Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text sed me. My health is good.
Here we are enjoying Parisian weather of the last fortnight in May. We
are hot, and have no fires; but the nights are rather cool.
Madrid is quiet. All my affairs prosper.
Adieu, dear.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
Kind regards to Hortense and to M. Napoleon.
No. 7.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Chamartin, December 10, 1808._
_My Dear_,--Yours to hand, in which you tell me what bad weather you
are having in Paris; here it is the best weather imaginable. Please
tell me what mean these alterations Hortense is making; I hear she is
sending away her servants. Is it because they have refused to do what
was required? Give me some particulars. Reforms are not desirable.
Adieu, dear. The weather here is delightful. All goes excellently, and
I pray you to keep well.
NAPOLEON.
No. 8.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_December 21, 1808._
You ought to have been at the Tuileries on the 12th. I trust you may
have been pleased with your rooms.
I have authorised the presentation of Kourakin to you and the family;
be kind to him, and let him take part in your plays.
Adieu, dear. I am well. The weather is rainy; it is rather cold.
NAPOLEON.
No. 9.
_December 22nd.--Napoleon quits Madrid._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Madrid, December 22, 1808._
I start at once to outmanoeuvre the English, who appear to have
received reinforcements and wish to look big.
The weather is fine, my health perfect; don't be uneasy.
NAPOLEON.
No. 10.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Benavento, December 31, 1808._
_My Dear_,--The last few days I have been in pursuit of the English,
but they flee panic-stricken. They have pusillanimously abandoned the
remnant of La Romana's army in order not to delay its retreat a single
half day. More than a hundred waggons of their baggage have already
been taken. The weather is very bad.
Lefebvre[31] has been captured. He took part in a skirmish with 300 of
his chasseurs; these idiots crossed a river by swimming and threw
themselves in the midst of the English cavalry; they killed several,
but on their return Lefebvre had his horse wounded; it was swimming,
the current took him to the bank where the English were; he was taken.
Console his wife.
Adieu, dear. Bessieres, with 10,000 cavalry, is at Astorga.
NAPOLEON.
A happy New Year to everybody.
No. 11.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_January 3, 1809._
_My Dear_,--I have received your letters of the 18th and 21st. I am
close behind the English.
The weather is cold and rigorous, but all goes well.
Adieu, dear.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
A happy New Year, and a very happy one, to my Josephine.
No. 12.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Benavento, January 5, 1809._
_My Dear_,--I write you a line. The English are in utter rout; I have
instructed the Duke of Dalmatia to pursue them closely (_l'epee dans
les reins_). I am well; the weather bad.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
No. 13.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_January 8, 1809._
I have received yours of the 23rd and 26th. I am sorry to see you have
toothache. I have been here two days. The weather is what we must
expect at this season. The English are embarking. I am in good
health.
Adieu, dear.
I am writing Hortense. Eugene has a daughter.
Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
No. 14.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_January 9, 1809._
Moustache brings me your letter of 31st December. I see from it, dear,
that you are sad and have very gloomy disquietudes. Austria will not
make war on me; if she does, I have 150,000 men in Germany and as many
on the Rhine, and 400,000 Germans to reply to her. Russia will not
separate herself from me. They are foolish in Paris; all goes well.
I shall be at Paris the moment I think it worth while. I advise you to
beware of ghosts; one fine day, at two o'clock in the morning.
But adieu, dear; I am well, and am yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
FOOTNOTES
[30] At Bayonne.
[31] General Lefebvre--Desnouettes.
SERIES L
"Berthier, incapable of acting a principal part, was surprised, and
making a succession of false movements that would have been fatal to
the French army, if the Emperor, journeying night and day, had not
arrived at the very hour when his lieutenant was on the point of
consummating the ruin of the army. But then was seen the supernatural
force of Napoleon's genius. In a few hours he changed the aspect of
affairs, and in a few days, maugre their immense number, his enemies,
baffled and flying in all directions, proclaimed his mastery in an art
which, up to that moment, was imperfect; for never, since troops first
trod a field of battle, was such a display of military genius made by
man."--NAPIER.
SERIES L
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 278-295.)
LETTER PAGE
Napoleon's position in Europe 278
No. 1. _Donauwerth_ 281
The Ratisbon proclamation, and first successes of
the campaign up to April 23rd 281-2
No. 2. _May 6th_ 282
_The ball that touched me_ 283
No. 3. Baron Marbot's foray; and memories of Richard
Coeur de Lion 284
No. 4. _Schoenbrunn_ 284-5
_May 12th_ 285
No. 5. _Ebersdorf_ 286
_Eugene... has completely performed the task_ 287
No. 6. _May 29th_ 288
No. 7. _I have ordered the two princes_ 288-9
_The Duke of Montebello_ 289
_Thus everything ends_ 289
No. 9. _Eugene won a battle_ 290
No. 11. _Wagram_ 290
_Lasalle_ 291
_I am sunburnt_ 291
No. 12. _A surfeit of bile_ 291
_Wolkersdorf_ 291
No. 16. _My affairs follow my wishes_ 292
No. 17. _August 21st_ 292
No. 18. _Comedians_ 292
_Women ... not having been presented_ 293
No. 19. _All this is very suspicious_ 293
No. 20. _Krems_ 293
_My health has never been better_ 293
No. 23. _October 14th_ 294
No. 24. _Stuttgard_ 295
LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE DURING THE
AUSTRIAN CAMPAIGN, 1809.
EVENTS OF 1809.
_January 7th._--King and Queen of Prussia visit Alexander at St.
Petersburg.
_January 12th._--Cayenne and French Guiana captured by Spanish and
Portuguese South Americans.
_January 13th._--Combat of Alcazar. Victor defeats Spaniards.
_January 14th._--Treaty of Alliance between England and Spain.
_January 16th._--Battle of Corunna. Moore killed; Baird wounded.
_January 17th._--English army sails for England.
_January 22nd._--King Joseph returns to Madrid.
_January 27th._--Soult takes Ferrol (retaken by English, June
22nd).
_February 21st._--Lannes takes Saragossa.
_February 23rd._--English capture Martinique.
_March 4th._--Madison made President of United States.
_March 29th._--Soult fights battle of Oporto. Spaniards lose
20,000 men and 200 guns. Gustavus Adolphus abdicates throne of
Sweden.
_April 9th._--Austrians under Archduke Charles cross the Inn,
enter Bavaria, and take Munich. _Napoleon receives this news April
12th, and reaches Strasburg April 15th._
_April 15th._--Eugene defeated on the Tagliamento.
_April 16th._--And at Sacile.
_April 19th._--Combat of Pfafferhofen. Oudinot repulses Austrians,
while Davoust wins the Battle of Than Previous Next |