Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text waiting the renewal of the fray, having a war of
figures with his Chancellor of Exchequer."
_It is not as good as the great city._--The day before he had written
his brother Joseph that neither his officers nor his staff had taken
their clothes off for two months; that he had not taken his boots off
for a fortnight; that the wounded had to be moved 120 miles in
sledges, in the open air; that bread was unprocurable; that the
Emperor had been living for weeks upon potatoes, and the officers upon
mere meat. "After having destroyed the Prussian monarchy, we are
fighting against the remnant of the Prussians, against Russians,
Cossacks, and Kalmucks, those roving tribes of the north, who formerly
invaded the Roman Empire."
_I have ordered what you wish for Malmaison._--About this time he also
gave orders for what afterwards became the Bourse and the Madeleine,
and gave hints for a new journal (March 7th), whose "criticism should
be enlightened, well-intentioned, impartial, and robbed of that
noxious brutality which characterises the discussions of existing
journals, and which is so at variance with the true sentiments of the
nation."
No. 54.
_Minerva._--In a letter of March 7th Josephine writes to Hortense: "A
few days ago I saw a frightful accident at the Opera. The actress who
represented Minerva in the ballet of 'Ulysses' fell twenty feet and
broke her arm. As she is poor, and has a family to support, I have
sent her fifty louis." This was probably the ballet, "The Return of
Ulysses," a subject given by Napoleon to Fouche as a suitable subject
for representation. In the same letter Josephine writes: "All the
private letters I have received agree in saying that the Emperor was
very much exposed at the battle of Eylau. I get news of him very
often, sometimes two letters a day, but that does not replace him."
This special danger at Eylau is told by Las Cases, who heard it from
Bertrand. Napoleon was on foot, with only a few officers of his staff;
a column of four to five thousand Russians came almost in contact with
him. Berthier instantly ordered up the horses. The Emperor gave him a
reproachful look; then sent orders to a battalion of his guard to
advance, which was a good way behind, and standing still. As the
Russians advanced he repeated several times, "What audacity, what
audacity!" At the sight of his Grenadiers of the Guard the Russians
stopped short. It was high time for them to do so, as Bertrand said.
The Emperor had never stirred; all who surrounded him had been much
alarmed.
No. 55.
"It is the first and only time," says Aubenas, "that, in these two
volumes of letters (_Collection Didot_), Napoleon says _vous_ to his
wife. But his vexation does not last more than a few lines, and this
short letter ends, '_Tout a toi_.' Not content with this softening,
and convinced how grieved Josephine will be at this language of cold
etiquette, he writes to her the same day, at ten o'clock at night,
before going to bed, a second letter in his old style, which ends,
'_Mille et mille amities_.'" It is a later letter (March 25th) which
ends as described, but No. 56 is, nevertheless, a kind letter.
No. 56.
_Dupuis._--Former principal of the Brienne Military School. Napoleon,
always solicitous for the happiness of those whom he had known in his
youth, had made Dupuis his own librarian at Malmaison. His brother,
who died in 1809, was the learned Egyptologist.
No. 58.
_M. de T----_, _i.e._ M. de Thiard. In _Lettres Inedites de Napoleon
I._ (Brotonne), No. 176, to Talleyrand, March 22nd, the Emperor
writes: "I have had M. de Thiard effaced from the list of officers. I
have sent him away, after having testified all my displeasure, and
told him to stay on his estate. He is a man without military honour
and civic fidelity.... My intention is that he shall also be struck
off from the number of my chamberlains. I have been poignantly grieved
at such black ingratitude, but I think myself fortunate to have found
out such a wicked man in time." De Thiard seems to have been
corresponding with the enemy from Warsaw.
No. 60.
_Marshal Bessieres._--His chateau of Grignon, now destroyed, was one
of the most beautiful of Provence. Madame de Sevigne lived and was
buried in the town of Grignon.
_No. 63._
This was printed April 24th in the French editions, but April 14th is
evidently the correct date.
No. 67.
"_Sweet, pouting, and capricious._"--Aubenas speaks of these lines "in
the style of the Italian period, which seemed in fact to calm the
fears of the Empress."
No. 68.
_Madame ----._ His own sister, Madame Murat, afterwards Queen of
Naples. See note to Letter 35 for her influence over Junot. The latter
was severely reprimanded by Napoleon on his return and banished from
Paris. "Why, for example, does the Grand Duchess occupy your boxes at
the theatres? Why does she go thither in your carriage? Hey! M. Junot!
you are surprised that I am so well acquainted with your affairs and
those of that little fool, Madame Murat?" ("Memoirs of the Duchess
d'Abrantes," vol. iii. 328.)
_Measles._--As the poor child was ill four days, it was probably
laryngitis from which he died--an ailment hardly distinguishable from
croup, and one of the commonest sequelae of measles. He died on May
5th.
The best account is the Memoirs of Stanislaus Giraudin. They had
applied leeches to the child's chest, and had finally recourse to some
English powders of unknown composition, which caused a rally, followed
by the final collapse. King Louis said the child's death was caused by
the Dutch damp climate, which was bad for his own health. Josephine
hastens to join her daughter, but breaks down at Lacken, where
Hortense, more dead than alive, joins her, and returns to Paris with
her.
No. 69.
_I trust I may hear you have been rational in your sorrow._--As a
matter of fact he had heard the opposite, for the following day
(May 15th) he writes to his brother Jerome: "Napoleon died in three
days at the Hague; I know not if the King has advised you of it.
This event gives me the more pain insomuch as his father and mother
are not rational, and are giving themselves up to all the transports
of their grief." To Fouche he writes three days later: "I have
been very much afflicted by the misfortune which has befallen me.
I had hoped for a more brilliant destiny for that poor child;" and on
May 20th, "I have felt the loss of the little Napoleon very acutely.
I would have wished that his father and mother should have received
from their temperament as much courage as I for knowing how to bear
all the ills of life. But they are younger, and have reflected less on
the frailty of our worldly possessions." It is typical of Napoleon
that the only man to whom, as far as we know, he unbosomed his
sorrow should be one of his early friends, even though that friend
should be the false and faithless Fouche, who requited his confidence
later by vile and baseless allegations respecting the parentage of
this very child. In one respect onlPrevious Next |