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his first letters to Josephine, that Napoleon knew nothing of this at
the time of his honeymoon (solus) in Italy. Gradually, but very
unwillingly, his eyes were opened, and by the time he had reached
Egypt he felt himself absolved from the absolute faithfulness he had
hitherto preserved towards his wife. On his return Josephine becomes
once more his consort, and even his friend--never again his only love.
Josephine's main characteristic henceforward is to make everybody
happy and comfortable--in spite of Napoleon's grumblings at her
reckless prodigality; never to say No! (except to her husband's
accusations) suits her Creole disposition best, especially as it costs
her no active exertion, and the Emperor pays for all. And so, having
been in turn Our Lady of Victories and Saint Mary the Egyptian, she
becomes from her coronation to her death-day "The Mother of the
Poor."
THE SOURCES OF THE LETTERS.--These may be divided into three
parts--(1st) the Early Love-Letters of 1796; (2nd) the Collection
published by Didot Freres in 1833; and (3rd) the few scattered Letters
gathered from various outside sources.
(1st) With regard to the Early Love-Letters of 1796, these are found
most complete in a work published by Longmans in 1824, in two volumes,
with the title, "A Tour through Parts of the Netherlands, Holland,
Germany, Switzerland, Savoy, and France, in the year 1821-2, by
Charles Tennant, Esq.; also containing in an Appendix Fac-simile
Copies of Eight Letters in the handwriting of Napoleon Bonaparte to
his wife Josephine."
The author introduces them with an interesting preface, which shows
that then, as now, the interest in everything connected with Napoleon
was unabated:--
"Long after this fleeting book shall have passed away, and with its
author shall have been forgotten, these documents will remain; for
here, perhaps, is to be found the purest source of information which
exists, touching the private character of Napoleon Bonaparte, known,
probably, but to the few whose situations have enabled them to observe
that extraordinary man in the undisguised relations of domestic life.
Although much already has been said and written of him, yet the
eagerness with which every little anecdote and incident of his life is
sought for shows the interest which still attaches to his name, and
these, no doubt, will be bequests which posterity will duly estimate.
From these it will be the province of future historians to cull and
select simple and authenticated facts, and from these only can be
drawn a true picture of the man whose fame has already extended into
every distant region of the habitable globe.
* * * * *
"I will now proceed to relate the means by which I am enabled to
introduce into this journal fac-simile copies of eight letters in the
handwriting of Napoleon Bonaparte, the originals of which are in my
possession. Had these been of a political nature, much as I should
prize any relics of such a man, yet they would not have appeared in a
book from which I have studiously excluded all controversial topics,
and more especially those of a political character. Neither should I
have ventured upon their publication if there were a possibility that
by so doing I might wound the feelings of any human being. Death has
closed the cares of the individuals connected with these letters. Like
the memorials of Alexander the Great or of Charlemagne, they are the
property of the possessor, and through him of the public; but not like
ancient documents, dependent upon legendary evidence for their
identity and truth.
"These have passed to me through two hands only, since they came into
possession of the Empress Josephine, to whom they are written by
their illustrious author. One of the individuals here alluded to, and
from whom I received these letters, is a Polish nobleman, who attached
himself and his fortunes to Bonaparte, whose confidence he enjoyed in
several important diplomatic negotiations."
This book and these letters were known to Sir Walter Scott, who made
use of some of them in his _History of Napoleon_. M. Aubenas, in his
_Histoire de l'Imperatrice Josephine_, published in 1857, which has
been lavishly made use of in a recent work on the same subject, seems
to have known, at any rate, four of these letters, which were
communicated to him by M. le Baron Feuillet de Conches. Monsieur
Aubenas seems never to have seen the Tennant Collection, of which
these undoubtedly form part, but as Baron Feuillet de Conches was an
expert in deciphering Bonaparte's extraordinary caligraphy, these
letters are very useful for reference in helping us to translate some
phrases which had been given up as illegible by Mr. Tennant and Sir
Walter Scott.
(2nd) The _Collection Didot_. This enormously valuable collection
forms by far the greater part of the Letters that we possess of
Napoleon to his wife. They are undoubtedly authentic, and have
been utilised largely by Aubenas, St. Amand, Masson, and the
_Correspondance de Napoleon I._ They were edited by Madame Salvage
de Faverolles. As is well known, Sir Walter Scott was very anxious to
obtain possession of these letters for his _Life of Napoleon_, and
his visit to Paris was partly on this account. In _Archibald
Constable and his Literary Correspondents_, edited in 1873 by his son,
we find the following:--
"_Letter from_ ARCHIBALD CONSTABLE _to_ SIR WALTER SCOTT.
"_August 30, 1825._
"I have had various conversations with Mr. Thomson on the subject of
Napoleon's correspondence with Josephine. Mr. Thomson communicated
with Count Flahault for me in the view of its being published, and
whether the letters could not, in the meantime, be rendered
accessible. The publication, it seems, under any circumstances, is by
no means determined on, but should they be given, the price expected
is five thousand guineas, which I should imagine greatly too much. I
have an enumeration of the letters, from whence written, &c. I shall
subjoin a copy of it."
When they were finally published in 1833, they seem to have been
stimulated into existence by publication of the _Memorial de
Saint-Helene_, better known in England as _Las Cases_. Doubtless
Hortense only allowed such letters to be published as would not injure
the reputation of her mother or her relations. In the Preface it is
stated: "We think that these letters will afford an interest as
important as delightful. Everything that comes from Napoleon, and
everything that appertains to him, will always excite the lively
attention of contemporaries and posterity. If the lofty meditation of
philosophy concerns itself only with the general influence of great
men upon their own generation and future ones, a curiosity of another
nature, and not less greedy, loves to penetrate into the inmost
recesses of their soul, in order to elicit their most secret
inclinations. It likes to learn what has been left of the _man_, amid
the preoccupations of their projects and the elevation of their
fortune. It requires to know in w Previous Next |