Emperor has been strongly affected:
in all his letters he tries to give me courage, but I know
that he has been much moved by this unfortunate oc-
currence. The King reached Saint-Leu last night; he has
let me know that he is coming to see me to-day; he must
leave the little one with me during his absence. You know
how much I love this child, and the care that I will take
of him. It is my wish that the King follow you: it will be
a consolation for you both to see each other. All the letters
that I have received from him since you left are full of
his attachment for you. Your heart is too sensitive not to be
touched by it. Adieu, my dear girl, take care of your health.
I embrace you tenderly.
This letter displays all the goodness and kindness of
Josephine's nature: she endeavors to soften the re-
proaches of Napoleon, and to bring Hortense and her
husband together. A week later she wrote: " Your son
is in splendid health: he greatly amuses me. He is so
sweet: I think that he has all the ways of the dear child
whom we mourn." Josephine knew how to console
better than the Emperor!
While Hortense was in the depths of despair, and her
mother was trying to assuage her grief, the Emperor
brought to an end this terrible^ campaign of Poland by
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
the brilliant victory of Friedland. He tells the story to
Josephine in his usual concise, graphic style:
To the Empress, at Saint-Cloud
FRIEDLAND, 15 June 1807
Mon amie, I write you only a word, for I am very tired.
My children have worthily celebrated the anniversary of
Marengo.
The battle of Friedland will also be celebrated, and
equally glorious for my people. The whole Russian army
put to rout: 80 cannon, 30,000 men killed or prisoners;
25 generals, killed, wounded or taken; the Russian Guard
crushed it is a worthy sister of Marengo, Austerlitz,
Jenal The bulletin will tell you the rest. My loss is not
considerable; I manoeuvred the enemy with success.
Be reassured and content.
Adieu, mon amie. NAPOLEON
FRIEDLAND, 4 P.M., 16 June 1807
Mon amie, I sent you a courier yesterday with the news
of the battle of Friedland. Since then I have continued the
pursuit of the enemy. Kcenigsberg, a city of 80,000 souls,
is in my power. I have found there many cannon, large
magazines, and more than 60,000 guns, brought from
England.
Adieu, mon amie; my health is perfect, although I have
a slight cold from the rain and the coolness of the bivouac.
Be content and gay.
Tout toi
NAPOLEON
From Tilsit, on the 19 June, the Emperor sent Jose-
phine the welcome news that the victory had been
2343
DEATH OF NAPOLEON-CHARLES
decisive, and that the campaign was over. A few days
later he wrote that he had met the Czar Alexander, and
was very much pleased with him: " He is a very hand-
some, good and young Emperor, and has more intelli-
gence than most people think. He is coming to-morrow
to take up his residence in Tilsit."
At Tilsit, the Czar and the King of Prussia dined
every day with the Emperor, as he tells Josephine in his
correspondence. An hour after her arrival Napoleon
paid a visit to the Queen of Prussia, who was one of the
most beautiful and most attractive women of her day.
When she came to dine with him that evening the Em-
peror received her with great respect at the door of his
mansion. But he was firm in his refusal to mitigate at
her request any of the hard conditions of the peace
which he imposed on Prussia. At dinner, that night, the
Queen offered a beautiful rose to Napoleon, saying with
a gracious smile: " Take it, Sire, but in exchange for
Magdebourg." This episode is alluded to by the Em-
peror in the following letter:
To the Empress, at Saint-Cloud
(TILSIT), 7 July 1807
Mon amie, the Queen of Prussia dined with me yesterday.
I had to refuse to make some concessions to her husband
which she endeavored to obtain from me. But I have been
gallant, while adhering to my policy. She is very amiable.
Later I will give you the details which it would take too
long to tell .now. When you read this letter peace with
Prussia and Russia will be concluded, and Jerome recog-
nized as King of Westphalia with three millions of popula-
tion. This news for you only.
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Adieu, mon amie; I love thee, and wish to know that
thou art gay and contented.
NAPOLEON
After a last interview with the Czar, at the end of
which the two sovereigns embraced each other affec-
tionately, the Emperor went for a short visit to Kcenigs-
berg. Leaving there at six o'clock on the night of the 13
July he travelled directly to Dresden, where he arrived
at five o'clock on the seventeenth. He spent ninety-two
hours in his carriage, stopping to rest only twice en
route, and then only for very brief intervals. From
Dresden he wrote Josephine the last of his letters during
this campaign:
To the Empress, at Saint-Cloud
(DRESDEN), Noon, 18 July 1807
Mon amie, I arrived at Dresden at .five o'clock last even-
ing, feeling very well, although I remained a hundred hours
in my carriage without getting out. I am staying here with
the King of Saxony, with whom I am well pleased. I have
therefore covered half the distance to thee.
It may happen that one of these fine nights I shall fall
upon thee at Saint-Cloud like a jealous husband: I give
thee fair warning!
Adieu, mon amie; it will give me great pleasure to see
thee.
Tout toi
NAPOLEON
At six o'clock on the morning of the 2 7 July the Em-
peror was back at Saint-Cloud, after an absence of over
ten months.
236:1
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
1807
THE COURT AT FONTAINEBLEAU
Talleyrand Appointed Vice-Grand-filecteur Fete of the Em-
perorMarriage of Jerome and Catherine Return of
Louis and Hortense New Quarrels Louis Departs Alone
for Holland Napoleon's Power The Court Goes to
Fontainebleau Napoleon at Thirty-eight The Em-
peror's Program of Entertainment Life of Josephine
Ennui of the Emperor and His Guests The Gazzani Affair
Jerome's Flirtation with Stephanie Illness of Hortense
She Refuses Any Reconciliation with Louis
THE credit of Talleyrand had never stood so
high as at this time. He had been of great
use to the-Emperor in Poland, and had ably
carried out the negotiations for the Treaty of Tilsit. By
way of recompense, on the 9 August, the Emperor made
him vice-grand-elector. This great dignity of the Empire
gave Talleyrand the right to replace Joseph on all occa-
sions of ceremony, but at the same time he was forced
to give up the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, as being
beneath the dignity of his new rank. The emoluments
of his new office, added to his salary as grand chamber-
lain and the revenues of his principality of Benevento,
gave him an income of half a million francs. At the
same time his personal fortune was estimated at fully
six millions. Every treaty that he had concluded had
brought him enormous gratifications.
237]
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
On the 15 August the fete of the Emperor was cele-
brated with great magnificence. In the morning a Te
Deum was chanted at Notre-Dame. In the evening
there was a banquet at the Tuileries, followed by a con-
cert and a ballet. The salons of the Chateau were filled
with all the dignitaries of the Empire, in full evening
dress. The Emperor appeared on the balcony, holding
the hand of Josephine, and was cheered by an immense
crowd in the illuminated Gardens below.
A week later was celebrated the marriage of Jerome
with the young Princesse Catherine of Wiirtemberg.
The Pope had firmly refused to grant the Emperor's
petition for an annulment of the Patterson marriage,
but the French ecclesiastical authorities proved more
amenable, and in October 1806 the marriage was de-
clared null and void.
Jerome, who was the youngest, and also the most
worthless of the Bonapartes, had just received from his
brother the crown of Westphalia. The princesse, who
was nearly two years older than her husband, was a
woman of much charm. She was tall and beautiful;
affable in her manners, and of superior intelligence.
After a marriage by procuration at Stuttgart, Cath-
erine came to Paris. She arrived at the Tuileries on the
21 August; the contract was signed the next day in the
Galerie de Diane; and was followed on the 23 August
by the religious ceremony, which was performed in the
chapel by the Archbishop of Ratisbon, the Prince-
Primate of the Confederation of the Rhine. Thus was
carried out the third part of the Emperor's plan for
alliances with the royal families of Europe. This mar-
riage also proved quite a happy one. Catherine was
238:1
THE COURT AT FONTAINEBLEAU
devoted to Jerome, notwithstanding his many notorious
infidelities, and refused to abandon him after the fall of
the Empire.
At the end of this month the King and Queen of Hol-
land returned from their visit to the baths in the Pyre-
nees. Hortense had been joined by Louis at Cauterets
in June, and they had once more resumed their life in
common. At the time of their arrival at Saint-Cloud
they seemed to be on very good terms with each other,
but still sad over their loss. Hortense was very thin,
and already suffering from the beginning of her gros-
sesse. At the baths she had met the secretary of Madame
Mere, Monsieur Decazes, who had just lost his wife,
and the fact that they were both in mourning had been
a bond of sympathy between them. Reports of their in-
timacy had reached Paris, and Caroline did not hesitate
to retail the scandal to her brother on his return, even
going so far as to insinuate that the interesting condi-
tion of Hortense was due to the handsome young secre-
tary. It did not take much to revive the suspicions of
the jealous Louis, and discord once more reigned in the
royal household. Louis naturally wished to take his
wife and son with him on his return to Holland, but the
Empress, alarmed at her daughter's appearance, called
a consultation of physicians, who unanimously decided
that it would be dangerous for Hortense in her condi-
tion to return for the winter to the cold, damp climate
of the Low Countries. The Emperor therefore ordered
that Hortense and her son should remain in Paris. Louis
submitted with apparent reluctance to his brother's
command and departed alone for The Hague.
Hortense, who had previously endured without com-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
plaint the unjust suspicions of Louis, was this time
mortally offended, and conceived a profound hatred
for her husband. When she found that he had believed
her capable of an intrigue galante at a moment when
she was thinking only of death, in the depths of her
despair over the loss of her favorite child, she resolved
never to live with him again.
For the first time in his life the Emperor now decided
to take a real vacation of eight weeks, and the Court
was ordered to assemble on the 21 September at Fon-
tainebleau. This historic chateau was always a favorite
place of residence for Napoleon, and now that the
Tuileries and Saint-Cloud have disappeared it is the
only royal palace with which his name is identified.
In the autumn of 1807, Napoleon was at the zenith
of his glory. He never yet had known defeat: at Auster-
litz, Jena and Friedland he had conquered the three
greatest nations of the Continent. To the democratic
days of the earlier period of the Empire had succeeded
an aristocratic regime. The Emperor posed as a new
Charlemagne, the chief of a family of sovereigns. To
him the kings of Bavaria, Wiirtemberg, Holland, Sax-
ony, Naples and Westphalia owed their royal crowns.
The reigning princes of the Confederation of the Rhine
were his vassals. From the Baltic to the Pyrenees, from
the Channel to the Adriatic, his will was law.
Accordingly the command had gone forth that the
Court was to amuse itself at Fontainebleau: pleasure
was the order of the day. Never before had Europe
witnessed such a gathering of kings and princes. The
Emperor and Empress arrived on the 21 September, and
2403
THE COURT AT FONTAINEBLEAU
within a few days there appeared: the Queen of Hol-
land, the Queen of Naples, the King and Queen of
Westphalia, the Grand-Duke of Berg (Murat) and his
wife, Madame Mere, the Princesse Pauline, Prince
Charles of Baden and his wife, the Prince-Primate, the
Duke of Wiirzburg, and too many others to mention.
The Emperor had also commanded the presence of
Talleyrand, Berthier, Champagny, and Maret; all of
the grand officers of the imperial household, the min-
isters of the Kingdom of Italy, and several of the
marshals.
This visit of the Court to Fontainebleau is one of the
most interesting episodes of life under the Empire and
well deserves a chapter to itself. The Emperor never
again consecrated so long a period of time solely to
pleasure, and his Court was never more brilliant. Here
for the first and last time there was a renewal of the
life of the Ancien Regime, as it was in the days of the
Grand Monarque: here came to the surface the same
interests, passions, intrigues, weaknesses, treacheries
in a word, it was a real Court! It would require the pen
of a Saint-Simon faithfully to depict the scene, with all
its changing lights and shadows, to seize its full spirit,
and make it live again. It furnishes the theme of one of
the most interesting stories in the memoirs of Madame
de Remusat:
" At this time, Napoleon, oblivious of the past, cer-
tain of the future, was proceeding with a firm step,
anticipating no obstacle, or at least certain that he
could easily overcome any found in his path. It seemed
to him, it seemed to every one, that he could not fall
except by an event so unlooked for, so strange, and
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
so catastrophic, that a mass of interests in favor of
order and repose were solemnly engaged in his con-
servation. In fact, master or ' friend of all the kings
of the Continent, ally of many by treaties or foreign
marriages, sure of Europe by the new partitions he
had made, having upon the most remote frontiers im-
portant garrisons which insured the execution of his
will, absolute depository of all the resources of France,
rich with an immense treasury, in the flower of his
age, admired, feared, and above all scrupulously
obeyed, it seemed as though he had overcome all
obstacles."
Such is the picture which Madame de Remusat draws
of the Emperor at the age of thirty-eight, in this autumn
of 1807, and she remarks:
" Let us suppose that some one, ignorant of the past,
had suddenly been thrown into Fontainebleau at this
time, it is certain that, blinded by the magnificence
displayed in this royal habitation; struck by the air of
authority of the master, and the obsequious reverence
of the great personages who surrounded him, this
stranger would have seen, or thought that he saw, a
sovereign peaceably seated upon the greatest throne in
the world, with all the united rights of power and
legitimacy."
As soon as the invited guests arrived at the Chateau
they were informed of the program drawn up by the
Emperor for their entertainment. The different evenings
of the week were to be passed in the apartments of the
various great personages. One evening the Emperor
would receive, and there would be music, followed by
games. Twice a week there was to be a theatrical per-
il 242 3
THE COURT AT FONTAINEBLEAU
formance; on other nights, balls to be given by the
Princesses Pauline and Caroline; and finally, an as-
sembly and play in the rooms of the Empress. The
princes and ministers, in turn, were to give dinners and
invite all of the guests in rotation; the grand marshal
and the lady of honor were to do the same, each having
a table for twenty-five persons every day; and finally
there was to be another table for all who were not in-
vited elsewhere. Even the kings and princes could not
dine with the Emperor except by special invitation. On
certain days there was a hunt, which the guests followed
on horseback, or in very elegant caleches which were
provided. The Emperor liked the chase more for the
exercise it gave him than for the thing itself. He often
abandoned the pursuit of the stag, and wandered
through the forest, lost in revery. He was a good, but
very reckless horseman, and always rode small Arabians
specially trained for his service.
The Emperor employed his vacation in working as
usual. He rose at seven o'clock, breakfasted alone, and,
the days that he did not hunt, remained in his cabinet
until five or six. The ministers and secretaries came
from Paris with their despatch-boxes exactly the same
as though he were at Saint-Cloud He never took ac-
count of time or distance, either for himself or any one
else.
While the Emperor was occupied in his cabinet, Jose-
phine, always elegantly dressed, breakfasted with her
daughter and her ladies, and later received in her salon
the visits of the guests at the palace. She never liked
to be alone, and had no taste for any kind of work.
At four o'clock the Empress dismissed her callers, and
C2433
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
went to her room for the rites of the evening toilette,
always with her an important function. Quite frequently
during the week the Emperor came for his wife be-
tween five and six, and they went for a drive together
before dinner. They dined at six, and afterwards went
to the entertainment arranged for that evening.
The great officials who had the privilege of the entree
could present themselves at the apartment of the Em-
press. They knocked at the door, were announced by
the chamberlain on duty, and admitted by command of
the Emperor. If it were a woman, she took her seat in
silence; if a man, he remained standing at the side of
the room. The Emperor promenaded back and forth,
his hands behind his back, his head bent forward, gen-
erally absorbed in his thoughts. Occasionally he asked
a question and received a brief reply. Of real conversa-
tion, there was none. Every one stood in such awe of the
Emperor that he feared to make any remarks. At the
assemblies it was the same. Everybody around the Em-
peror was bored, and he was equally bored himself.
One day he said to Talleyrand: " It is a singular thing:
I have brought together a crowd of people at Fontaine-
bleau; I have wanted them to be amused; I have ar-
ranged all their entertainments, yet their faces are aH
long, and every one has the air of being tired and de-
pressed." " The trouble is," replied Talleyrand, " that
you cannot regulate pleasure by the beat of the drum.
Here, as in the army, you have always the air of saying
to each one of us, Allons, messieurs et mesdames, en
avant marche!"
The Emperor wished two plays given each week,
which must always be different. In addition to these
244!!
THE COURT AT FONTAINEBLEAU
performances, by the Comedie-Francaise, there were
representations of Italian opera. The plays were always
tragedies, often Corneille, sometimes Racine, but
rarely Voltaire, whom Napoleon did not like. The whole
Court was bored to death by these interminable trag-
edies, and yawned or dozed. There was never any ap-
plause, and the play was received in cold silence. The
Emperor himself either slept, or was buried in thought.
For the opera, the best Italian singers had been en-
gaged, at large salaries, but they were listened to
without a sign of interest.
The fetes and spectacles were nominally in charge
of M. de Talleyrand, the grand chamberlain, but the
real work was done by the first chamberlain, M. de
Remusat, to whom Talleyrand said one day: " I am
sorry for you, for you must amuse the unamusable! "
The dreamy, discontented disposition which the Em-
peror displayed on all occasions cast a sombre veil over
all the assemblies and balls at Fontainebleau.
About eight o'clock the Court in gala costume as-
sembled in the apartment where the entertainment was
to be given that evening. While awaiting the arrival of
Their Majesties there was no conversation. The Em-
press came first, gracefully traversed the salon, took her
place, and then, like the others, awaited in silence the
entry of the Emperor. Finally he came, and took his
seat beside her. He watched the dancing with a bored
look, which was not conducive to pleasure, and natu-
rally no one enjoyed the evening. He soon took his
departure, and almost immediately the assembly broke
up.
While the Court was at Fontainebleau the Emperor
C 245 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
had an affaire with a beautiful young woman named
Gazzani. Talleyrand had found her* in Italy, and had
persuaded the Emperor to give her a place in his house-
hold as reader for the Empress, while her husband was
made a receiver general. She was tall, beautifully
formed, with magnificent dark eyes, and a very attrac-
tive face. In a Court where there were many lovely
women, she was generally considered the most beautiful
of all. She had a very sweet, submissive disposition,
and yielded to the desires of the Emperor from a kind
of conviction that it was her duty not to resist him. At
the same time she displayed the greatest devotion for
the Empress, who closed her eyes to this little episode.
As a result, this liaison was of brief duration, and at-
tracted very little attention.
Another love affair which caused much talk, but was
also very brief, was the sudden passion which the new
King of Westphalia conceived for the charming young
Duchesse of Baden. Jerome had not even waited until
his honeymoon was over before beginning a violent flir-
tation, and Catherine was very jealous. Stephanie, who
had not yet learned to appreciate her husband, was gay
and frivolous and naturally coquette. Jerome danced
with her at all the balls, while Catherine, who had in-
herited from her father a tendency to corpulence and
did not dance, was forced to look sadly on. Finally,
one evening when Jerome had been more than usually
attentive to Stephanie, Catherine suddenly burst into
tears, and fell from her chair in a dead faint. The ball
was interrupted, and she was carried into an adjoining
salon. The Emperor addressed a few sharp words to his
brother: Jerome rushed after his wife, threw himself
O463
THE COURT AT FONTAINEBLEAU
on his knees by her side, and with a thousand caresses
endeavored to restore her to consciousness. A few min-
utes later the young couple retired to their apartment.
The following day, Napoleon commanded Josephine
to have a plain talk with her lively cousin, and bring her
to reason. Stephanie took the reproof in good part, and
both of the young people were too much afraid of the
Emperor to renew what had been after all an innocent
flirtation.
At this time, the Emperor no longer showed his par-
tiality for Stephanie. He seemed to have forgotten
entirely the rules prescribed for her as his adopted
daughter before her marriage, and only accorded her
the rank and precedence of a princesse of the Confeder-
ation of the Rhine, which placed her below the queens
and the imperial princesses. From that time on, Ste-
phanie was a model of decorum in her conduct. She
showed no regret on leaving for Baden with her hus-
band, and this seems to have been the beginning of
the perfect accord which afterwards united them.
In the meantime Hortense was living in the greatest
possible seclusion, Her health was very delicate, and the
memory of her lost child was always with her. The Em-
peror displayed for her much affection and esteem. At
the bottom of his heart he undoubtedly had more love
for her than for his brother, but the family spirit was
too strong for him to take any active part in their
quarrels. He had consented to her remaining in Paris
until after her confinement, but he continued to speak
of her return to Holland. For her part, Hortense was
equally firm in her determination never to return to this
bleak country where she had experienced so much
2473
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
trouble and sorrow. She said to the Emperor: " My
reputation is tarnished, my health is lost, I look for
no more happiness in life; banish me from your Court
if you wish; shut me up in a convent; I desire neither
throne nor fortune. Give peace to my mother, distinc-
tion to Eugene who deserves it, but let me live tranquil
and alone."
248]
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
1807
PROJECTS OF DIVORCE
The Question of Divorce First Seriously Considered Napo-
leon Asks Josephine to Take the Initiative She Refuses
Fouche's Letter to the Empress Napoleon Pretends
Ignorance He Writes FouchS to Cease Meddling Tal-
leyrand's Attitude Fouche Influences Public Opinion
End of the Fetes Death of Josephine's Mother Napo-
leon's Trip to Italy His Interview with Lucien He
Adopts Eug&ne His Letters to Josephine
DURING the two months that the Court was at
Fontainebleau the question of divorce was
broached seriously for the first time. Talley-
rand, who was more familiar than any one else with the
projects of the Emperor, was very quietly working to
bring the matter about; but he wished, at the same
time, to have the Emperor make a great alliance, and
above all to be himself the one to negotiate it. Caroline
and Murat were also laying their plans to overcome the
lingering affection which still bound Napoleon to Jose-
phine, and which alone kept her on the throne. Allied
with them were Josephine's former friend, Fouche, and
the Secretary of State, Maret, who was secretly jealous
of the great and well-deserved European reputation of
Talleyrand, whom he hoped to supplant in the councils
of the Emperor.
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
As stated above, the death of the little crown-prince
had made a change in the plans of the Emperor; his
victories, in increasing his power, had extended his
ideas of grandeur, and both his vanity and his policy
dictated an alliance with one of the European royal
families. At the time of his return from Tilsit there was
some talk of the daughter of the King of Saxony in this
connection, but this princesse was at least thirty years
old, and far from beautiful; her father only reigned by
the grace of Napoleon, and such an alliance would not
have increased the prestige of the Emperor.
The conferences at Tilsit had justly increased the
pride of Napoleon. The fascination he had exercised
over the young Czar, the ready assent given to all his
projects, had produced in his mind the thought of a still
more intimate alliance. But on his return to Josephine,
after a separation of ten months, the old ties which so
firmly bound him to her had been again renewed.
In speaking one day to the Empress of the quarrels
of Louis and Hortense, and the delicate health of their
only remaining child, Napoleon said that some day he
might perhaps be constrained by the demands of public
policy to take a wife who could give him an heir. In
broaching the subject he displayed much emotion. " If
such a thing comes about, Josephine," he said, " you
must aid me to make such a sacrifice. I shall count upon
all your affection for me to take the responsibility for
this forced separation. You wiU assume the initiative,
will you not, and, realizing my position, have the cour-
age to decide yourself upon this rupture? "
The Empress understood too well the character of her
husband to fall into this trap, and precipitate by an
250]
PROJECTS OF DIVORCE
imprudent word the catastrophe which she so much
dreaded. Therefore, so far from giving him the hope
that by her action she would assume the odium of such
a rupture, she assured him that, while she was always
ready to obey his orders, she never would take the
initiative. She made this reply in the calm and dignified
manner which she knew how to assume with Napoleon,
and which was always effective with him.
Even in her private intercourse with the Emperor,
Josephine for some time past had abandoned the old
familiar tutoiement, and she now said:
" Sire, you are the master, and you will decide upon
my fate. When you command me to leave the Tuileries,
I shall instantly obey; but at least you must order it
in a positive manner. I arn your wife: I have been
crowned by you in the presence of the Pope; such hon-
ors impose the obligation of not resigning them volun-
tarily. If you divorce me, all France will know that it
is you who drives me away, and will be ignorant neither
of my obedience nor my profound grief."
This form of reply, which was always the same, did
not offend the Emperor, and often moved him to tears:
in fact he was torn by many conflicting emotions. On
the one hand he sincerely felt that State policy de-
manded an heir to the throne; on the other, he knew
that Josephine was loved by the people, and he hesi-
tated to brave public opinion by repudiating her.
When Josephine confided her doubts and fears to
Hortense, she was far from finding a sympathetic
listener. Her daughter's only reply was: " How can one
regret a throne? "
Two or three weeks before the end of the visit of the
251:1
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Court to Fontainebleau, Fouche arrived one morning
from Paris. After a long private interview with the Em-
peror in his cabinet, he was invited to dinner a most
unusual honor. Towards midnight, when all the guests
in the chateau had gone to their rooms, M. de Remusat
was summoned to the apartment of the Empress. He
found her half-undressed, her hair down, and her face
discomposed. She dismissed her attendants, and, crying
that she was lost, shoved into the hands of the chamber-
lain a long letter signed by Fouche. In this communica-
tion he began by protesting his former devotion for
her, and assured her that it was on account of this feel-
ing that he ventured to face her situation and that of
the Emperor. He pictured the Emperor as at the zenith
of his power, sovereign-master of France, but respon-
sible to that same France for the present, and for the
future which she. had confided to him. " It is useless to
try to dissimulate the fact, Madame/' he continued,
" that the political future of France is compromised by
the lack of an heir to the Emperor. As Minister of
Police, I am in a position to know public opinion, and
I know that there is much disquietude over the matter
of the succession to such an empire. Figure to yourself,
Madame, the stability which the throne of His Majesty
would possess to-day if it were founded upon the ex-
istence of a son! "
This advantage was ably developed at length, as
indeed it might well be. Then he spoke of the conflict
between the conjugal tenderness of the Emperor and
his public policy; he foresaw that the Emperor would
never make up his mind to dictate so grievous a sacri-
fice; he therefore ventured to advise Her Majesty to
2523
FOUCHE, DUG D'OTRANTE
PROJECTS OF DIVORCE
make herself a courageous effort, and to immolate her-
self for France. He drew a most pathetic picture of the
glory that such an action would give her now and in
the future. The letter ended with the assurance that the
Emperor was ignorant of this step; that the writer
feared it would displease him; and the Empress was
solicited to keep the matter a profound secret.
It was obvious that Fouche would never have ven-
tured to write such a letter without the knowledge of
the Emperor. "What shall I do? " cried Josephine;
" how shall I meet this storm? " Remusat advised her
to see the Emperor, either that night or the first thing
in the morning, ask him to read the letter, and observe
his face while he did so. Also, to express her indigna-
tion at this uncalled-for advice, and to reiterate her
determination never to accept anything but a positive
command from the Emperor himself.
Josephine adopted this advice, and, as the hour was
late, deferred her interview with the Emperor until
morning. When she showed Napoleon the letter, he pre-
tended to be very angry. He assured her that he was en-
tirely ignorant of this step; that Fouche had displayed
a zeal most uncalled-for; that if the minister had not
already left for Paris he would have taken him sharply
to task; that he would punish Fouche if she so desired,
and even dismiss him from his position in the ministry.
He was very affectionate with Josephine, but she was
far from being reassured by his explanation and
promises.
Talleyrand, when informed of this matter, expressed
the opinion that the letter of Fouche was ridiculous and
improper, and advised that the Empress should reply,
2533
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
in a very dignified tone, to the effect that she did not
require his services as an intermediary between herself
and the Emperor. She wrote such a letter, which was
read and approved by Talleyrand, and then submitted
to the Emperor, who did not venture to censure it.
When Fouche returned a few days later, the Em-
press treated him very coldly, but he did not appear to
notice her manner. Napoleon said to Josephine: "He
acted from an excess of zeal: you must not treasure it
up against him. It is enough that we are determined to
reject his advice, and that you know well that I cannot
live without you."
On the 5 November the Emperor wrote Fouche:
" For a fortnight past you have made foolish blunders:
it is time that they came to an end, and that you ceased
to meddle, directly or indirectly, with a matter which
does not in any way concern you. Such is my
wish! "
The outcome of the whole affair was a temporary
renewal of the former close relations between Napoleon
and Josephine. He displayed for her all of his old affec-
tion, and little by little her fears were dissipated.
During all this period, the Empress was guided by the
advice of Talleyrand. When Madame de Remusat ex-
pressed her surprise at his course, he replied: " There
is no one here in the palace who should not wish to
have this woman remain by the side of the Emperor.
She is kind and good; she has the art of calming him;
she takes an interest in the affairs of everybody, If we
see a princesse arrive here, you will see the Emperor
break with the entire Court, and we shall all be
crushed." These were wise words and true, and almost
O543
PROJECTS OF DIVORCE
convince one that Talleyrand at the moment was sin-
cere.
It is not difficult to understand the motives which
actuated Fouche and Talleyrand in this somewhat in-
volved affair. Fouche had sufficient perspicacity to
realize that with the Emperor the question of policy
would in the end outweigh all other considerations. He
had therefore joined the party of Caroline, who detested
all the Beauharnais, and, for personal reasons also,
wished to see her brother enter the family of some Eu-
ropean sovereign. Once committed to this undertaking,
Fouche used without scruples his position as minister of
police to work up public opinion. He instructed his
secret agents to discuss in the cafes and other public
places the necessity of an heir to the Emperor. These
suggestions were reported by other agents to the minis-
ter, and by him to the Emperor, who easily became con-
vinced that the people were more interested in the
question than was probably the case.
With his usual shrewdness, Talleyrand took advan-
tage of the sentiment thus worked up by his rival, to
turn it to his own personal benefit. At the bottom of his
heart Talleyrand may not have been in favor of the
divorce; but if it must be, he wished to bring it about
in his own time and in his own way, and above all to
get the credit. The Murat coterie favored strengthen-
ing the alliance already concluded with Russia by a
matrimonial connection. But Talleyrand, better in-
formed regarding foreign relations, knew that the
mother of the Czar would never consent to give the
hand of one of her daughters to the " murderer " of the
Due d'Enghien. Besides, the affair of Spain was about
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
to come to the front, and the time was not opportune to
bring forward the question of divorce. Moved, there-
fore, both by sentiment and by policy, Talleyrand for
the time being opposed and check-mated the efforts of
Fouche.
Finally the fetes at Fontainebleau came to an end,
much to the delight of every one. When the Emperor
called for a statement of the expenditures he was sur-
prised to learn that the total did not exceed 150,000
francs. The last visit of Louis the Sixteenth had cost
about two millions. The imperial household, under
Duroc, the grand-marshal of the palace, was run with
military discipline and economy. The servants were
always at their posts and scrupulous in the performance
of their duties: everything moved like clock-work. No
detail was overlooked by the marshal, and he reported
directly to the Emperor, who personally supervised
and directed the work of the household.
While the Court was still at Fontainebleau Josephine
received the news of the death of her mother, who
passed away on the 2 June 1807, at the age of seventy,
at her residence in Martinique. Josephine, who dearly
loved her mother, had done everything possible to per-
suade her to come to live in France, where she would
have received a warm welcome. But this venerable
lady preferred her modest and quiet home to all the
splendors of the imperial palaces.
On the 1 6 November the Emperor left Fontainebleau
for Italy, and Josephine returned to Paris. She would
have liked to make the trip with him, to see her son
Eugene and the little granddaughter who bore her
PROJECTS OF DIVORCE
name, but this time Napoleon absolutely refused his
consent. He said that he would only be gone two or
three weeks, that the weather would be very cold, and
that she had better await his return at the Tuileries.
On the 20 November the Emperor crossed Mont-
Cenis in a raging snow storm and reached Turin the
same evening. The following day he proceeded to
Milan, where he was welcomed by Eugene. During the
five days that he passed in the city there were religious
ceremonies at the cathedral, reviews, and a gala per-
formance at the Scala. On the 28 November he arrived
at Venice, where he had with him his brother Joseph,
King of Naples; his sister Elisa, Princesse de Lucques;
Prince Eugene, Viceroy of Italy; the King and Queen
of Bavaria; Murat and Berthier.
After spending ten days at Venice, the Emperor went
to Mantua, where on the 13 December he had a long
interview with his brother Lucien. It will be remem-
bered that Lucien, in opposition to the wishes of the
First Consul, had married his mistress, Madame Jou-
berthou. Napoleon desired him to get a divorce, and
marry Marie-Louise, daughter of King Charles of
Spain, and widow of the King of Etruria, but Lucien
spurned this brilliant alliance. In the spring of 1804,
-he went into voluntary exile at Rome, where he was
followed by his mother, who refused to return to Paris
even for the Coronation.
During the evening the Emperor sent his secretary,
Meneval, to find Lucien at the inn where he was stay-
ing, and conduct him to the palace. Lucien greeted his
brother very coldly, and with much dignity. After once
more reproaching Lucien for his marriage, and indulg-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
ing in some threats as to what he would do if his brother
still refused to meet his wishes, the Emperor made this
proposition: He would recognize as members of the
Imperial family the daughters of Lucien by both his
marriages; he would consider his second marriage as
legal, but would not recognize his wife as an Imperial
princesse, or consider as legitimate the son born before
their marriage. If Lucien would divorce his wife, the
Emperor would place him in the same position as his
brothers, in the Imperial family, and would give him a
throne, probably that of Portugal. He could continue
to live quietly with Madame Jouberthou, if he wished,
but she could never participate in the honors of royalty.
Lucien refused absolutely to divorce his wife, and
declined to be separated from his children: that was
his last word. During this long interview, which lasted
more than six hours, Napoleon exhausted all of his re-
sources, both in the way of threats and of promises, in
the effort to frighten or persuade his brother to comply
with his wishes, but all in vain. At the end of the inter-
view the brothers parted with much emotion, and Lu-
cien returned to Rome.
The next day the Emperor left for Milan, where on
the 17 December he issued the famous Decree declaring
the British Isles in a state of blockade both by land and
by sea.
On the 20 December, in the grand hall of the Royal
Palace, Napoleon adopted Eugene as his son, and as
his presumptive successor to the crown of Italy. At the
same time he gave to Eugene the title of Prince of
Venice, and to his daughter that of Princesse de
Bologna.
PROJECTS OF DIVORCE
On the 24 December the Emperor left Milan for
Paris, where he arrived on the night of the first day of
January 1808. During this long absence of nearly seven
weeks Napoleon only wrote Josephine three short
letters:
To the Empress, at Paris
MILAN, 25 November 1807
I have been here, mon amie, for two days. I am very
glad that I did not bring you; you would have suffered
terribly in the passage of Mont-Cenis, where a storm de-
tained me twenty-four hours.
I found Eugene very well; I am well satisfied with him.
The princesse is ill; I have been to see her at Monza; she
has had a jaiisse couche, but is better.
Adieu, mon amie.
NAPOLEON
VENICE, 30 November 1807
I am in receipt your letter of the 22 November. I have
been at Venice for two days. The weather is very bad,
which however has not prevented me from traversing the
lagoons to see the different forts.
I am glad to hear that you are enjoying yourself at Paris.
The King of Bavaria, with his family, also the Princesse
filisa, are here.
After the 2 December (anniversary of the Coronation),
which I shall pass here, I shall be on my way home, and
very glad to see you.
Adieu, mon amie. NAPOLEON
UDINE, n December 1807
I have received, mon amie, your letter of the 3 December,
from which I see that you were much pleased with the
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Jardin des Plantes. I am now at the most distant point of
my trip; it is possible that I shall soon be at Paris, where
I shall be very glad to see you again. The weather here has
not yet been very cold,, but is very rainy. I have taken
advantage of the last moment of the season, for I suppose
that by Christmas the winter will have set in.
Adieu, mon amie.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
1:2603
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
1808
THE EMPRESS AT BAYONNE
Josephine's Fear of Divorce Irresolution of the Emperor A
Remarkable Episode Marriage of Mile, de Tascher The
Spanish Crisis Abdication of King Charles Murat
Enters Madrid The Emperor Goes to Bayonne His
Sojourn at Marrac Letters to the Empress at Bordeaux
Birth of Louis-Napoleon Joy of Napoleon and Jose-
phine Charles Cedes the Spanish Crown Joseph Ap-
pointed King The Baylen Disaster Return of the
Emperor and Empress
WHEN Napoleon arrived at the Tuileries at
nine o'clock on the evening of the first day
of January 1808, Josephine threw herself
into his arms and tenderly wished him a Happy New
Year. Since the visit to Fontainebleau the Empress had
known little peace of mind; she lived in the constant
apprehension of a renewal of the projects for a divorce.
She no longer treated Napoleon with the familiarity of
other days, but addressed him as a sovereign rather
than as a husband.
The winter season at Paris was never more brilliant.
Every evening there were concerts, balls, formal din-
ners. The Court of the Empress was as well attended as
formerly: in outward appearances nothing had changed.
Josephine, who did the honors of the Tuileries with her
usual grace, was as much admired as ever. The Em-
1:2613
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
peror, still undecided, vacillated between the voice of
his heart and the demands of State policy. He said to
Talleyrand: " If I separate from my wife I shall re-
nounce at once all the charm she brings to my private
life. I must study the tastes and habits of a new and
young wife. This one adapts herself in every way and
knows me perfectly. Finally, I shall repay with ingrati-
tude all that she has done for me; for me she is a tie
with many people."
One evening when there was a reception at the
Chateau, the Emperor failed to appear, and it was an-
nounced that he was indisposed. After dining with the
Emperor as usual at six o'clock, Josephine had gone to
her room to change her dress for the evening. When she
was ready for the reception a chamberlain came to tell
her that the Emperor was ill, and she rushed to his side.
She found Napoleon in a state of great nervous excite-
ment. He wept, and pressed her in his arms, without any
regard for her elegant toilette, crying: " No, my poor
Josephine, I can never leave thee! " Instead of joining
her guests, Josephine was compelled to pass the night
with her husband, and it was not until morning that he
recovered his equanimity. " What a devil of a man! "
said Talleyrand in disgust, when the astonished as-
sembly was curtly dismissed, " what a devil of a man, to
give way continually to his first impulse, and never to
know what he wants to do! "
On the first of February, at the hotel of Queen Hor-
tense, Rue Cerutti, was celebrated the marriage of
Prince d'Arenberg and. Mile. Stephanie de Tascher,
Josephine's cousin and goddaughter, who had been cre-
ated an Imperial princesse by the Emperor on the
262:1
THE EMPRESS AT BAYONNE
occasion of the signing of the contract. During the
Consulate her hand had been asked in marriage by
General Rapp, one of the favorite aides de camp of
Napoleon, but Josephine, who retained many of the
prejudices of the Ancien Regime, refused her consent.
This Arenberg marriage was not a success; the prin-
cesse could not endure her husband and refused to
live with him. At a later date the marriage was annulled
and she espoused Comte de Guitry.
In the midst of his domestic preoccupations the
Emperor had not ceased to follow closely the course
of events in Spain. The Spanish Bourbons were de-
scended from a grandson of Louis the Fourteenth,
Philip of Anjou, who became King of Spain in 1700
under the title of Philip the Fifth. At the beginning
of 1808 the royal family of Spain comprised the King,
Charles the Fourth, a man of sixty; his wife, Marie-
Louise, who was three years younger, and their son,
Ferdinand, Prince of the Asturias, a boy of twenty.
To this interesting group must be added the Queen's
lover, Godoy, Prince of the Peace. Ferdinand had
formed a plan of seizing the government, but the plot
was betrayed to the King, and he was put under arrest.
Portugal had refused to accept the Berlin Decree
of Napoleon, prohibiting the importation of English
goods, and Napoleon had arranged with the Czar at
Tilsit for the occupation and dismemberment of that
country. While the above events were happening at
Madrid, Junot, at the head of a French army of 25,000
men, had advanced to the gates of Lisbon. Before his
arrival, the royal family embarked on the fleet and
sailed for Brazil.
263:1
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
On the 20 February 1808 the Emperor appointed
Murat his lieutenant to command the French troops
in Spain, and a week later he announced to the Court
of Madrid his intention to annex to the French Empire
all of Spain north of the Ebro, giving the Spanish
Crown, by way of compensation, all of Portugal.
Alarmed at this proposition Charles made preparations
to flee the country, but the news became known, there
was a popular uprising, and he abdicated the throne
in favor of his son.
In the meantime the French army under Murat was
advancing on Madrid, and on the 23 March it entered
the city. Charles now wrote the Emperor .that Ms
abdication had been forced upon him, and asked to
be reinstated upon his throne. Ferdinand also presented
his claims at the same time, and Napoleon invited all
of the interested parties to meet hftn at Bayonne for a
conference.
On the second day of April the Emperor quietly
left Saint-Cloud, ostensibly for a visit to the South of
France. He was not accompanied by Josephine, but
it was arranged that she was to follow him a few
days later. Napoleon reached Bordeaux on the fourth,
and Josephine on the tenth. On the 13 April the Em-
peror proceeded to Bayonne. Two days after his ar-
rival he inspected the chateau of Marrac, located about
a league from the city, which he arranged to purchase
for his residence. It was only an ordinary country
mansion, and altogether too small to lodge comfortably
the Emperor and his suite.
During his sojourn at Bayonne the Emperor held
frequent reviews of his troops, passing through on their
264:1
THE EMPRESS AT BAYONNE
way to Spain, as many as a hundred thousand men
defiling under his eyes. He went out daily and loved
the promenades upon the Adour towards Boucau. He
never announced in advance either the hour or the
course of these excursions, often changing the direc-
tion and returning to the chateau from the point where
he was least expected. Often he directed his steps
towards a dove-cote in the form of a small tower, which
was located at the extremity of the outer wall of the
park. From there he descended to the banks of the
Nive, and went nearly every day, sometimes on foot,
and sometimes in a boat, to visit his sister Caroline,
who was living at Lauga.
On the 20 April the Emperor received Prince Fer-
dinand, who arrived that day, and entertained him at
dinner. Six days later the Prince de la Paix appeared,
and had a long conference with Napoleon. On the 27
April Josephine came from Bordeaux. During this fort-
night the Emperor sent Josephine four letters:
To the Empress, at Bordeaux
BAYONNE, 16 April 1808
I arrived here very well, but somewhat fatigued by the
route, which is dismal and very poor.
I am very glad that you remained, for the houses here
are very small and very bad.
I am going to-day to a little house in the country, half
a league from the city.
Adieu, mon amie; good health.
NAPOLEON
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
17 April 1808
I have your letter of the 15 April. What you tell me of
the country landowner gives me pleasure; go sometimes and
pass the day there.
I have given orders to add 20,000 francs a month to your
allowance, during the trip, to date from the first of April.
I am horribly lodged. In a half-hour I am going to change,
and take up my residence in a small country house at a
distance of half a league. The infante Don Carlos, and five
or six Spanish grandees are here; the Prince of the Asturias
is twenty leagues away. King Charles and the Queen are
arriving. I do not know where I shall lodge all these people.
Everything is still at the inn. My troops in Spain are well.
It took me a moment to understand your gentillesses ; I
laughed over your souvenirs. You women certainly have a
memory!
My health is quite good, and I love you very dearly. It
is my desire that you be very friendly with everybody at
Bordeaux; my affairs did not permit me to do so personally.
NAPOLEON
21 April 1808
I have your letter of the 19 April. Yesterday I had the
Prince of the Asturias and his suite to dinner; that gave
me much trouble. I await Charles the Fourth and the
Queen.
My health is good. I am now quite well established in
the country.
Adieu, mon amie; I always receive news of you with the
greatest pleasure.
NAPOLEON
BAYONNE, 23 April 1808
Mon amie, Hortense has a son; this has greatly rejoiced
me. I am not surprised that you do not speak of it, for
C2663
THE EMPRESS AT BAYONNE
your letter is dated the twenty-first, and she was confined
during the night of the twentieth.
You can set out the twenty-sixth, pass the night at Mont-
de-Marsan, and arrive here the twenty-seventh. I am ar-
ranging for you here a small country house beside the one
which I occupy. My health is good.
I am looking for Charles the Fourth and his wife.
Adieu, mon amie.
NAPOLEON
The child referred to in the Emperor's last letter
was Louis-Napoleon, the future Napoleon the Third,
Emperor of the French. He was born in Paris on the
20 April 1808 at the town-house of Queen Hortense,
in Rue Cerutti, and not at the Tuileries, as erroneously
stated by many historians. By the express orders of
the Emperor, who sent Hortense a letter of congratula-
tions, he was called Charles-Louis-Napoleon, in honor
of his grandfather Bonaparte, his father, and his uncle.
Josephine's first letter to her daughter, written on
the 23 April, begins in a jubilant tone: " I am at the
summit of joy, my dear Hortense. ... I know Na-
poleon is consoled at not having a sister and that he
already loves his brother very much. Kiss them both
for me."
Two days later she wrote again: " I am just in re-
ceipt, my dear Hortense, of a letter from the Emperor
... ; he is perfectly delighted. At the same time he
summons me to rejoin Mm at Bayonne. You can imag-
ine, my dear daughter, that it is a great pleasure for
me not to be away from the Emperor, so I set out
early to-morrow morning. I am pleased at tlie news I
receive of your health. I beg you always to take good
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
care of yourself, and above all not to receive company
these first few days. I cannot write you again for two
or three days, but shall think of you every moment.
I embrace you. Adieu, my dear Hortense."
Josephine had the great satisfaction of finding Na-
poleon in a most loving mood toward her. He spent
all of his spare time with her and displayed unusual
signs of good humor. One day, on the beach, unde-
terred by the presence of the escort, he chased her
over the sands and pushed her into the water; another
time, he picked up a shoe which fell off her foot as
she got into a carriage, and flung it away, in great
glee over the idea that she would have to go home
without one.
On the last day of April the Spanish sovereigns ar-
rived at the government palace at Bayonne; the Em-
peror immediately called on them, and that evening
entertained them at dinner at Marrac.
On the 5 May, when the Emperor, after dejeuner,
was riding with Savary, he received the news of the
uprising at Madrid three days before. He immediately
galloped to Bayonne, where he had a spirited inter-
view with Charles and his son. To Ferdinand he said:
" Prince, up to this moment I have taken no stand in
the controversy which has brought you here, but the
blood shed at Madrid ends my irresolution. I shall
never recognize as King of Spain the person who, by
ordering the murder of French soldiers, has been the
first to break the alliance which has so long united our
two countries. ... I have no ties except with your
father: I recognize him as King, and will escort him
to Madrid if he so desires."
268:1
THE EMPRESS AT BAYONNE
The Prince made no reply, but Charles, with the
visions of Charles the First and Louis the Sixteenth
ever troubling his thoughts, had no desire to remount
his precarious throne. That same evening, by a treaty
signed for the Emperor by Duroc, and for the King
by the Prince de la Paix, Charles ceded to Napoleon
the crown of Spain and of the Indies in exchange for
the use of the chateau and forest of Compiegne, the
title in perpetuity to the chateau of Chambord, and a
civil list of seven millions and a half to be paid by the
French Government. By another convention, signed on
the 10 May, Ferdinand also ceded his rights to the
crown. He was accorded the title in France of Royal
Highness; received for himself and his descendants
the chateau of Navarre; and was given an allowance
of a million francs. Such was the price of the magni-
ficent heritage of Charles-Quint!
On the 4 June, by an official act, Napoleon ceded
to his brother Joseph all of the rights acquired under
the above treaties. Three days later the new King of
Spain arrived at Bayonne, and that evening attended
a grand dinner given by the Emperor at Marrac, at
which were also present the members of the Grand
Junta of Spain, who had been summoned by Napoleon
two weeks before.
Napoleon had reached the turning point of his
career. With easy confidence and a light heart he em-
barked on an enterprise which was to baffle him at
every stage, to drain his resources, to cost him three
hundred thousand valuable lives, and to end in abso-
lute failure. At Saint Helena he said: " It was the
Spanish ulcer which ruined me! "
n
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
The first week in July the Junta accepted the new
constitution drawn up for Joseph under Napoleon's
orders, and a few days later the new king left for
Madrid.
Napoleon started homeward again in company with
Josephine. It was arranged that they should travel
together as far as Toulouse, whence the Emperor was
to go to Bordeaux, and Josephine to take the waters
at Bareges. The Emperor reached Bordeaux on the 31
July, and there he learned, two days later, of the ca-
pitulation of Dupont at Baylen with an army of 20,000
men, and the flight of King Joseph from Madrid. It
was the first serious disaster to the imperial arms, and
Napoleon was wild with rage at this blow to his
prestige.
The Emperor at once realized the necessity of his
own presence in the Peninsula, but before going there
he wished to organize a well-equipped army, and also
to assure himself of the solidarity of his alliance with
the Czar. This meant a return to Paris, and Josephine
received orders to abandon her trip to Bareges and
rejoin the Emperor.
On his way home the Emperor visited Rochefort
and La Rochelle, and then in company with Josephine,
who had rejoined him, he proceeded by way of Tours
and Blois to Saint-Cloud, where he arrived on the eve
of his fete.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
1808-1809
A YEAR OF ANXIETY
The Erfurt Conference Josephine Left at Paris Napoleon
Opens His Heart to Alexander Talleyrand Instructed to
Begin Negotiations for an Alliance Napoleon's Letters to
Josephine He Leaves for Spain The Peninsula Cam-
paign Pursuit of the English Bad News from Paris
The Emperor's Correspondence His Return to Paris
Scene at the Tuileries The Succession Plot Jose-
phine's Revelations She Accompanies Napoleon to Stras-
bourg The Emperor Wounded at Ratisbon His Letters
During the Campaign End of the War Napoleon
Leaves for Fontainebleau
THE last year that Josephine was destined to
wear the imperial crown was for her a period
of constant anxiety. She knew that the
divorce was inevitable, and that her days upon the
throne were numbered. Before the fatal decree was
passed, however, she had yet many trials to endure.
From the date that the Emperor left for Erfurt to
that eventful evening in December 1809, she saw but
little of her husband, who was absent from France the
greater part of the time.
Returning from Bayonne on the 14 August, the Em-
peror immediately began preparations on a large scale
to put down the revolt in Spain and restore his brother
to the throne. For the sake of his own prestige also it
271 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
was necessary as soon as possible to repair the damage
done by the capitulation of General Dupont. He had
therefore decided to enter Spain himself at the head
of the Grand Army, the invincible veterans of Auster-
litz, Jena and Friedland. Before leaving for the Pen-
insula, however, he wished to feel certain that there
would be no change in the political situation during his
absence. Above all he wanted the assurance that his
new ally, the Czar, was still as favorably disposed to-
wards him as when they parted at Tilsit the previous
year. He therefore suggested an interview, and Alex-
ander accepted. The meeting took place at the little
German cityi of Erfurt, and lasted from the 27 Sep-
tember to the 14 October. All of the allies of the Em-
peror were present: the kings of Bavaria, Wiirtem-
berg, Saxony and Westphalia; the Prince-Primate, and
all the princes of the Confederation of the Rhine. The
actors of the Comedie-Frangaise, summoned from
Paris, played before a " parterre of kings."
To her great regret, Josephine was not allowed to
accompany the Emperor, and she divined that her di-
vorce would be one of the subjects of discussion. In
this she was not mistaken. The Czar had two sisters
of a marriageable age: the grand duchesses Catherine
and Anne, and Napoleon had thought of the elder as
a possible wife. At one of their conferences the Em-
peror broached the subject by saying to Alexander:
" This life of agitation wearies me. I need rest, and
look forward to nothing so much as the moment when
without anxiety I can seek the joys of domestic life,
which appeals to all my tastes. But this happiness is
not for me. What domesticity is there without children?
2723
A YEAR OF ANXIETY
And can I have any? My wife is ten years older than
myself. I must ask your pardon. It is perhaps ridic-
ulous of me to tell you all this, but I am yielding to
the impulse of my heart which finds pleasure in open-
ing itself out to you."
It is perhaps unnecessary to state that Napoleon was
not yielding to the impulse of his heart, but to the
calculations of his ambition, or the demands of his
policy. He was broaching the subject, which he pro-
posed to have followed up by Talleyrand, whom he
had brought to Erfurt for that very purpose. He was
about to commit these delicate negotiations to that
wily diplomat, who had already made up his mind
to betray him*
The evening of that same day the Emperor had a
long conversation with Talleyrand, regarding the di-
vorce. As reported by Talleyrand in his Mimoires, he
said:
" My destiny requires it, and the tranquillity of
France demands it. I have no successor. Joseph
amounts to nothing, and he has only daughters. It is
I who must found the dynasty, and I cannot do so
without allying myself to a princess who belongs to
one of the great ruling houses of Europe. The Emperor
Alexander has sisters: one of them is of suitable age.
Take the matter up with Romantzoff; tell him that
as soon as this Spanish affair is settled, I will enter
into all the Czar's plans for the partition of Turkey.
You will not lack for other arguments, for I know that
you are a partisan of the divorce: the Empress Jo-
sephine is also aware of the fact, I can inform you."
Talleyrand said in reply that he thought it would be
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
better for him to take the matter up directly with the
Czar, instead of his minister, and Napoleon acquiesced.
Talleyrand, who well knew the feelings of the mother
of Alexander, instead of loyally furthering the plans
of his master, suggested to the Czar a dilatory policy,
which would thwart the plans of Napoleon, without
arousing his resentment. The unprincipled minister em-
braced this opportunity to begin to weave the plot
which was finally to bring about the fall of the man
he had always secretly detested.
During his absence the Emperor sent Josephine only
three letters, all of them brief and insignificant. In the
first, written two days after his arrival, he expressed
his satisfaction with the Czar. In the second, ten days
later, he says: " I have just hunted on the battle-field
of Jena. We took breakfast on the spot where I passed
the night at my bivouac. I attended a ball at Weimar.
The Emperor Alexander dances; but I, no: forty years
are forty years! " In his last letter, which bears no
date, he again speaks of his satisfaction with Alexander,
and says, " if the Czar were a woman I should be in
love with him."
In spite of his great genius Napoleon was the dupe
of this young Emperor, who, he thought, was his friend.
From this interview he gained nothing except a breath-
ing spell during which he could proceed, without danger
of immediate interruption, to regulate his affairs in
Spain.
Between his return from Erfurt, and his departure
for Spain, Napoleon spent only ten days with Jose-
phine at Saint-Cloud. During this time their relations
were somewhat strained. The Emperor appeared em-
2743
A YEAR OF ANXIETY
barrassed in the presence of his wife, as though he
feared that, through some indiscretion, a report of his
matrimonial projects might have reached her ears; and
Josephine, who both desired and feared to know the
truth, did not venture to ask any questions. As usual,
she wished to accompany the Emperor to the frontier,
and it was almost by main force that he prevented her
from entering the carriage which bore him away.
Leaving Saint-Cloud on the 29 October, the Em-
peror reached Bayonne on the 3 November; a month
later he was at the gates of Madrid, and the city capit-
ulated the following day. During the three weeks
which he spent at the capital, Napoleon resided at a
small country mansion, Chamartin, a few miles north
of the city. He was constantly occupied with plans for
the upbuilding of the country. He had reinstated his
brother on the throne, and if there had been time for
the new institutions to take root, Spain to-day would
be a far more progressive country.
In the meantime, an English army under Sir John
Moore had advanced on Burgos to cut the French line
of communications, and on the 22 December the Em-
peror left Madrid with 'his Guard, to meet this new
offensive. Moore learned of his danger in time and
beat a hasty retreat. When he was at Astorga, on the
first day of January 1809, Napoleon received a des-
patch from his old friend and aide de camp Lavalette,
telling him of the intrigues of Talleyrand and Fouche
with Murat and Caroline, and the armament of Aus-
tria, He turned over the pursuit of the English to Ney
and Soult, and started for Valladolid. On the 17 Jan-
uary he set out for Paris, covering the distance of
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
thirty leagues from Valladolid to Burgos in the remark-
able time of six hours, upon his own horses, arranged
in six relays. The following day he left this country,
which he alone could have conquered, which he never
was to see again, and which was destined to ruin his
Empire. At eight o'clock on the morning of the 23
January he was back in the Tuileries.
During his absence of twelve weeks Napoleon sent
Josephine fourteen letters, some of them brief and in-
significant. The first five, from Marrac, Tolosa, Vit-
toria, Burgos, and Arranda, tell only of his progress,
and the state of his health. After this, his letters are
longer and more interesting.
To the Empress, at Paris
(CHAMARTIN), 7 December 1808
I am in receipt your letter of the 28 (November). I am
glad to hear that you are well. . . . My health is good. The
weather here is like the last half of May at Paris. It is
warm, and we have no fire, unless the night is cool.
Madrid is tranquil. All my affairs are going well.
Adieu, mon amie.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
(CHAMARTIN), 10 December 1808
Mon amie, I have your letter. You tell me that the
weather is bad at Paris; here we are having the finest in
the world. Tell me, I pray you, what Hortense means by
her reforms: they say she is discharging her servants? Has
any one refused her what she needs? Send me a word on
the subject; the reforms are not in good taste.
A YEAR OF ANXIETY
Adieu, mon amie. ... All here goes very well, and I
pray you to take good care of yourself.
NAPOLEON
(CHAMARTIN), 21 December 1808
You should have returned to the Tuileries the 12 (Decem-
ber). I hope that you have been satisfied with your apart-
ments. . . .
Adieu, mon amie. I am well: the weather is rainy, and a
little cold.
NAPOLEON
(CHAMARTIN), 22 December 1808
I leave immediately to manoeuvre the English, who appear
to have received their reinforcements, and to desire to make
their swagger (jaire les cranes). The weather is fine; my
health perfect. Have no anxiety.
NAPOLEON
BENEVENTE, 31 December 1808
Mon amie, I have been in pursuit of the English for
several days, but they flee in terror. In order not to retard
their retreat for a half-day, they have basely abandoned
the wreck of the Romana army. More than one hundred
baggage-wagons have already been taken. The weather
is very bad.
Adieu, mon amie. Bessieres with 10,000 cavalry is at
Astorga.
Happy New Year to everybody! NAPOLEON
BENEVENTE, $ January 1809
Mon amie, I am writing only a line. The English are
completely routed. I have ordered the Due de Dalmatie
(Soult) to pursue them vigorously (Vtyee dam les reins).
I am well. The weather is bad.
Adieu, mon amie. NAPOLEON
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
(VALLODOLID), 8 January 1809
I have your letters of the 23 and 26 (December). I am
sorry to hear that you are suffering from your teeth. I have
been here for two days. The weather is seasonable. The
English are embarking. I am well.
Adieu, mon amie.
I am writing to Hortense. Eugene has a daughter.
Tout a toi
NAPOLEON
(VALLODOLID), 9 January 1809
Moustache (a courier) has brought me your letter of the
31 December. I see, my friend, that you are sad, and that
you are very anxious. Austria will not go to war with me.
If she does, I have 150,000 men in Germany, as many on
the Rhine, and 400,000 Germans to meet her. Russia will
not abandon me. They are mad in Paris; all goes well.
I shall be in Paris as soon as I think it necessary. I warn
you to beware of apparitions; one of these fine days at
two o'clock in the morning. . . .
But adieu, mon amie; I am well, and ever yours
NAPOLEON
On the afternoon of the 23 January, the day of his
return to Paris, all of the ministers and grand officers
of the State called at the Tuileries to pay their homage
to the Emperor. In the presence of this distinguished
assembly, Napoleon severely rebuked Talleyrand and
Fouche for the disgraceful intrigue which they had
carried on during his absence. This reproof was not the
cause of their hostility to the Emperor, as often stated,
but it was the signal for the secret war which they
levied against him from that time on.
C2783
A YEAR OF ANXIETY
During the Campaign of Poland, in 1807, and again
during the absence of the Emperor in Spain , the follow-
ing year, the possibility of his death, and its effect on
the dynasty, were seriously discussed at Paris. There
were well-founded rumors of a project to place Murat
on the throne, in case anything happened to Napoleon,
Fouche and Talleyrand were in the plot, and the warm-
est advocate, if not the real instigator of the plan, was
Napoleon's ambitious sister Caroline.
In this connection there is a record in the Journal
of Stanislas Girardin of a conversation which he had
with Josephine on the last day of February 1809, after
his return from Spain. The Empress said to him:
" While you were in Spain there were some curious
rapprochements; irreconcilable enemies [Fouche and
Talleyrand] have suddenly become reconciled; men
who never saw each other have been seen together fre-
quently. . . . This clique is powerful, and braves us;
Fouche is its soul.
" When Murat was given the throne of Naples, all
the journals under the control of the police sang his
praises. . . . Fouche said openly that Murat was the
only successor of the Emperor, the only one who could
inspire Europe with fear, and the only one who en-
joyed the confidence of the Army. He wrote a letter to
the Emperor in which he stated positively that France
did not want any of his brothers as a successor. For-
tunately the eyes of Bonaparte are opened since his
return. The letter of which I speak is in existence: it
is in the hands of Meneval [the Emperor's secretary]."
In spite of the assertions of Lanfrey and other his-
0793
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
torians, there is little doubt of the existence of this
plot, but the Austrian menace probably had more
weight in determining the Emperor to return from
Spain. Austria thought that the moment was opportune
to attempt to recover her lost possessions. The Arch-
duke Charles, who was in command of the army,
had made a supreme effort to raise a force capable
of meeting Napoleon, and he had done his work
well.
Late on the 12 April Napoleon was informed by a
semaphore message that the Austrian army had crossed
the Inn and invaded the territory of his ally the King
of Bavaria. At daybreak the next morning, accom-
panied by Josephine, he started for Strasbourg, where
he arrived in forty-eight hours. He left the Empress
there and immediately crossed the Rhine.
During the following week, in one of the most bril-
liant operations of his career, the Emperor won two
decisive victories, and completely crushed the Austrian
offensive. Eighteen days later he was once more quar-
tered in the palace of Schcenbrunn at Vienna.
On the 23 April, before Ratisbon, Napoleon was
slightly wounded by a spent bullet which struck him
in the right heel. This is the only; wound he is ever
known to have received, except a bayonet thrust in the
thigh at the siege of Toulon; but at the time of the
autopsy, after his death at Saint Helena, several scars
were found on his body. This seems to prove that he
was hit on other occasions, but was successful in con-
cealing the fact.
Josephine remained for several weeks at Strasbourg,
where she was visited by Hortense and her sons, by
A YEAR OF ANXIETY
the Queen of Westphalia and the Grand Duchess of
Baden.
The story of the campaign is told in several brief
letters from the Emperor:
To the Empress, at Strasbourg
DOXATTW(RTH, 1 8 April 1809
I reached here at four o'clock this morning, and am
leaving. Everything is in motion. There is great activity
in the military operations. Up to this moment there is no
news.
ENNS, Noon, 6 May 1809
I have received your letter. The ball which touched me,
did not wound me: it hardly grazed the tendon of Achilles.
My health is very good. You have no need for anxiety.
SAINT-POLTEN, 9 May 1809
To-morrow I shall be before Vienna just a month
from the day that the Austrians crossed the Inn, and broke
the peace. My health is good, the weather superb, and the
soldiers very gay.
VIENNA, 12 May 1809
I am sending the brother of the Duchesse de Montebello
to tell you that I am master of Vienna, and that all here is
well. My health is very good.
VIENNA, 27 May 1809
I am sending a page to inform you that Eugene has
joined me with his entire army; that he has performed
perfectly the task that I assigned him; that he has almost
entirely destroyed the force of the enemy which opposed
him.
2813
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
EBERSDOKF, 29 May 1809
I have been here since yesterday; I am stopped by the
river. The bridge has been burned: I shall cross at mid-
night. Everything goes as I would desire, that is to say
very well. The Austrians have been struck by a thunder-
bolt.
It would be impossible for any one reading the last
two letters to imagine that they were written a week
after the terrible two-days' battle of Aspern-Essling,
in which Napoleon received one of the worst reverses
in his career. In his next letter he alludes to a visit of
Hortense and her sons, without his permission, to the
baths of Baden; and also to the death of his old com-
panion-in-arms, Lannes, who was mortally wounded
just at the end of the battle of Essling.
To the Empress, at Strasbourg
(EBERSDORF), 31 May 1809
I have your letter of the 26. I have written you that
you may go to Plombieres. I do not care to have you go to
Baden: you must not leave France. I have ordered the
two princes to return to France. I have been much afflicted
by the loss of the Due de Montebello, who died this morn-
ing. Thus all comes to an end! ! If you can help to console
his poor wife, do so.
(VIENNA) 9 June 1809
I am glad to learn that* you are going to the waters of
Plombieres; they will do you good. I am well, and the
weather is very fine. I note with pleasure that Hortense
and her son are in France.
A YEAR OF ANXIETY
SCHCENBRITNX, 1 6 June l8og
I am sending a page to announce that the 14, anniver-
sary of Marengo, Eugene gained a battle against the Arch-
duke John at Raab, in Hungary; that he has taken 3000
men, several cannon, four flags; and has pursued them very
far on the road to Bude.
Early in June, Hortense left her mother to go to
the baths in the Pyrenees, and Josephine went to Plom-
bieres. Here she received the news of the great victory
of Wagram, and of the armistice of Znai'm. On the 13
July the Emperor was again back at Vienna, where lie
remained until the final peace was signed on the 14
October. It is rather remarkable to note that, although
he had Madame Walewska with him, his brief letters
are more tender than for several years. In one he says:
" Good-bye, mon amie, you know my feelings for
Josephine: they are unchangeable." Two letters writ-
ten from Vienna in August, and one in September, are
even more notable. At this time Josephine had gone
from Plombieres to Malmaison. " I have heard," he
writes on the 26 August, " that you are fat, fresh, and
looking very well. I assure you that Vienna is not an
amusing town. I should much like to be back again in
Paris." Five days later he says: "I have received no
letters from you for several days. The pleasures of
Malmaison, the beautiful hothouses, the fine gardens,
cause the absent to be forgotten. That is the way with
you all, they say." Finally, on the 25 September: " I
have your letter. Do not be too sure. I warn you to
look after yourself well at night; for one of these
early ones you will hear a great noise! "
1:2833
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
From Munich on the 21 and 22 October 1809, the
Emperor sent Josephine the last letters he wrote dur-
ing the Campaign of Wagram, the last also which she
was to receive from him before the divorce.
To the Empress, at Malmaison
NYMPHENBOURG, near MUNICH, 21 October 1809
I have been here since yesterday, in good health. I do not
expect to start to-morrow. I shall stop a day at Stuttgart.
You will be notified twenty-four hours in advance of my
arrival at Fontainebleau. It will be a treat for me to see you
again, and I await the moment with impatience.
I embrace you.
Ever yours
NAPOLEON
MUNICH, (22 October jSoo.)
Mon amie, I start in an hour. I shall arrive at Fontaine-
bleau the 26 or 27; you can go there with some ladies.
NAPOLEON
2843
CHAPTER TWEXTY-SEVEX
1809
RETURN OF THE EMPEROR
Napoleon Arrives at Fontainebleau He Informs Cambaceres
of the Coming Divorce His Cold Reception of Josephine
She Finds the Door of Communication Closed Hesita-
tion of the Emperor Josephine at Forty-six Napoleon
Breaks the Fatal News The Scene of the 30 November
A Comic Episode The Verdict of History Napoleon's
Sincere Regret His Interview with Hortense The Final
Fetes An Unfortunate Contretemps at Grosbois
"\HE Emperor reached Fontainebleau on his re-
turn from Vienna at nine o'clock on the
morning of the 26 October. He had travelled
with such rapidity that he arrived a day sooner than
he was expected, and found no one to receive him
except the concierge. To pass away the time he in-
spected the new apartments in the chateau which he
had had furnished with great magnificence.
A little later Cambaceres appeared, in advance of
the other courtiers. The failure of the Empress to meet
him, which was in no way her fault, seemed to have
put Napoleon in very bad humor, and he openly
declared to the arch-chancellor his fixed intention of
repudiating Josephine, and espousing either a Russian
or an Austrian princess. Cambaceres, who was devoted
to the Empress, ventured some timid and respectful
remonstrances, but was immediately silenced.
285:1
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
At this time Napoleon was truly the " spoilt child of
Fortune." More absolute and more imperious than
ever, he no longer allowed even a suggestion from his
family or his ministers: every one obeyed and kept
silent. In the words of Monsieur Thiers: " His all-
powerful nature had completely blossomed out, and it
was to fade away like his fortune, for nothing stands
still."
Next came Fouche, and the wily Minister of Police
was not slow to take advantage of the Emperor's feel-
ing to make an indirect attack on the absent Josephine.
" There is not one of your marshals," he said, " who
is not considering how to dispose of your estate if we
have the misfortune to lose you. It is a case of Alex-
ander's lieutenants eager for their kingdoms."
After these conversations with his ministers, the Em-
peror went to his library and began to write. Late in
the afternoon he heard the noise of a carriage arriving
in the court, and rushed down stairs. But it was not
the Empress, and he returned to his work.
An hour later Josephine finally arrived. She had
made all possible haste to come from Saint-Cloud as
soon as she was informed of the return of the Emperor.
Seeing that Napoleon did not come to meet her, with
a heavy heart she mounted the stairway, and entered
the library, where she found Napoleon seated at his
writing-table. " Ah! there you are at last," he ex-
daimed. " You did well to come, for I was about to
leave for Saint-Cloud." At this brutal welcome, after
a separation of six months, the eyes of Josephine filled
with tears, and she swayed as though she were about
to fall. Napoleon at once relented, took her in his
286:1
RETURN OF THE EMPEROR
arms, and tenderly embraced her. Josephine then went
to her apartment to change her toilette for dinner.
An hour and a half later she reappeared, resplendent
in a new gown which became her marvellously. To
avoid the embarrassment of a tete-a-tete meal, the Em-
peror invited two of his ministers, who were working
with him, to dine with them. Forgetting his bad humor,
he showed himself quite amiable.
But the evening was not to end without another rude
shock to Josephine. On going to her rooms for the
night she discovered for the first time that, during the
recent alterations to the chateau, the inner door which
communicated with the Emperor's suite had been
closed. This was a significant fact which she did not
fail to appreciate. She did not dare to ask the Emperor
for an explanation, but the next morning she ques-
tioned M. de Bausset, the prefect of the palace. He
professed his ignorance of the change, and Josephine
said: " You may be sure that there is some mystery
attached to it." To a woman of her intelligence, how-
ever, there was very little mystery about the matter.
She fully understood that the divorce was now only a
question of days. Yet when they left Fontainebleau for
Paris on the 14 November, the Emperor had not
spoken, and Josephine again began " to hope against
hope."
At Paris there was soon a regular assembly of
crowned heads. The King of Saxony was already there,
and a few days later there arrived the kings of Naples,
Westphalia and Holland, and the princes of the Con-
federation of the Rhine. Segur, the grand-master of
ceremonies, had difficulty in finding suitable quarters
O873
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
for so many exalted personages, and complained that
he was troubled by an " embarras de rois." It was
surely an irony of fate that the imperial Court had
never been so brilliant and so attractive as when the
gracious Josephine was about to leave it forever.
Napoleon, usually so prompt to put his plans into
execution, did not seem to be able to make up his mind
to sever finally the tie which bound him to the woman
who for fourteen years had been associated with his
destiny, and who recalled the most brilliant days of
his youth and his glory. M. de Bausset draws this
sketch of Josephine at the time of the divorce:
" The Empress was forty-six years old. No woman
could have more grace of manner and bearing. Her eyes
were enchanting, her smile full of charm, her voice of
an extreme softness, her form noble, supple, perfect.
Her toilette, always elegant and in perfect taste, made
her appear much younger than she really was. But all
this was as nothing beside the goodness of her heart.
Her spirit was amiable; never did she wound the self-
love of any one, never had she anything disagreeable
to say. Her disposition was always even and placid.
Devoted to Napoleon, she communicated to him, with-
out his perceiving it, her kindness and goodness."
A still more intimate observer, Mile. Avrillon, gives
us another view of Josephine at this same time. She
says: " The Empress, constantly in tears, endeavored to
hide them from the persons around her; but it did not
take a very discerning eye to perceive that her happi-
ness was destroyed forever, for she lived in a state of
continual agitation. It is really impossible for me to
say whether she was rendered more unhappy by the
288]
EMPRESS JOSfiPHINE
RETURN OF THE EMPEROR
blow she received than by all the preliminaries of the
event itself. As, notwithstanding the conviction of her
future, she still preserved, if not hope, at least a vague
feeling of uncertainty, every time that a minister or
a grand dignitary of the Empire came to see her, she
pressed him with indirect questions, tormented equally
by the desire to know her fate and the fear to learn
it."
Finally, on the last day of November, Napoleon
found the courage to break the fatal news. " What a
scene for a tragedy! " he said himself, in speaking
later of the events of that evening at the Tuileries.
Josephine dined alone with the Emperor in a room
adjoining his chamber on the first floor. She wore a
large white hat which partly concealed her face. Not a
word was spoken, and neither of them touched the
courses which were placed before them, and then
silently removed. After dinner they went into the salon
on the other side of the palace, between the Throne
Room and the Gallery of Diana. After a moment of
silence, Napoleon began to speak. He said that the
safety of the Empire demanded a momentous resolu-
tion, and that he counted on all of her courage and
devotion to consent to a step upon which he himself,
with the greatest reluctance, had decided the dis-
solution of their marriage. Josephine made no reply.
She burst into tears, and then fell, apparently in a
dead faint, upon the floor.
Greatly agitated, the Emperor opened the door of
the salon, and called M. de Bausset, who was on duty
that evening. After closing the door, Napoleon asked
the prefect if he was strong enough to lift the Empress,
1:2893
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
and carry her by the interior staircase to her apart-
ment on the ground floor. Bausset, a large, stout man,
took Josephine in his arms, and followed Napoleon,
who led the way, holding a candle in his hand. When
the staircase was reached, Bausset saw that it was too
narrow for him to descend with such a burden. The
Emperor thereupon called an attendant, gave him the
candle, and told him to light the way. Then he relieved
Bausset of the Empress' legs, allowing him to support
her body. In this manner, the descent was begun, Na-
poleon walking backwards and Bausset following, sup-
porting Josephine with his arms around her waist and
her head resting on his shoulder. Suddenly he heard
her voice, whispering to him softly: " Take care! you
hurt me; you are holding me too tight."
The descent was finished without other incidents,
and Josephine, still in a swoon, was placed upon a sofa,
and her maids called. The Emperor then left her in
their care, and withdrew from the room, with his
eyes filled with tears, and every sign of the deepest
agitation. It would be difficult to believe this little
episode of the stairway if the story were not related
by such a devoted servant of the Empress as M. de
Bausset.
If there is anything certain in this world, it is that
Napoleon from the first always loved Josephine with a
devotion which far exceeded her attachment for him,
and that he continued to love her until his life's end.
Yet History will never forgive him for finally allowing
his duty to the Empire to overcome his affections. It
is easy to condemn his action as heartless, or as dic-
tated by ambition, but nothing is gained by calling
2903
RETURN OF THE EMPEROR
names. If it were not for the fantastic connection which
has been imagined between the fortunes of Napoleon
and the " guiding star of his life," we should not have
heard so much in condemnation of his divorce, which
certainly was dictated by the most powerful reasons
of State. The case is not altered by the fact that his
second marriage was a dismal failure; or, as he him-
self once expressed it, that the Austrian alliance was
" an abyss covered with flowers." It is a striking in-
stance of the shortness of human foresight that a step
taken to assure the safety of the Empire was to be
the principal cause of its fall.
In his trouble, after this trying scene with Josephine,
Napoleon opened up his heart to Bausset. In a voice
broken by emotion he said: " The interests of France
and of my dynasty have forced my heart; the divorce
has become for me a rigorous duty. ... I am all the
more afflicted by the scene which I have just had with
Josephine because for three days she must have known
through Hortense the unfortunate obligation which
condemns me to seek a separation from her. ... I
pity her from the bottom of my heart; I thought that
she had more character, and I was not prepared for
the manifestation of her grief." After each sentence
he paused to catch his breath, and displayed every sign
of the most poignant emotion.
Then he sent for his personal physician, Corvisart;
also for Hortense, Fouche, and Cambaceres. Before
ascending to his own apartment, he went again to see
Josephine, whom he found calm and more resigned.
He received the two ministers on their arrival, and
afterwards had a long talk with Hortense,
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
The interview with the Queen was very painful. He
began in a tone of simulated harshness:
" My decision is made/' he said. " Neither tears nor
cries will affect a resolution which has become un-
avoidable, a resolution absolutely necessary for the
safety of the Empire."
" Sire/' replied Hortense, " you will have neither
tears nor cries. The Empress will not fail to submit
to your wishes, and to descend from the throne, as she
mounted it, by your will. Her children, content to re-
nounce the grandeurs which have not made them
happy, will willingly consecrate their lives to consoling
the best and most tender of mothers."
" That cannot be," cried Napoleon, much moved by
her words. " Such an action would raise the suspicion
of a veiled misunderstanding, either on your part to-
wards me, or on my part towards your mother and
her family."
" In our exile," continued Hortense, " we shall never
forget all that we owe to the Emperor."
"Ah! you will abandon me? " cried the Emperor,
bursting into tears. " You, you, to whom I have been
a father! No, you cannot do that! You will remain
with me; the future of your children demands it. ...
No matter how great for us all is this cruel sacrifice,
it must be carried out with the dignity imposed by
circumstances."
The Emperor then outlined to Hortense his plans
for Josephine's future: palaces, chateaux, a magnifi-
cent income, the first rank after the reigning Empress.
Everything possible was to be done to dissemble the
change in her situation which would result from the
RETURN OF THE EMPEROR
divorce. He then sent Hortense to see her mother and
try to reconcile her.
The night which followed was one of the saddest in
the life of Napoleon. Several times he arose and de-
scended to inform himself personally of the condition
of Josephine. He did not sleep at all.
In the morning, when Mile. Avrillon came, Josephine
called to her to approach the bed, and told her confi-
dentially what had occurred. Seeing her air of conster-
nation, Josephine at once began to excuse the Emperor,
saying: "He is in despair over our separation; he
also cried, and assured me that it was the greatest
sacrifice he could make for France. Yes, I well know
that he must have an heir for his glory, a child who
will consolidate his Empire. ... He has told Hor-
tense that he will always be the same for her and Eu-
gene, and that he will often come to me in my retreat.
... He has sworn that he will never compel me to
leave France. He allows me to live at Malmaison. . . .
He wishes me always to enjoy a position of considera-
tion, and that I shall have an adequate income."
At that time there were no daily papers such as we
have to-day, all eager for news; but the journals would
not have ventured to publish the reports even if rumors
of the coming event had leaked out. The secret seems
to have been well kept by the few persons who knew
it, and the Empress appeared as usual at several func-
tions during the first two weeks of December. At the
fetes of this trying fortnight Napoleon was in public
even more attentive to Josephine than usual.
On the first day of December the Emperor and Em-
press went to Malmaison where a fete was given in
293]
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
honor of the King of Saxony, at which were present
the kings of Naples, Holland and Wurtemberg, who
arrived in Paris that day.
An elaborate program had been arranged, to cele-
brate the double anniversay of the Coronation and
the victory of Austerlitz, as well as the conclusion of
the Treaty of Vienna. The festivals were to be pro-
longed over several days. On the third, in the morning,
there was a Te Deum at Notre-Dame; in the after-
noon, the formal opening of the Corps Legislatif; and
in the evening, a State dinner at the Tuileries. On the
fourth, in the morning there was a grand review in
the court of the Tuileries, and in the evening the Em-
peror and Empress were present at a fete given at
the Hotel-de-Ville in honor of the Coronation. For this
occasion the court of the Hotel-de-Ville had been trans-
formed into an enormous ball-room. The kings and
queens danced in the quadrille d'honneur, after which
the Emperor traversed the room, and addressed a few
courteous words to many of the ladies present.
On the seventh, there was a spectacle at the Tuile-
ries, but this time the Empress did not appear. It was
given out that she was suffering from a migraine: poor
Josephine had gone to the limits of her endurance.
She was also absent from the side of the Emperor,
when on the eighth he received in the Throne Room
a deputation of the Corps Legislatif. In his reply to
the address the Emperor used a phrase which seemed
to presage the coming event: " We shall always know
how, my family and myself, to sacrifice even our dear-
est affections to the interests and the welfare of this
great nation."
RETURN OF THE EMPEROR
On the eleventh, Josephine appeared in public with
Napoleon for the last time, at a fete given at the
chateau of Grosbois by Marshal Berthier, Prince de
Neuchatel et de Wagram. This fine residence had be-
longed before the Revolution to the Comte de Pro-
vence, and later to Barras and Moreau. The kings and
princes then in Paris, and a large part of the Court,
were present. There was a hunt during the day, fol-
lowed in the evening by a dinner, a spectacle and a
ball.
The evening was marred by a most unfortunate con-
tretemps. Berthier had arranged to entertain his guests
with a comedy played by Brunet, one of the most pop-
ular actors of the day. Brunet, who was entirely ig-
norant of the coming event, chose from his repertoire
a very droll little play which turned on the subject of
divorce. Imagine the embarrassment, the stupefaction
of poor Berthier, and the feelings of Napoleon and
Josephine, when the actor announced his intention of
securing a divorce " pour avoir des ancetres " (to have
ancestors); followed by a change of mind, with the
sage remark: " I know what my wife is, I do not
know what the one I take may be like."
This scene of comedy, in the drama of divorce, was
worthy of the pen of a Shakespeare. " Truth is stranger
than fiction."
295!!
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
1809
THE DIVORCE
Eugene Reaches Paris His Difficult Position He Arranges
a Final Conference Refuses the Crown of Italy The
Family Council at the Tuileries Address of the Emperor
Josephine's Touching Reply Eugene's Address to the
Senate Napoleon Leaves for the Trianon Josephine's
Departure from the Tuileries Annulment of the Religious
Marriage The Legend of Josephine
PRINCE EUGENE arrived in Paris on the 8
December. At the time he left Milan he was
still ignorant of the reasons for his summons,
but Hortense, by order of the Emperor, met him at
Nemours, a few miles south of Fontainebleau, and
broke the sad news. Josephine had looked forward to
his arrival, with the hope that he might turn the Em-
peror from his purpose, even at the last moment; but
this illusion was soon dissipated.
The position of Eugene was very difficult. He was
devoted to his mother, but he owed everything to the
Emperor. It was not easy to reconcile his feeling of
filial tenderness, with the respect and the gratitude
which bound him to Napoleon. At his first interview
he saw that the divorce was no longer an open ques-
tion, and that it would be useless for him to raise any
objections. He demanded the permission of the Em-
peror to retire to private life, saying that he could no
296:1
THE DIVORCE
longer hold the office of viceroy when his mother had
ceased to be empress. To which the Emperor replied:
" Do you not realize how imperious are the reasons
which force me. to take this step? If Heaven grants me
the object of my dearest hopes, the son so necessary
to me, who will take my place by his side when I am
absent? Who will be to him a father, if I die? Who
will bring him up? Who will make a man of him? "
In order to settle the matter definitely, without any
further delay, Eugene asked the Emperor to consent
to a meeting with Josephine, where, in his presence,
they could have a final explanation. Napoleon agreed,
and the conference was held that same evening.
The Emperor stated that the divorce was an abso-
lute necessity for the stability of the Empire. Josephine
in turn said that this consideration should outweigh
any others, and that she was ready to make this sacri-
fice for her country. Then she added, bursting into
tears: " As soon as we are separated, my children will
be forgotten. Make Eugene King of Italy."
Eugene interrupted her with the indignant words:
" No! I pray you, leave me out of the question. Your
son does not wish for a crown, which would be the
price of your separation. If you bow to the wishes of
the Emperor, it is of you alone that he must think."
Napoleon was touched. " That is Eugene's true heart,"
he said. " He does well to trust to my affection."
Friday, the 15 December 1809, was the day chosen
by the Emperor for the dissolution of his civil marriage.
The Family Council assembled at nine o'clock in the
evening at the Tuileries in the salon of the Emperor,
on the first floor, between the Throne Room and the
O97 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Gallery of Diana. All the members of the family were
present except Joseph, who was in Spain, Lucien, who
was still in disgrace, and Elisa, who was expecting a
child. But Madame Mere, Louis, Jerome and his wife,
Pauline, Caroline and her husband, Murat, were there,
together with Eugene and his sister as representatives
of the Beauharnais. Cambaceres, the arch-chancellor,
and Regnault, secretary of state, were also present.
The palace was brilliantly illuminated, as on days
of fete, and the whole Imperial family was in full Court
dress. Josephine wore a perfectly plain white robe, with
no jewels. Although very pale, she seemed calmer than
either Eugene or Hortense, who were much agitated.
Around the room were arranged the seats for the mem-
bers of the family, in due order of precedence: arm-
chairs for the Emperor, Empress, and Madame Mere;
chairs for the kings and queens; and stools for the
others.
When all had taken their places, the Emperor arose,
and began to read his address:
" The policy of my monarchy, the interests and the
needs of my people, which have constantly guided my
actions, demand that after myself, I leave to children,
heirs of my love for my people, this throne upon which
Providence has placed me. Nevertheless, for several
years past, I have lost the hope. of having children of
my marriage with my well-loved spouse the Empress
Josephine. It is this which has led me to sacrifice
the dearest affection of my heart, to listen only to the
welfare of the State, and to desire the dissolution of
our marriage.
" Arrived at the age of forty years, I .can conceive
1:2933
THE DIVORCE
the hope of living long enough to bring up in my spirit
and my thought the children whom it may please Prov-
idence to give me. God knows how much such a reso-
lution has cost my heart; but there is no sacrifice above
my courage, when it is proved to me that it is for the
benefit of France."
The address of the Emperor had been carefully pre-
pared and written out in advance, but departing now
from the text he continued:
" Far from ever having had to complain, I can, on the
contrary, only rejoice over the affection and tenderness
of my well-loved spouse. She has graced fifteen years
of my life, and the memory of this will remain ever
stamped upon my heart. She was crowned by my hand;
I desire that she shall keep the rank and title of
crowned Empress, but above all that she shall never
doubt my feelings, and that she shall have me always
as her best and dearest friend/'
It was now the turn of Josephine to speak. She also
had modified the terms of the declaration prepared for
her, which by its excess of adulation would have taken,
from her lips, a tone of irony. The words which she
used were well chosen, and apparently her own, as they
were written in her clear hand upon her usual paper.
Once more she had given proof of that tact which was
one of her graces and her charms. But she had only
read a few sentences when her voice became choked
with tears, and she handed the paper to Regnault, who
continued the discourse:
" With the permission of our august and dear spouse,
I declare that, since I have no hope of bearing chil-
dren, who can satisfy the requirements of his policy
O99 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
and the interests of France, it is my pleasure to give
him the greatest proof of attachment and devotion
which was ever given on earth. I owe all to his bounty;
it was his hand which crowned me, and seated me on
this throne. I have received nothing but proofs of af-
fection and love from the French people. I am recog-
nizing all this, I believe, in consenting to the dissolution
of a marriage which is now an obstacle to the welfare
of France, and deprives her of the good fortune of
being ruled one day by the descendants of a great man,
plainly raised up by Providence, to remove the ill-
effects of a terrible Revolution, and to set up again
the altar, the throne, and the social order. But the
dissolution of my marriage will make no change in the
sentiments of my heart. The Emperor will always have
in me his best friend. I know how much this act, which
is made necessary by his policy and by such great in-
terests, has wounded his heart; but we shall win glory,
both of us, by the sacrifice which we have made in the
interests of our country."
Not only her children, Eugene and Hortense, but
even the hostile Bonapartes, were moved by these elo-
quent and touching words. The meeting ended with
the signature by each member of the Imperial family
of the document prepared by Cambaceres. The Em-
peror then conducted Josephine to her apartment,
where he left her after a tender embrace.
But the night was not to 'end for Napoleon without
one more painful scene. He had hardly retired when
the door opened and Josephine appeared. She threw
herself into his arms, and Napoleon pressed her to his
heart, saying: " Come, my good Josephine, be more
300:1
THE DIVORCE
reasonable. Courage, courage, I shall always be thy
friend."
The following day Josephine was to leave the Tuile-
ries forever. After a sleepless night she was occupied
from early morning with her preparations for depart-
ure. Her children were with her, but Eugene was
obliged to leave her at eleven o'clock for the meeting of
the Senate, where the decree was to be passed, annull-
ing the imperial marriage. It was the first appearance
of the Viceroy in his quality of senator. After taking
his oath of office, he spoke in support of the resolution
offered by Comte Regnault, saying: " I think that it
is my duty, under the present circumstances, to make
plain the sentiments by which my family is animated.
My mother, my sister, and myself, we owe everything
to the Emperor. To us he has ben a real father. At
all times he will find in us, devoted children, and sub-
missive subjects. It is important for the welfare of
France that the founder of this fourth dynasty shall
grow old surrounded by direct heirs who shall be our
guarantee, as a pledge of the country's glory. When
my mother was crowned before the whole nation by
the hands of her august spouse, she contracted the
obligation t6 sacrifice all her affections to the interests
of France. She has filled this first of her duties with
courage, nobility and dignity."
Of the eighty-seven senators present, all but seven
voted in favor of the decree, with four blank bulletins.
Attention was called to the fact, often forgotten, that
no less than thirteen of the predecessors of Napoleon
upon the throne of France had been constrained to
dissolve their marriage bonds, and among them four
3013
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
of the monarchs the most admired and loved by the
people: Charlemagne, Philip-Augustus, Louis the
Twelfth, and Henry the Fourth.
The first act of the program, the annulment of the
civil marriage, had been carried out, and no obstacle
had been encountered. All of the actors had filled their
roles better than any one could have expected. There
remained the religious marriage to dissolve, a very
necessary step if the Emperor were to espouse a Cath-
olic princess.
While the chamber of the Senate was. still echoing
with the adulations of the address unanimously voted
to her by the members, the Empress was leaving the
Tuileries. It had been arranged that during the course
of the day Josephine should go to Malmaison, which
in the future was to be her principal residence, while
the Emperor was to depart for the Trianon. He was
to leave first, at four o'clock in the afternoon. When
his carriage was announced, he took his hat, called to
his secretary, Meneval, to follow him, and rapidly de-
scended the private staircase which led to the apart-
ment of Josephine in the rez-de-chauss6e. On the en-
trance of the Emperor, Josephine, who was awaiting
him alone, threw herself into his arms, and Napoleon
tenderly embraced her. Theft she fainted, and Meneval
rang for her attendants. As soon as Napoleon saw that
she was recovering consciousness, to avoid a prolonga-
tion of the painful scene, he took his departure. En-
joining upon his secretary not to leave the Empress,
he passed through the salons on the ground floor to
the court, and entered his carriage which bore him
away to Versailles.
11302]
THE DIVORCE
When Josephine perceived that the Emperor had
left, she seized the hands of M. de Meneval, and ex-
claimed: " Tell the Emperor not to forget me. Assure
him of my undying affection. Promise me to send me
news of him as soon as you arrive at the Trianon, and
see that he writes me."
It was now the turn of Josephine to leave. All the
members of the palace household had gathered in the
vestibule to salute the Empress as she departed. She
was loved and regretted by all, and many eyes were
filled with tears. To her they had always gone in their
troubles, when there was a favor to ask, or a fault to
be pardoned. There was not one who did not regard
the good Empress as a guardian angel.
For the last time, Josephine enters her carriage at
the door of the Tuileries, and leaves this abode of ten
years, where she has spent so many happy days, and
also endured so many hours of anguish.
Cambac6res, who had the matter in charge, found
great and unexpected difficulties in procuring the an-
nulment of the religious marriage, and a whole month
passed before the decree was published. The ground
taken was that the Emperor had been constrained, that
his consent had been neither Voluntary nor free, and
that under the circumstances the marriage was null
and void. The facts could not be disputed, but matri-
monial cases of sovereigns were by usage reserved for
the Pope: it was before the Supreme Pontiff that the
cases of Louis the Twelfth and Henry the Fourth had
been taken. Now the domains of the Church had been
annexed to the Empire, and Napoleon had been ex-
3033
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
communicated by the Pope, who was at present his
prisoner. Other means must therefore be sought for the
dissolution of the marriage. The various steps are re-
lated in detail by M. Masson, to whom the curious
reader is referred. Suffice it here to state that on the
14 January 1810 the Moniteur announced to France
and to the entire world the rupture of the spiritual
bond which united His Majesty the Emperor Napoleon
and Her Majesty the c Empress Josephine.
For several weeks the divorce was naturally the one
topic of discussion in Paris. Josephine was an object
of universal sympathy, and on descending from the
throne, as if she were already dead, she was accorded
all the virtues.
In the Army, the divorce was generally regretted.
With the soldiers she had long been legendary, and
many of the officers also attributed to her a beneficent
effect upon the fortunes of Napoleon. When the hour
of defeat sounded, during the terrible retreat from
Moscow, more than one of the old grognards were
heard to exclaim: " The Little Corporal should never
have given up la vieille (the old woman) ; she brought
good fortune to him and to us too." It is doubtful if
Josephine would have been entirely pleased with this
compliment if she had overheard it.
Beugnot, in his M6moires, also speaks of the
general belief that Josephine brought good luck to her
husband. " I repeated it, and I even almost believed
it," he writes, " that Josephine was the good fortune
of the Emperor, and consequently of France, and that
if she were ever separated from her husband, she would
carry that fortune with her."
113043
THE DIVORCE
Josephine, with her Creole tendency to superstition,
probably believed it, and certainly tried to make Na-
poleon believe it. Later on, when overcome by reverses
and betrayals, he was heard to say: " She was right:
our separation has brought me misfortune."
1:305:1
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
1809-1810
JOSEPHINE AT MALMAISON
Dowry of the Empress Napoleon's Liberality Her Debts Paid
The First Days at Malmaison Napoleon's Visits and
Letters Christmas Dinner at Trianon Josephine Tires
of the Country Her Interest in the Austrian Marriage
Napoleon Arranges for Her Return to Paris Her Arrival
at the Elysee Palace.
IN fixing the dowry of Josephine the Emperor had
not been content with the amount of two million
francs granted her under the Constitution of the
Empire, from the State Treasury. By decree, he as-
sured her from the Crown Treasury an additional al-
lowance of one million francs; by a second decree he
gave her for life the use of the Palais de TElysee; and
by a third sovereign act, he renounced in her favor
all his title and interest in Malmaison.
By these acts the Emperor had more than redeemed
his promise to assure her future. In Paris, Josephine
had for her residence the most sumptuous and the most
attractive of the imperial palaces, and at the gates of
the capital a chateau of her own choice, furnished to
suit her own taste. So far from being a drain on her
resources, the woods and lands of Malmaison in 1809
brought in a net revenue which exceeded by fifty per
cent, the cost of its upkeep. Aside from her magnificent
allowance of three millions, and her valuable collection
of jewels, however, Josephine had no private fortune.
JOSEPHINE AT MALMAISON
Napoleon knew by experience that the Empress must
have some debts, and he now demanded a detailed
statement of the amounts. She was forced to admit
that these had accumulated since the last previous liq-
uidation three years before, and now reached a total
of nearly two millions. After a careful examination of
the accounts, the amount was reduced by a round
half million, and the balance was paid by the Emperor
with, the understanding that one-half the sum should
be deducted from her allowance for each of the two
following years. By this arrangement the income of the
Empress was reduced to a little more than two millions
for the first two years. Having paid her debts, and
provided -her with an ample allowance, Napoleon now
arranged a careful budget for Josephine's expenses in
the future, but his past experience with her should
have taught him how useless it was to try to curb her
mania for spending.
Josephine arrived at Malmaison after the close of
the short December day, under a cold, penetrating rain.
She was accompanied by Eugene and Hortense, who
did their best to cheer and console their mother in her
new situation. The disposition shown by some members
of her household to desert her was checked by the
Emperor, who gave express orders that they were all
to continue their services until the end of the year.
The first day at Malmaison was sad and depressing.
The rain continued to fall without ceasing. In the
morning Josephine was constantly in tears provoked
by the sight of " the places where she had lived so
long with the Emperor." At an early hour Napoleon
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
sent one of his officers from the Trianon in search of
news. " He tells me/' Napoleon writes, " that since you
are at Malmaison your courage has failed you. Never-
theless, the place is full of souvenirs of our affections
which can never change, at least on my part. I am
very anxious to see you, but I must be sure that you
are strong and not weak. I am also a little weak my-
self, and that pains me much."
At the Trianon the Emperor was surrounded by
Pauline and her friends, who did their best to amuse
him and distract his thoughts. It was impossible to
walk, or drive, or hunt in the rain. The only recourse
was a game of cards, of which Napoleon soon tired.
He ordered his carriage and drove rapidly to the Tuile-
ries. On his way back in the afternoon he stopped to
visit Josephine at Malmaison. Between the showers
they walked in the park together as of old, but he
only shook her hand when he came and went, and
did not kiss her. On his return to the Trianon he wrote
her:
8 P.M. (17) December 1809
Mon amie, I found you to-day weaker than you should
have been. You have shown courage, and you must find
enough to sustain you. You must not allow yourself to
lapse into a fatal melancholy; you must become content,
and above all guard your health, which is so precious to
me. If you are attached to me and if you love me you must
bear yourself with strength and become happy. You can-
not doubt my constant and tender friendship, and you little
know all my regard for' you if you imagine that I can be
happy if you are not, and contented if you are not tranquil.
Adieu, mon amie, sleep well, think that I wish it.
NAPOLEON
3083
JOSEPHINE AT MALMAISON
The second day at Malmaison passed in much the
same way. The rain continued, with a high wind, and
it was impossible for Josephine to seek distraction by
walking in the park. Eugene's efforts to cheer her up
with a forced gaiety were of no avail. After dejeuner
there were many callers. With every new visitor who
came to pay his respects, or express his regrets, there
was a new flood of tears. But in her grief Jos6phine
displays her usual tact: " Not a word de trop, not a
harsh complaint, falls from her lips; she is really as
sweet as an angel."
At Paris, the reports of her attitude produced an
excellent effect. Every one pitied her, and admired her
courage and resignation.
On the eighteenth the Emperor, in the rain, hunted
in the forest of Saint-Germain, and sent no less than
three times to demand news of Josephine. The follow-
ing day, before departing for the hunt, he sent Savary
to see the Empress. Not content with writing, and re-
ceiving her letters, he wished to have the report of a
person in whom he had entire confidence. On his return
he found a letter from Josephine, and immediately
wrote her: .
7 *.M. (19 December 1809)
I have your letter, men amie. Savary tells me that you
are constantly crying. That is not right. I hope that you
have been able to take a walk to-day. I have sent you some
of my bag. I will come to see you when you assure me that
you are reasonable and that your courage has got the upper
hand. To-morrow I have the ministers here all day. Adieu,
mon amie. I, too, am melancholy to-day. I want to hear
that you are satisfied and to learn of your self-possession.
Sleep well. NAPOLEON
309]
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
The following day the Emperor wanted to visit her,
"but he is very busy, and a little indisposed." The
weather also is " damp and unhealthy." But during the
day the sun comes out, and at night he writes again:
" As the day has been fine, I hope that you have been
out to see your plants. I have only been out for a
short time, at three o'clock this afterfioon, to shoot
some hares."
Josephine had indeed been out for the first time.
Madame de Remusat, who had constituted herself
Josephine's moral and physical director, had persuaded
the Empress to take some exercise, thinking that a
little fatigue might repose her mind. As Monsieur
Masson well remarks: If Josephine had been willing
to travel for a time, to go to Milan or Rome, she might
little by little have lessened the pain of her downfall;
but so near to Paris and the Trianon, at every moment
the same feelings are renewed: a note or some atten-
tion from the Emperor, a face familiar at the Tuileries,
a page, a servant, a soldier, all furnish an occasion
for a new outbreak. The Emperor himself was largely
responsible for this state of affairs. Through pity for
Josephine, also from weakness on his own part, he had
not commanded her to go away, and in thus prolong-
ing the agony of the separation he was suffering as
much as the Empress from being " so near and yet so
far." Madame de Remusat, taking advantage . of the
fact that her husband was on duty at Trianon, wrote
him to " hint to the Emperor that he should write the
Empress in such a manner as to encourage her; and
not in the evening, for his letters give her nights of
C3I03
JOSEPHINE AT MALMAISON
anguish; also, to moderate in his letters, his expressions
of regret and grief."
The Emperor evidently took this advice in good
part, for his future letters were more manly. On the
23 December he wrote: " I should have come to see
you to-day, but for the arrival of the King of Bavaria.
I hope to see you to-morrow and to find you gay and
self-possessed." He visited her as promised, but, al-
though affectionate and tender in his manner, he did
not kiss Josephine, and was not alone with her a
moment.
The following day was Christmas, and he invited
Josephine and Hortense to visit him at Trianon. He
kept them for dinner, and, according to Eugene, who
was also present, " he was very good and very amiable
to her/' and she seemed to feel much better.
The next morning the Emperor wrote: "I retired
last night as soon as you left. I want to know that
you are gay. I will come to see you during the week.
I have received your letters which I will read in my
carriage." In fact he was returning to the Tuileries,
after an absence of ten days, and this was another trial
for him and for Josephine. The day after his arrival
he writes: " I was much bored at seeing the Tuileries
again; this large palace seemed empty to me, and I find
myself very lonesome in it." The same evening he
writes again: " I much desire to go to Malmaison, but
you must be strong and calm." He adds: " / am going
to dine all alone."
In other letters written during the last week in De-
cember the Emperor promises Josephine to come to see
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
her " to-morrow." But one day he is retained by the
Council until eight o'clock, at which hour he dines
alone. The next day, Sunday, there is a grand review
of the Old Guard in the court of the Tuileries, and he
is unable to come " after Mass," as he had proposed.
Napoleon begins to find Malmaison too far away
for frequent visits in mid-winter, and wearied of his
lonely dinners he conceives the idea of having her
nearer him in Paris. But there is no abode vacant. He
had given her the Elysee for a town house, but after
the departure of the King of Saxony, the Murats had
at once taken possession, on the 17 December. Their
stay was supposed to be only temporary, but Caroline
found the palace so comfortable, and was so delighted
to keep Josephine out, that she planned to prolong her
occupancy as much as possible, and sent out invitations
for a masked ball and other entertainments. However,
the palace was formally promised Josephine for the
first week in January, and she took good care to have
the promise renewed by the Emperor when he came,
although ill, to wish her a Happy New Year.
But Josephine wished not only to move to the
Elysee, but to assure her continued occupancy of the
palace, and she now made a move which has often
puzzled her biographers. On the first day of January
1810 she sent an invitation to Madame de Metternich,
the wife of the former Austrian ambassador, to visit
her at Malmaison. Much surprised at this summons,
the lady came on the following day. In the salon she
found Eugene, who seemed to expect her, and in a few
minutes Hortense entered. Madame de Metternich was
almost stupefied when Hortense greeted her with the
JOSEPHINE AT MALMAISON
words: "You know, Madame, that we are all Aus-
trians at heart, but you would never imagine that my
mother has had the courage to advise the Emperor to
ask for the hand of your Archduchess."
Before Madame de Metternich had time to recover
from her astonishment, Josephine herself appeared. " I
have a project/' she said, " which occupies me exclu-
sively, the success of which alone gives me hope that
the sacrifice I have just made will not be entirely lost.
This is that the Emperor shall marry your Archduchess.
I spoke of the matter to him yesterday, and he replied
that his decision was not yet entirely made; but I am
certain that it would be if he were sure of being ac-
cepted by you."
Madame de Metternich replied that, personally, she
should regard such an alliance as a great piece of good
fortune; but, with the thought of Marie-Antoinette in
her mind, she could not refrain from adding that it
might be painful for an Austrian archduchess to come
to reside in France.
Josephine continued: "We must endeavor to ar-
range all this. You must make your Emperor see that
his ruin and that of his country are certain if he does
not consent, and that it is the only means of preventing
the Emperor from creating a schism with the Holy
See." Josephine concluded by saying that the Emperor
was coming to breakfast with her, and that she would
again speak to him on the subject.
At that time Josephine had no connections with the
Russian Court, and no acquaintance with the Czar
Alexander, who later was so devoted to her. She felt
that, on that side, she had nothing to hope and every-
3133
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
thing to fear. But her feeling for Austria was entirely
different. Since the time of her first visit to Italy in
1796 she had been on very friendly terms with the
Archduke Ferdinand, the brother of the Emperor. After
the Peace of Campo-Formio, she had received from the
Emperor himself handsome presents, in recognition of
the " friendly feelings which animated her." She had
always been on confidential terms also with Metter-
nich. She felt sure, therefore, that her Austrian con-
nections would never fail her. This is the explanation
of what would seem otherwise a very strange move on
her part.
Metternich, who had recently been recalled to Vi-
enna, to take the portfolio of Foreign Affairs, wrote his
wife at Paris, in reply to her communication regarding
Josephine's project: "This Princesse has recently
given proofs of a force of character which must greatly
increase the feeling of veneration with which not only
France but all Europe has long regarded her."
In the meantime the Emperor does not fail in his
attentions to his former wife. Every day that he cannot
visit her, he sends her a letter. He is interested in all
her acts; he is rejoiced if she takes a walk or is diverted
in any way. The first week in January, after a long
call, the previous day, he writes:
Sunday, 8 P.M. (7 January 1810)
It gave me very great pleasure to see you yesterday; I
realize what a charm your company has for me. I have
worked to-day with Estve. I have granted 100,000 francs
for 1810 for the extraordinary expenses of Malmaison. You
can therefore plant as much as you please; you will employ
1:3143
JOSEPHINE AT MALMAISON
this sum as you wish. I have charged Esteve to remit
200,000 francs also as soon as the contract for the Julien
house is closed. I have ordered that your set of rubies be
settled for as soon as they are appraised by the administra-
tion, as I do not wish any robbery by the jewelers. All that
costs me 400,000 francs.
I have ordered that the million due you from the civil
list for 1810 shall be held at the disposal of your man of
affairs, to pay your debts.
You should find in the armoire at Malmaison 5 to 600,000
francs; you can take them to pay for your silver and linen.
I have commanded for you a very handsome set of por-
celain; they will take your orders, that it may be very fine.
NAPOLEON
During the first month that Josephine was at Mal-
maison the Emperor wrote her every day or two, and
went to see her several times a week. After that, both
his letters and his calls became more and more infre-
quent. He was gradually becoming accustomed to his
lonely dinners, and his solitary nights. Josephine, for
her part, was daily getting more and more bored at
Malmaison, and anxious to return to Paris. She had
Napoleon's promise, and she did not hesitate to remind
him of it. On the 28 January he writes: " I have had
your belongings here arranged, and given orders to take
everything to the Elysee." Two days later he says: " I
shall be pleased to know that you are at the Elysee,
and very happy to see you oftener, for you know how
much I love you."
But Josephine began to have her doubts. There were
rumors of exile, of a prohibition of her residence in
Paris. She took alarm and sent Eugene to see the Em-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
peror. Napoleon defended himself in two letters, writ-
ten probably on the 6 and 10 February:
Tuesday Noon (6 February) 1810
I learn that you are worried; that is all wrong. You are
without confidence in me, and are affected by all the re-
ports which are noised around; this shows your ignorance
of me, Josephine. I am vexed with you, and if I do not
learn that you are gay and contented, I shall go and scold
you well.
Adieu, mon amie. NAPOLEON
Saturday 6 P.M (10 February) 1810
I have told Eugene that you preferred to listen to the
gossip of a great city rather than what I said to you; that
people should not be permitted to annoy you with idle tales.
I have had your effects transported to the filysee. You
shall come to Paris very soon; but be calm and contented,
and have entire confidence in me.
NAPOLEON
Monsieur Masson, who places the date of this last
letter a week earlier, says, " the same evening Jose-
phine was installed [at the Elysee], and the Emperor
came immediately to see her." But this seems to be an
error. In the collection of Queen Hortense we find the
following letter (No. 209):
To the Empress, at Malmaisbn
Sunday, 9 o'clock (? n February) 1810
Mon amie, I was very glad to see you day before yester-
day.
I hope to go to Malmaison during the week.
C3I63
JOSEPHINE AT MALMAISON
I have had your affairs here arranged and ordered every-
thing taken to the filys6e-Napoleon.
I pray you to keep well.
Adieu, mon amie.
NAPOLEON
On Tuesday the 20 February, the Emperor, after
hunting in the woods of Versailles, attended a fete
given by Marshal Bessieres at Grignon. From there
he went to Rambouillet, and returned to Paris at six
o'clock on the evening of Friday the 23 February. It
was apparently just prior to this absence that Josephine
moved to Paris, as will appear from the two following
letters:
To the Empress, at the Elys6e-N apoUon
ig February 1810
Mon amie, I have received your letter. I wish to see
you, but your reflections may be correct. There are perhaps
some objections to our finding ourselves under the same
roof during the first year. However, the country place of
Bessieres is too distant to be able to return; besides, I have
a slight cold, and am not sure to go there.
Adieu, mon amie.
NAPOLEON
Friday, 6 P.M (23 February) 1810
Savary has handed me your letter on my arrival; I notice
with regret that you are sad; I am glad that you saw no
signs of the fire.
I had fine weather at Rambouillet.
Hortense tells me that you had planned to come to dine
P3I71
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
with Bessieres, and return to Paris to sleep. I regret that
you were not able to carry out your project.
Adieu, mon amie; be gay; think that this is the way to
please me.
NAPOLEON
In the collection of Queen Hortense the earlier let-
ters of Napoleon to Josephine, almost without excep-
tion, are fully dated; but those written after the
divorce usually give only the day of the week. This
makes the task of arrangement in many cases very
difficult. In this instance, however, it is manifest that
the letter dated "19 February," which the editors
place last, was written before the departure of the Em-
peror for Rambouillet, and the letter dated " Friday
6 P.M." was written after his return. It is also evident
that Josephine did not move to Paris until after the
middle of Februarv.
CHAPTER THIRTY
1810
THE CHATEAU OF NAVARRE
Napoleon's Preference for a Russian Alliance The Matter Dis-
cussed in Conference The Archduchess Marie-Louise
Favored The Marriage Arranged The New Empress
Arrives at Paris Jos6phine Goes to Malmaison The
Emperor Gives Her Navarre She Takes Possession of the
Chateau Its Dilapidated Condition Josephine's Letter
to Hortense The Empress Worried Over the Paris Gossip
Her Letter to Napoleon and His JReply The Emperor
Agrees to All Her Plans Josephine Returns to Malmaison
FROM the time that the divotce of Josephine
was first officially discussed, at the Erfurt con-
ference in the autumn of 1808, Napoleon 's
preference seems to have been for an alliance with the
imperial family of Russia. The replies of the Czar to
the overtures of Talleyrand at that time had been
equally vague and discreet; but a week after his re-
turn home his elder sister Catharine had been affianced
to the heir of the Duchy of Oldenburg.
During the following year the time of the Emperor
was taken up with the campaigns in Spain and Austria,
and the matter remained in abeyance. But his thoughts
still turned to Russia, and on the 22 November 1809,
a week before the formal notification to Josephine, he
instructed Champagny, the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
to send a despatch to Caulaincourt, the French am-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
bassador at St. Petersburg, directing him to ask the
Czar to state frankly whether he would consider favor-
ably an alliance between the Emperor and his younger
sister, Anne.
At that time it took two weeks for a courier to go
from Paris to Saint Petersburg, and a month later no
reply had yet been received from Russia. Another
month passed, and Napoleon's patience was exhausted.
After Mass, on Sunday the 28 January 1810, the Em-
peror called a meeting of the principal dignitaries of
the Empire, to discuss the respective advantages and
disadvantages of a matrimonial alliance with Austria,
Russia or Saxony. Prince Eugene, Talleyrand, Cham-
pagny, Berthier, and Maret declared for the Arch-
duchess Marie-Louise; Murat and Cambaceres, for the
Grand Duchess Anne; while only Lebrun favored the
daughter of the King of Saxony. Napoleon took no
part in the discussion, and gave no indication of his
preference.
Finally, on the 6 February, a despatch was received
from Caulaincourt. He stated that he had not yet suc-
ceeded in obtaining a definite answer from the Czar,
but added that Anne, who was only fifteen, was not
yet of an age to marry, and furthermore that she was
not willing to change her religion. Napoleon hesitated
no longer. He immediately sent a messenger to inquire
of the Austrian ambassador, Prince de Schwarzenberg,
whether the marriage contract with the Archduchess
Marie-Louise could be signed the next day!
The contract, which was accordingly signed as pro-
posed, was an almost exact copy of that of Marie-
Antoinette, forty years before. The marriage by proc-
3203
THE CHATEAU OF NAVARRE
uration was celebrated at Vienna on the n March,
the Archduke Charles representing the Emperor Na-
poleon. On the 23 March Marie-Louise crossed the
Rhine at Strasbourg, and four days later reached
Compiegne where Napoleon had been awaiting her ar-
rival for a week.
The Court left Compiegne on the 30 March and
arrived at Saint-Cloud the same evening. Here the civil
marriage was celebrated on Sunday, the first of Aril.
The religious ceremony was performed in Paris the
following day by Cardinal Fesch, and took place in
the Salon Carre of the Louvre, which had been trans-
formed into a chapel for the occasion.
In the meantime, Josephine at the Elysee was find-
ing her life in Paris as monotonous as it had been at
Malmaison. The capital had never been so gay. Every
night there were dinners, balls, suppers; but the Em-
press Josephine was not present. The Emperor at-
tended the opera, the theatres: he even gave, in the
former apartments of the Empress at the Tuileries, a
performance by the troupe of the Th&tre-Feydeau.
There were balls given by Schwarzenberg, Talleyrand,
Pauline, Berthier, Cambaceres; but in the midst of all
these gaieties, Josephine passed her evenings quietly
at home.
The Emperor had completely changed his habitudes,
and seemed to be in training for his life with a young
wife. In place of the former tragedies, he demanded
comedies to amuse him. He hunted in the Bois de
Boulogne, at Saint-Germain, and at Satory. From time
to time he paid a brief visit to Josephine, but his let-
ters had almost entirely ceased. In the centre of Paris,
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Josephine felt as though she were marooned on a desert
island.
r
After passing only a few weeks at the Elysee, on
the 9 March Josephine returned to Malmaison. It is
not definitely known whether she tired of her isolation
in the capital, or whether she received a delicate hint
that her absence would be appreciated during the
coming fetes in honor of the arrival of the new
Empress.
The very day that the marriage contract with Marie-
Louise was signed, the Emperor had taken up the
matter of finding a suitable country residence for Jose-
phine: one not too far from Paris, but at the same time
more distant than Malmaison, which was almost at
the gates of the city. His choice finally fell on the old
chateau of Navarre, near Evreux, about seventy miles
west of Paris. It will be recalled that this property
had been assigned to the Prince of the Asturias in May
1808, as a part of the bargain for the Crown of Spain,
but the agreement had never been carried out,, and the
following January, by a decree of the Emperor, the
land of Navarre had been added to the domain of the
State.
This chateau owed its name to Jeanne of France,
Queen of Navarre, who about the middle of the four-
teenth century had erected the building on the site of
an old manor house. Three hundred years later the
property was ceded by Louis the Fourteenth to the
Due de Bouillon in exchange for the sovereignty of
Sedan, and remained in the possession of that family
up to the time of the Revolution. By a curious coin-
cidence, it was one of the cadet members oj this same
THE CHATEAU OF NAVARRE
family who built at Paris the hotel which later became
the palace of the Elysee. During the Revolution the
property was confiscated, and had later been joined
to the Crown lands, although the title was far from
clear. It was also very doubtful whether the Emperor
had the power now to alienate the property from the
Crown domain, and present it to a private person. But
after certain formalities, more or less legal, had been
complied with, the Emperor directed Maret to prepare
letters patent erecting the land of Navarre into a
duchy, and conveyed the title and the revenues to
Josephine for her life. In a letter to the Empress at
Malmaison, Napoleon tells her of this gift:
(PARIS) 12 March 1810
Mon amie, I hope that you have been satisfied with what
I have done for Navarre. You will have seen in this act
a new proof of my desire to be agreeable to you.
Take possession of Navarre; you might go there the 25
March to pass the month of April.
Adieu, mon amie.
NAPOLEON
This letter of the Emperor was in effect an order,
Which admitted of no evasion. The date of her de-
parture and the length of her exile were both fixed.
The 19 March, the day of Saint- Joseph, was her fete,
but it was very quietly celebrated this year. The fol-
lowing day Eugene was to arrive with his wife, whom
she had not seen since their marriage at Munich four
years before. They came to spend a week at Malmai-
son, and thus Josephine found an excuse to defer her
departure for a few days longer. She had already stayed
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
three days beyond the limit fixed by the Emperor; the
new Empress was at Compiegne, and expected in Paris
by the end of the week. It was time to start, and
Josephine went into her first exile.
Late in the afternoon of Thursday the 29 March,
Josephine made her triumphal entry into Evreux. She
was received by the mayor, the prefect, and the author-
ities, with a band, of music, and a guard of honor; the
church bells were rung, and there were salvos of
artillery. Josephine did not stop in the city, but pro-
ceeded directly to Navarre, where she arrived at
nightfall.
The first view of the chateau was very disappoint-
ing: it was a huge two-storied square block, sur-
mounted by a dome upon which one of the original
owners had intended to set up a statue of his uncle,
the great Turenne. At the side of the chateau stood a
smaller house. Both alike were dilapidated, draughty,
and unfurnished, in spite of the fact that for two weeks
past all of the laborers available at Evreux had worked
" to make in haste the most necessary repairs." The
unfinished and uncrowned dome, which gave a ludi-
crous appearance to the building, was irreverently
termed the marmite by the Normands of the neigh-
borhood.
The rooms were vast and chilly; the windows would
not dose; the roof leaked, and the chimneys smoked.
The chateau's situation in a valley, while giving from
the windows beautiful views of wooded hills in the
summer, made it very damp for the rest of the year.
On all sides there were large bodies of water, with cas-
cades and fountains; and the park was planted with
324]
THE CHATEAU OF NAVARRE
magnificent trees, but at the end of March " the leaves
are rare, and between the water which flows, the water
which stagnates, and the water which falls, with, for
companions, these black skeletons, denuded and oozing,
it would require, to be pleased, a backing of gaiety
which Josephine did not bring with her."
A few days after her arrival Josephine wrote Hor-
tense, who was at Compiegne with the Court:
NAVARRE, 3 April 1810
I arrived here in good health, my dear Hortense, although
somewhat tired from the journey. I was depressed by the
greeting I received. The inhabitants of fivreux have dis-
played much enthusiasm over my arrival, but this appear-
ance of a fete somewhat resembled the compliments of
condolence. . . . The Emperor is happy; he deserves to be,
and he will be more and more; this thought is a great
consolation for me, and the only one which sustains my
courage. Navarre will become a very fine residence, but it
demands many repairs and expenditures. Absolutely every-
thing needs to be done over. The chateau is not habitable.
The persons whom I have brought with me have each only
a small room, of which the door and the windows do not
close. My lodging is also very small and ill-arranged, and
the woodwork is in bad order. The park is magnificent;
it is in a large valley between two hills planted with the
most beautiful trees; but there is too much water, which
makes the place damp and unhealthy; one should live at
Navarre during the months of May, June, July, and the
beginning of August. Then it is the most enchanting spot
to be found anywhere. At the present season Malmaison
would be preferable to me. ... My life here is that of
the country. I go out for a walk or a drive when it does
not rain; in the evening I have a game of backgammon
with the Bishop of vreux, who is very agreeable in spite
of his seventy-five years. The time passes slowly, but it
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
will seem shorter to me when you are here. I look for you
impatiently. Your rooms are ready; they are not handsome;
you will only camp out; but you know with what tenderness
you will be received.
Adieu, my dear daughter, I embrace you.
If the Emperor asks you for news of me, tell him, what
is true, that my only occupation is thinking of him.
JOSEPHINE
In a letter to her husband at Compiegne, written
early in April, Madame de Remusat says:
There are many tales here (at Paris) regarding the
Court and the life you lead there. In general all these inven-
tions are unkind; they all tend to show the hauteur of the
manners of the Empress and the brusqueness of her char-
acter. Then every one recalls the other, and that will make
her position difficult. They say that she will only be
Duchesse de Navarre; that she will be relegated to the
Duchy of Berg; that Malmaison will be bought back from
her; that our new sovereign has displayed a great aversion
to seeing her so near, and in support of that assertion they
cite words clearly invented, for it is impossible that they
should have been repeated. I await your return to know the
truth/
As Madame de Remusat was a great friend of Jose-
phine these rumors undoubtedly reached her at Na-
varre, and increased her anxiety to return to Mal-
maison. The Emperor had not written her since his
marriage, and she looked upon his silence as a proof
of his intention to abandon her entirely. She feared to
write him direct, but through Eugene asked permission
to return to Malmaison. The reply being favorable,
Josephine wrote the letter which follows:
THE CHATEAU OF NAVARRE
NAVARRE, 10 April 1810
SIRE
I have received through my son the assurance that
Your Majesty consents to my return to Malmaison, and is
willing to grant me the advances which I have asked for to
render the chateau of Navarre habitable.
This double favor, Sire, goes far to drive away the great
anxiety, and even fear, inspired by Your Majesty's long
silence. I was afraid of being banished entirely from your
remembrance. I see now that I am not. I am therefore less
unhappy, and even as happy as it is possible for me to be
henceforward. I shall go to Malmaison at the end of the
month, since Your Majesty sees no objection to this. . . .
My plan is to stay there for a very short time; I shall soon
take my departure to go to the waters. But -during my
stay at Malmaison Your Majesty may be sure that I shall
live there as if I were a thousand leagues away from Paris.
I have made a great sacrifice, Sire, and every day I more
appreciate its magnitude. This sacrifice, however, shall be
all it ought to be; it shall be complete on my part. Your
Majesty shall not be troubled in the midst of your happi-
ness by any expression of my regrets. . . .
May I have always a little place in your remembrance,
and a large place in your esteem and friendship. This will
soften my grief, without compromising, it seems to me,
that which is of the highest importance, the happiness of
Your Majesty.
JOSEPHINE
This letter does not seem to merit either the severe
criticism of some of the biographers or the eulogy of
others. Turquan declares it to be totally lacking in
dignity, with its irritating reiteration of the sacrifices
she had made, and its demand for money. On the other
hand Saint-Amand considers it to be "an eloquent
and simple expression of a true and noble sentiment, in
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
which humility and dignity are perfectly combined ";
and Masson says: " In truth this letter is a master-
piece, in which is to be found everything to excite the
memory of Napoleon, arouse his former affection, and
awaken his pity."
The best comment on this letter, however, is to be
found in the reply of the Emperor:
21 April 1810
Mon amie, I am in receipt your letter of the 19 April;
it is in bad form (d'un mauvais style). I am always the
same; men like myself never change. I cannot imagine what
Eugene told you. I have not written you because you have
not written, and because I wished in every way to be agree-
able to you.
I am glad to know that you are going to Malmaison, and
that you will be contented. I shall be pleased to hear from
you, and to respond. I shall not say more until you have
had a chance to compare this letter with your own: after
that I leave you to decide which is the better friend, you
or myself.
Adieu, mon amie; take care of yourself, and be just, both
to yourself and to me.
NAPOLEON
This letter is written with the old familiar tutoie-
ment, so difficult to render into English, which is em-
ployed by Napoleon in all his letters to Josephine. We
think that the reader will agree that her letter showed
bad form; was unwarranted in its assumptions, and
that Napoleon, on this, as on many other occasions,
proved himself the better friend.
Josephine's reply merits quotation in full:
3283
THE CHATEAU OF NAVARRE
NAVARRE (no date)
A thousand, thousand loving thanks for not having for-
gotten me. My son has just brought me your letter. With
what eagerness I read it, and yet I spent plenty of time in
doing so, for there was not a word of it which did not make
me weep; but these tears were very sweet! I have got back
my heart entirely, and it will always be as it is now. Cer-
tain feelings are life itself, and can only finish with life.
I should be in despair if my letter of the nineteenth had
displeased you. I do not remember its exact wording; but
I know how painful was the feeling which dictated it the
sorrow of not hearing from you.
I wrote you at the time of my departure from Malmaison;
and since then how many times have I not wished to write
to you! But I knew the reason for your silence, and I
feared to importune you by a letter. Yours has been a balm
to me. Be happy, be as happy as you deserve, it is my whole
heart which speaks to you. You have just given me my
share of happiness, and a share which I appreciate to the
full. Nothing to me can be worth so much as a proof of your
remembrance.
Adieu, mon amie. I thank you as tenderly as I shall
always love you.
JOSEPHINE
This letter is very sweet and tender, but somehow
it does not ring true. Masson says, if it is sincere it
is maladroit e; but if she is playing a role, knowing
her partner as she does, is it not adroit in the highest
degree?
In answer to her letter, Napoleon wrote briefly from
Comptegne on the 28 April, encouraging her to go to
the waters and assuring her once more of his un-
changed feelings. He, too, had evidently heard of the
rumors spoken of by Madame de Remusat, for he said
329 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
in his letter: " Do not listen to the babble of Paris;
they are idle, and far from knowing the truth." In fact
there was not the slightest foundation for the reports.
Napoleon showed himself most willing to fall in with
Josephine's plans for the remainder of the year, and
the following winter. She wished, to go first to Mal-
maison, then at the end of May to some watering-place
for three months. After that she proposed to proceed
to the South of France, Florence, Rome and Naples;
to spend the winter with Eugene in Milan, and return
in the spring to Malmaison and Navarre.
The Emperor did not offer to meet the expenses of
the repairs at Navarre, but agreed to advance the six
hundred thousand francs left, after payment of her
debts, out of her allowance from the Crown Treasury
for 1 8 10 and 1811; also that the one hundred thousand
francs allowed her for extraordinary expenses at Mal-
maison should be diverted to Navarre.
The middle of May, Josephine returned to Mal-
maison, then in all its spring glory. For the first time
she is able to enjoy her hyacinths and tulips imported
from Holland, for, as she once complained, " Bona-
parte always summons me to him just at the moment
they are in flower."
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
1810
AIX-LES-BAINS AND GENEVA
Josephine's Court at Malmaison Her Anxiety About Hortense
A Call from the Emperor Josephine Goes to Aix-les-
Bains Her Life There A Visit from Eugene The
Emperor Announces the Abdication of Louis Josephine's
Narrow Escape from Death Arrival of Hortense Jose-
phine's Tour of Switzerland She is Upset by the Reports
Regarding Marie-Louise Advice of Madame de R6musat
Josephine's Return
THE last week in April 1810, Napoleon left
Compiegne with Marie-Louise for a visit of
five weeks to Belgium. Madame de La Tour
du Pin, the wife of the French prefect at Brussels at
that time, has given us in her Recollections a striking
picture of the young Empress, whom she saw fre-
quently while the Court was at Laeken. She says that
Marie-Louise was insignificant, absolutely devoid of
intelligence, and entirely unworthy of the great man
whose destiny she shared; that she seemed to make it
a point to be as disagreeable as possible to every one
with whom she came in contact.
The new Empress was no more popular at Paris,
where Josephine was more and more regretted. During
the absence of the Emperor, Josephine held a regular
Court at Malmaison. " The crowd rushed there, all the
more eager because Their Majesties were at Antwerp,
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
and they had no fear of displeasing Marie-Louise."
The astute courtiers already perceived signs of a re-
turn to power of the old favorite. The Emperor had
invited Eugene to accompany him, and during the
journey had treated him with marked distinction. Jose-
phine had discreetly revealed to her confidential friends
that she had received from the Emperor a letter full
of affection, in which he gave her permission to remain
at Malmaison, even after the return of the Court to
Saint-Cloud, and promised to pay her an early visit.
This letter, which bears no date, runs as follows:
To the Empress Josephine, at Malmaison
Mon amie, I am in receipt your letter. Eugene will give
you news of my trip, and of the Empress. I highly approve
of your going to the waters, and hope they will do you
good.
I much desire to see you. If you are at Malmaison at the
end of the month I will come to see you. I count upon being
at Saint-Cloud the thirtieth of the month.
My health is very good; I lack nothing but the knowledge
that you are contented and well. Let me know the name
that you would like to assume en route.
Never doubt the entire sincerity of my affection for you;
it will endure as long as I live; you would be very unjust
not to believe it.
NAPOLEON
. At this time Josephine was very anxious about her
daughter. After the stay of the Court at Compiegne,
the Emperor had ordered Hortense to go to Amster-
dam to rejoin her husband, with whom she had not
lived since the birth of Louis-Napoleon two years be-
AIX-LES-BAINS AND GENEVA
fore. Her health was still very bad, and she complied
with the Emperor's order with great reluctance. The
letters of Josephine during the month of May all mani-
fest her great anxiety, and express her desire that
Hortense should accompany her to the waters, either
to Aix-la-Chapelle, her first idea, or to Aix-les-Bains,
in Savoie, where she finally decided to go. The con-
dition of Hortense finally became so alarming that, at
the end of May, her husband consented to her going to
Plombieres.
Napoleon's promised visit to Malmaison finally took
place on the 13 June, twelve days after his return to
Saint-Cloud. In a letter to her daughter, written the
following day, Josephine records her joy:
To Queen Hortense, at Plombieres
MALMAISON, 14 June 1810
My dear Hortense, . . . You ask me what I am doing.
I had an hour of happiness yesterday: the Emperor came
to see me. His presence made me happy, although it re-
newed my sorrows. Such emotions one would willingly go
through often. All the time that he stayed with me I had
sufficient courage to keep back the tears which I felt were
ready to flow; but after he was gone I could not keep
them back and I became very unhappy. He was kind and
amiable to me as usual, and I hope that he read in my
heart all the affection and all the devotion for him which
fills me.
I spoke to him about your position and he listened to
me with interest. He thinks that you should not return
again to Holland, the King not having behaved as he ought
to have done. . . . The Emperor's advice therefore is that
you should take the waters for the necessary time and that
C3333
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
then you should write to your husband that the advice
of the physicians is that you should live in a warm climate
for some time, and in consequence you are going to Italy,
to your brother's; as for your son, he will give orders that
he is not to leave France. . . . Your son, who is here just
now, is very well. He is pink and white.
JOSEPHINE
A few days later, on the 18 June, Josephine set out
for Aix-les-Bains, travelling under the name of the
Comtesse d'Arberg, and accompanied only by four
members of her household. She had chosen this place
in preference to her old resort, Plombieres, because
"her health required distraction above all, and she
hoped to find more of that in a place, which she had
not yet seen, and whose situation was picturesque,"
also because " the waters are especially renowned for
the nerves. 3 '
The Empress occupied a modest habitation with
Madame d'Audenarde, and the rest of her attendants
were lodged in a small adjoining house. A week after
her arrival she was rejoined by Madame de Remusat.
At Aix, Josephine led a very simple life. Bathing, ex-
cursions, reading the latest novels from Paris, dinner
at eight o'clock, on account of the heat, a little music
or a game afterwards so passed her days. She had
arrived before the opening of the season, but as soon
as her presence was known visitors began to come from
all of the neighboring towns in France, Switzerland and
northern Italy.
On the 10 July she had a short visit from her son,
who was on his way to Milan. Eugene had recently
been made by the Empe.ror hereditary Grand-Duke of
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FACSIMILE or LETTER OF JOSEPHINE
AIX-LES-BAINS AND GENEVA
Frankfort, which was generally assumed to be the end
of any expectations that he might become King of
Italy. It was rumored that Napoleon intended to unite
Italy to the Empire, and that Eugene would cease to
be his adopted son, when he had a son of his own.
Josephine feared that he would cease to be Viceroy
at the same time that Hortense descended from the
throne of Holland. This event had just been announced
to her in a letter from the Emperor:
To the Empress JosdpMne, at Aix
RAMBOUILLET, 8 July 1810
Mon amie, I have received your letter of the 3 July.
You will have seen Eugene, and his presence will have done
you good. I have learned with pleasure that the waters
have benefited you.
The King of Holland has just abdicated the crown, leav-
ing the regency to the Queen, in accordance with the con-
stitution. He has departed from Amsterdam, and left the
Grand-Due de Berg.
I have united Holland to France; but this act is fortunate
in that it emancipates the Queen, and this unfortunate girl
is going to return to Paris with her son, the Grand-Due
de Berg: ' that will make her entirely happy.
My health is good. I have come here to hunt for several
days. I shall see you with pleasure this autumn. Never
doubt my friendship. I never change.
Take good care of your health; be gay, and believe in
the sincerity of my affections.
NAPOLEON
Although Josephine, in her letters to Hortense, com-
plains of her quiet surroundings, and speaks of her
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
melancholy, her life at Aix seems to have been quite
gay. The only incident which produced any excitement
was a narrow escape which she had from death on a
visit to the abbey of Hautecombe, when a sudden
storm on the lake nearly caused her boat to founder.
This is referred to in a letter from Napoleon at Tri-
anon: " I have heard with anxiety the danger which
you ran. For a child of the Isles of the Ocean to perish
in a lake would be a catastrophe! "
On her return to Aix from this excursion, which had
so nearly proved fatal, Josephine found a chamberlain
of Queen Hortense, who announced her arrival on the
following day. The meeting of the mother and daughter
was very affecting. The similarity in their situations
had produced a new bond of sympathy between them.
At the time of her arrival, Hortense was ilLboth in body
and soul, threatened with consumption, and absolutely
worn out and discouraged. But in spite of all her
troubles, she was her usual amiable self, and proved a
great consolation to her mother. It was at this time
that Hortense was brought into intimate contact with
Charles de Flahaut, whose social accomplishments had
made him a great favorite with Josephine. Their in-
timacy resulted fifteen months later in the birth of the
future Due de Morny, so well known under the Second
Empire.
The visit of Hortense was very short, as she was
ordered by the Emperor to return to Fontainebleau,
and rejoin her two sons. She was therefore unable, as
she wished, to accompany her mother on her tour of
Switzerland during the months of September and
October.
C3363
AIX-LES-BAINS AND GENEVA
Leaving Aix the first of September, Josephine went
to Secheron, a small village in the suburbs of Geneva.
She made this her headquarters during the two follow-
ing months while she visited all the principal points of
interest in Switzerland. As she was never fond of trav-
elling, the only explanation of her course at this time
is the report which had just reached her of the con-
dition of Marie-Louise. We find the first mention of the
subject in a letter to her daughter:
To Queen Hortense, at Aix
SECHERON, 9 September 1810
My dear Hortense ... I have not heard from the Em-
peror, but I thought that I ought to prove to him the inter-
est which I take in the pregnancy of the Empress. I have
just written him on the subject. I hope that this step will
put him at his ease, and that he will be able to speak to
me about it with a confidence as great as my attachment for
him. . . .
Adieu, my dear daughter. I tenderly embrace you.
JOSEPHINE
As usual, Josephine's -letter to the Emperor is not
extant, but his reply is given in Queen Hortense's col-
lection:
To the Empress Josephine, at Aix
SAINT-CLOUD, 14 September 1810
Mon amie, I am in receipt your letter of the 9 September.
I am pleased to learn that you are well. The Empress is
in fact grosse de quatre mois; she is in good health and
much attached to me. . . .
Adieu, mon amie; do not doubt my interest in you, and
my affection for you. NAPOLEON
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
This correspondence seems to furnish a sufficient
explanation of Josephine's restlessness. She now showed
a great desire to cancel the program which she herself
had submitted to the Emperor in the spring, and to re-
turn at once to Malmaison. She evidently wrote Napo-
leon on the subject, for we have his reply:
To the Empress Josephine, at Geneva
FONTAINEBLEAU, I October l8lO
I have received your letter. Hortense, whom I have seen,
will have told you what I think. Go to see your son this
winter; come back to the waters of Aix next year, or else
stay at Navarre for the spring. I would advise you to go
to Navarre at once if I did not fear that you would grow
weary there. My opinion is that you could only spend the
winter conveniently at Milan or Navarre, but I do not wish
in any way to put you out.
Adieu, mon amie. ... Be contented, and do not lose
your head. Never doubt my affections.
NAPOLEON
Josephine returns to the same subject in two letters
to her daughter, from Berne, the following month:
To Queen Hortense, at Fontainebleau
BERNE, 12 October 1810
My dear Hortense, . . . Not a word from you in the
twenty days since our separation. What does your silence
mean? ... If in three days from now I do not receive
letters telling me what to do, I shall think that the Emperor
has not approved the request which I made of him. I shall
leave for Geneva; . . . from Geneva I shall return to Mai-
338:1
AIX-LES-BAINS AND GENEVA
maison; then at least I shall be in France, and if all the
world deserts me I shall dwell there alone, conscious of
having sacrificed my happiness to make that of others. . . .
JOSEPHINE
BERNE, 13 October 1810
My dear Hdrtense, I am to-day in receipt your letter of
the fourth. . . , After having reflected well, I shall follow
the Emperor's first idea and shall establish myself at
Navarre. It seems to me very unsuitable to go to Italy,
especially in the winter. If it were for a visit of one or two
months, I should gladly go to see my son; but to stop there
longer is impossible. . . .
All that you tell me of the interest which the Emperor
still has in me, gives me pleasure. I have made for him the
greatest of sacrifices: the affections of my heart; I am sure
that he will not forget me, if he says to himself sometimes
that another person would never have had the courage to
make such a sacrifice. ... I would like to receive another
line from you before arranging my departure for Navarre,
in order to be sure that the Emperor approves of my passing
the winter in that place. Speak to me frankly on that
point.
I confess to you that if I were obliged to remove from
France for more than a month I should die of grief. At
Navarre at least I shall have the pleasure of seeing you
sometimes. . . . JOSEPHINE
This revelation of the deep affection of Josephine
for Napoleon, in the confidence of an intimate personal
letter to her daughter, seems a sufficient answer to
those writers who have frequently expressed doubts of
her sincerity.
Upon her return to Geneva, the 21 October, Jose-
phine found a note from the Emperor, and at once
wrote Hortense to announce her final plans:
C3393
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
To Queen Hortense, at Fontainebleau
GENEVA, (no date) 1810
The Emperor has writtten me a very amiable little letter.
You can judge, my dear Hortense, what pleasure it has
given me. The Emperor advises me to go to Milan or
Navarre. I have decided for Navarre. . . .
You will find me much changed, my dear daughter. The
past month I have grown quite thin, and I feel that I need
rest, and above all that the Emperor does not forget
me. . . .
Adieu, my dear Hortense, I have just written the Em-
peror; I advise him that I count upon leaving Geneva
the first of November, that I shall go to Malmaison for
twenty-four hours: you will be very kind if you come there
to make me a little visit. After that I shall go to stay at
Navarre; let me know if this arrangement suits the
Emperor. ...
JOSEPHINE
While she was still at Berne, or soon after her return
to Geneva, Josephine received a very long letter from
Madame de Remusat, in which, with many flattering
phrases, she mingles the advice not to return to Paris.
The letter bears no date, but was probably written
early in October 1810. The note of Paul de Remusat,
in which he assigns the date to the last of 1812, or the
beginning of 1813, is absurd. This letter is quoted at
length in the collection of Queen Hortense, and in many
of the biographies, but it hardly deserves so much space.
Apparently Josephine had wished to meet Marie-
Louise, but Madame de Remusat assures her that the
time has not yet come for such a step. Then follow long
details to show the jealousy of Marie-Louise.
AIX-LES-BAINS AND GENEVA
Among those whom the writer had seen was Duroc,
the grand marshal of the palace; from him she gathered
that Josephine had still further sacrifices to make.
" May you not find in the course of a rather more pro-
longed journey pleasures which you do not foresee at
first? At Milan there awaits you the sweet spectacle
of a son's merited success. Florence and Rome too would
gratify your tastes. . . . You would encounter at every
step in Italy memories which the Emperor would see
recalled with no vexation, for to him they are connected
with the epoch of his earliest glories." There is much
more in the same strain, and it is evidently Napoleon
who is speaking through the mouth of Duroc. The Em-
peror, however, was too tenderly disposed towards Jose-
phine to give her a positive order not to return to
France, and she was not a woman to take a hint.
Before leaving Geneva, Josephine purchased the
chateau of Pregny, on the edge of the lake, facing
Mont-Blanc, for which she paid nearly two hundred
thousand francs. After this final extravagance, she set
out on the first day of November for her stay of
" twenty-four hours " at Malmaison. Napoleon was still
at Fontainebleau with Marie-Louise, but his own re-
turn to the Tuileries was fixed for the 15 November.
As Josephine was still at Malmaison at that date, the
Emperor sent Cambaceres to hasten her departure. She
protested that she could not leave without time to pack
up, and it was not until the 22 November that she
actually reached Navarre.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
1811-1812
NAVARRE, MALMAISON AND MILAN
The Monotonous Life at Navarre Josephine's Health Improved
Visits from Hortense and Eugene Josephine's Fete-
Day News of the Birth of the King of Rome Napoleon
Again Pays Her Debts She Plans for a New Chateau at
Malmaison Napoleon Exchanges Laeken for the Elys6e
A Winter at Malmaison Visit to Milan Sojourns at
Aix-les-Bains and Pregny
DURING the absence of Josephine the interior
of the chateau of Navarre had been restored
as completely as possible, and refurnished
in a simple manner, so that now it was quite habitable.
It was still difficult to heat the immense oval salon,
which occupied the centre of the building: it was
paved with marble, and lighted only by windows in the
vestibule, and openings pierced in the lofty dome above.
But the architect had succeeded in arranging around
this room a salon, a music-room and a card-room. A
number of comfortable, if not very luxurious chambers
had also been partitioned off, for the members of the
household. By burning an immense quantity of wood
and coal in the fireplaces, it was now possible to make
the rooms fairly comfortable. Large sums had also been
spent on the gardens and hothouses, and Navarre
prdmised in time to become a second Malmaison.
The household was much more numerous than be-
fore: Josephine had brought with her quite a number
NAVARRE, MALMAISON AND MILAN
of young girls, as pretty as they were poor, who were
supposed to possess some talents as musicians. The
life at the chateau was nevertheless very monotonous.
Josephine remained in her room until eleven o'clock,
at which hour the dejeuner was served punctually.
After this meal, which lasted three-quarters of an hour,
the young people had music in the salon, while the older
persons played cards or chess. In the afternoon there
were promenades through the gardens and park, or
drives in the forest of Evreux. If the weather was un-
favorable, the time was passed in reading the latest
novels, of which a box was received every week from
Paris. At four o'clock every one was free, and Josephine
went to her room, where she usually summoned one of
her old intimates for a confidential chat.
At six o'clock dinner was served, and there were al-
ways some invited guests from the city: the prefect,
thp mayor, and, most frequently, the bishop, Mgr.
Bourlier. There was only one table, and the service
was very luxurious. After dinner, there was music,
cards, and sometimes dancing. Josephine was fond of
games, and played cards, backgammon, and billiards
equally well. The evening usually ended at eleven
o'clock, when every one retired.
Josephine, whose health had always been good, had
never been so well; she no longer suffered from. the
frequent headaches, which were due mainly to the
irregular hours of the Emperor. She began to grow
stout and for the first time in her life was obliged to
wear a corset, in place of the former brassieres. Her
only trouble was with her eyes, which her physician
told her was due to her crying so much, " nevertheless,"
3433
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
she wrote her daughter, " for some time past I only
weep occasionally."
The first of the year Hortense finally arrived for her
long-promised visit, but while Josephine received her
with transports of joy, it was not the same with the
other members of the household. The Queen, with all
her affectation of simplicity, was very rigorous on the
point of etiquette, and insisted that her chamberlains
should appear every evening in full uniform, and her
ladies in decollete gowns. Under the mild regime of
Josephine every one had become somewhat careless,
and Court ceremonial had been more honored in the
breach than the observance. Therefore Hortense was
generally regarded as a killjoy.
It was quite different when Eugene came. He had
always preserved his simple, boyish manners, and was
only too glad to escape from the tiresome etiquette he
was obliged to maintain at Milan. He entered heartily
into the games and pastimes of the young people, and
was a universal favorite. His trunks were full of pres-
ents, which he distributed with a lavish hand, and this
was the only way in which he recalled the fact that he
was a prince.
The day of Saint- Joseph fell in March, and on the
eighteenth " all the personages of the city came in
carriages to Navarre to salute the Empress and wish
her a happy fete-day." In the evening there was a
celebration at the chateau, and Josephine distributed
presents. The following evening the Empress gave a
ball in the grand salon, where a parquet floor had been
laid for dancing, over the marble tiles.
On the 20 March, to continue the festivities, the
3443
NAVARRE, MALMAISON AND MILAN
mayor gave a dinner in honor of the Empress. She sent
all the members of her household, but remained at home
herself, as she was expecting news from Paris. In this
way she missed the first notification of the great event.
At the moment that the guests came out from dinner,
at eight o'clock, a despatch was received from Paris
announcing the birth of the King of Rome. Enthusias-
tic toasts were drunk, the bells were rung, and the
cannon fired.
Josephine, who was anxiously waiting at Navarre,
heard the sound of the guns and the bells before the
postmaster could reach her presence. He had been ad-
vised by the courier on his way to /Cherbourg, had
hastily donned his uniform, and rushed to the chateau.
When he communicated the news to Josephine he
noticed at first a slight frown upon her face; then, re-
covering her usual gracious manner, she said: " The
Emperor cannot doubt the lively interest that I take in
an event which crowns his joy. He knows that I can-
not separate myself from his destiny, and that his
happiness will always make me happy."
The following morning Eugene arrived at Navarre.
The Emperor had had the delicate thought of sending
him to tell Josephine all the details of the happy event.
She immediately sent her felicitations, and on the 22
March received from the Emperor the following letter,
sent by one of his pages:
To the Empress Jos&phine, at Navarre
PARIS, 22 March 1811
Mon amie, I have received your letter. I thank you. My
son is big and healthy. I hope that he will do well. He has
345:1
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
my chest, my mouth, and my eyes. I hope that he will ful-
fill his destiny.
I am always well satisfied with Eugene. He has never
caused me the slightest sorrow.
NAPOLEON
By this tacit comparison of his son and Eug&ne the
Emperor gave Josephine the greatest consolation in his
power; by this association of the two names, he prac-
tically assured her of the continuance of his protection
and good- will.
In fact, although his letters had not been so frequent
of late, Napoleon, when he wrote, had been as tender
and as cordial as ever, even with a touch of humor.
Thus, he had written her in reply to her New Year's
greetings: " They say that there are more women than
men at Navarre." In a later letter he said: " I am well;
I hope to have a son: I will let you know at once. . . .
When you see me, you will find that my regard for you
has not changed."
The Emperor was soon to give her a new proof of
his kindness, in sending her permission to spend the
springtime at Malmaison, which he knew would give
her the greatest possible pleasure. The middle of
April, therefore, we find her with Eugene at Malmaison,
where she stayed during the whole month of May.
This visit is passed over in silence by nearly all the
biographers of Josephine, who state that she remained
at Navarre until the middle of September.
About this time Josephine found herself once more
in serious financial difficulties. In spite of the two mil-
lions she had received in 1811, she had debts to the
amount of a million more, and no funds to complete
1:346:1
NAVARRE, MALMAISON AND MILAN
her purchase of Pregny, to pay for the repairs at
Navarre, and meet her current bills. She was compelled
to apply to the Emperor, who wrote her the following
letter:
To the Empress Josephine
TRIANON, 25 August 1811
I have received your letter. I see with pleasure that you
are in good health. I am at Trianon for several days. I
expect to go to Comptegne. My health is very good.
Put your affairs in order; do not spend more than a
million and a half, and put as much aside every year. That
will make a reserve of fifteen millions in ten years, for your
grandchildren: it is nice to be able to give them something
and to be useful to them. Instead of that I am told that
you have debts: that would be very bad. Look after your
affairs, and do not give to everybody who asks it. If you
desire to please me, let me know that you have a large
fund. Judge what a poor opinion I shall have of you if I
know that you are in debt with an income of three millions.
Adieu, mon amie, take care of your health.
NAPOLEON
This letter, No. 227 in the Didot Collection, bears
the date of 25 August 1813, but this is plainly an error.
That year Napoleon left Paris the middle of April for
the campaign in Saxony, and did not return until the
9 November. On the other hand, he was at the Trianon
on the 25 August 1811, and that is undoubtedly the
correct date.
After a careful inquiry into Josephine's affairs, the
report made to the Emperor showed that her situation
was even worse than he expected, and on the 4 Novem-
ber he sent word to her intendant that he had allowed
3473
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
an additional sum of a million francs for her dowry
that year.
Two years later, on his return from the disastrous
campaign of 1813, the Emperor sent at once for Mol-
lien, the Minister of the Treasury, and, in place of
many subjects far more important, he took up " the
finances of the Empress Josephine/' the economies
which she could and should make. " She can no longer
count upon me to pay her debts," he said; " I no longer
have the right to add anything to what I have done for
her. The fate of her family must not rest only upon my
head." Then he added in a low tone, as if speaking to
himself: Je suis mortel et plus qu'un autre.
When Mollien told him that Josephine had shed tears
in the course of an interview he had with her, Napo-
leon exclaimed: " But she must not be allowed to
weep! "
Immediately after this conference with Mollien,
Napoleon wrote Josephine:
To the Empress Josephine, at Malmaison
FRIDAY, 8 AJ. (November) 1813
I am sending to learn how you are, for Hortense has
told me that you were in bed yesterday. I have been an-
noyed with you on account of your debts; I do not wish
you to have any; on the contrary, I hope that you will put
a million aside each year, to give to your granddaughters
when they are married.
However, never doubt my friendship for you, and do not
worry over this matter.
C3483
NAVARRE, MALMAISON AND MILAN
Adieu, mon amie, send me word that you are well. They
tell me that you are getting as fat as a good farmer's wife
of Normandie.
NAPOLEON
As Masson says, after recounting this incident:
N'est-il pas toujours le meme et elle, toujours
pareillef
One would think that this new financial crisis, com-
ing after so many others, might have made Josephine,
at least for a time, more reasonable, but such was not
the case. While she was at Malmaison she sent for her
old architect, Fontaine, to consult him about her plans
for Navarre. She wanted to remove the dome, and
change the chateau into an Italian villa, with a flat roof,
and a crown of balustrades.
A month later, she again sends for the architect. This
time she has another plan: to construct at Malmaison
a new chateau, with all the modern improvements. As
this will be very costly, in order to provide the funds,
" she begs Fontaine to propose to the Emperor, if he
finds an opportunity, an exchange of the palace of the
Elysee against its value in money." This project did
not displease Napoleon, who had often regretted his
gift of the Elysee to Josephine. There was no privacy at
the Tuileries, and he had deprived himself of the only
residence in Paris where he and his family could take a
little exercise. Josephine could not reside in the city,
and for both of them it seemed an excellent arrange-
ment. Napoleon was therefore inclined to welcome the
proposal, but he did not care to add another million or
two to the large sums he had already given the Em-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
press. He accordingly made a counter-proposition: an
exchange of the Elysee for the chateau of Laeken, a
modern palace, richly furnished, and in perfect order,
surrounded by a large park, and near an important
city. He had purchased this property when First Con-
sul, in April 1804, for about a million francs, and had
subsequently spent another million in alterations and
additions. The chateau was considered to be one of the
finest of the imperial residences, and was always kept
in perfect order, ready for immediate occupancy. By a
decree under date of 10 February 1812 the Emperor
authorized the exchange, but Josephine never visited
her new residence, even to take possession.
In September 1811 Josephine returned to Malmaison
for the winter. The Navarre party, as it was called,
was now in a flourishing condition, and the Court of
the Empress Josephine fairly rivalled that of the Em-
press Marie-Louise.
In the spring of 1812 she had the pleasure of a
short visit from Eugene, who had been summoned from
Milan to receive the orders of the Emperor regarding
the coming war with Russia. Augusta was expecting
another baby the last of July, and Eugene persuaded
his mother to make her long-deferred visit to Milan,
to be present on that occasion.
In May she passed several days at Saint-Leu with
Hortense and her children. But she did not venture to
start for Italy without the permission of the Emperor.
From Dantzig on the 8 June he wrote: " I hope that
the waters will do you good, and I shall be glad to
see you on my return "; but not a word about Italy.
350:1
NAVARRE, MALMAISON AND MILAN
Finally, from Gubin on the 20 June he wrote: " I do
not see anything in the way of your going. to Milan, to
be with the Vicereine. You had better go there incog-
nito. You will find it very hot."
This letter did not reach the Empress until the first
of July, and then again her departure was deferred
for two weeks by news of the illness of one of her
grandchildren at Aix-la-Chapelle. As this did not prove
serious, Josephine finally set out on the 16 July, and
reached Milan twelve days later. Her letter to Hor-
tense is worth quoting:
To Queen Hortense, at Aix-la-Chapette
MILAN, 28 July 1812
I was very tired on my arrival here, my dear Hortense.
. . . The pleasure of seeing Augusta has revived me. Her
health is very good and her pregnancy is far advanced. I
am with her at the Villa Bonaparte; I have Eugene's rooms*
You can imagine all the pleasure it gave me to make the
acquaintance of his little family. Your nephew is very-
strong, an infant Hercules. His sisters are extremely pretty.
The elder is a beauty; she resembles her mother in the
height of her forehead. The younger has a lively and clever
face; she will be very pretty.
I have received here three letters from Eugene, the last
under date of the 13 (July); his health is very good; he is
still in pursuit of the Russians, without overtaking them.
It is the general hope that the campaign will not be long.
May this hope be realized! . . .
You do not speak of your health; I hope that the waters
have done you good: it is the first prayer of a mother who
loves you better than herself.
JOSEPHINE
NAPOLEON^ AND JOSEPHINE
Only three days after Josephine's arrival there was
a fourth grandchild, the future Empress Amelie of
Brazil. " Augusta," writes Josephine the same day, " is
perfectly well, and her daughter is superb, full of
strength and health."
Before she had been at Milan a week, Josephine
was already uneasy, and anxious to leave for Aix-les-
Bains. But she prolonged her stay for a month because
Madame Mere and her brother, Cardinal Fesch, were
at the waters, and she did not wish to meet them. At
Aix she found Julie, " good and amiable as usual," with
her sister, the former Desiree Clary, who was now the
wife of Bernadotte, the Prince-Royal of Sweden. After
their departure, at the end of September, she went
to her chateau of Pregny for a short stay. A few days
after her arrival she writes to Hortense: " I regret
that you are not here with me. The weather is very
fine. The views of the lake and of Mont-Blanc are
magnificent. It only lacks you at Pregny to appreciate
with delight the full charm of a quiet life."
On the 21 October her " quiet life " at Pregny came
to an end, and Josephine set out for Malmaison, leav-
ing the good people of Geneva quite content with her
departure, as " the kind of life which we have led since
she is here does not agree with our habitudes."
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
1813-1814
THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE
The Malet Conspiracy What it Revealed Jos6phine's
Anxiety Return of the Emperor Josephine and the King
of Rome Eugfene Commands the Grand Army Napo-
leon's Errors in 1813 Hortense at Aix Her Sons at
Malmaison Recollections of Napoleon the Third A
Doting Grandmother Death of Mme. de Broc Louis
Returns to France Eugene's Fidelity Napoleon's Sus-
picions He Asks Josephine to Write Her Son Her De-
spair She Leaves for Navarre
JOSEPHINE reached Malmaison on her return
from Switzerland the 25 October, the day after
the Malet affair. She wrote Eugene that the con-
sternation had been general, but had not lasted long:
at the end of several hours, everything was as calm
as before. The whole plot turned upon the false report
of the death of the Emperor. Armed with forged
papers, and supported only by two battalions of the
Paris garrison, this madman succeeded in gaining pos-
session of the Post Office and the Treasury, and im-
prisoning Savary, the minister, and Pasquier, the pre-
fect of police. He was finally arrested, condemned by
a military court, and executed.
The Malet plot for the first time clearly revealed
to the public the instability of the Empire, which was
founded only on the glory and the genius of Napoleon,
C3S31
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
In this moment of crisis, when the conspirators shouted,
" The Emperor is dead! " not a voice was raised to cry:
"L'Empereur est mort! Vive PEmpereur! "
When the news reached Napoleon he said: "While
the Empress was there, the King of Rome, my min-
isters, and all the great bodies of the State! Is then a
man everything here? the institutions, the oaths, noth-
ing! " Yes, a man was everything, and nothing else
counted.
Josephine has often been accused, at this crisis in
the career of. the Emperor, of being interested only
in her own selfish affairs, but her letters tell another
story. She writes from Malmaison to her daughter:
" You give me new life, my dear Hortense, in assuring
me that you have read the letters of the Emperor to
the Empress; she is very amiable to have shown them
to you. ... I must admit to you that I was very
uneasy."
We have also the testimony of her attendant, Mile.
Avrillon: " No words can describe the effect produced
by the bulletins which announced the terrible disasters
of Moscow. The profound anxiety which we saw de-
picted upon the face of the Empress Josephine con-
tributed above all to make us sad. . . . Seeing her at
these sad moments, it seemed as if she reproached Fate,
as if she accused Heaven of having separated them,
of having withdrawn from Napoleon the safeguard of
her presence."
The Parisians had hardly finished reading the ter-
rible Twenty-ninth Bulletin, when it became known
that the Emperor was at the Tuileries. In the midst
of the cares and the work which overwhelmed him, he
3543
THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE
sent Josephine, through Hortense, his tender remem-
brances. As soon as he could find an opportunity he
visited Malmaison. Although there is much doubt as
to the exact date, it seems to have been at this time,
during the last week in December, that Josephine per-
suaded him to let her see the little King of Rome. The
meeting took place at the chateau known as Bagatelle
in the Bois de Boulogne. The child usually took a drive
every afternoon in the Bois with his governess, and
on this occasion the Emperor accompanied them on
horseback. Josephine drove over from Malmaison and
met them. This was the only time Josephine ever saw
the boy, and it is the general opinion that this was
also her last meeting with Napoleon.
On New Year's day, Josephine, always a prey to
superstition, noticed the date- with alarm. " Have you
remarked," she said, " that the year begins on a Fri-
day, and that it is Eigbtezn-thirteen! It is a sign of
great misfortunes."
On leaving the remnants of the Grand Army, to
return to Paris, the Emperor had placed Murat in com-
mand. In a letter to the Emperor from Posen under
date of the 17 January, Eugene stated that the King
of Naples had left that morning, in spite of all the
efforts made fry himself and Berthier to keep him, and
that he himself had provisionally assumed the com-
mand, while awaiting the orders of the Emperor. Jose-
phine was much pleased by the terms in which the
Moniteur officially announced the change: " The King
of Naples, being indisposed, has been obliged to give
up the command of the army, which he has placed in
the hands of the Viceroy. The latter has more experi-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
ence in administering large affairs, and he has the en-
tire confidence of the Emperor."
At the same time, the Emperor sent Eugene the fol-
lowing letter:
To the Viceroy Eugene
PARIS, 22 January 1813
My son, take the command of the Grand Army. I regret
that I did not leave it to you at the time of my departure.
I flatter myself that you would have returned more slowly,
and that I should not have sustained such immense losses.
The past misfortunes are beyond remedy.
NAPOLEON
Notwithstanding the terrible Russian disaster, Napo-
leon at the beginning of 1813 was still in a position to
save his empire. He had 250,000 veteran troops in
Spain, and 150,000 more in the German fortresses. If
he had abandoned the hopeless effort to keep Joseph
on his throne, sent Ferdinand back to Spain, and con-
centrated all of his forces behind the Elbe, he could
have met the Russians and Prussians with a seasoned
army of 400,000 men, with a reserve force nearly as
large in training in the depots of France; he could
easily have defeated the Allies, and Austria would
never have entered the coalition.
The Emperor left Paris for the front on the 15 April.
In May he gained two brilliant victories, at Lutzen and
Bautzen, but they were indecisive because he 'did not
have the cavalry to follow them up. The first week
in June he consented to an armistice, which was finally
356:1
EUGENE DE BEAUHARNAIS
THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE
extended until the 10 August, when Austria joined the
Allies. Two weeks later he won at Dresden his last
great victory, but this too proved indecisive; in Octo-
ber he was beaten at Leipzig, and forced to withdraw
behind the Rhine. This was the poorest campaign ever
conducted by Napoleon, " the weakest in conception,
the most fertile in blunders, and the most disastrous
in its results."
Josephine passed the winter of 1813 very quietly at
Malmaison. While the Emperor was in Paris, there
were but few callers, but after his departure in April,
they began once more to flock to Malmaison. The fine
weather also made her life more cheerful. In May she
spent several days with her daughter at Saint-Leu, and
when Hortense left for Aix-les-Bains in June, she con-
fided her children to her mother for the period of her
absence. This was a great joy for Josephine, who was
a doting grandmother, whatever may have been her
shortcomings as a mother.
This sojourn with their grandmother at Malmaison
made such a profound impression upon the children,
that Louis, the future Napoleon the Third, who was
then only five years old, retraced his recollections of
the visit sixty years later, in some memoirs which have
remained unpublished. He writes:
" I can still see the Empress Josephine in her salon,
on the ground-floor, smothering me with her caresses,
and already flattering my amour-propre by the atten-
tion she paid to my sayings. For my grandmother
spoiled me in the fullest sense of the word, while on
the contrary my mother, from my earliest infancy, en-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
deavored to repress my faults, and develop my good
qualities.
" I remember that, arrived at Malmaison, my
brother and I were allowed to do as we pleased. The
Empress, who was passionately fond of her plants and
her hothouses, permitted us to cut and suck the sugar-
cane, and she always told us to ask for anything we
wanted. When she said this one day, on the eve of a
fete, my brother, who was three years older than my-
self, and consequently more sentimental, asked for a
watch with the picture of our mother. But when the
Empress said to me: ' Louis, ask for what will give
you the greatest pleasure,' I asked her to let me walk
in the mud with the little ragamuffins. Let no one
think that this request was ridiculous, for all the time
that I remained in France, up to the age of seven
years, it was one of my greatest griefs to be obliged
to drive into the city with four or six horses."
Josephine, who feared to be scolded by Hortense,
for the way in which she spoiled the children, writes:
" Do not worry about your sons, for they are entirely
well. Their color is rose and white; I can assure you
that they have not had the slightest illness since they
are here. I am delighted to have them with me; they
are charming."
In July, Josephine was shocked to hear of the tragic
death of Madame de Broc, the most intimate friend of
Hortense. In visiting with the Queen the cascade
of Gresy, which Josephine had so much admired two
years before, she slipped upon a wet plank, and fell
into the gulf below. She was a sister of the wife of
Marshal Ney, and a niece of Madame Campan; she
THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE
had been brought up with Hortense, married by her,
and after the death of her husband had become her
inseparable friend. Josephine offered to go at once to
her daughter if her presence and her care could be of
any use to her, and also sent one of her chamberlains.
But Hortense did not take advantage of this offer, and
prolonged her stay at Aix until the middle of August.
Upon her return she stopped only a day at Malmaison
and then left with her sons for Dieppe, where she had
been ordered to take sea baths. The departure of the
two boys left a great void in the life of Josephine.
Their visit was almost the only pleasure she had during
this trying year.
In November, the Remusats came to dine at Mal-
maison, and brought the news that Louis had written
the Emperor, expressing the wish to become reconciled
with him, and not to be separated from him in his hour
of misfortune. Josephine, who never treasured up any
grudges, expressed herself as thinking that this was
very praiseworthy on the part of Louis. She only feared
for her daughter " new torments." But Hortense reas-
sured her on this point. She wrote: " I am not at all
uneasy; my husband is a good Frenchman; he proves
it by returning to France at a moment when all Europe
declares against her. He is a worthy man, and, if our
characters are not sympathetic, it is because we have
faults which cannot be reconciled."
At this moment Eugene also gave proofs of devotion
which contrasted strongly with the treachery of Murat
and Bernadotte, who were so closely connected by
marriage with the Bonapartes, and this served also to
increase the maternal pride of Josephine. The middle
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
of October, Eugene received a letter from his father
in-law, the King of Bavaria, announcing his adhesioi
to the coalition, and suggesting an armistice with th<
Army of Italy. Eugene declined this overture, and ir
his reply expressed his entire devotion to the Emperor
Augusta, at the same time, wrote her father in a sim-
ilar vein, and in a letter to the Emperor stated thai
nothing in the world would ever cause her or her hus-
band to forget their duty to him. A month later ar
aide de camp of the King of Bavaria asked for an
interview with the Viceroy, and presented a letter con-
taining a new offer to assure the future of Jiis family,
Once more Eugene refused, saying: " It is useless to
deny that the star of the Emperor is beginning to pale,
but it is all the greater reason for those who have re-
ceived benefits from him to remain faithful/'
This attitude of Eugene, plainly approved by his
wife, could not but fill Josephine and Hortense with
pride. " Nothing which is good, noble and grand can
astonish us on the part of our excellent Eugene,"
Augusta wrote to her good mother, " but since yester-
day I am still more happy and proud to be the wife
of such a man; and to allow you to share my joy I
hasten to send you a copy of a letter he wrote me after
having refused a crown they offered him, if he con-
sented to be an ingrat, and a coward, in fine, to betray
the Emperor like the King of Naples."
Notwithstanding this fine attitude on the part of
Eugene, the Emperor appears to have conceived some
doubts of his entire fidelity, which perhaps was nat-
ural in the midst of so many examples of treason and
ingratitude. Upon no other basis can we explain the
THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE
letter he wrote to Joseph from Nogent on the 8 Feb-
ruary 1814: " My brother, have this letter delivered
personally to the Empress Josephine. I have written
her in order that she may write to Eugene." Upon
receipt of this letter, of which the text has been lost,
Josephine wrote her son:
To the Viceroy Eug&ne
MALMAISON, 9 February 1814
Do not lose an instant, my dear Eugene; no matter what
the obstacles, redouble your efforts to fulfill the order which
the Emperor has given you. He has just written me on this
subject. His intention is that you should retire upon the
Alps, leaving in Mantua and the (strong) places of Italy
only the Italian troops. His letter ends with these words:
France above all! France needs all of her children. Come
then, my dear son, make haste; never will your zeal have
better served the Emperor. I can assure you that every
moment is precious. I know that your wife was arranging
to leave Milan. Tell me if I can be of service to her.
Adieu, my dear Eugene, I have only the time to embrace
you, and to repeat to you to come very quickly.
JOSEPHINE
At that critical time it took the fastest courier a week
to go from Paris to Milan, and it was not until the 18
February that Eugene received at Volta this letter
from his mother. He seems, quite naturally, to have
resented this new method of the Emperor, in trans-
mitting orders to one of his lieutenants through his
mother, instead of by the Minister of War, or the Chief
of Staff. The tone, almost of supplication, used by
Josephine, seemed to imply that the Emperor doubted
his fidelity.
361:1
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
There followed a long correspondence between the
Viceroy and the Emperor, for which we have no space
here. It is all set forth at length in the Memoires of
Eugene, to which the reader is referred. Eugene at-
tempts, but with poor success, to justify his adhesion
to what he considered to be the letter, if not the spirit,
of the Emperor's orders.
In the meantime the Allies were steadily drawing
nearer to Paris, which was a hotbed of treason. Even
at Malmaison, although she knew it not, Josephine was
surrounded by spies and traitors in her own household.
By decision of the Council of State, and the Emperor's
own orders, Marie-Louise and the King of Rome were
on the point of leaving for Blois. Hortense, who had
been commanded to follow the Court, wrote to her
mother, announcing the news. Josephine replied:
To Queen Hortense, at Paris
MALMAISON, 28 March 1814
My dear Hortense, I had courage up to the moment I
received your letter. I cannot think without anguish that I
am separating myself from you, God knows for how long
a time. I am following your advice: I shall leave to-morrow
for Navarre. I have here only a guard of sixteen men, and
all are wounded. I shall keep them, but really I have no
need of them. I am so unhappy at being separated from my
children that I am indifferent to my fate. I am troubled only
about you. Try to send me news; keep me informed of
your plans, and tell me where you go. I shall at least try
to follow you from afar.
Adieu, my dear daughter: I embrace you tenderly.
JOSEPHINE
r
THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE
The following morning, which was cold and wet,
Josephine left Malmaison with her household. As she
was not sure of finding relays at the posts en route,,
she took all of her horses and carriages. In cash, she
had only about fifty thousand francs which she had
borrowed from Hortense and one or two friends. In a
wadded petticoat were sewn her most valuable dia-
monds and pearls, while her jewelry cases were packed
in the carriages. It was impossible to carry with her
anything more.
She travelled slowly, passing the night at Mantes,
and taking two days for the journey. She was very
well received at Evreux. The authorities offered her
a guard of honor at the chateau, for she had left be-
hind at Malmaison the sixteen wounded soldiers of the
Imperial Guard.
C3633
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
1814
THE LAST DAYS AT MALMAISON
Josephine at Navarre Arrival of Hortense The Emperor at
Fontainebleau The Treaty of the n April Provisions
for the Family Josephine Returns to Malmaison Hor-
tense Arrives The Czar Calls Eugene Leaves Italy
He Is Called to Paris Hortense, Duchesse de Saint-Leu
Eugene Received by the King Josephine's Fears Her
Final Illness and Death How Napoleon Received the
News His Visit to Malmaison
AT Navarre, Josephine found herself entirely
out of touch with everything and everybody.
The day after her arrival she sent her daugh-
ter the following letter, the last one which we have in
the collection of Queen Hortense:
To Queen Hortense (at Chartres)
NAVARRE, 31 March 1814
My dear Hortense, ... I cannot tell you how miserable
I am. In the painful positions in which I have found myself,
I have had courage: I shall have it to bear the reverses of
fortune; but I have not sufficient to put up with the ab-
sence of my children and the uncertainty of their fate. For
two days I have not ceased to shed tears. Send me news of
yourself and of your children; if you have any of Eugene
and of his family let me know. I very much fear that no
news will come from Paris, as the post from Pajris to
1:3643
THE LAST DAYS AT MALMAISON
Evreux is suspended, which has caused many rumors.
Among other things it is said that the Neuilly bridge has
been occupied by the enemy. This would be very near to
Malmaison. . . .
Adieu, my dear daughter, I await your reply to console
me. I tenderly embrace you, as well as your children.
JOSEPHINE
Hardly was this letter written and despatched when
a courier arrived from Hortense, with the news that
Paris had capitulated, and that the Emperor was at
Fontainebleau; then Hortense herself suddenly ap-
peared, with her children.
After much hesitation, as to whether to leave Paris
or to remain, at nine o'clock on the night of the 29
March, under the threat of Louis to take her children,
Hortense had decided to set out, and rejoin Marie-
Louise. She spent the first night at Glatigny, near Ver-
sailles; the next morning, at an early hour, she went
to the Trianon; and later, proceeded to Rambouillet.
There she found her brothers-in-law, Joseph and
Jerome, and spent the night. The following morning
she received a courier from Louis bearing a formal
order from the Regent to rejoin her at Blois. In this
Hortense saw another instance of her husband's " per-
secutions." She notified Louis, Marie-Louise, and the
Emperor, of her refusal to obey; ordered her carriage,
and started for Navarre. At Maintenon she found an
escort, and after dark arrived at a chateau belonging
to a member of her household. At five o'clock the next
morning, the first of April, she again started out, and,
ten miles from Navarre, was met by M. de Pourtales
with some horses sent by her mother.
1:3653
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
During the night of the second-third April a repre-
sentative of the Due de Bassano arrived as bearer of
definite news from Fontainebleau. He recounted the
treason of Marmont, the occupation of Paris, and the
despair of the Emperor. The scene related by Mile.
Cochelet is entirely imaginary. No one had then heard
of any plan to send Napoleon to Elba, and Josephine
could hardly have exclaimed: " But for his wife, I
would go to join him in his captivity."
After this, several days passed without further news.
On the 7 April Josephine wrote to an old friend., the
Comtesse Caffarelli: " Our hearts are broken at all
that is happening, and particularly at the ingratitude
of the French. The papers are full of the most horrible
abuse. If you have not read them, do not take the
trouble, for they will hurt you."
In the meantime, at Fontainebleau, during these
days of supreme agony, Napoleon, " with an admirable
lucidity and an admirable justice," was making what
may be termed his political testament, and arranging
the future of his entire family. In the treaty signed on
the ii April by the ministers of the allied powers, by
the marshals in the name of the Emperor, and by all
the members of the provisional government : this
treaty which was the price of his abdication the
Beauharnais received the greatest consideration. To the
princes and princesses of the Imperial family was at-
tributed a revenue of two millions and a half of francs,
entirely apart from what property they might possess,
either real or personal. Of this sum, Louis was allowed
two hundred thousand francs; Madame, Elisa and
Pauline, each three hundred thousand; Hortense, four
r -
THE LAST DAYS AT MALMAISON
hundred thousand; and Joseph and Jerome each five
hundred thousand. The allowance of the Empress Jose-
phine was reduced to a million francs, and she too was
permitted to retain all of her property.
By another article it was provided that Prince
Eugene, Viceroy of Italy, should receive a "suitable
establishment outside of France."
The night of the 12 April, Napoleon sought by poison
the death from which he had escaped on so many fields
of battle, but in vain. " God does not wish it! " he said,
and the following morning he in turn signed the treaty.
That same day the Due de Berry landed at Cher-
bourg, and en route for Paris he sent one of the gentle-
men who accompanied him, to Malmaison, " to offer
to Josephine a guard of honor and to assure her that he
would be charmed to do everything in his power to be
agreeable to her, as he had for her as much respect as
admiration." But Josephine had already left Navarre
for Malmaison. The 16 April the Journal des Dibats
stated: " The mother of Prince Eugene has returned
to Malmaison. 7 ' Josephine was far from being pleased
with this form of announcement.
Alexander immediately sent one of his attendants to
announce his visit for the following day, and promptly
at one-thirty o'clock he arrived. It was evident that he
had called to see Hortense rather than her mother,
but he was full of courtesy and deference for Josephine,
and gave her all of her titles. After a long call, he left
just at the moment that Hortense arrived with her
sons. " She, who was usually so amiable, was hardly
so with him; she remained cold, very dignified, and
made no reply to the offers which the Czar made for
367 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
herself and her children." As for the Empress Jose-
phine, " her goodness, her kindness, her frankness, all
charmed him."
During the past few weeks Josephine, in her trouble,
for once had forgotten to order new gowns, but now
her old desire to please and to charm returned with
full force, and she commanded a number of summer
frocks, in batiste and embroidered muslin, such as she
formerly wore in the " beaux jours " at Malmaison.
As Josephine had expected, Alexander soon returned,
but she perceived that the visit was for Hortense, who
again held herself aloof, and treated him " as one
should receive the conquerors of her country." This
resistance, however, only served to increase the desire
of Alexander to win her, and he redoubled his atten-
tions.
On the 17 April, when he received news of the
events at Paris, Eugene, who up to that time had held
the Austrians in check, signed an agreement for a sus-
pension of hostilities, and took the route for the Alps
with the French troops in his army. In a final proclama-
tion, which did not mention the name of the Emperor,
he made an appeal which can only be considered as a
personal bid for popular support: "A people, good,
generous, faithful, has rights upon the remainder of my
existence, which for ten years past I have consecrated
to its service. As long as I am permitted to occupy my-
self with its happiness, which was always the dearest
concern of my life, I ask for myself no other future."
At the same time Eugene persuaded the Italian
troops under his orders, to send a deputation in his
C3683
THE LAST DAYS AT MALMAISON
favor to Paris. But during his absence from Milan, three
separate factions had developed: one favorable to
Murat, a second purely Italian, and a third, the strong-
est and richest, for Austria. There was an emeute at
the capital, accompanied by pillage, and finally a mas-
sacre.
When this news reached Mantua, the army acclaimed
Eugene as King of Italy, and wished to march on
Milan, but the Viceroy realized that there was no
chance against a capital in revolt, and Austria, which
would send her troops there. " I do not wish," he said,
" to impose myself upon a country which does not de-
sire me, . . . adding a civil war with all its accom-
panying evils. . . . The country refuses my support. It
is enough." On the 23 April he signed another conven-
tion with the Austrians in which he surrendered every-
thing, and departed for Munich with his wife, and her
baby who was only nine days old.
Eugene now had little to expect except under the
provisions of the Treaty of Fontainebleau, and the
gratitude of Austria, fortified by the support of Alex-
ander. As soon as Josephine knew that he was at
Munich, she wrote to urge him to come to Paris, and
on the 9 May he arrived.
In the meantime the relations between the Czar and
Hortense had become more cordial. He was almost a
daily visitor at Malmaison, and was now on terms
of intimate friendship with Josephine and her daughter.
He had offered to procure for the Queen an independ-
ent position in France, with an adequate revenue; the
guardianship of her children; and a ducal title, the
highest that the King could confer. His thought was
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
to separate her interests entirely from any dependence
on the Emperor or his family. The letters patent, dated
by the King in the eighteenth year of his reign, con-
ferred the title of Duchesse de Saint-Leu, not on
Madame Louis Bonaparte, nor on the Queen of Hol-
land, but on Mademoiselle de Beauharnais! Hortense
refused to accept this formula. " I think that it is my
duty," she said, " not to allow people to forget that I
have been a queen, although I do not make it a point
of being so called." It was finally arranged that she
should be designated as Madame de Beauharnais, and
her susceptibilities were satisfied.
There is little doubt that Josephine wished to be
confirmed in her title of Duchesse de Navarre, but she
refused to sign the letter to the King prepared for her
by Madame de Remusat. There is reason to think,
however, that she wrote another, in which she asked
for Eugene the dignity of constable, the highest mil-
itary gift in the power of the King to bestow.
Eugene also had neglected nothing to conciliate the
Bourbons. On his departure from Munich, he wrote
the King to announce his visit, for as he said to his
wife, " I could not think of arriving at Paris, without
at once presenting myself to him." He had hardly
reached Malmaison, and embraced his mother and
sister, before he received a summons to appear at the
Tuileries.
When Eugene was announced, under the title of
Marquis de Beauharnais, it is reported that the King
arose from his chair, and advanced to meet him, cor-
dially extending his hand. He then exclaimed to the
person who had presented the Viceroy: " Say, His
370:1
THE LAST DAYS AT MALMAISON
Highness Prince Eugene, Monsieur, and add Constable
of France, if such is his good pleasure! " This report
rests upon the authority of the editor of the Memoires
du Prince Eug&ne, and may be true: it is certain
that the Bourbons did everything in their power to
detach the Beauharnais from their adhesion to the
Emperor.
On the 14 May the Czar came informally to dine
with Hortense, who was now settled at Saint-Leu.
Josephine was present, but there were no strangers ex-
cept Caulaincourt and the wife of Marshal Ney. Dur-
ing the drive in open carriages through the park, the
Czar was very kind and amiable, and expressed himself
both to Eugene and Hortense as desirous of doing
everything in his power to assure their future.
Josephine had come only upon the urgent request
of Hortense; she was sad and discouraged. She had
but little confidence in the promises of the Czar, and
felt that after his departure the Bourbons would do
nothing. She realized better than her children how
little confidence could be placed in royal promises.
When she read two days later in the official journal
that the Emperor of Russia had gone to Saint-Leu to
dirie with " Prince Eugene, his mother and sister," her
comments were very bitter. There seemed to be a de-
liberate intention to deny her the position and rank
which had been accorded her.
This visit to Saint-Leu was the beginning of Jose-
phine's illness, which was to terminate fatally exactly
two weeks later. She took a severe cold, which she re-
fused to care for, saying that it was nothing. In the
evening she descended for dinner, clad in one of her
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
lightest decollete gowns. After breakfast the following
morning she returned to Malmaison.
Monday, the 23 May, the King of Prussia came to
call at Malmaison, and remained for dinner. He was
accompanied by his two sons, of whom one was later
to be known as the Emperor William. The following day
Josephine had to receive the Russian grand-dukes,
Nicholas and Michel. These official receptions, these
visits of ceremony, fatigued her terribly. In the even-
ing she came to dinner as usual. Later there was a
dance, and she opened the ball with the Czar; then
they went into the park, where they promenaded for a
long time, and she took more cold.
Wednesday, the 25 May, a small eruption appeared
all over her body, but principally upon her arms and
chest. Eugene and Hortense, who were themselves
both suffering from colds, were vaguely disturbed, but
far from anticipating a fatal result. He wrote Augusta
that day: "Our mother has been suffering for two
days, and this morning she has considerable fever; the
doctor says that it is only catarrh, but I do not think
she is at all well." The following night her regular
physician found her tongue affected and her whole
head congested, and applied a blister to her neck.
Friday, the 27 May, Alexander was to have dined
with Josephine for the last time before leaving for
London. On his arrival with several other guests, he
found both Josephine and Eugene ill in bed, and only
Hortense able to receive the party, who all left early
except the Czar.
Saturday, the illness of the Empress became so
grave that there was a consultation of physicians.
THE LAST DAYS AT MALMAISON
Eugene wrote his wife that he did not think his mother
would live through the day. That night Josephine
begged Hortense, who was nearly worn out, to retire
and get a little rest.
Sunday, the 29 May, which was Whit Sunday, it
was evident that Josephine was dying. Her features
had sensibly changed, and her respiration was short
and difficult. Hortense sent for Eugene, and at noon
Josephine expired in their arms. Just before her death
the sacraments were administered by the Abbe Ber-
trand, tutor of Hortense's children, as Josephine's al-
moner was absent. According to legend, the last delirious
words of the Empress were: "Napoleon . . . Elba! "
On Monday the body was embalmed and placed in
a lead coffin enclosed in oak. The public were now ad-
mitted to Malmaison, and it is estimated that more
than twenty thousand people passed before the bier.
The funeral took place on Thursday, the 2 June,
when the coffin was taken to the church at Rueil. All
of the sovereigns present at Paris were represented,
and there was a large crowd at the church. The mili-
tary honors were furnished by a detachment of the
Russian Imperial Guards.
Josephine's tomb is at the right hand of the choir
of the church. It is of white marble, with a kneeling
figure of the Empress in her coronation robes. The
inscription runs simply:
' A
JOSEPHINE
EUGENE ET HORTENSE
1825
H373 3
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
There was nothing mysterious about the death of
Josephine: no indication, and no suspicion of poison;
nevertheless there were rumors that such was the cause
of her death. The autopsy left no doubts as to the
origin and the progress of the malady: a cold, not
cared for, and aggravated by her imprudence.
Two hours after the death of Josephine, in compli-
ance with sovereign etiquette, Eugene and Hortense
left Malmaison for Saint-Leu, and were not present
at the funeral. Although they sent out the usual notices
of the death of their mother, neither one of them
seems to have taken the trouble to inform Napoleon
of the event. He learned the news through a paper
sent him from Genoa by a valet whom he had sent
to France, charged with commissions for several per-
sons, including Josephine herself. " At the news of her
death," writes an eye-witness, "he appeared pro-
foundly afflicted; he shut himself up in his room, and
saw no one except the grand marshal."
A year later, before leaving Paris for the fatal cam-
paign of Waterloo, Napoleon wished to visit Malmai-
son, and was met there by Hortense, who had not had
the courage to return since the fatal day. For an hour
he walked with Hortense in the garden, talking only
of Josephine. Then he visited one by one the different
rooms, ending with the chamber where Josephine had
died. Here he remained for a long time alone, and
came out with his eyes filled with tears. " Poor Jose-
phine," he said to Hortense, " she may have had her
faults, but she at least would never have abandoned
me!"
C3743
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
1763-1814
JOSEPHINE'S PERSONALITY
Her Connection with Martinique Her Statue at Fort-de-France
Her Legend Her Claims to Beauty Her Intellect
Her Prodigality Her Personal Magnetism Her Affec-
tions Her Desire to Please Her Falsehoods Her
Final Deception Her Succession Fate of Her Homes
Napoleon's Last Visit to Malmaison The Souvenir de
Malmaison
AS the life of Napoleon will always be asso-
ciated with the names of three small islands:
Corsica, Elba, and Saint Helena; so that of
Josephine will ever be connected with Martinique.
There is little of interest in the capital city, Fort-de-
France, apart from the Savane, the large green public
square, and there the visitor will be attracted mainly
by the beautiful marble statue of the Empress. " Sea-
winds have bitten it; tropical rains have streaked it;
some microscopic growth has darkened the exquisite
hollow of the throat. And yet such is the human charm
of the figure that you almost fancy you are gazing at
a living presence. Perhaps the profile is less artistically
rea l statuesque to the point of betraying the chisel;
but when you look straight up into the sweet Creole
face, you can believe she lives: all the wonderful West
Indian charm of the woman is there. She is standing
just in front of the Savane, robed in the fashion of
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
the First Empire, with gracious arms and shoulders
bare: one hand leans upon a medallion bearing the
eagle profile of Napoleon. . . . Over the violet space
of summer sea, through the vast splendor of azure
light, she is looking back to the glace of her birth,
back to the beautiful drowsy Trois-Ilets and always
with the same half -dreaming, half -plaintive smile
unutterably touching."
The statue so lovingly described by Hearn may be
said to bear about the same relation to the real woman
that the Josephine of romance bears to the Josephine
of history. Since her death a hundred and ten years
ago, the legend of Josephine has passed through three
phases. Under the Restoration, it was Josephine the
protector of the Emigres that all good Royalists were
called on to lament. The key-note was struck by the
Archbishop of Tours in his funeral oration: "How
many unfortunates, condemned, by their fidelity to the
august family of the Bourbons, to live in exile from
their fatherland, are beholden to her persistent and
touching intercession for their restoration to their
families, and to the country which saw their birth? "
Under the Second Empire, the writers who wished
to curry favor with the new Emperor devoted special
attention to Josephine, and one would almost be led
to believe that he occupied the throne by right of de-
scent from his grandmother the Empress Josephine,
rather than as heir to his uncle the Emperor Napoleon.
"Josephine was painted as the sorrowful martyr to
necessities of State. She was the fondly loving wife re-
pudiated after fourteen years of faithful wedlock."
Under the Third Republic, the admirers of the Great
C376]
JOSEPHINE'S PERSONALITY
Emperor, less fettered in their views, have gone as far
in the other direction: they deny to Josephine any
attachment to Napoleon except that of self-interest,
and blame him only for not repudiating her sooner.
As usual, the truth of History lies between these two
extremes.
It will always be a moot point how a woman pos-
sessed of so little intellect, and endowed with no sur-
passing physical beauty, managed to gain, and retain
for fourteen years, the love of a man six years her
junior, and that man Napoleon!
First, with regard to her beauty: We have innumer-
able portraits of Josephine, for she loved to be painted,
and sat to all the celebrated artists of her day: David,
Gerard, Gros, Isabey, Prud'hon and many others.
None of these portraits gives the idea of a beautiful
woman.
The written descriptions of her appearance are even
more unflattering. It is impossible to forget the picture
of the faded Creole, past her prime, endeavoring to
hide the ravages of time by an extravagant use of
powder and rouge; the closed lips which concealed her
bad teeth; all the artifices to supply the deficiencies of
nature. But on the other hand we have the admissions
even of unfriendly observers that her eyes were beau-
tiful, her smile always charming, her figure slender,
supple, well-proportioned, needing no corset to support
it; always clothed in the most perfect taste. To com-
plete the picture we have the graceful movements of
her elegant, indolent body, for in the words of Na-
poleon, " she was graceful even in going to bed "; and
C3773
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
the harmony of her soft, caressing voice, which could
soothe and put the Emperor to sleep even when most
harassed by the cares of State.
All the memoirs of her time are agreed in stating
that Josephine had but little intellect, but they are
almost equally in accord in admitting that she supplied
the deficiency by her marvellous s avoir faire. Her edu-
cation had been only rudimentary, and she never in-
creased her knowledge by reading. There was an
excellent library at Malmaison, and there was always
a reader on her staff, chosen more for her beauty than
for any other qualification, but no one ever heard of
Josephine opening a book except to read Napoleon to
sleep.
Josephine was a great collector, and the chateau of
Malmaison was a regular museum of valuable paint-
ings, choice statuary, and rare objets d'art. But there
is nothing to show that she prized her collection except
for the value it represented in money. It was only
another exhibition of her mania for spending. It must
be admitted, however, that Josephine loved her flowers
and her plants, and her hothouses and gardens were
the finest in Europe.
That Josephine was prodigal in her expenditures of
money cannot be denied, but altogether too much has
been made of her debts by Monsieur Masson and other
recent biographers. The matter has already been quite
fully covered in these pages, and it is not necessary
to go into it further here. Napoleon's wrath at the dis-
covery of her debts, and the terror of Josephine during
these " scenes," were both largely assumed. It has even
been said that " Napoleon liked her to be in debt be-
378:1
JOSEPHINE'S PERSONALITY
cause it made her utterly dependent on him " ! It
must be remembered, however, that, as Napoleon once
stated: " It is fortunate that the French are to be
ruled through their vanity." All of the display and the
etiquette of the Imperial Court were irksome to Na-
poleon, with his simple tastes, but he endured them
because it was part of his policy. For the same reason
he expected Josephine to spend lavishly the handsome
allowance he gave her, although with his love of order
he did not wish her to exceed her income. It was all a
part of his general policy of fostering the industries
of the country, which has made France what it is to-
day, the leader in the manufacture of articles of luxury
and display in every line.
The secret of Josephine's attraction for Napoleon
appears to have been that rare quality which, for lack
of a better term, we may call personal magnetism.
She was one of those exceptional characters who seem
to possess the natural gift of attracting others while
themselves giving little or nothing in return. But to
win all hearts as she did, Josephine at bottom must
have possessed a large fund of human sympathy. All
agree in speaking of her affability; she was " gentle
and kind, affable and indulgent to all, without respect
to persons."
The Josephine of legend is emphatically " la bonne
Josephine' 9 She could never refuse a request: she was
always giving lavishly, indiscriminately. It was also
impossible for her to treasure up grievances against
any one even the Bonapartes who did so much to
injure her. With Napoleon's mistresses, she displayed
the same lack of resentment. She received Madame
C3793
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
Walewska at Malmaison, and lavished affection upon
her child. She made Madame Gazzani one of her
chosen attendants after her divorce.
Josephine has frequently been accused of loving no
one but herself, but her letters to her children show
that she was a very affectionate and demonstrative
mother, and she was certainly a doting grandmother.
It seems hardly possible that she was insincere, or that,
as one writer puts it, "Josephine's affections were a
vigorous expression of her self-love."
No one can question the fact of Napoleon's love
for Josephine, which lasted as long as he lived; and
certainly after his return from Egypt she was to him a
model wife. She anticipated his every wish; she never
kept him waiting; she was always ready to accompany
him on his journeys; she went cheerfully through the
most arduous social duties; and exerted herself to con-
ciliate all whom he wished to win to his interests.
From Napoleon she extorted the admiring exclamation:
" I win battles; Josephine wins hearts! "
In fact Josephine was an enjoleuse: to win, to se-
duce, by cajoleries, by caresses, by soft words in
short, to please, was the principal aim of her existence.
Even where she had no end to gain, where no self-
interest was involved, she strove to please simply be-
cause it gave her pleasure. It was to please that she
embellished her home; that she spent a fortune on
jewels and toilettes; that she wore herself out with
visits, receptions, and journeys; that she triumphed
over her headaches, neglected her colds, and went to
her death. This explains all: this is the true key to
her character.
JOSEPHINE'S PERSONALITY
This also is the explanation of her falsehoods, for
by the testimony of all her contemporaries, friends and
foes alike, Josephine was one of the greatest liars who
ever lived. If she has succeeded in imposing on history,
it is largely due to the fact that she imposed on Na-
poleon, which in itself is no small feat! He was con-
vinced that she loved only him; he represents her as the
model wife attentive, affectionate, and devoted; he
thinks she is extravagant, but how elegant and how
graceful she is! how beautifully she dresses! how she
excels in everything she does! For him she is the
perfect woman!
By a supreme falsehood, and this one posthumous,
she leaves with her attendants the impression, and
with Napoleon the conviction, that she dies of love for
him, overwhelmed by the disasters of France and the
Empire, in despair because she could not share his
fate at Elba, and mollify by her loving tenderness the
rigors of his exile.
On the day after his return from Elba, in March
1815, he said to Corvisart at the Tuileries: " You let
my poor Josephine die! "
Then he sent for Horau, her regular physician, and
demanded the fullest details of her death:
" What was the cause of her illness? "
" Anxiety . . . chagrin . . ."
" You say that she was anxious, what was the cause
of her chagrin? "
" What had taken place, Sire; the position of Your
Majesty."
" Ah! then, she spoke of me? "
" Often, very often."
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
" Good woman, good Josephine! She loved me truly,
did she not? "
This conviction remained with Napoleon until the
end of his life, and in speaking of Josephine at Saint
Helena, he exclaimed: " She was the best woman in
France! "
Aside from her two chateaux of Malmaison and
Pregny, and her fine collection of jewels, Josephine left
little of value at the time of her death. In the settle-
ment of her estate, Eugene took Malmaison, and as-
sumed the payment of her debts, while Hortense re-
ceived Pregny and her jewels, the share of each of
her children amounting to about two million francs
when the estate was finally settled.
Of all the places closely associated with the life of
Josephine, only Malmaison remains to-day. During the
lifetime of Eugene, a large part of the estate was cut
up and sold in parcels. In June 1829, five years after
his death, in the final settlement of his estate it was
found necessary to sell the chateau. After passing
through several hands, it was bought in 1861 by Na-
poleon the Third and made a museum of Napoleonic
souvenirs. During the Franco-Prussian war it was pil-
laged by the Germans and damaged by fire. Finally
it was purchased, early in the present century, by a
Jewish millionaire, who had the generous thought of
restoring it as nearly as possible to its former condition
and presenting it to the State as a museum of relics
of Napoleon and Josephine.
Pregny, which was taken by Hortense, as her portion
of the real estate, was sold by her in 1817 for about
JOSEPHINE'S PERSONALITY
one hundred thousand francs. Nearly all of the furni-
ture was removed by Hortense, but the buildings re-
main in the same condition as in the time of Josephine.
Under the terms of the grant to the Empress, at her
death Navarre passed to Eugene, and from him to his
eldest son, Auguste. In 1834 this prince married the
Queen of Portugal, but died at Lisbon less than four
months later. He was succeeded as Due de Navarre by
his brother Maximilian, who married the Grande-
Duchesse Marie of Russia, daughter of Czar Nicholas.
On his death in 1852 the title was claimed by his son
Prince Nicholas, but the French Government refused
its assent, on the ground that, as a member of the
imperial family of Russia, he could not swear fidelity
to the Emperor of the French. It was thus that the
grandson of Prince Eugene was deprived by his cousin
Napoleon the Third of the duchy erected by Napoleon
the First, and by virtue of a clause in the original
grant which four successive Governments of France
had neglected to invoke! But long before this date the
estate of Navarre had been sold by the heirs of Eugene,
with the permission of the Government, and the pro-
ceeds, over a million francs, invested in French bonds.
On the Sunday following the battle of Waterloo, the
25 June 1815, Napoleon left Paris for the last time,
and went to Malmaison. Here, before departing for
his final exile, he spent four days in wandering through
the chateau and the park, as if in search of the beloved
shade which in disappearing from his life seemed to
have taken with it his happiness and his fortune.
Such, charming and exquisite, she lives in his mem-
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE
ory, to soften his agony and soothe his exile, and such,
after the lapse of a hundred years, she still appears in
the eyes of posterity.
" In vain/' says Monsieur Masson, " in vain have
we been compelled to tell the truth about her, to throw
upon her life the light of History: the legend still pre-
vails. Her memory will never suffer from what has
been written even from what has been proven.
" In the dispersal and quick disappearance of the
things she loved, there remains only the name of a
flower: the Souvenir de Malmaison, and thus her
image, and the emblem of her life, will be one of these
lovely roses, tender and fragile, bright and nacreous,
which she loved and named. . . . When for a brief
moment the rose has given us a vision of its grace, a
petal loosens and falls, then another, and another, until
finally it is like a fall of fragrant snow, projecting into
the warm atmosphere hardly the repressed vibration
of a sigh; but the fragrance of the withering petals
long floats on the air, and perfumes the room."
With this beautiful thought we take our leave of
Napoleon's charming " little Creole."
BIBLIOGRAPHY
THERE are very few books on Josephine, either in French or in
Enelish Little is known about her early years, and after her
SSJe to Napoleon, her career is so identified with that of
her husband that most of the information regarding her is to be
found in the numerous biographies, histories and memoirs devoted
to the life of the Emperor.
AUBENAS, J. A., Bistoire de I'imptratrice Josephine, Paris, 1858-
x8 2 vols. An excellent history, written by one who had
made a careful examination of all the material then avail-
able both in France and in Martinique, and whom we may
call 'the official biographer of Josephine. He alone had ac-
cess to the archives of the Tascher family, and to mm we
owe most of our knowledge of the first fifteen years of her
existence.
HALL, H. F., Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, (1796-1812).
Trans. 1903.
LE NORMAND, M. A., M emoires Mstoriques et secrets de Jose-
phine, Paris, ifeo. a vols. These so-called mfeimres,
falsely attributed to Josephine herself, were published four
years after her death. Napoleon was then in exile; his
enemies were in power again; and this book was intended as
a propitiatory offering to royalty. The author was an un-
principled, unscrupulous woman, Mile. Le Nonnand, who
was a professional fortune-teller of Paris. The book is as
untrustworthy as the Memoires of Barras.
Lettres de Napoleon A Josephine, Paris, 1833- /vols.
These volumes contain the letters of Napoleon to Josephine
from 1796 to 1813, also the letters from Josephine to her
daughter from 1794 to i8 I4 . The publication of this cor-
385:1
BIBLIOGRAPHY
respondence was authorized by Queen Hortense, who had
the letters in her possession. These letters are of extreme
interest, as they reveal the innermost thoughts of the Em-
peror, and throw a strong side-light on his character, as
well as on that of Josephine.
MASSON, F., Josephine, Paris, 1899-1902. 3 vols. Also Napo-
Uon et sa famUle. Paris, 1896-1919. 13 vols. Masson was
the greatest authority upon the history of the Emperor and
his family. His works are remarkable for the abundance of
their intimate details and the exactitude of their docu-
mentation.
OBER, FREDERICK A., Josephine, Empress of the French, New
York, 1895. A popular English biography, based on the
French history of M. Aubenas. The author seems to be
familiar with Martinique, and gives many intimate details of
Josephine's early life.
SAINT-AMAND, IMBERT DE, JosSphme, Paris, 1887. 5 vols. Pub-
lished under different titles. The author presents Josephine
in the most favorable light, and at the same time displays
great admiration for the Emperor.
SERGEANT, PHILIP W., The Empress Josephine, London, 1908.
2 vols. The best English biography: well written, accurate,
and very fair in its treatment both of Josephine and Napo-
leon.
TURQUAN, JOSEPH, L'lmpfratrice Josephine, Paris, 1895-1896.
2 vols. The first volume, entitled La glnlrale Bonaparte,
covers the period from Vendemiaire to the end of the Con-
sulate; the second, the Empire and the years subsequent to
the divorce. The author makes much of the early scandals in
Josephine's life, and is very unfair in his presentation of the
facts.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
MEMOIRS
AVRILLON, MLLE., Mlmoires sur la vie privde de Josephine, Paris,
no date (about 1835). 2 v k- The author, who describes
herself as " premiere femme de chambre de Pimp&atrice,"
was with Josephine from 1804 to 1814. While possessing no
great historic value, these memoirs are interesting and read-
able.
BOURRIENNE, L. A. F. DE, M6moires, Paris, 1829-1831. 10
vols. Trans. London, 1893. 4 vols. Also new French
edition, Paris, 1899-1900. 5 vols. A vivid, but untrust-
worthy picture of Napoleon and Jos6phine. The stories of
the author's very dose friendship are open to suspicion.
JUNOT, LAURE (Duchesse d'Abrantes), M&moires, Paris, 1833-
1834. 18 vols. Trans. Very vivacious, but full of slanders
and sarcasms in her portrayal of the Emperor and his wife.
Not trustworthy.
REMUSAT, MME. DE, Mtmoires, Paris, 1879-1880. 3 vols. Also
trans. She was a dame du palais of Josephine, and her
memoirs give a very vivid description of the Consular and
Imperial Courts. The original manuscript was burnt during
the Hundred Days, as the author feared that her attacks
on Napoleon might get her into trouble. The memoirs
which we have now were written in 1818, and show a desire
to gain favor with the Royalists.
387:1
INDEX
Abrantes, Duchesse d', 59
Alexander, Czar, 235, 367, 369* 37*>
Anne 2 , Grand Duchess of Russia,
Arenberg, Mme. d', see Tascher,
Stephanie
Arnault, author, 60, 63, 04
Artois, Comte d 1 , 130, 138
Aubenas, author, n
Augusta of Bavana, (wife 01
Eugene), 188, 193, 221, 360
Avrillon, Mile., author, i55> i7*>
173, 288, 293, 354
Bacciochi, Prince Felix, 69
Bacciochi, Princesse, see Bonaparte,
Barral, Archbishop, 376
Barras, director, 44-46, 48
Bausset, palace prefect, 287-291
Beauharnais, Alexandra, birth (28
May 1760), 8; his early
years, 12; education, 13; Mme.
Renaudin's interest in him, 13;
enters the army, 14; pkf *. r
his marriage, x*: letter of his
for Martinique (1782), 19; re-
pudiates Josephine, 20; returns
to France (1783), 21; refuses
reconciliation, 22; separation
arranged (1785), 22; elected to
States-General (1789), 27; presi-
dent of the Assembly (i79*;, 29;
flight of the Royal family, 29;
retires to the country, 3; re-
joins the army, 30; commands
Army of Rhine, 31 J his disgrace-
ful failure, 32; resigns command,
32; retires to Blois, 34? arrested
and imprisoned d794)> 34 J m , s
execution, 35 J his daughter's
pride in him, 107
Beauharnais, Eugene, birth (3
Sept. 1781), 19; on staff of
Hoche, 30; in school at Saint-
Germain, 44; claims his fathers
sword, 49; intercedes for his
mother, 83; his treatment by
the Emperor, 144; a* the Ma-
rengo review, 170; made Viceroy
of Italy, 172; marriage to
Augusta, 192-194; his character
and appearance, 192; adopted by
the Emperor, 193* 258; sum-
moned to Paris (Dec. 1809), 296;
his difficult position, 296; ar-
ranges final conference, 297;
refuses Crown of Italy, 297; his
address to the Senate, 301; visits
his mother at Aix, 334; also at
Navarre, 344 ; b^gs news of
birth of King of Rome, 345 ;. at
Paris before Russian campaign,
35o; given command of Grand
Army, 356; attitude towards
Napoleon, 3595 the Emperors
suspicions (1814), 3^o; letter
from Josephine, 361 ; leaves Italy,
368; called to Paris, 369; received
'by the King, 370; part in Jose-
phine's estate, 382
April ju/o/) * .
by her father, 20; goes to
Martinique with her mother, 24;
placed in Mme. Campans
school, 44; intercedes for her
mother, 84; plans for her mar-
riage, 102; her appearance
and character, 106; love of her
mother, 107; pride in her father,
107; early dislike of Napoleon,
107; fancy for Duroc, 108;
wounded by infernal machine,
109; marriage to Louis, 112;
hostess at Tuileries, 199; births
of her children, 200; Queen
of Holland, 201; residence at
The Hague, 201; visit to May-
ence, 201; death of Charles, 225;
C3893
INDEX
her despair, 226; letters from the
Emperor, 228-231; visit to Cau-
terets, 239; reconciliation with
Louis, 239; return to Fontaine-
bleau, 239; her illness, 239; re-
fuses to return to Holland, 247;
birth of Louis-Napoleon (Napo-
leon III) , 267 ; her interview with
Napoleon at time of divorce,
292; abdication of Louis, 335;
visits her mother at Aix, 336;
-also at Navarre, 344, 365; at
Malmaison (1814), 367; receives
the Czar, 367; created Duchesse
de Saint-Leu, 370; entertains the
Czar, 371; at her mother's death-
bed, 373; part in Josephine's
estate, 382; at Malmaison with
Napoleon (1815), 383
Beauharnais, Stephanie, (Grand
Duchess of Baden), 195, 197,
246, 247
Bonaparte, Caroline, (Mme. Murat),
92, 112, 142, 155
Bonaparte, Elisa, (Mme. Baccio-
chi), 69, 142, 155
Bonaparte, Jerdme, 124, 171, 238, 246
Bonaparte, Joseph, 78, 99, 127, 269
Bonaparte, Letitia, (Mme. Mere),
69, 149
Bonaparte, Louis, 103, 104, 105,
106, in, 112, 198-201
Bonaparte, Louis-Napoleon, (Napo-
leon III), 267, 357
Bonaparte, Lucien, 78, 98, 102-103,
123, 257
Bonaparte, Napoleon-Charles, 200,
225
Bonaparte, Napoleon-Louis, 157,
200
Bonaparte, Pauline, (Mme. Leclerc,
later Princesse de Borghese), 69,
120, 155
Borghese, Prince de, 121
Bouill, Marquis de, 19, 29
Bourrienne, secretary, 199
Broc, Mme. de, 358
Cadoudal, Georges, 130-134
Calmelet, 53
Cambace'res, 140, 285, 303
Caprara, Cardinal, 112, 14$
Carnot, director, 99
Catherine, of Wurtemberg, (wife of
Jei6me), 238, 246
Caulaincourt, 135, 320
Charles, Hippolyte, 65, 78
Charles, Grand Duke of Baden,
188, 195, 196
Charles, King, (of Spain), 263-269
Cochelet, Mile., reader to Hor-
tense, 366
Corvisart, Dr., 381
David, painter, 150
D&melle, Mile., 225
Dupont, General, 270
Duroc, grand marshal, 108, 115, 256
Emmery, merchant, 39
Enghien, Due d', 134-137
Eugene, Prince, see Beauharnais
Ferdinand, Prince, (of Spain), 263-
269
Fesch, Cardinal, 148, 153, 321
Flahaut, Charles de, 336
Fouche", minister, 100, 102, 139,
252-254, 278, 286
Foures, Mme., 80
Gazzani, Mme., reader to Jos-
phine, 246, 380
Georges, Mile., actress, 119
Girardin, Stanislas, 279
Gohier, director, 86
Hatzfeld, Prince, 206
Hoche, General, 35, 38
Horau, Dr., 381
Hortense, see Beauharnais
Isabey, painter, 152
Josephine, birth (23 June 1763), 9;
confusion of dates, 9; childhood,
12; education, 12; appearance
and character, 12; she takes her
sister's place, 16; arrives in
France, 17; first marriage (19
Dec. 1779), 18; life in Paris, 18;
birth of Eugene (3 Sept. 1781),
19; departure of Alexandre, 19;
birth of Hortense (10 April
1783), 20; repudiated by Alex-
andre, 20; he returns to France,
21 ; refuses reconciliation, 22;
separation arranged (1785), 22;
her sojourn at Panthemont, 23;
residence at Fontainebleau, 24;
INDEX
voyage to Martinique (1788),
24-26; returns to France (i79),
28; residence in Paris, 29; house
at Croissy, 32; imprisoned in
the Cannes (i794) 34 ; execution
of Alexandre, 355 she is released,
37- her behavior in pnson, 37;
returns to Croissy, 38; relations
with Hoche, 38; financial straits,
39-40; her banker Emmery, 39 :
her love of luxury, 41; intimacy
with Mme. Tallien, 41; their
similar tastes, 42; her new home
Rue Chantereine (Oct. 1795), 42;
places children in school, 44;
liaison with Barras, 45-47; dur '
ing 13 Vendemiaire, 48; meets
Bonaparte (15 Oct.), .49J her
appearance at that time, 50;
letter to Bonaparte, 51 i her hesi-
tation about marriage, 52; final
consent, 53 J marriage to Bona-
parte (9 March 1796), 54 ; his
departure for Italy, 54 J his first
letter, 56; her indifference, 56;
his second letter, 57; hesitation
to rejoin him, 59; at presentation
of battle flags, 60; her life at
Paris, 63 ; starts for Italy (July) ,
64; regret at leaving, 64; arrival
at Milan, 65; her ennui there, 66;
letter to Mme. Renaudin, oo;
her delayed honeymoon, 67;
court at Montebello (i797)> 69;
her aid to Napoleon's policy, 70;
she returns to Paris (Jan. 1798),
72- attends Talleyrand fete, 735
suspicious letter to Barras, 74;
accompanies Bonaparte to Toulon
(May), 75J goes to Plombieres,
76; serious accident, 77; buys
Malmaison, 77; intrigue with
Charles, 78; hears of Bonaparte s
return (Oct. 1799), 83; fails to
meet him, 83; their reconcilia-
tion, 84; her debts paid, 84; r61e
in coup d'etat, 85; moves to
Luxembourg, 87; life there, 88;
her important rdle, 90; devotion
to Napoleon, 90; se cret of ner
power, 90; her royahsm, 90;
assistance to emigres, 91; im-
portance to Napoleon's policy,
91 ; interest in marriage of Murat,
92; moves to Tuileries (Feb.
1800), 93; the new society, 94 J
visits to Malmaison, 95 5 her fears
of divorce, 101; the disgrace of
Lucien, 103; chooses Louis for
Hortense, 103; the infernal ma-
chine (Dec.), 109; narrow escape,
109; dismay over public attitude,
no; visit to Plombieres, 112;
marriage of Hortense (Jan. 1802),
112; trip to Normandie, 116';
her appearance at 40* 7>
her life at Saint-Cloud, 118;
scene of jealousy at Tuileries,
119; visit to Belgium, 127; pacific
counsels to Bonaparte, 131;
reveals plans regarding Due
d'Enghien, 136; hailed as Empress
(18 May 1804), 141; her fine
attitude, 143; at the fetes of 14
July, 144; visit to Banks of the
Rhine, 145; return to Saint-
Cloud, 147; triumph over the
Bonapartes, 149; religious mar-
riage (Dec.), 153; at toe Coro-
nation, 154-155; her daily life,
158-168; places of residence, 158;
frequent changes at Tuileries,
159, 160; her rooms at Saint-
Cloud, 161; daily routine, 162;
personal attendants, 162; her
toilette, 163; lingerie and robes,
164; lavish expenditures, 165;
debts paid by the Emperor, 166;
life at Tuileries, 167; journey to
Italy (1805), 169; at Milan coro-
nation (26 May), 171; gnef over
elevation of Eugene, 172; her
husband's attachment, 173; the
Genoa f&es, 174; return to
France, 174; visit to Plombieres,
175; sojourn at Strasbourg, i77J
Napoleon's letters, 178-182; goes
to Munich, 184; her selfishness,
186; at marriage of Eugene (Jan.
1806), 187-195; return to Paris,
195; goes to Mayence (1806),
202; Napoleon's letters, 203-212;
1806), 187-195; return to Paris,
220; her cordial welcome, 220;
her loneliness, 221; birth of
Eugene's daughter, 221; grief at
death of Charles (May 1807),
226; meets Hortense at Laeken,
226; Napoleon's letters, 228-231;
return to Paris, 232; letters to
Hortense, 233; at the Fontaine-
bleau f&es, 246-247; the divorce
INDEX
first proposed, 2495 refuses to
take initiative, 251; action in
reply to Fouche's letter 252-2 3;
deatit of her mother, 256; letters
during Napoleon's tnp to Italy,
2597 her fear of divorce, 261;
a remarkable episode, 262 ; mar-
riage of her cousin, Mile, de
Tascher, 262; sojourn at Bayonne
(1808), 264; joins Napoleon at
Marrac, 267; 3<>y ,^ e * blrth !
Louis-Napoleon (April), 267,
return to Saint-Cloud, 270; left
at Paris during Erfurt meeting,
272; also during Spanish cam-
paign, 275; letters of the
Emperor, 276; she reveals the sue-
cession plot, 279; goes to Stras-
bourg, 280; Napoleon's letters,
281-284; meets Emperor at Fon-
tainebleau (1809), 286; her cold
reception, 286; her appearance
at 46, 288; receives announce-
ment of divorce (30 Nov.),
289; a pretended swoon, 290;
the final fetes, 294; arrival
of Eugene, 296; final conference,
297; address at the divorce (i5
Dec.), 299; departure for Mal-
maison, 303; her legend, 304; her
dowry, 306; her debts paid, 307?
first days at Malmaison, 307;
visits and letters from Emperor,
308-317; Christmas dinner at
Trianon, 311; her interest in
Austrian marriage, 313; goes to
filysee palace, 31*; returns to
Malmaison, 322; presented with
Navarre (1810), 322; its dilapi-
dated condition, 324; worried
over Paris gossip, 326; letter to
Napoleon and his reply, 327-
328; he agrees to her plans, 329;
she returns to Malmaison, 330;
her Court there, 331;. anxiety
about Hortense, 332; visit from
the Emperor, 333 ; goes to Aix-
les-Bains, 334; visit from Eugene,
334; informed of Louis* abdica-
tion, 335 ; narrow escape, 33$;
arrival of Hortense, 336 r tour of
Switzerland, 3375 upset by re-
ports regarding Marie-Louise,
337-339; rejects advice of Mme.
de R&nusat, 340; returns to
Malmaison, 341; monotonous life
at Navarre (1811), 342; her
health improved, 343; visits from
her children, 3445 her ffte-day,
344; news of birth of King of
Rome (March), 3455 her debts
paid again, 34$; P&&S new
chateau at Malmaison, 349; ex-
changes rysee for Laeken, 349;
passes winter at Malmaison, 350;
visit to Milan (1812), 351 J
sojourns at Aix and Pr6gny, 352 ;
return to Paris, 352; hears of
Malet plot, 353J anxiety over
Moscow disaster, 353; meets King
of Rome (Dec. 1812), 355; visit
from Hortense's sons, 357; news
of death of Mme. de Broc, 358;
writes Eugene at request of
Emperor (1814), 361; leaves for
Navarre, 363; arrival of Hor-
tense, 365; news of abdication
(April), 366; returns to Mal-
maison, 367; receives the Czar,
367; fears for her children, 371;
final illness and death (29 May),
372; her association with Mar-
tinique, 375J her statue at Fort-
de-France, 375; her legend, 376;
her claims to beauty, 377,* per
intellect, 378; her prodigality,
378; her magnetism, 379; her
desire to please, 380; her affec-
tions, 380; her falsehoods, 381;
her final deception, 381 ; fate ; of
her homes, 382; her succession,
382; her memory, 384 f _
Jouberthou, Mme., (wife of Lu-
cien), 123
Junot, General, 263
Junot, Mme,, see Abrantes
La Rochefoucauld, Due de, 13, *4
Lavalette, General, 67, 275
Lavoisier, 27
Leclerc, General, 69
Lederc, Mme., see Bonaparte,
Pauline
Leon, (son of Napoleon), 225
Louis-Napoleon, see Bonaparte
Louis XVin, 100
Louisa, Queen, 205, 235
Marie-Louise, Empress, 321, 337i
362
Maximilian, King of Bavaria, 188,
190
39*3
INDEX
Meneval, secretary, 115, 302
Metternich, Mme., 312-313
Metternich, Prince, 314
Moreau, General, 131-133
Murat, General, 92, 112, 207, 264
Napoleon, during 13 Vend&niaire
(Oct. 1795), 4S; returns sword
to Eugene, 49; meets Josephine
(15 Oct.), 49J her letter to him,
51; his first letter, 51; decides
on marriage, 52; civil ceremony
(9 March 1796), 54 J leaves for
Italy, 54; first letter during cam-
paign, 56; his victories, 58;
second proclamation, 58; sends
for Josephine, 59 J victory of
Lodi (10 May), 61; enters Milan
(15 May), 62; his delayed honey-
moon, 67; end of campaign, 68;
his letters to Josephine, 68;
court of Montebello (i797), 69;
the family reunion (June), 69;
peace of Campo-Formio (Oct.),
71; leaves for Rastadt, 71;
returns to Paris (Dec.), 7*; at
the Talleyrand fete (2 Jan. 1798),
73; clash with Mme. de Stael,
73; buys Hotel Chantereine, 74;
bis tour of inspection, 74; his
fortune, 75; leaves for Toulon,
75; sails for Egypt (19 May),
76; hears reports of Josephine's
infidelity, 79; liaison with Mme.
Foures, 80; leaves Egypt (Aug.
1799), 82; lands at Fre*jus (9
Oct.), 83; reaches Paris (16 Oct.),
83; pardons Josephine, 84; pays
her debts, 84; during -the coup
d'&at (9-10 Nov.), 86-87; made
Consul, 87; moves to Luxem-
bourg (n Nov.), 87; life there,
88; marries Caroline to Murat
(Jan. 1800), 92; moves to
Tuileries (19 Feb.), 935 life there,
94; visits to Malmaison, 94; the
chateau, 95; his affability, 95;
his problems as First Consul, 96;
success of his administration, 97;
reception after Marengo (July),
97; the "Conspiracy," 98; an-
swers the Pretender, 100; decision
to amend Constitution, 101; dis-
graces Lucien, 103; the infernal
machine (24 Dec.), 109; public
demands for an heir, no; made
Consul for Life (2 Aug. 1802),
114; takes possession of Saint-
Cloud, 114; his apartments, 115;
establishes court etiquette, 115;
trip to Normandie, 116; absent
at marriage of Pauline, 120;
enraged over marriages of Lucien
and J&rfime, 123-124; celebrated
scene with British ambassador,
126; visit to Belgium, 127;
episode at Mortefontaine, 128;
first suggestions of the Empire,
128; reception at Brussels, 129;
the Royalist conspiracies, 130;
jealousy of Moreau, 131-132; his
trial and exile, 133; execution of
Due d'Enghien (21 March 1804),
135-138; proclaimed Emperor (18
May), 139; yields to his family,
143; his treatment of Eugene,
144; at the 14 July fetes, 144;
visit to Channel ports and the
Rhine, 145; return to Saint-
Cloud, 147; plans for Coronation,
148; reception of Pope, 151;
religious marriage (i Dec. 1804),
153; ceremony at Notre-Dame,
(2 Dec.), 154-156; baptism of
Napoleon-Louis, 157; payment of
Josephine's debts, 166; journey
to Italy, 169 ; review at Marengo,
170; reconciliation with Jerome,
171; coronation at Milan (26
May 1805), 171; his satisfaction,
172; makes Eugene Viceroy of
Italy, 172; his reproof of Jos6-
phine, 172; his attachment to
her, 173; at the Genoa fetes, 174;
return to France, 174; letters
during Austerlitz campaign, 178-
182 ; arrival at Munich (31 Dec.) ,
187; plans for family alliances,
188; overcomes opposition, 190;
summons Eugene, 191; marries
him to Augusta (Jan. 1806), 194;
reception at Paris, 195; marries
Stephanie to Charles (April),
195; makes Louis King of Hol-
land (5 June), 198; during cam-
paign of Jena, 202-207; letters
to Josephine, 203-207; enters
Berlin, 205; the Hatzfeld episode,
206; goes to Poland, 208; first
meeting with Marie Walewska
(Jan. 1807), 213; beginning of
their liaison, 215 ; he orders Jose*-
C393H
INDEX
phine to return to Paris, 215;
minimizes his losses at Eylau,
217; quarters at Osterode, 218;
letter to Joseph, 218; letters to
Josephine, 219; moves to Finck-
enstein, 222; joined by Mme.
Walewska, 222; dictates as to
Josephine's friends, 223; birth of
his son Leon, 225; death of his
nephew Charles (May), 225; his
apparent indifference, 231; letters
to Josephine, Hortense and others,
228-231; letters from Friedland
and Tilsit, 234; declines rose of
Queen Louisa, 235; return to
Paris, 236; makes Talleyrand
vice-grand-elector, 237; his fete
(15 August), 238; marries J6r6me
to Catherine, 238; takes part of
Hortense against Louis, 239; the
Court at Fontainebleau, 240-
248; his grandeur described by
Mme. de RSmusat, 241; Na-
poleon's power in 1807, 242; his
program of entertainment, 242;
his ennui, 244, affair with Mme.
Gazzani, 246; reproves Jerdme,
246; raises question of divorce,
249; rebukes FouchS for med-
dling, 254; goes to Italy, 257;
meets Lucien, 257; adopts
Eugene, 258; letters to Josephine,
259; irresolution as to divorce,
262; a remarkable scene, 262;
interest in Spanish crisis (1808),
263; goes to Bayonne (April),
264; sojourn at Marrac, 265;
letters to Empress, 265; makes
Joseph King of Spain (June),
269; hears of Baylen disaster,
270; returns to Saint-Cloud
(Aug.), 270; at the Erfurt con-
ference (Sept.-Oct.), 271-274;
opens his heart to Alexander,
272; instructs Talleyrand to open
negotiations, 273; letters to
Josephine, 274; leaves for Spam
(Nov.), 275; his letters during
campaign, 276; return to Paris
(Jan. 1809), 278; scene at
Tuileries, 278; leaves for Stras-
bourg, 280* wounded at Ratis-
bon, 280; letters to the Empress,
281-284; returns to Fontaine-
bleau (Oct.), 284; informs Cam-
baceres of divorce, 285; cold
C394 3
reception of Josephine, 286; his
hesitation, 288; final announce-
ment of divorce (30 Nov.), 289;
a comic episode, 290; verdict of
History, 290; his sincere regret,
291; interview with Hortense,
292; the final fetes, 294; contre-
temps at Grosbois, 295; arrival
of Eugene, 296; final conference,
297; address at divorce (15 Dec.),
298; leaves for Trianon, 302;
annulment of marriage, 303;
liberality to Josephine, 306; pays
her debts, 307; visits to Mal-
maison, 308-317; Christmas din-
ner at Trianon, 311; allows Jose-
phine to return to Paris (1810),
313; his preference for Russian
alliance, 319; calls a conference
(Jan.), 320; marriage arranged
with Marie-Louise, 320; her
arrival in Paris (March), 321;
advises Josephine to leave, 322;
her formal letter, 327; his cordial
reply, 328; he agrees to Jose-
phine's plans, 329; informs her
of Louis' abdication, 335; writes
about Marie-Louise, 337; con-
sents to her return, 340; writes
of birth of King of Rome (1811),
345; again pays Josephine's debts,
346; agrees to exchange Laeken
for Elysee, 349; comments on
Malet conspiracy (1812), 354; re-
turns from Moscow (Dec.), 354;
last meeting with Josephine
(Dec.), 355; gives Eugene com-
mand of Grand Army, 356; his
errors in campaign of 1813; 357;
suspicious of Eugene (1814), 360;
asks Josephine to write him, 360;
his first abdication (6 April), 366;
his political testament, 366; news
of Josephine's death, 374; his last
visits to Malmaison (1815), 374,
383; his belief in Josephine, 383
Napoleon n, King of Rome, 345,
355
Napoleon-Charles, see Bonaparte
Napoleon-Louis, see Bonaparte
Nelson, Lord, 76
Patricol, tutor, 13
Patterson, Miss, (wife of Jer6me),
124, 171
Pichegru, 130-134
INDEX
Pius VH, Pope, 148-157
Provence, Comte de, 100
Rapp, aide de camp, no
Rmusat, Mme. de, 68, 116, 119,
126, 133, 194, 241, 310, 326, 340
Renaudin, Mine., (aunt of Jose-
phine), 7, 13, 15, 16, 17, 66
Salicettl, 61
Savary, minister, 137
Stael, Mme. de, 73
Talleyrand, minister, 73, 100, 129,
i37> 189, 237, 244, 249, 253, 254,
255, 262, 273, 274, 278
Tallien, 41
TaJlien, Mme., 41-42
Tascher de la Pagerie (family of
Josephine), 4-5, io-n, 15-16, 25
Tascher, Stephanie (Mme. d' Aren-
berg), 262
Walewska, Marie, 213-224, 283, 380
Whitworth, Lord, 126
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