Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text Emperor, writing
Talleyrand on August 1st, speaks only of three or four ships lost, and
"une quinzaine d'hommes."
No. 2.
_The waters._--Mlle. d'Avrillon describes them and their effect--the
sulphur baths giving erysipelas to people in poor health. Corvisart
had accompanied the Empress, to superintend their effect, which was as
usual nil.
_All the vexations._--Constant (vol. i. 230, &c., 1896) is of use to
explain what these were--having obtained possession of a diary of the
tour by one of Josephine's ladies-in-waiting, which had fallen into
Napoleon's hands. In the first place, the roads (where there were
any[57]) were frightful, especially in the Ardennes forest, and the
diary for August 1st concludes by stating "that some of the carriages
were so battered that they had to be bound together with ropes. One
ought not to expect women to travel about like a lot of dragoons." The
writer of the diary, however, preferred to stay in the carriage, and
let Josephine and the rest get wet feet, thinking the risk she ran the
least. Another vexation to Josephine was the published report of her
gift to the Mayoress of Rheims of a malachite medallion set in
brilliants, and of her saying as she did so, "It is the colour of
Hope." Although she had really used this expression, it was the last
thing she would like to see in print, taking into consideration the
reason for her yearly peregrinations to Plombieres, and now to Aix,
and their invariable inefficiency. Under the date August 14th, the
writer of the diary gives a severe criticism of Josephine. "She is
exactly like a ten-year-old child--good-natured, frivolous,
impressionable; in tears at one moment, and comforted the next.... She
has just wit enough not to be an utter idiot. Ignorant--as are most
Creoles--she has learned nothing, or next to nothing, except by
conversation; but, having passed her life in good society, she has got
good manners, grace, and a mastery of that sort of jargon which, in
society, sometimes passes for wit. Social events constitute the canvas
which she embroiders, which she arranges, and which give her a subject
for conversation. She is witty for quite a whole quarter of an hour
every day.... Her diffidence is charming ... her temper very sweet and
even; it is impossible not to be fond of her. I fear that ... this
need of unbosoming, of communicating all her thoughts and impressions,
of telling all that passes between herself and the Emperor, keeps the
latter from taking her into his confidence.... She told me this
morning that, during all the years she had spent with him, never once
had she seen him let himself go."
_Eugene has started for Blois_, where he became the head of the
electoral college of Loir et Cher, having just been made Colonel-General
of the Chasseurs by Napoleon. The Beauharnais family were originally
natives of Blois.
No. 3.
_Aix-la-Chapelle._--In this, the first Imperial pilgrimage to take the
waters, great preparations had been made, forty-seven horses bought at
an average cost of L60 apiece; and eight carriages, which are not dear
at L1000 for the lot, with L400 additional for harness and fittings.
At Aix they had fox-hunting and hare-coursing so called, but probably
the final tragedy was consummated with a gun. Lord Rosebery reminds us
that at St. Helena the Emperor actually shot a cow! They explored coal
mines, and examined all the local manufactories, including the relics
of Charlemagne--of which great warrior and statesman Josephine refused
an arm, as having a still more puissant one ever at hand for her
protection.
When tidings come that the Emperor will arrive on September 2, and
prolong their stay from Paris, there is general lamentation among
Josephine's womenkind, especially on the part of that perennial wet
blanket and busybody, Madame de Larochefoucauld, who will make herself
a still greater nuisance at Mayence two years later.
No. 4.
_During the past week._--As a matter of fact he only reached Ostend on
April 12th from Boulogne, having left Dunkirk on the 11th.
_The day after to-morrow._--This fete was the distribution of the
Legion of Honour at Boulogne and a review of 80,000 men. The
decorations were enshrined in the helmet of Bertrand du Guesclin,
which in its turn was supported on the shield of the Chevalier
Bayard.
_Hortense_ arrived at Boulogne, with her son, and the Prince and
Princess Murat, a few days later, and saw the Emperor. Josephine
received a letter from Hortense soon after Napoleon joined her
(September 2nd), to which she replied on September 8th. "The Emperor
has read your letter; he has been rather vexed not to hear from you
occasionally. He would not doubt your kind heart if he knew it as well
as I, but appearances are against you. Since he can think you are
neglecting him, lose no time in repairing the wrongs which are not
real," for "Bonaparte loves you like his own child, which adds much to
my affection for him."
_I am very well satisfied ... with the flotillas._--The descent upon
England was to have taken place in September, when the death of
Admiral Latouche-Treville at Toulon, August 19th, altered all
Napoleon's plans. Just about this time also _Fulton_ submitted his
steamship invention to Bonaparte. The latter, however, had recently
been heavily mulcted in other valueless discoveries, and refers Fulton
to the savants of the Institute, who report it chimerical and
impracticable. The fate of England probably lay in the balance at this
moment, more than in 1588 or 1798.
Napoleon and Josephine leave Aix for Cologne on September 12, and it
is now the ladies' turn to institute a hunt--the "real chamois hunt";
for each country inn swarms with this pestilence that walketh in
darkness, and which, alas! is no respecter of persons.
No. 5.
Two points are noteworthy in this letter--(1) that like No. 1 of this
series (see note thereto) it commences _Madame and dear Wife_; and (2)
it is signed Bonaparte and not Napoleon, which somewhat militates
against its authenticity.
_Arras, August 29th._--Early on this day he had been at St. Cloud. On
the 30th he writes Cambaceres from Arras that he is "satisfied with
the spirit of this department." On the same day he writes thence to
the King of Prussia and Fouche. To his Minister of Police he writes:
"That detestable journal, _Le Citoyen francais_, seems only to wish to
wallow in blood. For eight days running we have been entertained with
nothing but the Saint Bartholomew. Who on earth is the editor
(_redacteur_) of this paper? With what gusto this wretch relishes the
crimes and misfortunes of our fathers! My intention is that you should
put a stop to it. Have the editor (_directeur_) of this paper changed,
or suppress it." On Friday he is at Mons (writing interesting letters
respecting the removal of church ruins), and reaches his wife on the
Sunday (September 2nd) as his letter foreshadowed.
_I am rather impatient to see you._--The past few months had been an
anxious time for Josephine. Talleyrand (w Previous Next |