THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 GIFT OF
 
 HORTEN3B.
 
 of t)istor^ 
 
 Hortense 
 
 BY JOHN S. C. ABBOTT 
 
 WITH ENGRAVINGS 
 
 NEW YORK AND LONDON 
 HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS 
 
 I9O2
 
 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, oy 
 HARPER & BROTHERS, 
 
 tn the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States fbl the 
 Southern District of New York. 
 
 Copyright, 1898, by LAURA A. BUCK.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 IT^HE French Revolution was perhaps as im- 
 -*- portant an event as has occurred in the 
 history of nations. It was a drama in three 
 acts. The first was the Eevolution itself, prop- 
 erly so called, with its awful scenes of terror 
 and of blood the exasperated millions strug- 
 gling against the accumulated oppression of 
 ages. 
 
 The second act in the drama was the over- 
 throw of the Directory by Napoleon, and the 
 introduction of the Consulate and the Empire; 
 the tremendous struggle against the combined 
 dynasties of Europe; the demolition of the 
 Empire, and the renewed crushing of the peo- 
 ple by the triumph of the nobles and the kings. 
 
 Thru came the third act in the drama per- 
 
 2217511
 
 nil PREFACE. 
 
 haps the last, perhaps not in which the French 
 people again drove out the Bourbons, re-estal> 
 lished the Eepublican Empire, with its princi- 
 ple of equal rights for all, and placed upon the 
 throne the heir of the great Emperor. 
 
 No man can understand the career of Napo- 
 leon I. without being acquainted with those 
 scenes of anarchy and terror which preceded 
 his reign. No man can understand the career 
 of Napoleon III. unless familiar with the strug- 
 gle of the people against the despots in the 
 Revolution, their triumph in the Empire, their 
 defeat in its overthrow, and their renewed tri- 
 umph in its restoration. 
 
 Hortense was intimately associated with all 
 these scenes. Her father fell beneath the slide 
 of the guillotine ; her mother was imprisoned 
 and doomed to die; and she and her broth- 
 er were turned penniless into the streets. By 
 the marriage of her mother with Napoleon, she 
 became the daughter of the Emperor, and one 
 of the most brilliant and illustrious ladies of 
 the imperial court. The triumph of the Allies 
 sent her into exile, where her influence and
 
 PREFACE. ix 
 
 her instruction prepared her son to contribute 
 powerfully to the restoration of the Empire, 
 and to reign with ability which is admired by 
 his friends and acknowledged by his foes. 
 The mother of Napoleon III. never allowed 
 her royally-endowed son to forget, even in the 
 gloomiest days of exile and of sorrow, that it 
 might yet be his privilege to re-establish the 
 Republican Empire, and to restore the dynasty 
 of the people from its overthrow by the des- 
 potic Allies. 
 
 In this brief record of the life of one wno 
 experienced far more than the usual vicissi- 
 tudes of humanity, whose career was one of 
 the saddest upon record, and who ever exhib- 
 ited virtues which won the enthusiastic love of 
 all who knew her, the writer has admitted 
 nothing which can not be sustained by incon- 
 trovertible evidence, and has suppressed noth- 
 ing sustained by any testimony worthy of a 
 moment's respect. This history will show that 
 Hortense had her faults. Who is without 
 them? There are not many, however, who 
 will read these pages without profound admi-
 
 x PREFACE. 
 
 ration for the character of one of the noblest 
 of women, and without finding the eye often 
 dimmed, in view of her heart-rending griefs. 
 
 This volume will soon be followed by the 
 History of Louis Philippe.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 IHAPTEK PAGB 
 
 I. PARENTAGE AND BIRTH 15 
 
 II. MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE AND GENERAL BONA- 
 PARTE 49 
 
 III. HORTENSE AND DUROC 80 
 
 IV. THE MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE 110 
 
 V. THE BIRTH OF LOUIS NAPOLEON AND THE DIVORCE 
 
 OF JOSEPHINE 14 
 
 VI. THE DEATH OF JOSEPHINE 179 
 
 VII. THE SORROWS OF EXILE 211 
 
 VIII. PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD 239 
 
 IX. LIFE AT ARENEMBERG 293 
 
 X. LETTER FROM LOUIS NAPOLEON TO HIS MOTHER 322 
 XI. DEATH OF HORTENSE, AND THE ENTHRONEMENT 
 
 OF HER SON 353
 
 ENGRAVINGS. 
 
 FAQ) 
 
 HORTENSE Frontispiece. 
 
 JOSEPHINE TAKING LEAVE OF HER CHILDREN 38 
 
 THE RECONCILIATION 76 
 
 THE LOVE-LETTER 104 
 
 THE LITTLE PRINCE NAPOLEON 129 
 
 THE DIVORCE ANNOUNCED 165 
 
 THE DEATH OF MADAME BROC 194 
 
 HORTENSE AND HER CHILDREN 218 
 
 HORTENSE AT ARENEMBERG , 248 
 
 "INTERVIEW IN THE COLISEUM 271 
 
 THE STUDY OF LOUIS NAPOLEON 307 
 
 TIIK ARREST 336
 
 HORTENSE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 
 
 Josephine's voyage to France. 
 
 IN the year 1776 a very beautiful young lady, 
 by the name of Josephine Hose Tascher, 
 was crossing the Atlantic Ocean from the island 
 of Martinique to France. She was but fifteen 
 years of age; and, having been left an orphan 
 in infancy, had been tenderly reared by an un- 
 cle and aunt, who were wealthy, being propri- 
 etors of one of the finest plantations upon the 
 island. Josephine was accompanied upon the 
 voyage by her uncle. She was the betrothed 
 of a young French nobleman by the name of 
 Viscount Alexander de Beauharnais, who had 
 recently visited Martinique, and who owned 
 several large estates adjoining the property 
 which Josephine would probably inherit. 
 
 It was with great reluctance that Josephine 
 yielded to the importunities of her friends and
 
 16 HORTENSE. [1776. 
 
 Viscount de Beauharnais. 
 
 accepted the proffered hand of the viscount. 
 Her affections had long been fixed upon a play- 
 mate of her childhood by the name of William, 
 and her love was passionately returned. Wil- 
 liam was then absent in France, pursuing his 
 education. De Beauharnais was what would 
 usually be called a very splendid man. He 
 was of high rank, young, rich, intelligent, and 
 fascinating in his manners. The marriage of 
 Josephine with the viscount would unite the 
 properties. Her friends, in their desire to ac- 
 complish the union, cruelly deceived Josephine. 
 They intercepted the letters of William, and 
 withheld her letters to him, and represented to 
 her that William, amidst the gayeties of Paris, 
 had proved a false lover, and had entirely for- 
 gotten her. De Beauharnais, attracted by the 
 grace and beauty of Josephine, had ardently 
 offered her his hand. Under these circum- 
 stances the inexperienced maiden had consent- 
 ed to the union, and was now crossing the At- 
 lantic with her uncle for the consummation of 
 the nuptials in France. 
 
 Upon her arrival she was conducted to Fon- 
 tainebleau, where De Beauharnais hastened to 
 meet her. Proud of her attractions, he took 
 great pleasure in introducing her to his high-
 
 1776.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 17 
 
 Josephine's reluctance. 
 
 born friends, and lavished upon her every at- 
 tention. Josephine was grateful, but sad, for 
 her heart still yearned for William. Soon Wil- 
 liam, hearing of her arrival, and not knowing 
 of her engagement, anxiously repaired to Fon- 
 tainebleau. The interview was agonizing. Wil- 
 liam still loved her with the utmost devotion. 
 They both found that they had been the vie* 
 tirns of a conspiracy, though one of which De 
 Beauharnais had no knowledge. 
 
 Josephine, young, inexperienced, far from 
 home, and surrounded by the wealthy and pow- 
 erful friends of her betrothed, had gone too far 
 in the arrangements for the marriage to recede. 
 Her anguish, however, was so great that she 
 was thrown into a violent fever. She had no 
 friend to whom she could confide her emotions. 
 But in most affecting tones she entreated that 
 her marriage might be delayed for a few months 
 until she should regain her health. Her friends 
 consented, and she took refuge for a time in 
 the Convent of Panthemont, under the tender 
 care of the sisters. 
 
 It is not probable that De Beauharnais was 
 at all aware of the real state of Josephine's feel- 
 ings. He was proud of her, and loved her as 
 truly as a fashionable man of the world could 
 3-2
 
 18 HORTENSE. [1781. 
 
 Marriage. Birth of Eugene 
 
 love. It is also to be remembered that at that 
 time in France it was not customary for young 
 ladies to have much influence in the choice of 
 their husbands. It was, supposed that their 
 parents could much more judiciously arrange 
 these matters than the young ladies themselves. 
 
 Josephine was sixteen years of age at the 
 time of her marriage. Her attractions were so 
 remarkable that sh& immediately became a 
 great favorite at the French court, to which the 
 rank of her husband introduced her. Marie 
 Antoinette was then the youthful bride of 
 Louis XVI. She was charmed with Josephine, 
 and lavished upon her the most flattering at- 
 tentions. Two children were born of this mar- 
 riage, both of whom attained world-wide re- 
 nown. The first was a son, Eugene. He was 
 born in September, 1781. His career was very 
 elevated, and he occupied with distinguished 
 honor all the lofty positions to which he was 
 raised. He became duke of Leuchtenberg, 
 prince of Eichstedt, viceroy of Italy. He mar- 
 ried the Princess Augusta, daughter of the King 
 of Bavaria. 
 
 " Prince Eugene, under a simple exterior, 
 concealed a noble character and great talents: 
 Honor, integrity, humanity, and love of order
 
 1783.J PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 19 
 
 Birth of Hortense. 
 
 and justice were the principal traits of his char- 
 acter. Wise in the council, undaunted in the 
 field, and moderate in the exercise of power, 
 he never appeared greater than in the midst 
 of reverses, as the events of 1813 and 1814 
 prove. He was inaccessible to the spirit of 
 party, benevolent and beneficent, and more de- 
 voted to the good of others than his own."* 
 
 The second child was a daughter, Hortense, 
 the subject of this brief memoir. She was born 
 on the 10th of January, 1783. In the opening 
 scenes of that most sublime of earthly trage- 
 dies, the French Kevolution, M. de Beauhar- 
 nais espoused the popular cause, though of no- 
 ble blood, and though his elder brother, the 
 Marquis de Beauharnais, earnestly advocated 
 <;he cause of the king and the court. 
 
 The entire renunciation of the Christian re- 
 ligion was then popular in France. Alexander 
 Je Beauharnais, like most of his young pleasure- 
 loving companions, was an infidel. His con- 
 duct soon became such that the heart of poor 
 Josephine was quite broken. Her two children, 
 Eugene and Hortense, both inherited the affec- 
 tionate and gentle traits of their mother, and 
 were her only solace. In her anguish she un- 
 
 * Encyclopaedia Americana,
 
 20 EORTENSE. [1783. 
 
 Separation from Beauharnais. 
 
 guardedly wrote to her friends in Martinique, 
 who had almost forced her into her connection 
 with Beauharnais: 
 
 "Were it not for my children, I should, 
 without a pang, renounce France forever. 
 My duty requires rne to forget William. And 
 yet, if we had been united together, I should 
 not to-day have been troubling you with my 
 griefs." 
 
 Viscount Beauharnais chanced to see this let- 
 ter. It roused his jealousy fearfully. A sense 
 of "honor" would allow him to lavish his at- 
 tentions upon guilty favorites, while that same 
 sense of "honor" would urge him to wreak 
 vengeance upon his unhappy, injured wife, be- 
 cause, in her neglect and anguish, with no false, 
 but only a true affection, her memory turned 
 to the loved companion of her childhood. Ac- 
 cording to the standard of the fashionable world, 
 Beauharnais was a very honorable man. Ac- 
 cording to the standard of Christianity, he was 
 a sinner in the sight of God, and was to answer 
 for this conduct at the final judgment 
 
 He reproached his wife in the severest Ian* 
 guage of denunciation. He took from her her 
 son Eugene. He applied to the courts for a 
 divorce, demanding his daughter Hortense also.
 
 1786.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 21 
 
 Return to Martinique. 
 
 Josephine pleaded with him in vain, for the sake 
 of their children, not to proclaim their disagree- 
 ment to the world. Grief-stricken, poor Jose- 
 phine retired to a convent to await the trial. 
 The verdict was triumphantly in her favor. 
 But her heart was broken. She was separated 
 from her husband, though the legal tie was not 
 severed. 
 
 Her friends in Martinique, informed of these 
 events, wrote, urging her to return to them. 
 She decided to accept the invitation. Hortense 
 was with her mother. M. de Beauharnais had 
 sent Eugene, whom he had taken from her, to 
 a boarding-school. Before sailing for Marti- 
 nique she obtained an interview with M. de 
 Beauharnais, and with tears entreated that she 
 might take Eugene with her also. He was un- 
 relenting ; Josephine, with a crushed and world- 
 weary heart, folded Hortense to her bosom, then 
 an infant but three years of age, and returned 
 to her tropical home, which she had sadly left 
 but a few years before. Here, on the retired 
 plantation, soothed by the sympathy ot her 
 friends, she strove to conceal her anguish. 
 
 There was never a more loving heart than 
 that with which Josephine was endowed. She 
 clung to Hortense with tenderness which has
 
 22 HORTENSE. [1789. 
 
 Revisits France. 
 
 rarely been equalled. They were always to- 
 gether. During the day Hortense was ever by 
 her side, and at night she nestled in her moth- 
 er's bosom. Living amidst the scenes of trop- 
 ical luxuriance and beauty, endeared to her by 
 the memories of childhood, Josephine could al- 
 most have been happy but for the thoughts of 
 her absent Eugene. Grief for her lost child 
 preyed ever upon her heart. 
 
 Her alienated husband, relieved from all re- 
 straint, plunged anew into those scenes of fash- 
 ionable dissipation for which Paris was then 
 renowned. But sickness, sorrows, and misfor- 
 tunes came. In those dark hours he found 
 that no earthly friend can supply the place of 
 a virtuous and loving wife. He wrote to her. 
 expressing bitter regret for his conduct, and im- 
 ploring her to return. The wounds which Jo- 
 sephine had received were too deep to be easi- 
 ly healed. Forgiving as she was by nature, 
 she said to her friends that the memory of the 
 past was so painful that, were it not for Eugene, 
 she should very much prefer not to return to 
 France again, but to spend the remainder of 
 her days in the seclusion of her native island. 
 Her friends did every thing in their power to 
 dissuade her from returning. But a mother's
 
 1789.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 23 
 
 The jewel caskets. 
 
 love for her son triumphed, and with Hortense 
 she took ship for France. 
 
 An event occurred upon this voyage which 
 is as instructive as it is interesting. Many 
 years afterwards, when Josephine was Empress 
 of France, and the wealth of the world was al- 
 most literally at her feet, on one occasion some 
 young ladies who were visiting the court re- 
 quested Josephine to show them her diamonds. 
 These jewels were almost of priceless value, 
 and were kept in a vault, the keys of which 
 were confided to the most trusty persons. Jo- 
 sephine, who seldom wore jewels, very amiably 
 complied with their request. A large table 
 was brought into the saloon. Her maids in 
 waiting brought in a great number of caskets, 
 of every size and form, containing the precious 
 gems. 
 
 As these caskets were opened, they were 
 dazzled with the brilliancy, the size, and the 
 number of these ornaments. The different sets 
 composed probably by far the most brilliant 
 collection in Europe. In Napoleon's conquer- 
 ing career, the cities which he had entered lav- 
 ished their gifts upon Josephine. The most 
 remarkable of these jewels consisted of large 
 white diamonds. There were others in the
 
 24 HORTENSE. [1789. 
 
 The jewel caskets. 
 
 shape of pears formed of pearls of the richest 
 colors. There were opals, rubies, sapphires, 
 and emeralds of such marvellous value that 
 the large diamonds that encircled them were 
 considered as mere mountings not regarded 
 in the estimation made of the value of the jew- 
 els. 
 
 As the ladies gazed upon the splendor of 
 this collection, they were lost in wonder and 
 admiration. Josephine, after enjoying for a 
 while their expressions of delight, and having 
 allowed them to examine the beautiful gems 
 thoroughly, said to them kindly : 
 
 " I had no other motive, in ordering my jew- 
 els to be opened before you, than to spoil your 
 fancy for such ornaments. After having seen 
 such splendid sets, you can never feel a wish 
 for inferior ones ; the less so when you reflect 
 how unhappy I have been, although with so 
 rare a collection at my command. During the 
 first dawn of my extraordinary elevation, I de- 
 lighted in these trifles, many of which were 
 presented to me in Italy. I grew by degrees 
 so tired of them that I no longer wear any, ex- 
 cept when I am in some respects compelled to 
 do so by my new rank in the world. A thou- 
 sand accidents may, besides, contribute to de
 
 1789.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 25 
 
 The old pair of shoes. 
 
 prive me of these brilliant, though useless ob- 
 jects. Do I not possess the pendants of Queen 
 Marie Antoinette? And yet am I quite sure 
 of retaining them ? Trust to me, ladies, and 
 do not envy a splendor which does not consti- 
 tute happiness. I shall not fail to surprise you 
 when I relate that I once felt more pleasure at 
 receiving an old pair of shoes than at being 
 presented with all the diamonds which are now 
 spread before you." 
 
 The young ladies could not help smiling at 
 this observation, persuaded as they were that 
 Josephine was not in earnest. But she repeat- 
 ed her assertions in so serious a manner that 
 they felt the utmost curiosity to hear the story 
 of this wonderful pair of shoes. 
 
 "I repeat it, ladies," said her majesty, "it is 
 strictly true, that the present which, of all oth- 
 ers, has afforded me most pleasure was a pair 
 of old shoes of the coarsest leather; and you 
 will readily believe it when you have heard 
 my story. 
 
 " I had set sail from Martinique, with Hor- 
 tense, on board a ship in which we received 
 such marked attentions that they are indelibly 
 impressed on my memory. Being separated 
 from my first husband, my pecuniary resources
 
 26 HORTENSE. [1789. 
 
 The old pair of ghoea. 
 
 were not very flourishing. The expense of 
 my return to France, which the state of my af- 
 fairs rendered necessary, had nearly drained 
 me of every thing, and I found great difficulty 
 in making the purchases which were indispen- 
 sably requisite for the voyage. Hortense, who 
 was a smart, lively child, sang negro songs, and 
 performed negro dances with admirable accu- 
 racy. She was the delight of the sailors, and, 
 in return for their fondness, she made them her 
 favorite company. I no sooner fell asleep than 
 she slipped upon deck and rehearsed her vari- 
 ous little exercises, to the renewed delight and 
 admiration of all on board. 
 
 " An old mate was particularly fond of her, 
 and whenever he found a moment's leisure from 
 his daily occupations, he devoted it to his little 
 friend, who was also exceedingly attached to 
 him. My daughter's shoes were soon worn 
 out with her constant dancing and skipping. 
 Knowing as she did that I had no other pair 
 for her, and fearing lest I should prevent her 
 going upon deck if I should discover the plight 
 of those she was fast wearing away, she con- 
 cealed the trifling accident from my knowledge. 
 I saw her once returning with bleeding feet, 
 and asked her, in the utmost alarm, if she had
 
 1789.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 27 
 
 The old pair of shoes. 
 
 hurt herself; 'No, mamma.' 'But your feet 
 are bleeding.' ' It really is nothing.' I insist- 
 ed upon ascertaining what ailed her, and found 
 that her shoes were all in tatters, and her flesh 
 dreadfully torn by a nail. 
 
 "We had as yet only performed half the 
 voyage; a long time would necessarily elapse 
 before I could procure a fresh pair of shoes; I 
 was mortified at the bare anticipation of the 
 distress my poor Hortense would feel at being 
 compelled to remain confined in my wretched 
 little cabin, and of the injury her health might 
 experience from the want of exercise. At the 
 moment when I was wrapped up in sorrow, and 
 giving free vent to my tears, our friend the 
 mate made his appearance, and inquired, with 
 his honest bluntness, the cause of our whimper- 
 ings. Hortense replied, in a sobbing voice, that 
 she could no longer go upon deck because she 
 had torn her shoes, and I had no others to give 
 her. 
 
 "'Is that all?' said the sailor. 'I have an 
 old pair in my trunk ; let me go for them. 
 You, madame, will cut them up, and I shall 
 sew them over again to the best of my power ; 
 every thing on board ship shall be turned to 
 account ; this is not the place for being too nice
 
 28 HORTENSE. [1789. 
 
 Commencement of the Reign of Terror. 
 
 or particular; we have our most important 
 wants gratified when we have the needful.' 
 
 " He did not wait for our reply, but went in 
 quest of his old shoes, which he brought to us 
 with an air of exultation, and offered them to 
 Hortense, who received the gift with every dem- 
 onstration of delight. 
 
 " We set to work with the greatest alacrity, 
 and my daughter was enabled, towards the close 
 of the day, to enjoy the pleasure of again amus- 
 ing the ship's company. I repeat it, that no 
 present was ever received by me with more 
 sincere gratitude. I greatly reproach myself 
 for having neglected to make inquiries after 
 the worthy seaman, who was only known on 
 board by the name of James. I should have 
 felt a sincere satisfaction in rendering him some 
 service, since it was afterwards in my power 
 to do so." 
 
 Josephine had spent three years in Marti- 
 nique. Consequently, upon her return to 
 France, Hortense was six years of age. Soon 
 after her arrival the Eeign of Terror com- 
 menced. The guillotine was erected, and its 
 knife was busy beheading those who were sus- 
 pected of not being in full sympathy with the 
 reformers whom revolution had brought into
 
 1783.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 29 
 
 Arrest of Beauh&rnais. 
 
 power. Though Yiscount Beauharnais had 
 earnestly espoused the popular cause ; though 
 he had been president of the National Assem- 
 bly, and afterwards general of the Army of the 
 Rhine, still he was of noble birth, and his older 
 brother was an aristocrat, and an emigrant. 
 He was consequently suspected, and arrested. 
 Having conducted him to prison, a committee 
 of the Convention called at the residence of 
 Josephine to examine the children, hoping to 
 extort from them some evidence against their 
 father. Josephine, in a letter to her aunt, thus 
 describes this singular scene: 
 
 " You would hardly believe, dear aunt, that 
 my children have just undergone a long and, 
 minute examination. That wicked old man, 
 the member of the committee whom I have al- 
 ready mentioned to you, called upon me, and, 
 affecting to feel uneasy in regard to my hus- 
 band, and to converse with me respecting him, 
 opened a conversation with my children. I 
 acknowledge that I at first fell into the snare. 
 What surprised me, however, was the sudden 
 affability of the man. But he soon betrayed 
 himself by the malignity and even bitterness 
 which he displayed when the children replied 
 in such a manner as to give him no advantage
 
 30 HORTENSE. [1783. 
 
 Domiciliary visit. 
 
 over their unhappy parents. I soon penetra- 
 ted his artful intentions. 
 
 " When he found me on my guard, he threw 
 off the mask, and admitted that he was desired 
 to procure information from my children, which, 
 he said, might be more relied on, as it would 
 bear the stamp of candor. He then entered 
 into a formal examination. At that moment 
 I felt an indescribable emotion ; and the con- 
 flicting effects of fear, anger, and indignation 
 alternately agitated me. I was even upon the 
 point of openly giving vent to my feelings 
 against the hoary revolutionist, when I reflect- 
 ed that I might, by so doing, materially injure 
 M. de Beauharnais, against whom that atro- 
 cious villain appeared to have vowed perpetual 
 enmity. I accordingly checked my angry pas- 
 sions. He desired me to leave him alone with 
 my children ; I attempted to resist, but his fe- 
 rocious glance compelled me to give way. 
 
 " He confined Hortense in the closet, and 
 began to put questions to her brother. My 
 daughter's turn came next. As for this child, 
 in whom he discovered a premature quickness 
 and penetration far above her age, he kept 
 questioning her for a great length of time. 
 After having sounded them respecting our com-
 
 1783.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 31 
 
 Beauharnais in prison. 
 
 mon topics of conversation, our opinions, the 
 visits and letters we were in the habit of receiv- 
 ing, but more particularly the occurrences they 
 might have witnessed, he came to the main 
 point I mean, to the expressions used by Al- 
 exander. My children gave very proper re- 
 plies ; such, in fact, as were suited to their re- 
 spective dispositions. And notwithstanding 
 the artfulness of a mischievous man whose ob- 
 ject is to discover guilt, the frankness of my 
 son and the quick penetration of my daughter 
 disconcerted his low cunning, and even defeat- 
 ed the object he had in view." 
 
 Viscount Beauharnais, when arrested, was 
 conveyed to the palace of the Luxembourg, 
 where he was imprisoned with many other cap- 
 tives. To spare the feelings of the children, 
 the fact of his imprisonment was concealed from 
 them by Josephine, and they were given to 
 understand that their father, not being very 
 well, had placed himself under the care of a 
 celebrated physician, who had recommended 
 him to take up his residence at the Luxem- 
 bourg, where there was much vacant space, and 
 consequently purer air. The imprisoned father 
 was very anxious to see his wife and children. 
 The authorities consented, allowing the chil-
 
 32 HORTENSE. [1783. 
 
 Affecting Interview. 
 
 dren to go in first under the care of an attend- 
 ant, and afterwards their mother. 
 
 Hortense, child as she was, was bewildered 
 by the scene, and her suspicions were evident- 
 ly excited. As she came out, she said to her 
 mother, "I think papa's apartments are very 
 email, and the patients are very numerous." 
 
 After the children had left, Josephine was in- 
 troduced. She knew that her husband's life was 
 in imminent peril. His penitence and grate- 
 ful love had produced entire reconciliation, and 
 had won back Josephine's heart. She was not 
 willing that the children should witness the 
 tender and affecting interview which, under 
 such circumstances, must take place. 
 
 Beauharnais had but little hope that he 
 should escape the guillotine. As Josephine, 
 bathed in tears, rushed into his arms, all his 
 fortitude forsook him. His emotion was so 
 great that his wife, struggling against her own 
 anguish, used her utmost endeavors to calm 
 and console him. 
 
 In the midst of this heart-rending scene, to 
 their consternation, the children, by some mis- 
 understanding, were again led into the apart- 
 ment. The father and mother struggled to 
 disguise from them the cause of that emotion
 
 1783.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 33 
 
 Affecting interview. 
 
 which they could not conceal. For a time the 
 children were silent and bewildered ; then Hor- 
 tense, though with evident misgivings, attempt- 
 ed to console her parents. The events of her 
 saddened life had rendered her unusually pre- 
 cocious. Turning to her mother, she begged 
 her not to give way to so much sorrow, assur- 
 ing her that she could not think that her father 
 was dangerously ill. Then addressing Eugene, 
 she said, in a peculiar tone which her parents 
 felt as a reproach, 
 
 " I do not think, brother, that papa is very 
 y-ick. At any rate 5 it is not such a sickness as 
 doctors can cure." Josephine felt the reproach, 
 ?nd conscious that it was in some degree de- 
 served, said : 
 
 " What do you mean, rny child ? Do you 
 think your father and I have combined to de- 
 ceive you?" 
 
 " Pardon me, mamma, but I do think so." 
 
 "Oh, sister," exclaimed Eugene, "how can 
 you speak so strangely ?" 
 
 " On the contrary," Hortense replied, "it is 
 very plain and natural. Surely affectionate 
 parents may be allowed to deceive their chil- 
 dren when they wish to spare their feelings." 
 
 Josephine was seated in the lap of her hus- 
 
 33
 
 34 HORTENSE. [1783. 
 
 Affecting interview. 
 
 band. Hortense sprang into her mother's arms, 
 and encircled the neck of both father and moth- 
 er in a loving embrace. Eugene caught the 
 contagion, and by his tears and affecting ca- 
 resses added to this domestic scene of love and 
 woe. 
 
 It is the universal testimony that Eugene 
 and Hortense were so lovely in person and in 
 character that they instantly won the affection 
 of all who saw them. The father was conscious 
 that he was soon to die. He knew that all his 
 property would be confiscated. It was proba- 
 ble that Josephine would also be led to her ex- 
 ecution. The guillotine spared neither sex 
 who had incurred the suspicions of enthroned 
 democracy. Both parents forgot themselves, 
 in their anxiety for their children. The exe- 
 cution of Beauharnais would undoubtedly lead 
 to the arrest and execution of Josephine. The 
 property of the condemned was invariably con- 
 fiscated. There was thus danger that the chil- 
 dren would be turned in beggary into the 
 streets. It is difficult to conceive the anguish 
 which must have rent the hearts of affectionate 
 parents in hours of woe so awful. 
 
 The prisons were crowded with victims. 
 Brief as were the trials, and rapid as was the
 
 1794.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 35 
 
 Scene in prison. 
 
 execution of the guillotine, there was some con- 
 siderable delay before Beauharnais was led be- 
 fore the revolutionary tribunal. In the mean 
 time Josephine made several calls, with her chil- 
 dren, upon her imprisoned husband. Little 
 Hortense, whose suspicions were strongly ex- 
 cited, watched every word, and soon became so 
 convinced that her father was a prisoner that 
 it became impossible for her parents any long- 
 er to conceal the fact. 
 
 " What has papa done," inquired Hortense, 
 "that they will not let him come home?" 
 
 " He has done nothing wrong," said Jose- 
 phine, timidly, for she knew not what spies 
 might be listening. "He is only accused of 
 being unfriendly to the Government." 
 
 Holding the hand of Eugene, Hortense ex- 
 claimed impetuously, "Oh, we will punish your 
 accusers as soon as we are strong enough." 
 
 " Be silent, my child," said her father anx- 
 iously. " If you are overheard I am lost. 
 Both your mother and I may be made to suf- 
 fer for any imprudent remark which you may 
 make." 
 
 "But, papa, have you not often told us," 
 said Eugene, "that it was proper to resist an 
 act of oppression ?"
 
 36 HORTENSE. [1794. 
 
 Trial of Beauharnaia. 
 
 " Yes," said the father proudly, though con- 
 scious that his words might be reported and 
 misrepresented to his merciless judges. " And 
 I repeat it. Our conduct, however, must be 
 guided by rules of prudence ; and whoever at- 
 tempts to defeat the views of tyranny must 
 beware of awaking it from its slumbers." 
 
 No philosophy has yet been able to explain 
 the delicate mechanism of the human soul ; its 
 fleeting and varying emotions of joy and sad- 
 ness, its gleams of hope and shades of despair 
 come and go, controlled by influences which 
 entirely elude human scrutiny. In these days 
 of gloom, rays of hope occasionally penetrated 
 the cell of Beauharnais. 
 
 At last the hour of dread came. Beauhar- 
 nais was led before the terrible tribunal. He 
 was falsely accused of having promoted the 
 surrender of Mentz to the Allies. He was 
 doomed to death, and was sent to the Concierge- 
 rie, whence he was to be conducted to his exe- 
 cution. This was in July, 1794. Beauharnais 
 was then thirty-four years of age. 
 
 It seems that the conversation which we have 
 reported as having taken place in the cell of 
 Beauharnais had been overheard by listening 
 ears, and reported to the committee as a con-
 
 JOSEPHINE TAKING LEAVE OF HER CHILDREN.
 
 1794] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 39 
 
 Anguish of Josephine. 
 
 spiracy for the overthrow of the Eepublic. 
 The arrest of Josephine was ordered. A warn- 
 ing letter from some friend reached her a few 
 moments before the officers arrived, urging her 
 to fly. It was an early hour in the morning. 
 There was little sleep for Josephine amidst 
 those scenes of terror, and she was watching 
 by the side of her slumbering children. What 
 could she do? Should she abandon her chil- 
 dren, and seek to save her own life by flight ? 
 A mother's love rendered that impossible. 
 Should she take them with her in her flight? 
 That would render her arrest certain; and the 
 fact of her attempting to escape would be urged 
 as evidence of her guilt. 
 
 While distracted with these thoughts, the 
 clatter of armed men was heard at her door. 
 With anguish which none but a mother can 
 comprehend, she bent over her children and 
 imprinted, as she supposed, a last kiss upon 
 their cheeks. The affectionate little Hortense, 
 though asleep, was evidently agitated by troub- 
 led dreams. As she felt the imprint of her 
 mother's lips, she threw her arms around her 
 neck and exclaimed, "Come to bed, dear mam- 
 ma; they shall not take you away to-night. I 
 have prayed to God for you." 
 
 Josephine, to avoid waking the children,
 
 40 HORTENSE. [1794. 
 
 Arrest of Josephine. 
 
 stepped softly from the room, closed the door, 
 and entered her parlor. Here she was rudely 
 seized by the soldiers, who regarded her as a 
 hated aristocrat. They took possession of the 
 house and all its furniture in the name of the 
 Republic, left the children to suffer or to die 
 as fate might decide, and dragged the mother 
 to imprisonment in the Convent of the Carme- 
 lites. 
 
 When the children awoke in the morning, 
 they found themselves alone and friendless in 
 the heart of Paris. The wonderful events of 
 their lives thus far had rendered them both 
 unusually precocious. Eugene in particular 
 seemed to be endowed with all the thought- 
 fulness and wisdom of a full-grown man. Af- 
 ter a -few moments of anguish and tears, in 
 view of their dreadful situation, they sat down 
 to deliberate upon the course to be pursued. 
 Hortense suggested that they should repair to 
 the Luxembourg and seek the protection of 
 their father in his imprisonment there. But 
 Eugene, apprehensive that such a step might 
 in some way compromise the safety of their 
 father, recalled to rnind that they had a great- 
 aunt, far advanced in life, who was residing at 
 Versailles in deep retirement. He proposed
 
 1794.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 41 
 
 Impulsiveness of Hortense. 
 
 that they should seek refuge with her. Find- 
 ing a former domestic of the family, she kind- 
 ly led them to their aunt, where the desolate 
 children were tenderly received. 
 
 Beauharnais was now in the Conciergerie, 
 doomed to die, and awaiting his execution. 
 Josephine was in the prison of the Carmelites, 
 expecting hourly to be led to the tribunal to 
 receive also her doom of death. 
 
 Hortense, an affectionate child, ardent and 
 unreflecting in her impatience to see her moth- 
 er, one morning left her aunt's house at Fon- 
 tainebleau, to which place her aunt had re- 
 moved, and in a rnarket-cart travelled thirty 
 miles to Paris. Here the energetic child, im- 
 pelled by grief and love, succeeded in finding 
 her mother's maid, Victorine. It was however 
 impossible for them to obtain access to the pris- 
 on, and Hortense the next day returned to 
 Fontainebleau. Josephine, upon being inform- 
 ed of this imprudent act, to which affection 
 had impelled her child, wrote to her the fol- 
 lowing letter : 
 
 " I should be entirely satisfied with the good 
 heart of my Hortense, were I not displeased 
 with her bad head. How is it, my daughter, 
 that, without permission from your aunt, you
 
 42 HORTENSE. [1794. 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 have come to Paris ? ' But it was to see me, 
 you will say.' You ought to be aware that no 
 one can see me without an order, to obtain 
 which requires both means and precautions. 
 And besides, you got upon M. Dorset's cart, 
 at the risk of incommoding him, and retarding 
 the conveyance of his merchandise. In all 
 this you have been very inconsiderate. My 
 child, observe : it is not sufficient to do good, 
 you must also do good properly. At your age, 
 the first of all virtues is confidence and docility 
 towards your relations. I am therefore obliged 
 to tell you that I prefer your tranquil attach- 
 ment to your misplaced warmth. This, how- 
 ever, does not prevent me from embracing you, 
 but less tenderly than I shall do when I learn 
 that you have returned to your aunt." 
 
 On the evening of the 24th of July M. de 
 Beauharnais received the announcement in his 
 cell, that with the dawn of the next morning 
 he was to be led to the guillotine. Under 
 these circumstances he wrote the following 
 farewell letter to his wife : 
 
 "I have yet a few minutes to devote to af- 
 fection, tears, and regret, and then I must whol- 
 ly give myself up to the glory of my fate and 
 to thoughts of immortality. When you re- 
 ceive this letter, my dear Josephine, your hus-
 
 1794.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 43 
 
 Latter from Beauharnais. 
 
 band will have ceased to live, and will be tast- 
 ing true existence in the bosom of his Creator. 
 Do not weep for him. The wicked and sense- 
 less beings who survive him are more worthy 
 of your tears, for they are doing mischief which 
 they can never repair. But let us not cloud 
 the present moments by any thoughts of their 
 guilt. 1 wish, on the contrary, to brighten 
 these hours by the reflection that I have enjoy- 
 ed the affection of a lovely woman, and that 
 our union would have been an uninterrupted 
 course of happiness, but for errors which I was 
 too late to acknowledge and atone for. This 
 thought wrings tears from my eyes, though 
 your generous heart pardons me. But this is 
 no time to revive the recollection of my errors 
 and of your wrongs. What thanks I owe to 
 Providence, who will reward you. 
 
 " That Providence disposes of me before my 
 time. This is another blessing, for which I am 
 grateful. Can a virtuous man live happy when 
 he sees the whole world a prey to the wicked ? 
 I should rejoice in being taken away, were it 
 not for the thought of leaving those I love be- 
 hind me. But if the thoughts of the dying are 
 presentiments, something in my heart tells me 
 that these horrible butcheries are drawing to a 
 close ; that the executioners will, in their turn,
 
 44 HORTENSE. [1794 
 
 letter from Beauharnais. 
 
 become victims ; that the arts and sciences will 
 again flourish in France ; that wise and mode- 
 rate laws will take the place of cruel sacrifices, 
 and that you will at length enjoy the happiness 
 which you have deserved. Our children will 
 discharge the debt for their father. 
 
 ****** 
 
 " I resume these incoherent and almost il- 
 legible lines, which were interrupted by the en- 
 trance of my jailer. I have submitted to a 
 cruel ceremony, which, under any other cir- 
 cumstances, I would have resisted at the sacri- 
 fice of my life. Yet why should we rebel 
 against necessity ? Reason tells us to make 
 the best of it we can. My hair has been cut 
 off. I had some idea of buying a part of it, in 
 order to leave to my wife and children an un- 
 equivocal.pledge of my last recollection of them. 
 Alas! my heart breaks at the very thought, 
 and my tears bedew the paper on which I am 
 writing. Adieu, all that I love. Think of 
 me, and do not forget that to die the victim of 
 tyrants and the martyrs of liberty sheds lustre 
 on the scaffold." 
 
 Josephine did not receive this letter until 
 after her husband's execution. The next af- 
 ternoon one of the daily papers was brought
 
 1794.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 45 
 
 Execution of Beauharnaia. 
 
 into the prison of the Carmelites. Josephine 
 anxiously ran her eye over the record of the 
 executions, and found the name of her hus- 
 band in the fatal list. She fell senseless to the 
 floor in a long-continued swoon. When con- 
 sciousness returned, she exclaimed at first, in 
 the delirium of her anguish, " God, let me 
 die ! let me die ! There is no peace for me 
 but in the grave." And then again a mother's 
 love, as she thought of her orphan children, 
 led her to cling to the misery of existence for 
 their sake. Soon, however, the unpitying 
 agents of the revolutionary tribunal came to 
 her with the announcement that in two days 
 she was to be led to the Conciergerie, and 
 thence to her execution. 
 
 In the following letter Josephine informed 
 her children of the death of their father, and 
 of her own approaching execution. It is a 
 letter highly characteristic of this wonderful 
 woman in the attempt, by the assumption of 
 calmness, to avoid as far as possible lacerating 
 the feelings of Eugene and Hortense. 
 
 " The hand which will deliver this to you 
 is faithful and sure. You will receive it from 
 a friend who knows and has shared my sor- 
 rows. I know not by what accident she has
 
 46 HORTENSE. 
 
 Josephine to her children. 
 
 hitherto been spared. I call this accident for- 
 tunate ; she regards it as a calamity. ' Is it 
 not disgraceful to live,' said she yesterday, 
 'when all who are good have the honor of 
 dying?' May Heaven, as the reward of her 
 courage, refuse her the fatal honor she desires. 
 
 " As to me, I am qualified for that honor, 
 and I am preparing myself for receiving it. 
 Why has disease spared me so long? But 1 
 must not murmur. As a wife, I ought to fol- 
 low the fate of my husband, and can there now 
 be any fate more glorious than to ascend the 
 scaffold? It is a patent of immortality, pur- 
 chased by a prompt and pleasing death. 
 
 " My children, your father is dead, and your 
 mother is about to follow him. But as before 
 that final stroke the assassins leave me a few 
 moments to myself, I wish to employ them 
 in writing to you. Socrates, when condemned, 
 philosophized with his disciples. A mother, 
 on the point of undergoing a similar fate, may 
 discourse with her children. 
 
 " My last sigh will be for you, and I wish 
 to make my last words a lasting lesson. Time 
 was, when I gave you lessons in a more pleas- 
 ing way. But the present will not be the less 
 useful, that it is given at so serious a moment.
 
 1794.] PARENTAGE AND BIRTH. 47 
 
 Josephine to her children. 
 
 I have the weakness to water it with my tears. 
 I shall soon have the courage to seal it with 
 my blood. 
 
 " Hitherto it was impossible to be happier 
 than I have been. While to my union with 
 your father I owed my felicity, I may ven- 
 ture to think and to say that to my character 
 I was indebted for that union. I found in rny 
 heart the means of winning the affection of my 
 husband's relations. Patience and gentleness 
 always succeed in gaining the good-will of 
 others. You also, my dear children, possess 
 natural advantages which cost little, and are 
 of great value. But you must learn how to 
 employ them, and that is what I still feel a 
 pleasure in teaching you by my example. 
 ****** 
 
 " Here I must record the gratitude I owe to 
 my excellent brother-in-law, who has, under 
 various circumstances, given me proofs of the 
 most sincere friendship, though he was of quite 
 a different opinion from your father, who em- 
 braced the new ideas with all the enthusiasm 
 of a lively imagination. He fancied liberty 
 was to be secured by obtaining concessions 
 from the king, whom he venerated. But all 
 was lost, and nothing gained but anarchy.
 
 48 HORTENSE. [1794. 
 
 Josephine to her children. 
 
 Who will arrest the torrent? O God 1 unless 
 thy powerful hand control and restrain it, we 
 are undone. 
 
 " For my part, my children, I am about to 
 die, as your father died, a victim of the fury he 
 always opposed, but to which he fell a sacri- 
 fice. I leave life without hatred of France 
 and its assassins, whom I despise. But I am 
 penetrated with sorrow for the misfortunes of 
 my country. Honor my memory in sharing 
 my sentiments. I leave for your inheritance 
 the glory of your father and the name of your 
 mother, whom some who have been unfortU' 
 nate will bear in remembrance."
 
 1794.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 49 
 
 Release of Josephine. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE AND 
 GENERAL BONAPARTE. 
 
 THE day before Josephine was to be led 
 to her execution there was a new revolu- 
 tion in Paris. Robespierre and the party then 
 in power were overthrown. From condemn- 
 ing others, they were condemned themselves. 
 They had sent hundreds, in the cart of the ex- 
 ecutioner, to the guillotine. Now it was their 
 turn to take that fatal ride, to ascend the steps 
 of the scaffold, and to have their own heads 
 severed by the keen edge of the knife. Those 
 whom they had imprisoned were set at liberty. 
 As Josephine emerged from the gloom of 
 her prison into the streets of Paris, she found 
 herself a widow, homeless, almost friendless, 
 and in the extreme of penury. But for her 
 children, life would have been a burden from 
 which she would have been glad to be relieved 
 by the executioner's axe. The storms of rev- 
 olution had dispersed all her friends, and ter- 
 34
 
 50 HOETENSE. [1794. 
 
 Apprenticeship of Eugene and Horteuge. 
 
 ror reigned in Paris. Her children were liv- 
 ing upon the charity of others. It was neces- 
 sary to conceal their birth as the children of a 
 noble, for the brutal threat of Marat ever rang 
 in her ears, "We must exterminate all the 
 whelps of aristocracy." 
 
 Hoping to conceal the illustrious lineage of 
 Eugene, and Hortense, and probably also im- 
 pelled by the necessities of poverty, Josephine 
 apprenticed her son to a house carpenter, and 
 her daughter was placed, with other girls of 
 more lowly birth, in the shop of a milliner. 
 But Josephine's beauty of person, grace of 
 manners, and culture of mind could not leave 
 her long in obscurity. Every one who met 
 her was charmed with her unaffected loveli- 
 ness. New friends were created, among them 
 some who were in power. Through their inter- 
 position, a portion of her husband's confiscated 
 estates was restored to her. She was thus pro- 
 vided with means of a frugal support for her- 
 self and her children. Engaging humble 
 apartments, she devoted herself entirely to 
 their education. Both of the children were 
 richly endowed; inheriting from their mother 
 and their father talents, personal loveliness, 
 and an instinctive power of attraction. Thus
 
 1794.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 51 
 
 Napoleon Bonaparte. 
 
 there came a brief lull in those dreadful storms 
 of life by which Josephine had been so long 
 buffeted. 
 
 But suddenly, like the transformations of 
 the kaleidoscope, there came another and a 
 marvellous change. All are familiar with the 
 circumstances of her marriage to the young 
 and rising general, Napoleon Bonaparte. This 
 remarkable young man, enjoying the renown of 
 having captured Toulon, and of having quell- 
 ed a very formidable insurrection in the streets 
 of Paris, was ordered by the then existing Gov- 
 ernment to disarm the whole Parisian popula- 
 tion, that there might be no further attempt at 
 insurrection. The officers who were sent, in 
 performance of this duty, from house to house, 
 took from Josephine the sword of her husband, 
 which she had preserved as a sacred relic. 
 The next day Eugene repaired to the head- 
 quarters of General Bonaparte to implore that 
 the sword of his father might be restored to 
 him. The young general was so much im- 
 pressed with the grace and beauty of the boy, 
 and with his artless and touching eloquence, 
 that he made many inquiries respecting his 
 parentage, treated him with marked tender- 
 ness, and promptly restored the sword. Jo
 
 52 HORTENSE. [1795. 
 
 Josephine and Napoleon. 
 
 sephine was so grateful for the kindness of 
 General Bonaparte to Eugene, that the next 
 day she drove to his quarters to express a 
 mother's thanks. General Bonaparte was even 
 more deeply impressed with the grace and 
 loveliness of the mother than he had been 
 with the child. He sought her acquaintance ; 
 this led to intimacy, to love, and to the proffer 
 of marriage. 
 
 In the following letter to a friend Josephine 
 expressed her views in reference to her mar- 
 riage with General Bonaparte : 
 
 " I am urged, my dear, to marry again by 
 the advice of all my friends, and I may almost 
 say, by the commands of my aunt and the 
 prayers of my children. Why are you not 
 here to help me by your advice, and to tell me 
 whether I ought or not to consent to a union 
 which certainly seems calculated to relieve me 
 from the discomforts of my present situation? 
 Your friendship would render you clear-sighted 
 to my interests, and a word from you would 
 suffice to bring me to a decision. 
 
 "Among my visitors you have seen General 
 Bonaparte. He is the man who wishes to be- 
 come a father to the orphans of Alexander de 
 Beauharnais, and husband to his widow.
 
 1795.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 53 
 
 Josephine to her aunt. 
 
 " ' Do you love him ?' is naturally your first 
 question. My answer is perhaps ' wo.' ' Do 
 you dislike him?' 'No,' again. But the sen- 
 timents I entertain towards him are of that 
 lukewarm kind which true devotees think worst 
 of all, in matters of religion. Now love being 
 a sort of religion, my feelings ought to be very 
 different from what they really are. This is 
 the point on which I want your advice, which 
 would fix the wavering of my irresolute dispo- 
 sition. To come to a decision has always been 
 too much for my Creole inertness, and I find 
 it easier to obey the wishes of others. 
 
 " I admire the general's courage, the extent 
 of his information on every subject on which 
 he converses ; his shrewd intelligence, which 
 enables him to understand the thoughts of oth- 
 ers before they are expressed. But I confess 
 that I am somewhat fearful of that control 
 which he seems anxious to exercise over all 
 about him. There is something in his scruti- 
 nizing glance that can not be described. It 
 awes even our Directors. Therefore it may 
 well be supposed to intimidate a woman. He 
 talks of his passion for me with a degree of 
 earnestness which renders it impossible to 
 doubt his sincerity. Yet this very circum'
 
 54 HORTENSE. [1795. 
 
 Josephine to her aunt. 
 
 stance, which you would suppose likely to 
 please me, is precisely that which has withheld 
 me from giving the consent which I have often 
 been upon the point of uttering. 
 
 " My spring of life is past. Gan I then hope 
 to preserve for any length of time that ardor 
 of affection which in the general amounts al- 
 most to madness ? If his love should cool, as 
 it certainly will after our marriage, will he not 
 reproach me for having prevented him from 
 forming a more advantageous connection ? 
 What, then, shall I say ? What shall I do ? I 
 may shut myself up and weep. Fine consola- 
 tion truly, methinks I hear you say. But una- 
 vailing as I know it is, weeping is, I assure you, 
 my only consolation whenever my poor heart 
 receives a wound. Write to me quickly, and 
 pray scold me if you think me wrong. You 
 know every thing is welcome that comes from 
 you. 
 
 " Barras* assures me that if I marry the gen- 
 eral, he will get him appointed commander-in- 
 chief of the Army of Italy. This favor, though 
 not yet granted, occasions some murmuring 
 among Bonaparte's brother - officers. When 
 
 * Barras, a leading member of the Directory, and a strong 
 friend of General Bonaparte.
 
 1795.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 55 
 
 Josephine to her aunt. 
 
 opeaking to me on the subject yesterday, Gen- 
 eral Bonaparte said : 
 
 " ' Do they think that I can not get forward; 
 without their patronage? One day or other- 
 they will all be too happy if I grant them/ 
 mine. I have a good sword by my side, which, 
 will carry me on.' 
 
 " What do you think of this self-confidence? 
 Does it not savor of excessive vanity? A 
 general of brigade to talk of patronizing the 
 chiefs of Government? It is very ridiculous. 
 Yet I know not how it happens, his ambitious- 
 spirit sometimes wins upon me so far that I 
 am almost tempted to believe in the practica- 
 bility of any project he takes into his head ; 
 and who can foresee what he may attempt? 
 
 " Madame Tallien desires me to present her 
 love to you. She is still fair and good as ever. 
 She employs her immense influence only for 
 the benefit of the unfortunate. And when she 
 performs a favor, she appears as pleased and 
 satisfied as though she herself were the obliged 
 party. Her friendship for me is most affec- 
 tionate and sincere. And of my regard for her 
 I need only say that it is equal to that which I 
 entertain for you. 
 
 " Hortense grows more and more interesting
 
 56 HORTENSE. [1796. 
 
 Marriage of Josephine. 
 
 every day. Her pretty figure is fully devel- 
 oped, and, if I were so inclined, I should have 
 ample reason to rail at Time, who confers 
 charms on the daughter at the expense of the 
 mother. But truly I have other things to 
 think of. I try to banish gloomy thoughts, 
 and look forward to a more propitious future, 
 for we shall soon meet, never to part again. 
 
 "But for this marriage, which harasses and 
 unsettles me, I could be cheerful in spite of 
 every thing. Were it once over, happen what 
 might, I could resign myself to my fate. I am 
 inured to suffering, and, if I be destined to taste 
 fresh sorrow, I can support it, provided my 
 children, my aunt, and you remain to comfort 
 me. 
 
 " You know we have agreed to dispense 
 with all formal terminations to our letters. So 
 adieu, my friend, 
 
 " JOSEPHINE." 
 
 In March, 1796, Josephine became the bride 
 of Napoleon Bonaparte, then the most promis- 
 ing young general in France, and destined to 
 become, in achievements and renown, the fore 
 most man in all the world. Eugene was imme- 
 diately taken into the service of his stepfather.
 
 1796.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 57 
 
 Letter to Eugene. 
 
 In the following letter to Eugene we have a 
 pleasing revelation of the character of Hor- 
 tense at that time, and of the affectionate rela- 
 tions existing between the mother and her 
 children : 
 
 " I learn with pleasure, my dear Eugene, 
 that your conduct is worthy of the name you 
 bear, and of the protector under whom it is so 
 easy to learn to become a great captain. Bo- 
 naparte has written to me that you are every 
 thing that he can wish. As he is no flatterer, 
 my heart is proud to read your eulogy sketch- 
 ed by a hand which is usually far from being 
 lavish in praise. You well know that I never 
 doubted your capability to undertake great 
 things, or the brilliant courage which you in- 
 herit. But you, alas ! know how much I dis- 
 like your removal from me, fearing that your 
 natural impetuosity might carry you too far, 
 and that it might prevent you from submitting 
 to the numerous petty details of discipline 
 which must be very disagreeable when the 
 rank is only subaltern. 
 
 " Judge, then, of my joy on learning that 
 you remember my advice, and that you are as 
 obedient to your superiors in command as you 
 are kind and humane to those beneath you
 
 58 HORTENSE. [1796. 
 
 Letter to Eugene. 
 
 This conduct, my child, makes me quite happy, 
 and these words, I know, will reward you more 
 than all the favors you can receive. Eead them 
 often, and repeat to yourself that your mother, 
 though far from you, complains not of her lot, 
 since she knows that yours will be brilliant, 
 and will deserve so to be. 
 
 " Your sister shares all my feelings, and will 
 tell you so herself. But that of which I am 
 sure she will not speak, and which is therefore 
 my duty to tell, is her attention to me and her 
 aunt. Love her, my son, for to me she brings 
 consolation, and she overflows with affection 
 for you. She prosecutes her studies with un- 
 common success, but music, I think, will be the 
 art she will carry to the highest perfection. 
 With her sweet voice, which is now well culti- 
 vated, she sings romances in a manner that 
 would surprise you. I have just bought her a 
 new piano from the best maker, Erard, which 
 redoubles her passion for that charming art 
 which you prefer to every other. That per- 
 haps accounts for your sister applying to it 
 with so much assiduity. 
 
 " Were you here, you would be telling me 
 a thousand times a day to beware of the men 
 who pay particular attention to Hortense.
 
 1796.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 59 
 
 Rising greatness of Napoleon. 
 
 Some there are who do so whom you do not 
 like, and whom you seem to fear she may pre- 
 fer. Set your mind at rest. She is a bit of a 
 coquette, is pleased with her success, and tor- 
 ments her victims, but her heart is free. I am 
 the confidante of all her thoughts and feelings, 
 which have hitherto been just what they ought 
 to be. She now knows that when she thinks 
 of marrying, it is not my consent alone she has 
 to seek, and that my will is subordinate to that 
 of the man to whom we owe every thing. The 
 knowledge of this fact must prevent her from 
 fixing her choice in a way that may not meet 
 the approval of Bonaparte, and the latter will 
 not give your sister in marriage to any one to 
 whom you can object." 
 
 There was now an end to poverty and ob- 
 scurity. The rise of Napoleon was so brilliant 
 and rapid that Josephine was speedily placed 
 at the head of society in Paris, and vast crowds 
 were eager to do her homage. Never before 
 did man move with strides so rapid. The 
 lapse of a few months transformed her from al- 
 most a homeless, friendless, impoverished wid- 
 ow, to be the bride of one whose advancing 
 greatness seemed to outvie the wildest creations 
 of fiction. The unsurpassed splendor of Napo-
 
 60 HORTENSE. [1797. 
 
 Expedition to Kgypt. 
 
 Icon's achievements crowded the saloons of 
 Josephine with statesmen, philosophers, gener- 
 als, and all who ever hasten to the shrine of 
 rising greatness. 
 
 After the campaign of Italy, which gave Na- 
 poleon not only a French but a European np- 
 utation for military genius and diplomatic skill, 
 he took command of the Army of Egypt. Jo- 
 sephine accompanied him to Toulon. Stand- 
 ing upon a balcony, she with tearful eyes 
 watched the receding fleet which bore her 
 husband to that far-distant land, until it disap- 
 peared beneath the horizon of the blue Medi- 
 terranean. Eugefie accompanied his father. 
 Hortense remained with her mother, who took 
 up her residence most of the time during her 
 husband's absence at Plombieres, a celebrated 
 watering-place. 
 
 Josephine, anxious in every possible way to 
 promote the popularity of her absent husband, 
 and thus to secure his advancement, received 
 with cordiality all who came to her with their 
 congratulations. She was endowed with mar- 
 vellous power of pleasing. Every one who 
 saw her was charmed with her. Hortense was 
 bewitchingly beautiful and attractive. 
 
 Josephine had ample means to indulge her
 
 1797.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 61 
 
 Letter to Bonaparte. 
 
 taste in entertainments, and was qualified emi- 
 nently to shine in such scenes. The conse- 
 quence was that her saloons were the constant 
 resort of rank and wealth and fashion. Some 
 enemy wrote to Napoleon, and roused his jeal- 
 ousy to a very high degree, by representing 
 Josephine as forgetting her husband, immersed 
 in pleasure, and coquetting with all the world. 
 
 Napoleon was exceedingly disturbed, and 
 wrote Josephine a very severe letter. The fol- 
 lowing extract from her reply fully explains 
 the nature of this momentary estrangement : 
 
 " Is it possible, general, that the letter I have 
 just received comes from you ? I can scarcely 
 credit it when I compare that letter with others 
 to which your love imparts so many charms. 
 My eyes, indeed, would persuade me that your 
 hands traced these lines, but my heart refuses 
 to believe that a letter from you could ever 
 have caused the mortal anguish I experience 
 on perusing these expressions of your displeas- 
 ure, which afflict me the more when I consider 
 how much pain they must have caused you. 
 
 " I know not what I have done to provoke 
 some malignant enemy to destroy my peace 
 by disturbing yours. But certainly a power- 
 ful motive must influence some one in continu-
 
 62 HORTENSE. [1797. 
 
 Letter to Bonaparte. 
 
 ally renewing calumnies against me, and giv- 
 ing them a sufficient appearance of probability 
 to impose on the man who has hitherto j udged 
 me worthy of his affection and confidence. 
 These two sentiments are necessary to my hap- 
 piness. And if they are to be so soon with- 
 drawn from me, I can only regret that I was 
 ever blest in possessing them or knowing you. 
 
 " On my first acquaintance with you, the af- 
 fliction with which I was overwhelmed led me 
 to believe that my heart must ever remain a 
 stranger to any sentiment resembling love. 
 The sanguinary scenes of which I had been a 
 witness and a victim constantly haunted my 
 thoughts. I therefore apprehended no danger 
 to myself from the frequent enjoyment of your 
 society. Still less did I imagine that I could 
 for a single moment fix your choice. 
 
 " I, like every one else, admired your talents 
 and acquirements. And better than any one 
 else I foresaw your future glory. But still I 
 loved you only for the services you rendered 
 to my country. Why did you seek to convert 
 admiration into a more tender sentiment, by 
 availing yourself of all those powers of pleas- 
 ing with which you are so eminently gifted, 
 since, so shortly after having united vour des<
 
 1797.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 63 
 
 Letter to Bonaparte. 
 
 tiny with mine, you regret the felicity you 
 have conferred upon me? 
 
 " Do you think I can ever forget the love 
 with which you once cherished me? Can I 
 ever become indifferent to the man who has 
 blest me with the most enthusiastic and ardent 
 passion ? Can I ever efface from my memory 
 your paternal affection for Hortense, the advice 
 and example you have given Eugene? If all 
 this appears impossible, how can you, for a mo- 
 ment, suspect me of bestowing a thought upon 
 any but yourself? 
 
 "Instead of listening to traducers, who, for 
 reasons which I can not explain, seek to disturb 
 our happiness, why do you not silence them by 
 enumerating the benefits you have bestowed 
 on a woman whose heart could never be reach- 
 ed with ingratitude? The knowledge of what 
 you have done for my children would check 
 the malignity of these calumniators ; for they 
 would then see that the strongest link of my 
 attachment for you depends on rny character 
 as a mother. Your subsequent conduct, which 
 has claimed the admiration of all Europe, could 
 have no other effect than to make me adore 
 the husband who gave me his hand when I 
 was poor and unfortunate. Every step you
 
 64 HORTENSE. [1798 
 
 Letter to Bonaparte. 
 
 take adds to the glory of the name I bear. 
 Yet this is the moment which has been selected 
 for persuading you that I no longer love you I 
 Surely nothing can be more wicked and absurd 
 than the conduct of those who are about you, 
 arid are jealous of your marked superiority. 
 
 " Yes, I still love you, and no less tenderly 
 than ever. Those who allege the contrary 
 know that they speak falsely. To those very 
 persons I have frequently written to inquire 
 about you, and to recommend them to console 
 you, by their friendship, for the absence of her 
 who is your best and truest friend. 
 
 " I acknowledge that I see a great deal of 
 company; for every one is eager to compli- 
 ment me on your success, and I confess that I 
 have not resolution to close my door against 
 those who speak of you. I also confess that a 
 great portion of my visitors are gentlemen. 
 Men understand your bold projects better than 
 women ; and they speak with enthusiasm of 
 your glorious achievements, while my female 
 friends only complain of you for having carried 
 away their husbands, brothers, or fathers. > 
 
 " I take no pleasure in their society if they 
 do not praise you. Yet there are some among 
 them whose hearts and understandings claim
 
 1798.] MAKRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 65 
 
 Letter to Bonaparte. 
 
 my highest regard, because they entertain sin- 
 cere friendship for you. In this number I 
 may mention ladies Arquillon, Tallien, and my 
 aunt. They are almost constantly with me; 
 and they can tell you, ungrateful as you are, 
 whether / have been coquetting with every body. 
 These are your words. And they would be 
 hateful to me were I not certain that you had 
 disavowed them, and are sorry for having writ- 
 ten them. 
 
 " I sometimes receive honors here which 
 cause me no small degree of embarrassment 
 I am not accustomed to this sort of homage. 
 And I see that it is displeasing to our authori- 
 ties, who are always suspicious and fearful of 
 losing their newly -gotten power. If they are 
 envious now, what will they be when you return 
 crowned with fresh laurels? Heaven knows to 
 what lengths their malignity will then carry 
 them. But you will be here, and then noth- 
 ing can vex me. 
 
 " But I will say no more of them, nor of 
 your suspicions, which I do not refute one by 
 one, because they are all equally devoid of 
 probability. And to make amends for the un- 
 pleasant commencement of this letter, I will tell 
 you something which I know will please you. 
 
 35
 
 66 HORTENSE. [1798. 
 
 Letter to Bonaparte. 
 
 "Hortense, in her efforts to console me, en- 
 deavors as far as possible to conceal her anxie- 
 ty for you and her brother. And she exerts 
 all her ingenuity to banish that melancholy, 
 the existence of which you doubt, but which I 
 assure you never forsakes me. If by her live- 
 ly conversation and interesting talents she 
 sometimes succeeds iti drawing a smile, she 
 joyfully exclaims, ' Dear mamma, that will be 
 known at Cairo.' The fatal word immediately 
 calls to my mind the distance which separates 
 me from you and my son, and restores the mel- 
 ancholy which it was intended to divert I am 
 obliged to make great efforts to conceal my 
 grief from my daughter, who, by a word or a 
 look, transports me to the very place which she 
 would wish to banish from my thoughts. 
 
 "Hortense's figure is daily becoming more 
 and more graceful. She dresses with great 
 taste; and though not quite so handsome as 
 your sisters, she may certainly be thought 
 agreeable when even they are present. 
 
 " Heaven knows when or where you may 
 receive this letter. May it restore you to that 
 confidence which you ought never to have lost, 
 and convince you, more than ever, that, long 
 as I live, I shall love you as dearly as I did
 
 1798.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 67 
 
 Madame C'ampan. 
 
 on the day of our separation. Adieu. Believe 
 me, love me, and receive a thousand kisses. 
 
 " JOSEPHINE." 
 
 There was at that time a very celebrated 
 female school at St. Germain, under the care 
 of Madame Campan. This illustrious lady was 
 familiar with all the etiquette of the court, and 
 was also endowed with a superior mind high- 
 ly cultivated. At the early age of fifteen she 
 had been appointed reader to the daughter of 
 Louis XV. Maria Antoinette took a strong 
 fancy to her, and made her a friend and com- 
 panion. The crumbling of the throne of the 
 Bourbons and the dispersion of the court left 
 Madame Campan without a home, and caused 
 what the world would call her ruin. 
 
 But in the view of true intelligence this re- 
 verse of fortune only elevated her to a far 
 higher position of responsibility, usefulness, 
 and power. Impelled by necessity, she open- 
 ed a boarding-school for young ladies at St. 
 Germain. The school soon acquired celebrity. 
 Almost every illustrious family in France 
 sought to place their daughters under her care. 
 She thus educated very many young ladies 
 wiio subsequently occupied very important
 
 68 HORTENSE. [1799. 
 
 School-glil days. 
 
 positions in society as the wives and mothers 
 of distinguished men. Some of her pupils at- 
 tained to royalty. Thus the boarding-school 
 of Madame Cam pan became a great power in 
 France. 
 
 Hortense was sent to this school with Napo- 
 leon's sister Caroline, who subsequently be- 
 came Queen of Naples, and with Stephanie 
 Beauharnais, to whom we shall have occasion 
 hereafter to refer as Duchess of Baden. Ste- 
 phanie was a cousin of Hortense, being a 
 daughter of her father's brother, the Marquis 
 de Beauharnais. 
 
 In this school Hortense formed many very 
 strong attachments. Her most intimate friend, 
 however, whom she loved with affection which 
 never waned, was a niece of Madame Campan, 
 by the name of Adele Aguid, afterwards Ma- 
 dame de Broc, whose sad fate, hereafter to be 
 described, was one of the heaviest blows which 
 fell upon Hortense. It would seem that Hor- 
 tense was not at all injured by the flattery lav- 
 ished upon her in consequence of the renown 
 of her father. She retained, unchanged, all 
 her native simplicity of character, which she 
 had inherited from her mother, and which she 
 ever saw illustrated in her mother's words and
 
 1799.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 69 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 actions. Treating the humblest with the same 
 kindness as the most exalted, she won all 
 hearts, and made herself the friend of every 
 one in the school. 
 
 But her cousin Stephanie was a very differ- 
 ent character. Her father, the Marquis, had 
 fled from France an emigrant. He was an 
 aristocrat by birth, and in all his cherished sen- 
 timents. In his flight with the nobles, from 
 the terrors of the revolution, he had left his 
 daughter behind, as the protegee of* Josephine. 
 Inheriting a haughty disposition, and elated 
 by the grandeur which her uncle was attain- 
 ing, she assumed consequential airs which ren- 
 dered her disagreeable to many of her com- 
 panions. The eagle eye of Josephine detected 
 these faults in the character of her niece. As 
 Stephanie returned to school from one of her 
 vacations, Josephine sent by her the following 
 letter to Madame Campan : 
 
 "In returning to you my niece, my dear 
 Madame Campan, I send you both thanks and 
 reproof: thanks for the brilliant education 
 you have given her, and reproof for the faults 
 which your acuteness must have noticed, but 
 which your indulgence has passed over. She 
 is good-tempered, but cold ; well-informed, but
 
 70 HORTENSE. [1799, 
 
 Napoleon's retain from Egypt. 
 
 disdainful ; lively, but deficient in judgment. 
 She pleases no one, and it gives her no pain. 
 She fancies the renown of her uncle and the 
 gallantry of her father are every thing. Teach 
 her, but teach her plainly, without mincing, 
 that in reality they are nothing. 
 
 "We live in an age when every one is the 
 child of his own deeds. And if they who fill 
 the highest ranks of public service enjoy any 
 superior advantage or privilege, it is the op- 
 portunity to be more useful and more beloved 
 It is thus alone that good fortune becomes par- 
 donable in the eyes of the envious. This is 
 what I would have you repeat to her constant- 
 ly. I wish her to treat all her companions as 
 her equals. Many of them are better, or at 
 least quite as deserving as she is herself, and 
 their only inferiority is in not having had re- 
 lations equally skillful or equally fortunate. 
 "JOSEPHINE BONAPARTE." 
 
 On the 8th of October, 1799, Napoleon land- 
 ed at Frejus, on his return from Egypt His 
 mind was still very much disturbed with the 
 reports which had reached him respecting Jo- 
 sephine. Frejus was six hundred miles from 
 Paris a long journey, when railroads were
 
 1799.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 71 
 
 Josephine's anguish. 
 
 unknown. The intelligence of his arrival was 
 promptly communicated to the metropolis by 
 telegraph. Josephine received the news at 
 midnight. Without an hour's delay she enter- 
 ed her carriage with Hortense, taking as a pro- 
 tector Napoleon's younger brother Louis, who 
 subsequently married Hortense, and set out to 
 meet her husband. Almost at the same hour 
 Napoleon left Frejus for Paris. 
 
 When Josephine reached Lyons, a distance 
 of two hundred and forty-two miles from Paris, 
 she learned, to her consternation, that Napoleon 
 had left the city several hours before her arri- 
 val, and that they had passed each other by 
 different roads. Her anguish was dreadful. 
 For many months she had not received a line 
 from her husband, as all communication had 
 been intercepted by the British cruisers. She 
 knew that her enemies would be busy in poi- 
 soning the mind of her husband against her. 
 She had traversed the weary leagues of her 
 journey without a moment's intermission, and 
 now, faint, exhausted, and despairing, she was 
 to retrace her steps, to reach Paris only many 
 hours after Napoleon would have arrived thera 
 Probably in all France there was not then a 
 more unhappy woman than Josephine,
 
 72 HORTENSE. [1799. 
 
 Jealousy of Napoleon. 
 
 The mystery of human love and jealousy no 
 philosophy can explain. Secret wretchedness 
 was gnawing at the heart of Napoleon. He 
 loved Josephine with intensest passion, and all 
 the pride of his nature was roused by the con- 
 viction that she had trifled with him. With 
 these conflicting emotions rending his soul, he 
 entered Paris and drove to his dwelling. Jose- 
 phine was not there. Even Josephine had 
 bitter enemies, as all who are in power ever 
 must have. These enemies took advantage of 
 her absence to fan the flames of that jealousy 
 which Napoleon could not conceal. It was 
 represented to him that Josephine had fled 
 from her home, afraid to meet the anger of her 
 injured husband. As he paced the floor in 
 anguish, which led him to forget all his achieve- 
 ments in the past and all his hopes for the fu- 
 ture, an enemy maliciously remarked, 
 
 "Josephine will soon appear before you 
 with all her arts of fascination. She will ex- 
 plain matters, you will forgive all, and tran- 
 quillity will be restored." 
 
 Napoleon, striding nervously up and down 
 the floor, replied with pallid cheek and trem- 
 bling lip, 
 
 "Never! never! Were I not sure of my res-
 
 1799.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 73 
 
 The meeting in Paris. 
 
 olution, I would tear out this heart and cast 
 it into the fire." 
 
 Eugene had returned with Napoleon. He 
 loved his mother to adoration. Anxiously 
 he sat at the window watching, hour after 
 hour, for her arrival. At midnight on the 
 19th the rattle of her carriage-wheels was 
 heard, as she entered the courtyard of their 
 dwelling in the Rue Chantereine. Eugene 
 rushed to his mother's arms. Napoleon had 
 ever been the most courteous of husbands. 
 Whenever Josephine returned, even from an or- 
 dinary morning drive, he would leave any en- 
 gagements to greet her as she alighted from her 
 carriage. But now, after an absence of eight* 
 een months, he remained sternly in his cham- 
 ber, the victim of almost unearthly misery. 
 
 In a state of terrible agitation, with limbs 
 tottering and heart throbbing, Josephine, as- 
 sisted by Eugene and accompanied by Hor- 
 tense, ascended the stairs to the parlor where 
 she had so often received the caresses of her 
 husband. She opened the door. Napoleon 
 stood before her, pale, motionless as a marble 
 Btatue. Without one kind word of greeting 
 he said sternly, in words which pierced her 
 heart,
 
 74 HORTENSE. [1799. 
 
 The cruel repulse. 
 
 " Madame, it is my wish that you retire im- 
 mediately to Malmaison." 
 
 The meek and loving Josephine uttered not 
 a word. She would have fallen senseless to 
 the floor, had she not been caught in the arms 
 of her son. It was midnight. For a week 
 she had lived in her carriage almost without 
 sleep. She was in a state of utter exhaustion, 
 both of body and of mind. It was twelve 
 miles to Malmaison. Napoleon had no idea 
 that she would leave the house until the morn- 
 ing. Much to his surprise, he soon heard the 
 carriage in the yard, and Josephine, accompan- 
 ied by Eugene and Hortense, descending the 
 stairs. The naturally kind heart of Napoleon 
 could not assent to such cruelty. Immediately 
 going down into the yard, though his pride 
 would not permit him to speak to Josephine, 
 he addressed Eugene, and requested them all 
 to return for refreshment and repose. 
 
 In silent submission, Eugene and Hortense 
 conducted their mother to her apartment, 
 where she threw herself upon her couch in ab- 
 ject misery. In equally sleepless woe, Napo- 
 leon retired to his cabinet. Two days of 
 wretchedness passed away. On the third, the 
 love for Josephine, which still reigned in the
 
 THE RECONCtLIATION.
 
 1799.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 77 
 
 The reconciliation. 
 
 heart of Napoleon, so far triumphed that he en- 
 tered her apartment. Josephine was seated at 
 a toilette-table, with her head bowed, and her 
 eyes buried in her handkerchief. The table 
 was covered with the letters which she had re- 
 ceived from Napoleon, and which she had evi- 
 dently been perusing. Hortense, the victim 
 of grief and despair, was standing in the alcove 
 of a window. 
 
 Apparently Josephine did not hear the ap- 
 proaching footsteps of her husband. He ad- 
 vanced softly to her chair, placed his hand 
 upon it, and said, in tones almost of wonted 
 kindness, "Josephine." She started at the 
 sound of that well-known and dearly-loved 
 voice, and turning towards him her swollen 
 and flooded eyes, responded, " My dear." The 
 words of tenderness, the loving voice, brought 
 back with resistless rush the memory of the 
 past. Napoleon was vanquished. He extend- 
 ed his hand to Josephine. She rose, threw her 
 arms around his neck, rested her throbbing, 
 aching head upon his bosom, and wept in con- 
 vulsions of anguish. A long explanation en- 
 sued. Napoleon again pressed Josephine to 
 his loving heart, satisfied, perfectly satisfied 
 that he had deeply wronged her ; that she had
 
 78 HOBTENSE. [1799. 
 
 Napoleon First Consul. 
 
 been the victim of base traducers. The rec- 
 onciliation was perfect. 
 
 Soon after this Napoleon overthrew the Di- 
 rectory, and established the Consulate. This 
 was on the ninth of November, 1799, usually 
 called 18th Brumaire. Napoleon was thirty 
 years of age, and was now First Consul of 
 France. After the wonderful achievements of 
 this day of peril, during which Napoleon had 
 not been able to send a single line to his wife, 
 at four o'clock in the morning he alighted from 
 his carriage at the door of his dwelling at the 
 Eue Chantereine. Josephine, in a state of 
 great anxiety, was watching at the window for 
 his approach. She sprang to meet him. Na- 
 poleon encircled her in his arms, and briefly 
 recapitulated the memorable scenes of the day. 
 He assured her that since he had taken the 
 oath of office, he had not allowed himself to 
 speak to a single individual, for he wished the 
 beloved voice of his Josephine might be the 
 first to congratulate him upon his virtual ac- 
 cession to the Empire of France. Throwing 
 himself upon a couch for a few moments of 
 repose, he exclaimed gayly, "Good-night, my 
 Josephine. To-morrow we sleep in the palace 
 of the Luxembourg."
 
 1799.] MARRIAGE OF JOSEPHINE. 79 
 
 The Luxembourg. 
 
 This renowned palace, with its vast saloons, 
 its galleries of art, its garden, is one of the 
 most attractive of residences. Napoleon was 
 now virtually the monarch of France. Jose- 
 phine was a queen, Eugene and Hortense prince 
 and princess. Strange must have been the 
 emotions of Josephine and her children as, en- 
 compassed with regal splendor, they took up 
 their residence in the palace. But a few years 
 before, Josephine, in poverty, friendlessness, 
 and intensest anguish of heart, had led her chil- 
 dren by the hand through those halls to visit 
 her imprisoned husband. From one of those 
 apartments the husband and father had been 
 led to his trial, and to the scaffold, and now this 
 mother enters this palace virtually a queen, 
 and her children have opening before them the 
 very highest positions of earthly wealth and 
 honor.
 
 80 HORTENSE. [1799. 
 
 Calumnies. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 HORTENSE AND DUROC. 
 
 JT is a very unamiable trait in human nature, 
 that many persons are more eager to believe 
 that which is bad in the character of others than 
 that which is good. The same voice of calum- 
 ny, which has so mercilessly assailed Josephine, 
 has also traduced Hortense. It is painful to 
 witness the readiness with which even now the 
 vilest slanders, devoid of all evidence, can be 
 heaped upon a noble arid virtuous woman who 
 is in her grave. 
 
 In the days of Napoleon's power, he himseli, 
 his mother, his wife, his sisters, and his step- 
 daughter, Hortense, were assailed with the most 
 envenomed accusations malice could engender. 
 These infamous assaults, which generally origi- 
 nated with the British Tory press, still have 
 lingering echoes throughout the world. There 
 are those who seem to consider it no crime to 
 utter the most atrocious accusations, even with- 
 out a shadow of proof, against those who are 
 not living. Well do the " Berkeley men " say :
 
 1799.] HORTENSE AND DUROC. 81 
 
 Testimony of the Berkeley men. 
 
 " The Bonapartes, especially the women of 
 that family, have always been too proud and 
 haughty to degrade themselves. Even had 
 they lacked what is technically called moral 
 character, their virtue has been intrenched be- 
 hind their ancestry, and the achievements of 
 their own family. Nor was there at any time 
 an instant when any one of the Bonapartes could 
 have overstepped, by a hair's-breadth, the line 
 of decency, without being fatally exposed. 
 None of them pursued the noiseless tenor of 
 their way along the vale of obscurity. They 
 were walking in the clear sunshine, on the top- 
 most summits of the earth, and millions of ene- 
 mies were watching every step they took. The 
 highest genius of historians, the bitterest satire 
 of dramatists, the meanest and most malig- 
 nant pen of the journalists have assailed them 
 for half a century. We have written these 
 words because a Eepublican is the only man 
 likely to speak well of the Bonaparte family. 
 It was, and is, and will be the dynasty of the 
 people, standing there from 1804, a fearful an- 
 tagonism against the feudal age and its souve 
 nirs of oppression and crime." 
 
 Napoleon at St. Helena said: "Of all the 
 
 libels and pamphlets with which the English 
 36
 
 82 HORTENSE. [1799. 
 
 Remarks of Napoleon at St. Helena. 
 
 ministers have inundated Europe, there is not 
 one which will reach posterity. When there 
 shall not be a trace of those libels to be found, 
 the great monuments of utility which I have 
 reared, and the code of laws which I have 
 formed, will descend to the remotest ages ; and 
 future historians will avenge the wrongs done 
 me by my contemporaries. There was a time 
 when all crimes seemed to belong to me of 
 right. Thus I poisoned Hoche, strangled Pi- 
 chegru in his cell, I caused Kleber to be assassi- 
 nated in Egypt, I blew out Desaix's brains at 
 Marengo, I cut the throats of persons who were 
 confined in prison, I dragged the Pope by the 
 hair of his head, and a hundred similar abomi- 
 nations. And yet I have not seen one of those 
 libels which is worthy of an answer. These are 
 so contemptible and so absurdly false, that they 
 do not merit any other notice than to write 
 false, fake, on every page." 
 
 It is well known, by every one acquainted 
 with the past history of our country, that George 
 Washington was assailed in the severest possi- 
 ble language of vituperation. He was charged 
 with military inability, administrative incapac- 
 ity, mental weakness, and gross personal im. 
 morality. He was denounced as a murderer.
 
 1799.J HORTENSA AND DuRoc. 83 
 
 The voice of slander. 
 
 and a hoary-headed traitor. This is the doom 
 of those in power. And thousands of men in 
 those days believed those charges. 
 
 It is seldom possible to prove a negative. 
 But no evidence has ever been brought forward 
 to substantiate the rumors brought against Hor- 
 tense. These vile slanderers have even gone 
 so far as to accuse Napoleon of crimes, in refer- 
 ence to the daughter of Josephine and the wife 
 of his brother, which, if true, should consign 
 him to eternal infamy. The " Berkeley men," 
 after making the most thorough historic inves- 
 tigations in writing the life both of Louis Bo- 
 naparte and Hortense, say : 
 
 " Louis was a little over twenty-three years 
 of age at the time of his marriage. Hortense 
 was nineteen. In his memoirs Louis treats with 
 scorn and contempt the absurd libels respecting 
 his domestic affairs, involving the purity of his 
 wife's character and the legitimacy of his chil- 
 dren. Napoleon, also, in his conversations at 
 St. Helena, thought proper to allude to the sub- 
 ject, and indignantly to repel the charges which 
 had been made against Hortense, at the same 
 time showing the entire improbability of the 
 Btories about her and her offspring. We have 
 found nothing, in our investigations on this sub-
 
 84 HORTENSE. [1799. 
 
 Testimony of the Duchess of Abrantes. 
 
 ject to justify even a suspicion against tfie morals 
 or integrity of Louis or Hortense; and we here 
 dismiss the subject with the remark that there is 
 more cause for sympathy with the parties to this 
 unhappy union than of censure for their con- 
 duct." 
 
 The Duchess of Abrantes, who was intimate- 
 ly acquainted with Hortense from her child- 
 hood and with the whole Bonaparte family, in 
 her interesting memoirs writes : " Hortense de 
 Beauharnais was fresh as a rose; and though 
 her fair complexion was not relieved by much 
 color, she had enough to produce that freshness 
 and bloom which was her chief beauty. A 
 profusion of light hair played in silky locks 
 round her soft and penetrating blue eyes. The 
 delicate roundness of her slender figure was set 
 off by the elegant carriage of her head. Her 
 feet were small and pretty, her hands very 
 white, with pink, well-rounded nails. But 
 what formed the chief attraction of Hortense 
 was the grace and suavity of her manners. 
 She was gay, gentle, amiable. She had wit 
 which, without the smallest ill-temper, had just 
 malice enough to be amusing. A polished 
 education had improved her natural talents. 
 She drew excellently, sang harmoniously, and
 
 1799.] HORTENSE AND DUROC. 85 
 
 Portrait of Hortense. 
 
 performed admirably in comedy. In 1800 she 
 tfas a charming young girl. She afterwards 
 became one of the most amiable princesses in 
 Europe. I have seen many, both in their own 
 courts and in Paris, but I have never known 
 one who had any pretensions to equal talenta 
 Her brother loved her tenderly. The First 
 Consul looked upon her as his child. And it 
 is only in that country so fertile in the inven- 
 tions of scandal, that so foolish an accusation 
 could have been imagined, as that any feeling 
 less pure than paternal affection actuated his 
 conduct towards her. The vile calumny met 
 the contempt it merited." 
 
 The testimony of Bourrienne upon this point 
 is decisive. Bourrienne had been the private 
 secretary of Napoleon, had become his enemy, 
 and had joined the Bourbons. Upon the down- 
 fall of the Emperor he wrote a very hostile life 
 of Napoleon, being then in the employment of 
 the Bourbons. In those envenomed pages, 
 Bourrienne says that he has written severely 
 enough against Napoleon, to have his word be 
 lieved when he makes any admission in his fa 
 vor. He then writes: 
 
 "Napoleon never cherished for Hortense 
 any feeling but a real paternal tenderness. He
 
 86 HORTENSE. [1799. 
 
 Testimony of Bourrienne. 
 
 loved her, after his marriage with her mother, as 
 he would have loved his own child. For three 
 years at least I was witness to all their most 
 private actions. I declare that I never saw any 
 thing which could furnish the least ground for 
 suspicion or the slightest trace of culpable inti- 
 macy. This calumny must be classed with 
 those which malice delights to take with the 
 character of men who become celebrated ; cal- 
 umnies which are adopted lightly and without 
 reflection. 
 
 " I freely declare that, did I retain the slight- 
 est doubt with regard to this odious charge, I 
 would avow it. But it is not true. Napoleon 
 is no more. Let his memory be accompanied 
 only by that, be it good or bad, which really 
 took place. Let not this complaint be made 
 against him by the impartial historian. I must 
 say, in conclusion, on this delicate subject, that 
 Napoleon's principles were rigid in the extreme ; 
 and that any fault of the nature charged nei- 
 ther entered his mind, nor was in accordance 
 with his morals or taste." 
 
 Notwithstanding this abundant testimony, 
 and notwithstanding the fact that no contradic- 
 tory testimony can be adduced, which any his- 
 torian could be pardoned for treating with re-
 
 1800.] HORTENSE AND DlJROC. 87 
 
 Napoleon at the Tuileries. 
 
 spect, there are still men to be found who will 
 repeat those foul slanders, which ought long 
 since to have died away. 
 
 Napoleon remained but two months in the 
 palace of the Luxembourg. In the mean time 
 the palace of the Tuileries, which had been sack- 
 ed by revolutionary mobs, was re-furnished with 
 much splendor. In February the Court of the 
 Consuls was transferred to the Tuileries. Na- 
 poleon had so entirely eclipsed his colleagues 
 that he alone was thought of by the Parisian 
 populace. The royal apartments were prepared 
 for Napoleon. The more humble apartments, 
 in the Pavilion of Flora, were assigned to the 
 two other consuls. The transfer from the Lux- 
 embourg was made with great pomp, in one of 
 those brilliant parades which ever delight the 
 eyes of the Parisians. Six thousand picked 
 soldiers, with a gorgeous train of officers, form- 
 ed his escort. Twenty thousand troops with 
 all the concomitants of military parade, lined 
 the streets. A throng, from city and country, 
 which could not be numbered, gazed upon the 
 scene. Napoleon took his seat in a magnificent 
 carriage drawn by six beautiful white horses. 
 The suite of rooms assigned to Josephine con- 
 sisted of two large parlors furnished with regal
 
 88 HORTENSE. [1800. 
 
 Beauty of Josephine. 
 
 splendor, and several adjoining private rooms 
 Here Hortense, a beautiful girl of about eighteen, 
 found herself at home in the apartments of the 
 ancient kings of France. 
 
 In the evening a brilliant assembly was 
 gathered in the saloons of Josephine. As she 
 entered, with queenly grace, leaning upon the 
 arm of Talleyrand, a murmur of admiration 
 rose from the whole multitude. She wore a 
 robe of white muslin. Her hair fell in ringlets 
 upon her neck and shoulders, through which 
 gleamed a necklace of priceless pearls. The 
 festivities were protracted until a late hour in 
 the morning. It was said that Josephine gain- 
 ed a social victory that evening, corresponding 
 with that which Napoleon had gained in the 
 pageant of the day. In these scenes Hortense 
 shone with great brilliance. She was young, 
 beautiful, graceful, amiable, witty, and very 
 highly accomplished. In addition to this, she 
 was the stepdaughter of the First Consul, who 
 was ascending in a career of grandeur which 
 was to terminate no one could tell where. 
 
 During Napoleon's absence in Egypt Jose- 
 phine had purchased the beautiful estate of 
 Malmaison. This was their favorite home. 
 The chateau was a very convenient, attractive,
 
 1800.] HORTENSE AND DlJROC. 89 
 
 Malmaison. 
 
 but not very spacious rural edifice, surrounded 
 with extensive grounds, ornamented with lawns, 
 shrubbery, and forest-trees. With the Tuile- 
 ries for her city residence, Malmaison for her 
 rural retreat, Napoleon for her father, Jose- 
 phine for her mother, Eugene for her brother ; 
 with the richest endowments of person, mind, 
 and heart, with glowing health, and surrounded 
 by admirers, Hortense seemed now to be placed 
 upon the very highest pinnacle of earthly hap- 
 piness. 
 
 Josephine and Hortense resided at Malmaison 
 when Napoleon made his ten months' campaign 
 into Italy, which was terminated by the victory 
 of Ma'rengo. They both busily employed their 
 time in making those improvements on the 
 place which would create a pleasant surprise for 
 Napoleon on his return. Here they opened a 
 new path through the forest ; here they spanned 
 a stream with a beautiful rustic bridge ; upon 
 a gentle eminence a pavilion rose; and new 
 parterres of flowers gladdened the eye. Every 
 charm was thrown around the place which the 
 genius and taste of Josephine and Hortense 
 could suggest. At midnight, on the second of 
 July, Napoleon returned to Paris, and immedi- 
 ately hastened to the arms of his wife and
 
 90 HORTENSE. [1800. 
 
 Remarkable testimony of Napoleon. 
 
 daughter at Malmaison. He was so pleased 
 with its retirement and rural beauty that, for- 
 getting the splendors of Fontainebleau and 
 Saint Cloud, he ever after made it his favorite 
 residence. Fortunate is the tourist who can 
 obtain permission to saunter through those 
 lovely walks, where the father, the wife, and 
 the daughter, for a few brief months, walked 
 almost daily, arm in arm, in the enjoyment of 
 nearly all the happiness which they were des- 
 tined on earth to share. The Emperor, at the 
 close of his career, said upon his dying bed at 
 St. Helena, 
 
 " I am indebted for all the little happiness 
 I have enjoyed on earth to the love of Jose- 
 phine." 
 
 Hortense and her mother frequently rode on 
 horseback, both being very graceful riders, and 
 very fond of that recreation. At moments 
 when Napoleon could unbend from the cares 
 of state, the family amused themselves, with 
 such guests as were present, in the game of 
 "prisoners" on the lawn. For several years 
 this continued to be the favorite pastime at 
 Malmaison. Kings and queens were often 
 seen among the pursuers and the pursued on 
 the green sward.
 
 1800.] HORTENSE AND DUROC. 91 
 
 The infernal machine. 
 
 It was observed that Napoleon was always 
 solicitous to have Josephine on his side. And 
 whenever, in the progress of the game, she was 
 taken prisoner, he was nervously anxious until 
 ahe was rescued. Napoleon, who had almost 
 lived upon horseback, was a poor runner, and 
 would often, in his eagerness, fall, rolling head- 
 long over the grass, raising shouts of laughter. 
 Josephine and Hortense were as agile as they 
 were graceful. 
 
 On the 24th of December, 1800, Napoleon, 
 Josephine, and Hortense were going to the op- 
 era, to hear Haydn's Oratorio of the Creation. 
 It was then to be performed for the first time. 
 Napoleon, busily engaged in business, went 
 reluctantly at the earnest solicitation of Jose- 
 phine. Three gentlemen rode with Napole- 
 on in his carriage. Josephine, with Hortense 
 and other friends, followed in her private car- 
 riage. As the carriages were passing through 
 the narrow street of St. Nicaire, a tremendous 
 explosion took place, which was heard all ovei 
 Paris. An infernal machine, of immense 
 power, had been conveyed to the spot, con- 
 cealed beneath a cart, which was intended, at 
 whatever sacrifice of the lives of others, to ren- 
 der the assassination of the First Consul certain.
 
 92 HORTENSE. [1800. 
 
 The royalist conspiracy. 
 
 Eight persons were instantly killed ; more than 
 sixty were wounded. Several buildings were 
 nearly demolished. The windows of both car- 
 riages were dashed in, and the shattered vehi- 
 cles were tossed to and fro like ships in a storm. 
 Napoleon almost miraculously escaped unharm- 
 ed. Hortense was slightly wounded by the 
 broken glass. Still they all heroically went on 
 to the opera, where, in view of their providen- 
 tial escape, they were received with thunders of 
 applause. 
 
 It was at first supposed that the Jacobins 
 were the authors of this infamous plot. It was 
 afterwards proved to be a conspiracy of the 
 Royalists. Josephine, whose husband bad bled 
 beneath the slide of the guillotine, and who had 
 narrowly escaped the axe herself, with charac- 
 teristic humanity forgot the peril to which she 
 and her friends had been exposed, in sympathy 
 for those who were to suffer for the crime. The 
 criminals were numerous. They were the no- 
 bles with whom Josephine had formerly lived 
 in terms of closest intimacy. She wrote to 
 Fouch^, the Minister of Police, in behalf of 
 these families about to be plunged into woe by 
 the merited punishment of the conspirators. 
 This letter reflects such light upon the charac-
 
 1800.] HORTENSE AND DlTROC. 93 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 ter of Josephine, which character she transmit- 
 ted to Hortense, that it claims insertion here. 
 
 " CITIZEN MINISTER, While I yet tremble 
 at the frightful event which has just occurred, 
 I am disquieted and distressed through fear of 
 the punishment necessarily to be inflicted on 
 the guilty, who belong, it is said, to families 
 with whom I once lived in habits of intercourse. 
 I shall be solicited by mothers, sisters, and dis- 
 consolate wives, and my heart will be broken 
 through my inability to obtain all the mercy 
 for which I would plead. 
 
 " I know that the clemency of the First Con- 
 sul is great; his attachment to me extreme. 
 But the crime is too dreadful that a terrible ex- 
 ample should not be necessary. The chief of 
 the Government has not been alone exposed. 
 It is that which will render him severe, inflexi- 
 ble. I conjure you, therefore, to do all in your 
 power to prevent inquiries being pushed too far. 
 Do not detect all those persons who may have 
 been accomplices in these odious transactions. 
 Let not France, so long overwhelmed in conster- 
 nation by publicexecutions, groan anew beneath 
 such inflictions. It is even better to endeavor to 
 soothe the public mind than to exasperate men 
 by fresh terrors. In short, when the ringlead-
 
 94 HORTENSE. [1800. 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 ers of this nefarious attempt shall have been 
 secured, let severity give place to pity for in- 
 ferior agents, seduced, as they may have been, 
 by dangerous falsehoods or exaggerated opin- 
 ions. 
 
 "When just invested with supreme power, 
 the First Consul, as seems to me, ought rather 
 to gain hearts, than to be exhibited as ruling 
 slaves. Soften by your counsels whatever may 
 be too violent in his just resentment. Punish 
 alas ! that you must certainly do but par- 
 don still more. Be also the support of those 
 unfortunate men who, by frank avowal or re- 
 pentance, shall expiate a portion of their crime. 
 
 " Having myself narrowly escaped perishing 
 in the Revolution, you must regard as quite 
 natural my interference on behalf of those who 
 can be saved without involving in new danger 
 the life of my husband, precious to me and to 
 France. On this account do, I entreat you, 
 make a wide distinction between the authors 
 of the crime and those who, through weakness 
 or fear, have consented to take part therein. 
 As a woman, a wife, a mother, I must feel the 
 heart-rendings of those who will apply to me. 
 Act, citizen minister, in such a manner that 
 the number of these may be lessened. This
 
 1800.] HORTENSE AND DUROC. 96 
 
 Michel Duroc. 
 
 will spare me much grief. Never will I turn 
 away from the supplications of misfortune. But 
 in the present instance you can do infinitely 
 more than I, and you will, on this account, ex- 
 cuse my importunity. Rely on my gratitude 
 and esteem." 
 
 There was a young officer about twenty-nine 
 years of age, by the name of Michel Duroc, 
 who was then a frequent visitor at the Tuileries 
 and Malmaison. He was a great favorite of 
 Napoleon, and was distinguished alike for 
 beauty of person and gallantry upon the field 
 of battle. Born of an ancient family, young 
 Duroc, having received a thorough military edu- 
 cation, attached himself, with enthusiastic devo- 
 tion, to the fortunes of Napoleon. He attracted 
 the attention of General Bonaparte during his 
 first Italian campaign, where he was appoint- 
 ed one of his aids. Following Napoleon to 
 Egypt, he gained renown in many battles, and 
 was speedily promoted to the rank of chief of 
 battalion, and then to general of brigade. At 
 Jaffa he performed a deed of gallantry, which 
 was rewarded by the applauding shouts of 
 nearly the whole army. At Jean d'Acre he 
 led one of the most bloody and obstinate as- 
 saults recorded in the military annals of France,
 
 HORTENSE. [1813v 
 
 General Duroc at Bautzen. 
 
 where he was severely wounded by the burst- 
 ing of a howitzer. At the battle of Aboukir 
 he won great applause. Napoleon's attachment 
 to this young officer was such, that he took him 
 to Paris on his return to Egypt. In the event- 
 ful day of the 18th Brurnaire, Duroc stood by 
 the side of Napoleon, and rendered him em- 
 inent service. The subsequent career of this 
 very noble young man brilliantly reflects his 
 worth and character. Eapidly rising, he be- 
 came grand marshal of the palace and Duke of 
 Friuli. 
 
 The memorable career of General Duroc was 
 terminated at the battle of Bautzen, in Germa- 
 ny, on the 23d of May. 1813. He was struck 
 by the last ball thrown from the batteries of 
 the enemy. The affecting scene of his death 
 was as follows ; 
 
 "In the early dawn of the morning of the 
 23d of May, Napoleon was on horseback direct- 
 ing the movements of his troops against the 
 routed foe. He soon overtook the rear-guard 
 of the enemy, which had strongly posted its 
 batteries on an eminence to protect the retreat 
 of the discomfited army. A brief but fierce 
 conflict ensued, and one of Napoleon's aids was 
 Btruck dead at his feet. Duroc was riding by
 
 1813.] HORTENSE AND DUROC. 97 
 
 Death of Duroc. 
 
 the side of the Emperor. Napoleon turned to 
 him and said, ' Duroc, fortune is determined to 
 have one of us to-day.' Hour after hour the in- 
 cessant battle raged, as the advance-guard of the 
 Emperor drove before it the rear-guard of 
 the Allies. In the afternoon, as the Emperor, 
 with a portion of the Imperial Guard, four 
 abreast, was passing through a ravine, envelop- 
 ed in a blinding cloud of dust and smoke, a 
 cannon-ball, glancing from a tree, killed one 
 officer, and mortally wounded Duroc, tearing 
 out his entrails. The tumult and obscurity 
 were such that Napoleon did not witness the 
 casualty. When informed of it, he seemed for 
 a moment overwhelmed with grief, and then 
 exclaimed, in faltering accents, 
 
 " Duroc 1 gracious Heaven, my presenti- 
 ments never deceive me. This is a sad day, a 
 fatal day." 
 
 Immediately alighting from his horse, he 
 walked to and fro for a short time absorbed in 
 painful thoughts, while the thunders of the bat- 
 tle resounded unheeded around him. Then 
 turning to Caulaincourt, he said, 
 
 "Alas! when will fate relent? When will 
 there be an end of this? My eagles will yet 
 triumph, but the happiness which accompanies 
 
 37
 
 98 HORTENSE. [1818. 
 
 Grief of Napoleon. 
 
 them is fled. Whither has he been conveyed? 
 I must see him. Poor, poor Duroc !" 
 
 The Emperor found the dying marshal in a 
 cottage, still stretched upon the camp litter by 
 which he had been conveyed from the field. 
 Pallid as marble from the loss of bloocf, and 
 with features distorted with agony, he was 
 scarcely recognizable. The Emperor approach- 
 ed the litter, threw his arms around the neck 
 of the friend he so tenderly loved, and ex- 
 claimed, in tones of deepest grief, " Alas ! then 
 is there no hope ?" 
 
 " None whatever," the physicians replied. 
 
 The dying man took the hand of Napoleon, 
 and gazing upon him affectionately, said, " Sire, 
 my whole life has been devoted to your serv- 
 ice, and now my only regret is that I can no 
 longer be useful to you." Napoleon, in a voice 
 almost inarticulate with emotion, said, 
 
 "Duroc, there is another life. There you 
 will await me." 
 
 " Yes, sire," the marshal faintly replied, " but 
 that will be thirty years hence. You will then 
 have triumphed over your enemies, and real- 
 ized the hopes of our country. I have lived 
 an honest man. I have nothing to reproach 
 myself with. I have a daughter, to whom 
 your Majesty will be a father."
 
 1813.] HORTENSE AND DUROC. 99 
 
 Affecting scene. 
 
 Napoleon was so deeply affected that he re- 
 mained for some time in silence, incapable of 
 uttering a word, but still affectionately holding 
 the hand of his dying friend. 
 
 Duroc was the first to break the silence. 
 " Sire," he said, " this sight pains you. Leave 
 me." 
 
 The Emperor pressed his hand to his lips, 
 embraced him affectionately, and saying sadly, 
 "Adieu, my friend," hurried out of the room. 
 
 Supported by Marshal Soult and Caulain- 
 court, Napoleon, overwhelmed with grief, re 
 tired to his tent, which had been immediately 
 pitched in the vicinity of the cottage. " This 
 is horrible/' he exclaimed. " My excellent, 
 my dear Duroc! Oh, what a loss is this!" 
 
 His eyes were flooded with tears, and for the 
 moment, forgetting every thing but his grief, 
 he retired to the solitude of his inner tent. 
 
 The squares of the Old Guard, sympathizing 
 in the anguish of their commander and their 
 sovereign, silently encamped around him. Na- 
 poleon sat alone in his tent, wrapped in his 
 gray great-coat, his forehead resting upon his 
 hand, absorbed in painful musings. For some 
 time none of his officers were willing to intrude 
 upon his grief. At length two of the generals
 
 100 HORTENSE. [1813. 
 
 Quotation from J. T. Headlejr. 
 
 ventured to consult him respecting arrange- 
 ments which it seemed necessary to make for 
 the following day. Napoleon shook his head 
 and replied, " Ask me nothing till to-morrow," 
 and again covering his eyes with his hand, he 
 resumed his attitude of meditation. Night 
 came. One by one the stars came out. The 
 moon rose brilliantly in the cloudless sky. 
 The soldiers moved with noiseless footsteps, and 
 spoke in subdued tones. The rumbling of 
 wagons and the occasional boom of a distant 
 gun alone disturbed the stillness of the scene. 
 
 " Those brave soldiers," says J. T. Headley, 
 'filled with grief to see their beloved chief 
 bowed down by such sorrows, stood for a long 
 time silent and tearful. At length, to break 
 the mournful silence, and to express the sym- 
 pathy they might not speak, the band struck 
 up a requiem for the dying marshal. The 
 melancholy strains arose and fell in prolonged 
 echoes over the field, and swept in softened 
 cadences on the ear of the fainting, dying 
 warrior. But still Napoleon moved not. They 
 changed the measure to a triumphant strain, 
 and the thrilling trumpets breathed forth their 
 most joyful notes till the heavens rang with the 
 melody. Such bursts of music welcomed Na-
 
 1804] HORTENSE AND DUROC. 101 
 
 Denth of Duroc. 
 
 poleon as he returned, flushed with victory, till 
 his eye kindled with exultation. But now 
 they fell on a dull and listless ear. It ceased, 
 and again the mournful requiem filled all the 
 air. But nothing could rouse him from his ag- 
 onizing reflections. His friend lay dying, and 
 the heart that he loved more than his life was 
 throbbing its last pulsations. What a theme 
 for a painter, and what a eulogy was that 
 scene ! That noble heart, which the enmity of 
 the world could not shake, nor the terrors of 
 the battle-field move from its calm repose, nor 
 even the hatred nor the insults of his at last vic- 
 torious enemies humble, here sank in the mo- 
 ment of victory before the tide of affection. 
 What military chieftain ever mourned thus on 
 the field of victory, and what soldiers ever 
 loved their leader so !" 
 
 Before the dawn of the morning Duroc ex- 
 pired. When the event was announced to 
 Napoleon, he said sadly, "All is over. He is 
 released from his misery. Well, he is happier 
 than I." The Emperor ordered a monument 
 to be reared to his memory, and, when after- 
 wards dying at St. Helena, left to the daugh- 
 ter of Duroc one of the largest legacies be- 
 queathed in his will. That Duroc was worthy
 
 102 HOBTENSE. [1804. 
 
 Character of Duroc. . 
 
 of this warm affection of the Emperor, may be 
 inferred from the following testimony of Cau- 
 laincourt, Duke of Vicenza: 
 
 ' Marshal Duroc was one of those men who 
 se ji too pure and perfect for this world, and 
 whose excellence helps to reconcile us to hu- 
 man nature. In the high station to which the 
 Emperor had wisely raised him, the grand 
 marshal retained all the qualities of the private 
 citizen. The splendor of his position had not 
 power to dazzle or corrupt him. Duroc re- 
 mained simple, natural, and independent; a 
 warm and generous friend, a just and honora- 
 ble man. I pronounce on him this eulogy with- 
 out fear of contradiction." 
 
 It is not strange that Hortense, a beautiful 
 girl of eighteen, should have fallen deeply in 
 love with such a young soldier, twenty-nine 
 years of age. It would seem that Duroc was 
 equally inspired with love and admiration for 
 Hortense. Though perhaps not positively en- 
 gaged, there was such an understanding be- 
 tween the young lovers that a brisk corre- 
 spondence was kept up during one of Duroc's 
 embassies to the north. 
 
 Bourrienne, at that time the private secreta 
 ry of Napoleon, says that this correspondence
 
 THE LOVE-LETTER.
 
 1804.] HORTENSE AND DUROC. 105 
 
 Family complications. 
 
 was carried on by consent through his hands. 
 With the rapidly rising greatness of the family, 
 there was little retirement to be enjoyed at the 
 Tuileries or at Malmaison. The saloons of the 
 First Consul were every evening crowded 
 with guests. Youthful love is the same pas- 
 sion, and the young heart throbs with the same 
 impulses, whether in the palace or in the cottage. 
 When Bourrienne whispered to Hortense that 
 he had a letter for her from Duroc, and slipped 
 it unperceived into her hand, she would imme- 
 diately retire to her room for its perusal ; and 
 the moistened eyes with which she returned to 
 ihe saloon testified to the emotions with which 
 the epistle from her lover had been read. 
 
 But Josephine had the strongest reasons 
 which can well be imagined for opposing the 
 connection with Duroc. She was a very lov- 
 ing mother. She wished to do every thing in 
 her power to promote the happiness of Hor- 
 tense, but she probably was not aware how 
 deeply the affections of her daughter were fix- 
 ed upon Duroc. Her knowledge of the world 
 also taught her that almost every young lady 
 and every young gentleman have several loves 
 before reaching the one which is consummated 
 by marriage. She had another match in view
 
 106 HORTENSE. [1804. 
 
 The divorce suggested. 
 
 for Hortense which she deemed far more eligi- 
 ble for her, and far more promotive of the hap- 
 piness of the family. 
 
 Napoleon had already attained grandeur un- 
 surpassed by any of the ancient kings of 
 France. Visions of still greater power were 
 opening before him. It was not only to him 
 a bitter disappointment but apparently it might 
 prove a great national calamity that he had no 
 heir to whom he could transmit the sceptre 
 which France had placed in his hands. Upon 
 his downfall, civil war might ravage the king- 
 dom, as rival chieftains grasped at the crown. 
 It was earnestly urged upon him that the in- 
 terests of France imperiously demanded that, 
 since he had no prospect of an heir by Jose- 
 phine, he should obtain a divorce and marry 
 another. It was urged that the welfare of 
 thirty millions of people should not be sacri- 
 ficed to the inclinations of two individuals. 
 
 Josephine had heard these rumors, and her 
 life was embittered by their terrible import 
 A pall of gloom shrouded her sky, and anguish 
 began to gnaw at her heart amidst all the splen- 
 dors of the Tuileries and the lovely retirement 
 of Malmaison. 
 
 Napoleon's younger brother, Louis, was of
 
 1804.] HORTENSE AND DlJROC. 107 
 
 Character of Louis Honapane. 
 
 nearly the same age with Hortense. He was a 
 young man of fine personal appearance, very 
 intelligent, of scholarly tastes, and of irre- 
 proachable character. Though pensive in tem- 
 perament, he had proved himself a hero on the 
 field of battle, and he possessed, in all respects, 
 a very noble character. Many of the letters 
 which he had written from Egypt to his friends 
 in Paris had been intercepted by the British 
 cruisers, and were published. They all bore 
 the impress of the lofty spirit of integrity and 
 humanity with which he was inspired. Napo- 
 leon was very fond of his brother Louis. He 
 would surely place him in the highest positions 
 of wealth and power. As Louis Bonaparte 
 was remarkably domestic in his tastes and af- 
 fectionate in his disposition, Josephine could 
 not doubt that he would make Hortense hap- 
 py. Apparently it was a match full of prom 
 ise, brilliant, and in all respects desirable. Its 
 crowning excellence, however, in the ey of 
 Josephine was, that should Hortense marry 
 Louis Bonaparte and give birth to a son, Na- 
 poleon would recognize that child as his heir. 
 Bearing the name of Bonaparte, with the blood 
 of the Bonapartes in his veins, and being the 
 child of Hortense, whom he so tenderly loved
 
 108 HORTENSE. [1804 
 
 Testimony of Bourrienne. 
 
 as a daughter, the desires of Napoleon and of 
 France might be satisfied. Thus the terrible 
 divorce might be averted. 
 
 It is not probable that at this time Napoleon 
 seriously thought of a divorce, though the air 
 was filled with rumors put in circulation by 
 those who were endeavoring to crowd him to 
 it. He loved Josephine tenderly, and of course 
 could not sympathize with her in those fears 
 of which it was impossible for her to speak to 
 him. Bourrienne testifies that Josephine one 
 day said to him in confidence, veiling and at 
 the same time revealing her fears, "This pro- 
 jected marriage with Duroc leaves me with- 
 out support. Duroc, independent of Bona- 
 parte's friendship, is nothing. He has neither 
 fortune, rank, nor even reputation. He can 
 afford me no protection against the enmity of 
 the brothers. I must have some more certain 
 reliance for the future. My husband loves 
 Louis very much. If I can succeed in uniting 
 my daughter to him, he will prove a strong 
 counterpoise to the calumnies and persecutions 
 of my brothers-in-law." 
 
 These remarks were repeated to Napoleon. 
 According to Bourrienne, he replied, 
 
 "Josephine labors in vain. Duroc and
 
 1804.] IlORTEFSE AND DUROC. 109 
 
 Disappointed lovers. 
 
 tense love each other, and they shall be mar- 
 ried. I am attached to Duroc. He is well 
 born. I have given Caroline to Murat, and 
 Pauline to Le Clerc. I can as well give Hor- 
 tense to Duroc. He is as good as the others. 
 He is general of division. Besides, I have 
 other views for Louis." 
 
 Josephine, however, soon won the assent of 
 Napoleon to her views, and he regarded with 
 great satisfaction the union of Hortense with 
 Louis. The contemplated connection with 
 Duroc was broken off. Two young hearts 
 were thus crushed, with cruelty quite uninten- 
 tional. Duroc was soon after married to an 
 heiress, who brought him a large fortune, and, 
 it is said, a haughty spirit and an irritable tem- 
 per, which embittered all his days. 
 
 Hortense, disappointed, heart-broken, de- 
 spairing, was weary of the world. She proba- 
 bly never saw another happy day. Such is 
 life. 
 
 "Sorrows ar<? for the sons of men, 
 
 And weeping for earth's daugnters.*
 
 110 HORTENSE. [1804 
 
 Stephanie Beanharnais. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 THE MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 
 
 IT will be remembered that Hortense had a 
 cousin, Stephanie, the daughter of her fa- 
 ther's elder brother, Marquis de Beauharnais. 
 Though Viscount de Beauharnais had es- 
 poused the popular cause in the desperate 
 struggle of the French Revolution, the mar- 
 quis was an undisguised " aristocrat." Ally- 
 ing himself with the king and the court, he 
 had fled from France with the emigrant no- 
 bles. He had joined the allied army as it was 
 marching upon his native land in the endeavor 
 to crush out popular liberty and to reinstate 
 the Bourbons on their throne of despotism. 
 For this crime he was by the laws of France a 
 traitor, doomed to the scaffold should he be 
 captured. 
 
 The marquis, in his flight from France, had 
 left Stephanie with her aunt Josephine. She 
 had sent her to the school of Madame Campan 
 in company with Hortense and Caroline Bona-
 
 1804.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. Ill 
 
 Love of Louis Bonaparte for Stephanie. 
 
 parte. Louis Bonaparte was consequently oft- 
 en in the company of Stephanie, and fell des- 
 perately in love with her. The reader will 
 recollect the letter which Josephine wrote to 
 Madame Campan relative to Stephanie, which 
 indicated that she had some serious defects of 
 character. Still she was a brilliant girl, with 
 great powers of pleasing when she condescend- 
 ed to use those powers. 
 
 Louis Bonaparte was a very pensive, medi- 
 tative young man, of poetic temperament, and 
 of unsullied purity of character. With such 
 persons love ever becomes an all-absorbing pas- 
 sion. It has been well said that love is repre- 
 sented as a little Cupid shooting tiny arrows, 
 whereas it should be presented as a giant shak- 
 ing the world. The secrets of the heart are 
 seldom revealed to others. Neither Napoleon 
 nor Josephine were probably at all aware how 
 intense and engrossing was the affection of 
 touis for Stephanie. 
 
 Regenerated France was then struggling, 
 with all its concentrated energies, against the 
 combined aristocracies of Europe. Napoleou 
 was the leader of the popular party. The fa- 
 ther of Stephanie was in the counsels and the 
 army of the Allies. Already advances had
 
 112 HORTENSE. [1804 
 
 Objections to the marriage. 
 
 been made to Napoleon, and immense bribes 
 offered to induce him, in treachery to the peo- 
 ple, to restore to the exiled Bourbons the 
 sceptre which the confiding people had placed 
 in his hands. Napoleon, like all men in pow- 
 er, had bitter enemies, who were ever watch- 
 ing for an opportunity to assail him. Should 
 his brother Louis marry a daughter of one of 
 the old nobility, an avowed aristocrat, an emi- 
 grant, a pronounced " traitor," doomed to death, 
 should he be captured, for waging war against 
 his native land, it would expose Napoleon to 
 suspicion. His enemies would have new van- 
 tage-ground from which to attack him, and in 
 the most tender point. 
 
 Under these circumstances Napoleon con- 
 templated with well-founded anxiety the idea 
 of his brother's union with Stephanie. He was 
 therefore the more ready to listen to Jose- 
 phine's suggestion of the marriage of Louis 
 and Hortense. This union in every respect 
 seemed exceedingly desirable. Napoleon could 
 gratify their highest ambition in assigning to 
 them posts of opulence and honor. They 
 could also be of great service to Napoleon in 
 his majestic plan of redeeming all Europe from 
 the yoke of the old feudal despotisms, and in
 
 1804.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 113 
 
 Unavailing remonstrances. 
 
 conferring upon the peoples the new political 
 gospel of equal rights for all men. 
 
 Napoleon had perceived this growing attach- 
 ment just before he set out on the expedition 
 to Egypt. To check it, if possible, he sent 
 Louis on a very important mission to Toulon, 
 where he kept him intensely occupied until 
 he was summoned to embark for Egypt. But 
 such love as animated the heart of Louis is 
 deepened, not diminished, by absence. A na- 
 val officer, who was a friend of Louis, and who 
 was aware of his attachment for Stephanie, re- 
 monstrated with him against a connection so 
 injudicious. 
 
 " Do you know," said he, " that a marriage 
 of this description might be highly injurious 
 to your brother, and render him an object of 
 suspicion to the Government, and that, too, at 
 a moment when he is setting out on a hazard- 
 ous expedition ?" 
 
 But Louis was in no mood to listen to such 
 suggestions. It would appear that Stephanie 
 was a young lady who could very easily trans- 
 fer her affections. During the absence of 
 Louis a match was arranged between Stepha- 
 nie and the Duke of Baden. The heart of 
 Louis was hopelessly crushed. He never re- 
 
 38
 
 114 HORTENSE. [1804 
 
 Marriage of Hortense. 
 
 covered from the blow. These were the two 
 saddened hearts, to whom the world was 
 shrouded in gloom, which met amidst the 
 splendors of the Tuileries. 
 
 The genius of Napoleon and the tact of Jo- 
 sephine were combined to unite in marriage 
 the disappointed and despairing lovers, Louis 
 and Hortense. After a brief struggle, they 
 both sadly submitted to their fate. The mel- 
 ancholy marriage scene is minutely described 
 by Constant, one of the officers in the house- 
 hold of Napoleon. The occasion was invest- 
 ed with all possible splendor. A brilliant as- 
 sembly attended. But as Louis led his beau- 
 tiful bride to the altar, the deepest dejection 
 marked his countenance. Hortense buried her 
 eyes in her handkerchief and wept bitterly. 
 
 From that hour the alienation commenced. 
 The grief-stricken bride, young, inexperienced, 
 impulsive, made no attempt to conceal the re- 
 pugnance with which she regarded the hus- 
 band who had been forced upon her. On the 
 other hand, Louis had too much pride to pur- 
 sue with his attentions a bride whom he had 
 reluctantly received, and who openly mani- 
 fested her aversion to him. Josephine was 
 very sad. Her maternal instincts revealed to
 
 1804.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 115 
 
 Testimony of Louis Bonaparte. 
 
 her the true state of the case. Conscious that 
 the union, which had so in auspiciously com- 
 menced, had been brought about bj her, she 
 exerted all her powers to promote friendly re- 
 lations between the parties. But her counsels 
 and her prayers were alike in vain. Louis 
 Bonaparte, in his melancholy autobiography, 
 writes : 
 
 " Never was there a more gloomy wedding. 
 Never had husband and wife a stronger pre- 
 sentiment of a forced and ill-suited marriage. 
 Before the ceremony, during the benediction, 
 and ever afterwards, we both and equally felt 
 that we were not suited to each other." 
 
 " I have seen,'' writes Constant, " a hundred 
 times Madame Louis Bonaparte seek the soli- 
 tude of her apartment and the bosom of a 
 friend, there to shed her tears. She would 
 often escape from her husband in the midst of 
 the saloon of the First Consul, where one saw 
 with chagrin this young woman, formerly glit- 
 tering in beauty, and who gracefully perform- 
 ed the honors of the palace, retire into a corner 
 or into the embrasure of a window, with some 
 one of her intimate friends, sadly to confide 
 her griefs. During this interview, from which 
 she would return with her eyes red and flood-
 
 116 HORTENSE. [1804. 
 
 Statement of Napoleon. 
 
 ed, her husband would remain pensive and 
 silent at the end of the saloon. 
 
 Napoleon at St. Helena, referring to this pain- 
 ful subject, said: "Louis had been spoiled 
 by reading the works of Eousseau. He con 
 trived to agree with his wife only for a few 
 months. There were faults on both sides. 
 On the one hand, Louis was too teasing in 
 his temper, and, on the other, Hortense was too 
 volatile. Hortense, the devoted, the generous 
 Hortense, was not entirely faultless in her con- 
 duct towards her husband. This I must ac- 
 knowledge, in spite of all the affection I bore 
 her, and the sincere attachment which I am 
 sure she entertained for me. Though Louis's 
 whimsical humors were in all probability suf- 
 ficiently teasing, yet he loved Hortense. In 
 such a case a woman should learn to subdue 
 her own temper, and endeavor to return hei 
 husband's attachment. Had she acted in the 
 way most conducive to her interest, she might 
 have avoided her late lawsuit, secured happi- 
 ness to herself and followed her husband to 
 Holland. Louis would not then have fled 
 from Amsterdam, and I should not have been 
 compelled to unite his kingdom to mine a 
 measure which contributed to ruin my credit
 
 1804.] MARRIAGE or HORTENSE. 117 
 
 Letter from Josephine to Hoi-tense. 
 
 in Europe^ Many other events might also 
 have taken a different turn. Perhaps an ex- 
 cuse might be found for the caprice of Louis's' 
 disposition in the deplorable state of hi& 
 health." 
 
 The following admirable letter from Jose- 
 phine to Hortense throws additional light 
 upon this unhappy union: 
 
 " I was deeply grieved at what I heard a 
 few days ago. What I saw yesterday confirms 
 and increases my distress. Why show this re- 
 pugnance to Louis ? Instead of rendering it 
 the more annoying, by caprice and inequality 
 of temper, why not endeavor to surmount it? 
 You say he is not amiable. Every thing is 
 relative. If he is not so to you, he may be to 
 others, and all women do not see him through 
 the veil of dislike. As for myself, who am 
 here altogether disinterested, I imagine that I 
 behold him as he is more loving, doubtless, 
 than lovable. But this is a great and rare 
 quality. He is generous, beneficent, affection- 
 ate. He is a good father, and if you so will, 
 he would prove a good husband. His mel- 
 ancholy, and his taste for study and retire- 
 ment, render him disagreeable to you. But 
 let me ask you, is this his fault ? Do you ex*
 
 118 HORTENSE. [1802. 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 pect him to change his nature according to cir- 
 cumstances? Who could have foreseen his 
 altered fortune? But, according to you, he 
 has not even the courage to bear that fortune. 
 This, I think, is a mistake. With his secluded 
 habits, and his invincible love of retirement 
 and study, he is out of place in the elevated 
 rank to which he has been raised. 
 
 "You wish that he resembled his brother. 
 But he must first have his brother's tempera- 
 ment. You have not failed to remark that al- 
 most our entire existence depends upon our 
 health, and health upon digestion. If poor 
 Louis's digestion were better, you would find 
 him much more amiable. But as he is, there 
 is nothing to justify the indifference and dis- 
 like you evince towards him. You, Hortense, 
 who used to be so good, should continue so 
 now, when it is most requisite. Take pity on 
 a man who is to be pitied for what would con- 
 stitute the happiness of another. Before you 
 condemn him, think of others who, like him, 
 have groaned beneath the burden of their great- 
 ness, and bathed with tears their diadem, which 
 they believed had never been destined for 
 their brow. When I advise you to love, or at 
 least not to repulse Louis, I speak to you as
 
 1802.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 119 
 
 The ball of Madame Moiitesson. 
 
 an experienced wife, a fond mother, and a 
 friend ; and in these three characters, which 
 are all equally dear to me, I tenderly embrace 
 you." 
 
 Madame Montesson gave the first ball that 
 took place in honor of the marriage of Louis 
 Bonaparte and Hortense. Invitations were is- 
 sued for seven hundred persons. Though 
 there was no imperial court at that time, for 
 Napoleon was but First Consul, yet every 
 thing was arranged on a scale of regal splen- 
 dor. The foreign ambassadors were all pres- 
 ent; and the achievements of Napoleon bad 
 been so marvellous, and his increasing grand- 
 eur was so sure, that all present vied alike in 
 evincing homage to the whole Bonaparte fam- 
 ily. A lady who was a guest on the occasion 
 writes; 
 
 " Every countenance beamed with joy save 
 that of the bride, whose profound melancholy 
 formed a sad contrast to the happiness which 
 she might have been expected to evince. She 
 was covered with diamonds and flowers, and 
 yet her countenance and manner showed noth- 
 ing but regret It was easy to foresee the mu- 
 tual misery that would arise out of this ill-as- 
 sorted union. Louis Bonaparte showed but
 
 120 HORTENSE. [1803. 
 
 Birth of Napoleon Charles. 
 
 little attention to his bride. Hortense, on her 
 part, seemed to shun his very looks, lest he 
 should read in hers the indifference she felt 
 towards him. This indifference daily aug- 
 mented in spite of the affectionate advice of 
 Josephine, who earnestly desired to see Hor- 
 tense in the .possession of that happiness and 
 peace of mind to which she was herself a 
 stranger. But all her endeavors were unavail- 
 ing." 
 
 The first child the fruit of this marriage was 
 born in 1803, and received the name of Napo- 
 leon Charles. Both Napoleon and Josephine 
 were rendered very happy by his birth. He 
 was an exceedingly beautiful and promising 
 child, and they hoped that parental endearments, 
 lavished upon the same object, would unite fa- 
 ther and mother more closely. Napoleon loved 
 the child tenderly, was ever fond of caressing 
 him, and distinctly announced his intention of 
 making him his heir. All thoughts of the 
 divorce were banished, and a few gleams of 
 tremulous joy visited the heart of Josephine. 
 But alas ! these joys proved of but short dura- 
 tion. It was soon manifest to her anxious 
 view that there was no hope of any cordial 
 reconciliation between Louis and Hortense.
 
 1806.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 121 
 
 Hortense Queen of Holland. 
 
 And nothing could soothe the sorrow of Jose- 
 phine's heart when she saw her daughter's hap- 
 piness apparently blighted forever. 
 
 Napoleon, conscious that he had been an in- 
 strument in the bitter disappointments of Hor- 
 tense and Louis, did every thing in his power 
 to requite them for the wrong. Upon attain- 
 ing the imperial dignity, he appointed his 
 brother Louis constable of France, and soon 
 after, in 1805, governor -general of Piedmont. 
 In 1806, Schimmelpennink, grand pensionary 
 of Batavia, resigning his office as chief magis- 
 trate of the United Netherlands, Napoleon 
 raised Louis to the dignity of King of Hoi- 
 ]and. 
 
 On the 18th of June, 1806, Louis and Hor- 
 tense arrived in their new dominions. The 
 exalted station to which Hortense was thus 
 elevated did not compensate her for the sad- 
 ness of separation from her beloved mother, 
 with whom she had been so intimately asso- 
 ciated during her whole life. The royal pair 
 took up their residence at the Maison de Bois, 
 a rural palace about three miles from the 
 Hague. Here they received the various depu- 
 tations, and thence made their public entree 
 into the capital in the midst of a scene of uni-
 
 122 HORTENSE. [1806. 
 
 Composition of the u Romances." 
 
 versal rejoicing. The pensive air of the queen 
 did but add to the interest which she invaria- 
 bly excited. For a time she endeavored to 
 drown her griefs in yielding herself to the fes- 
 tivities of the hour. Her fine figure, noble 
 mien, and graceful manners fascinated all eyes 
 and won all hearts. Her complexion was of 
 dazzling purity, her eyes of a soft blue, and a 
 profusion of fair hair hung gracefully upon 
 her shoulders. Her conversation was extreme- 
 ly lively and vivacious, having on every occa- 
 sion just the right word to say. Her dancing 
 was said to be the perfection of grace. With 
 euch accomplishments for her station, naturally 
 fond of society and gayety, and with a disposi- 
 tion to recompense herself, for her heart's dis- 
 appointment, in the love of her new subjects, 
 she secured in a very high degree the admira- 
 tion of the Hollanders. 
 
 It was at this time that Hortense composed 
 that beautiful collection of airs called romances 
 which has given her position among the ablest 
 of musical composers. " The saloons of Paris," 
 says a French writer, " the solitude of exile, 
 the most remote countries, have all acknowl- 
 edged the charm of these most delightful mel- 
 odies, which need no royal name to enhance
 
 1806.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 123 
 
 Madame de StaeL. 
 
 their reputation. It is gratifying to our pride 
 of country to hear the airs of France sung by 
 the Greek and by the Russian, and united to 
 national poetry on the banks of the Thames 
 and the Tagus. The homage thus rendered is 
 the more flattering because the rank of the 
 composer is unknown. It is their intrinsic 
 merit which gives to these natural effusions of 
 female sensibility the power of universal suc- 
 cess. If Hortense ever experienced matrimo- 
 nial felicity, it must have been at this time." 
 
 When Madame de Stae'l was living in exile 
 in the old Castle of Chaumont-sur-Loire, where 
 she was joined by her beautiful friend Madame 
 Re'camier, one of their favorite songs was that 
 exquisite air composed by Queen Hortense 
 upon her husband's motto, "Do what is right, 
 come what may." 
 
 The little son of Hortense was twining him- 
 self closely around his mother's heart He had 
 become her idol. Napoleon was then in the ze- 
 nith of his power, and it was understood that 
 Napoleon Charles was to inherit the imperial 
 sceptre. The warmth of his heart and his 
 daily intellectual development indicated that 
 he would prove worthy of the station which 
 he was destined to fill.
 
 124 HORTENSE. [1806, 
 
 Anecdote of Napoleon Charles. 
 
 Shortly after the queen's arrival at the Hague, 
 she received a New Year's present from Jose- 
 phine for the young Napoleon Charles. It con- 
 sisted of a large chest filled with the choicest 
 playthings which Paris could present The 
 little boy was seated near a window which 
 opened upon the park. As his mother took 
 one after another of the playthings from the 
 chest to exhibit to him, she was surprised and 
 disappointed to find that he regarded them 
 with so much indifference. His attention seem- 
 ed to be very much occupied in looking out 
 into the park. Hortense said to him, " My 
 son, are you not grateful to your grandmam- 
 ma for sending you so many beautiful pres- 
 ents?" 
 
 "Indeed I am, mamma," he replied. "But 
 it does not surprise me, for grandmamma is al- 
 ways so good that I am used to it." 
 
 " Then you are not amused with all these 
 pretty playthings, my son ?" 
 
 "Oh yes, mamma, but but then i want 
 something else." 
 
 " What is it, my darling ? You know how 
 much I love you. You may be sure that I 
 will give it to you." 
 
 "No, mamma, I am afraid you won't. I
 
 1804J MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 125 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 want you to let me run about barefooted in 
 that puddle in the avenue." 
 
 His mother of course could not grant this 
 request, and the little fellow mourned very 
 justly over the misfortune of being a prince, 
 which prevented him from enjoying himself 
 like other boys in playing in the mud. 
 
 Hortense, absorbed in her new cares, wrote 
 almost daily to her mother, giving interesting 
 recitals of the child. She did not, however, 
 write as frequently to her father. Josephine 
 wrote to her from Aix-la-Chapelle, under date 
 of September 8th, 1804: 
 
 "The news which you give me of Napoleon 
 affords me great pleasure, my dear Hortense ; 
 for in addition to the very tender interest I 
 feel for him, I appreciate all the anxieties from 
 which you are relieved ; and you know, my 
 dear child, that your happiness will ever con- 
 stitute a part of mine. The Emperor has 
 read your letter. He has at times appeared to 
 me wounded, in not hearing from you. He 
 would not accuse your heart if he knew you 
 as well as I do. But appearances are against 
 you. Since he may suppose that you neglect 
 him, do not lose a moment to repair the wrongs 
 which are not intentional. Say to him that it
 
 126 HORTENSE. [1804 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 is through discretion that you have not written 
 to him ; that your heart suffers from that law 
 which even respect dictates ; that having al- 
 ways manifested towards you the goodness and 
 tenderness of a father, it will ever be your hap- 
 piness to offer to him the homage of gratitude. 
 
 "Speak to him also of the hope you cherish 
 of seeing me at the period of your confinement. 
 I can not endure the thought of being absent 
 from you at that time. Be sure, my Hortense, 
 that nothing can prevent me from going to 
 take care of you for your sake, and still more 
 for my own. Do you speak of this also to Bo- 
 naparte, who loves you as if you were his own 
 child. And this greatly increases my attach- 
 ment for him. Adieu, my good Hortense. I 
 embrace you with the warmest affections of 
 my heart." 
 
 Soon after this Hortense gave birth to her 
 second child, Napoleon Louis. The health of 
 the mother not long after the birth of the child 
 rendered it necessary for her to visit the wa- 
 ters of St. Armand. It seems that little Na- 
 poleon Louis was placed under the care of a 
 nurse where Josephine could often see him. 
 The Empress wrote to Hortense from St. Cloud 
 on the 20th of July, 1805:
 
 1804.] MARRIAGE OP HORTENSE. 127 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 "My health requires that I should repose a 
 little from the fatigues of the long journey 
 which I have just made, and particularly from 
 the grief which I have experienced in separa- 
 ting myself from Eugene in Italy. I received 
 yesterday a letter from him. He is very well, 
 and works hard. He greatly regrets being 
 separated from his mother and his beloved sis- 
 ter. Alas I there are unquestionably many 
 people who envy his lot, and who think him 
 very happy. Such persons do not read his 
 heart. In writing to you, my dear Hortense, 
 I would only speak to you of my tenderness 
 for you, and inform you how happy I have 
 been to have your son Napoleon Louis with 
 me since my return. 
 
 "The Emperor, without speaking to me 
 about it, sent to him immediately on our arri- 
 val at Fontainebleau. I was much touched 
 by this attention on his part. He had per- 
 ceived that I had need of seeing a second your- 
 self; a little charming being created by thee. 
 The child is very well. He is very happy. 
 He eats only the soup which his nurse gives 
 him. He never comes in when we are at the 
 table. The Emperor caresses him very much. 
 Eugene has given me. for you, a necklace of
 
 128 HORTENSE, [1806. 
 
 Campaigns of Jena and Friedland. 
 
 malachite, engraved in relief. M. Bergheim 
 will hand you one which I purchased at Milan. 
 It is composed of engraved amethysts, which 
 will be very becoming upon your beautiful 
 white skin. Give my most affectionate remem- 
 brance to your husband. Embrace for me Na- 
 poleon Charles, and rely, my dear daughter, 
 upon the tenderness of your mother, 
 
 " JOSEPHINE." 
 
 At midnight, on the 24th of September, 
 1806, Napoleon left Paris to repel a new coa- 
 lition of his foes in the campaigns of Jena, 
 Auerstadt, Eylau, and Friedland. Josephine 
 accompanied her husband as far as Mayence, 
 where she remained, that she might more easi- 
 ly receive tidings from him. Just before leav- 
 ing Paris, Napoleon reviewed the Imperial 
 Guard in the court-yard of the Tuileries. Af- 
 ter the review he entered the saloon of Jose- 
 phine. Throwing down his hat and sword 
 upon the sofa, he took the arm of the Empress, 
 and they together walked up and down the 
 room, earnestly engaged in conversation. Lit- 
 tle Napoleon Charles, who was on a visit to 
 his grandmother, picked up the Emperor's 
 cocked hat, placed it upon his head, and put-
 
 m 
 
 THE LITTLE PRINCE CHARLES NAPOLEON. 
 
 39
 
 1806.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 131 
 
 Anecdote. 
 
 ting the sword-belt over his neck, with the 
 dangling sword, began strutting behind the 
 Emperor with a very military tread, attempt- 
 ing to whistle a martial air. Napoleon, turn- 
 ing around, saw the child, and catching him 
 up in his arms, hugged and kissed him, saying 
 to Josephine, "What a charming picture 1" 
 Josephine immediately ordered a portrait to 
 be taken by the celebrated painter Gerard of 
 the young prince in that costume. She intend- 
 ed to send it a present to the Emperor as a 
 surprise. 
 
 The Empress remained for some time at 
 Mayence and its environs, daily writing to the 
 Emperor, and almost daily, sometimes twice a 
 day, receiving letters from him. These notes 
 were very brief, but always bore the impress 
 of ardent affection. 
 
 On the 13th of January, 1806, Eugene was 
 very happily married to the Princess Augusta 
 Amelie, daughter of the Elector of Bavaria. 
 When Josephine heard of the contemplated 
 connection, she wrote to Hortense: 
 
 "You know very well that the Emperor 
 would not marry Eugene without my knowl- 
 **dge; Still I accept the public rumor. I 
 should love very much to have her for a daugh-
 
 132 HORTENSE. [1806. 
 
 Letter from Josephine to Hortenae. 
 
 ter-in-law. She is a charming character, and 
 beautiful as an angel. She unites to an ele- 
 gant figure the most graceful carriage I have 
 ever known." 
 
 A few days after, on the 9th of January, she 
 wrote from Munich: " I am not willing to lose 
 a moment, rny dear Hortense, in informing you 
 that the marriage of Eugene with the daughter 
 of the Elector of Bavaria is just definitely 
 arranged. You will appreciate, as I do, all 
 the value of this new proof of the attachment 
 which the Emperor manifests for your brother. 
 Nothing in the world could be more agreeable 
 to me than this alliance. The young princess 
 unites to a charming figure all the qualities 
 which can render a woman interesting and 
 lovely. The marriage is not to be celebrated 
 here, but in Paris. Thus you will be able to 
 witness the happiness of your brother, and 
 mine will be perfect, since I shall find myself 
 united to both of my dear children." 
 
 The arrangements were changed subsequent- 
 ly, and the nuptials were solemnized in Mu- 
 nich. Napoleon wrote as follows to Hortense : 
 
 " Munich, January 9th, 18(W5- 
 
 "Mr DAUGHTER, Eugene arrives to-mor-
 
 1807.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 133 
 
 Josephine to Hortenge. 
 
 row, and is to be married in four days. I 
 should have been very happy if you could 
 have attended his marriage, but there is no 
 longer time. The Princess Augusta is tall, 
 beautiful, and full of good qualities, and you 
 will have, in all respects, a sister worthy of 
 you. A thousand kisses to M. Napoleon. 
 
 " NAPOLEON." 
 
 The Empress, after remaining some time at 
 Mayence, as the campaign on the banks of the 
 Vistula was protracted, returned to Paris. In 
 a state of great anxiety with regard to her hus- 
 band, she took up her residence at St. Cloud. 
 Under date of March, 1807, she wrote to her 
 daughter, then queen of Holland, residing at 
 the Hague : 
 
 "I have received much pleasure in speaking 
 of you with M. Jansens. I perceive, from 
 what he tells me respecting Holland, that the 
 king is very much beloved, and that you share 
 in the general affection. This renders me hap- 
 py. My health is very good at the present 
 moment, but my heart is always sad. 
 
 " All the private letters which I have seen 
 agree in the declaration that the Emperor ex- 
 posed himself very much at the battle of Eylau.
 
 134 HORTENSE. [1807. 
 
 Death of Napoleon Charles. 
 
 I frequently receive tidings from him, and 
 sometimes two letters a day. This is a great 
 consolation, but it does not replace him." 
 
 That Napoleon, in the midst of the ten thou- 
 sand cares of so arduous a campaign, could have 
 found time to write daily to Josephine, and 
 often twice a day, is surely extraordinary. 
 There are not many husbands, it is to be fear- 
 ed, who are so thoughtful of the anxieties of an 
 absent wife. 
 
 Early in May the Empress received the por- 
 trait, of which we have spoken, of her idolized 
 grandchild, Napoleon Charles, in his amusing 
 military costume. She was intending to send 
 it as a pleasing memorial to the Emperor in his 
 distant encampment. 
 
 Just then she received the dreadful tidings 
 that little Napoleon Charles had been taken 
 sick with the croup, and, after the illness of but 
 a few hours, had died. It was the 5th of May, 
 1807. Josephine was in Paris; Hortense at 
 the Hague, in Holland ; Napoleon was hun- 
 dreds of leagues distant in the north, with his 
 army almost buried in snow upon the banks 
 of the Vistula. 
 
 The world perhaps has never witnessed the 
 death of a child which has caused so much an-
 
 1807.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 135 
 
 Anguish of Hortense. 
 
 guish. Hortense did not leave her son for a 
 moment, as the terrible disease advanced to its 
 termination. When he breathed his last she 
 seemed completely stunned. Not a tear dim- 
 med her eye. Not a word, not a moan was ut- 
 tered. Like a marble statue, she sat upon the 
 sofa where the child had died, gazing around 
 her with a look of wild, amazed, delirious ago- 
 ny. With much difficulty she was taken from 
 the room, being removed on the sofa upon 
 which she reclined. Her anguish was so great 
 that for some time it was feared that reason 
 was dethroned, and that the blow would prove 
 fatal. Her limbs were rigid, and her dry and 
 glassy eye was riveted upon vacancy. At 
 length, in the endeavor to bring her out from 
 this dreadful state, the lifeless body of the child, 
 dressed for the grave, was brought in and 
 placed in the lap of its mother. The pent-up 
 anguish of Hortense now found momentary re- 
 lief in a flood of tears, and in loud and uncon- 
 trollable sobbings. 
 
 The anguish of Josephine surpassed, if pos- 
 sible, even that of Hortense. The Empress 
 knew that Napoleon had selected this child as 
 his heir ; that consequently the terrible divorce 
 was no longer to be thought o In addition
 
 136 HORTENSE. [1807. 
 
 Letter of condolence. 
 
 to the loss of one she so tenderly loved, rose 
 the fear that his death would prove to her the 
 greatest of earthly calamities. For three days 
 she could not leave her apartment, and did 
 nothing but weep. 
 
 The sad intelligence were conveyed to Napo- 
 leon in his cheerless encampment upon the 
 Vistula. As he received the tidings he ut- 
 tered not a word. Sitting down in silence, he 
 buried his face in his hand, and for a long 
 time seemed lost in painful musings. No one 
 ventured to disturb his grief with attempted 
 consolation. 
 
 As soon as Josephine was able to move, she 
 left Paris to visit her bereaved, heart-broken 
 daughter. But her strength failed her by the 
 way, and when she reached Luchen, a palace 
 near Brussels, she was able to proceed no far- 
 ther. She wrote as follows to Hortense : 
 
 " Luchen, May 14th, 180710 o'clock P.M. 
 " I have arrived this moment at the chateau 
 of Luchen, my dear daughter. It is there I 
 write to you, and there I await you. Come to 
 restore me to life. Your presence is necessary 
 to me, and you must also feel the need of see- 
 ing me, that you may weep with your mother.
 
 1807.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 137 
 
 Josephine to Hortense. 
 
 I earnestly wish to proceed farther, but my 
 strength has failed me, and moreover I have 
 not had time to apprise the Emperor. I have 
 found strength to come thus far. I hope you 
 also will find strength to come and see your 
 mother." 
 
 Hortense immediately repaired to Luchen to 
 seek a mother's sympathy. With Josephine 
 she returned to Paris, and soon after, by the en- 
 treaties of her physician, continued her journey 
 to take the waters of a mineral spring in the 
 south of France, seeking a change of climate 
 and of scene. Josephine remained in the 
 depths of sorrow at St. Cloud. On the same 
 day in which Josephine arrived at Luchen, the 
 Emperor wrote to her from the Vistula as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 " Finckenstein, May 14th, 1807. 
 
 " I can appreciate the grief which the death 
 of poor Napoleon has caused. You can under- 
 stand the anguish which I experience. I could 
 wish that I were with you, that you might be- 
 come moderate and discreet in your grief. 
 You have had the happiness of never losing 
 any children. But it is one of the conditions 
 and sorrows attached to suffering humanity. 
 Let me hear that you have become reasonable
 
 138 HORTENSE. [1807. 
 
 Kapoleon to Hortense. 
 
 and tranquil. Would you magnify my an- 
 guish ?" 
 
 Two days after Napoleon wrote the Em 
 press: 
 
 "I have received your letter of the sixth of 
 May. I see in it already the injury which you 
 are suffering, and I fear that you are not rea- 
 sonable, and that you afflict yourself too much 
 from the calamity which has befallen us. 
 
 " Adieu my love. Entirely thine, 
 
 "NAPOLEON." 
 
 Again, after the lapse of four days, he 
 wrote : 
 
 "I have received your letter of the tenth of 
 May. I see that you have gone to Luchen. 
 I think that you may rest there a fortnight. 
 That will give much pleasure to the Belgians, 
 and will serve to divert your mind. I see with 
 pain that you are not wise. Grief has bounds 
 which it should not pass. Preserve yourself 
 for your friend, and believe in all my affec- 
 tion." 
 
 On the same day the Emperor wrote as fol- 
 lows to Hortense : 
 
 " Finckenstein, May 20th, 1807. 
 
 " MY DAUGHTER, Every thing whick reach-
 
 1807.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE 139 
 
 Napoleon to Hortense. 
 
 es me from the Hague informs me that you are 
 unreasonable. However legitimate may be 
 your grief, it should have its bounds. Do not 
 impair your health. Seek consolation. Know 
 that life is strewn with so many dangers, and 
 may be the source of so many calamities, that 
 death is by no means the greatest of evils. 
 " Your affectionate father, NAPOLEON." 
 
 It is to be borne in mind that these brief 
 epistles were written from the midst of one of 
 the most arduous of campaigns. Four days 
 after this, on the 24th, Napoleon wrote to Jo- 
 sephine: 
 
 " I have received your letter from Luchen. 
 I see with pain that your grief is still unabated, 
 and that Hortense has not yet arrived. She is 
 unreasonable, and does not merit that one 
 should love her, since she loves only her chil- 
 dren. Strive to calm yourself, and give me no 
 more pain. For every irremediable evil we 
 should find consolation. Adieu, my love. 
 " Wholly thine, NAPOLEON." 
 
 After two days again the Emperor wrote to 
 Josephine : 
 
 " I have received your letter of the 16tto, and
 
 140 HORTENSE. [1807. 
 
 Napoleon to Hortense. 
 
 see with pleasure that Hortense has arrived at 
 Luchen. I am indeed grieved bj what you 
 tell me of the state of stupor in which she still 
 continues. She should have more fortitude, 
 and should govern herself. I can not conceive 
 why they should wish her to go to the springs. 
 Her attention would be much more diverted at 
 Paris, and she would find there more consola- 
 tion. Control yourself. Be cheerful, and take 
 care of your health. Adieu, my love. I share 
 deeply in all your griefs. It is painful to me 
 that I am not with you. NAPOLEON." 
 
 * It will be remembered that Hortense had 
 another child, then but an infant, by the name 
 of Napoleon Louis. This child subsequently 
 married a daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, and 
 died in a campaign in Italy, as he espoused the 
 popular cause in the endeavor to throw off the 
 yoke of Austria, The third and only surviv- 
 ing child, Louis Napoleon, now Emperor of the 
 French, was not then born. 
 
 We have previously alluded in this history 
 to a niece of Madame Campari by the name of 
 Addle Auguie*, who was the intimate friend and 
 companion of Hortense in her school-days. 
 School-girl attachments, though often very ar-
 
 1807.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 14) 
 
 Josephiue to Hortense. 
 
 dent, are not generally very lasting. This one, 
 however, proved of life-long duration. Ade'le 
 became Madame de Broc. There is an allusion 
 to her in the following letter. We shall here- 
 after have occasion to refer to her in describing 
 the disaster which terminated her life. It was 
 the latter part of May when Hortense left her 
 mother to journey to the south of France. 
 Soon after her departure Josephine wrote to 
 her as follows : 
 
 "St. Cloud, May 27th, 1807. 
 
 "I have wept much since your departure, 
 my dear Hortense. This separation has been 
 very painful to me. Nothing can give me 
 courage to support it but the certainty that the 
 journey will do you good. I have received 
 tidings from you, through Madame Broc, I 
 pray you to thank her for that attention, and 
 to request her to write to me when you may 
 be unable to write yourself. I had also news 
 from your son. He is at the chateau of Lu- 
 chen, very well, and awaiting the arrival of the 
 king. He shares very keenly in our griefs. 
 I have need of this consolation, for I have had 
 none other since your departure. Always 
 alone by myself, every moment dwelling upon 
 the subject of our affliction, my tears flow in-
 
 142 HORTENSE. [1807. 
 
 Josephine to Hortense. 
 
 cessantlj. Adieu, my beloved child. Pre- 
 serve yourself for a mother who loves you ten- 
 derly." 
 
 Soon after this Josephine went for a short 
 time to Malmaison. On the 2d of June Napo- 
 leon wrote to her from that place the following 
 letter, inclosing also one for Hortense. 
 
 "MY LOVE, I have learned of your arrival 
 at Malmaison. I am displeased with Hortense. 
 She does not write me a word. Every thing 
 which you say to me of her gives me pain. 
 Why is it that you have not been able a little 
 to console her? You weep. I hope that you 
 will control your feelings, that I may not find 
 you overwhelmed with sadness. I have been 
 at Dantzic for two days. The weather is very 
 fine, and I am well. I think more of you than 
 you can think of one who is absent. Adieu 
 my love. My most affectionate remembrance. 
 Send the inclosed letter to Hortense." 
 
 The letter to Hortense to which Napoleon 
 refers, was as follows: 
 
 " Dantzic, June 2d, 1807. 
 
 "MY DAUGHTER, You have not written 
 me a word in your well-founded and great af- 
 fliction. You have forgotten every thing as 
 if you had no other loss to endure. I am in-
 
 1807.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 143 
 
 Napoleon to Hortense. 
 
 formed that you no longer love ; that you are 
 indifferent to every thing. I perceive it by 
 your silence. This is not right, Hortense. It 
 is not what you promised me. Your child 
 was every thing to you. Had I been at Mal- 
 maison, I should have shared your anguish. 
 But I should also have wished that you would 
 restore yourself to your best friends. Adieu, 
 my daughter. Be cheerful. We must learn 
 resignation. Cherish your health, that you 
 may be able to fulfill all your duties. My 
 wife is very sad in view of your condition. 
 Do not add to her anguish." 
 
 The next day, June 3d, the Emperor wrote 
 to Josephine : 
 
 "All the letters which come to me from 
 St. Cloud say that you weep continually. 
 This is not right. It is necessary to control 
 one's self and to be contented. Hortense is 
 entirely wrong. What you write me about 
 her is pitiful. Adieu, my love. Believe in 
 the affection with which I cherish you." 
 
 The next day Josephine wrote from the 
 palace of St. Cloud to Hortense, who was then 
 at the waters of Cauterets : 
 
 " Your letter has greatly consoled me, my 
 dear Hortense, and the tidings of your health,
 
 144 HORTENSE. [1807. 
 
 Josephine to Hortense. 
 
 which I have received from your ladies, con- 
 tribute very much to render me more tranquil. 
 The Emperor has been deeply affected. In all 
 his letters he seeks to give me fortitude, but 
 I know that this severe affliction has been 
 keenly felt by him. 
 
 "The king* arrived yesterday at St. Leu. 
 He has sent me word that he will come to see 
 me to-day. He will leave the little one with 
 me during his absence. You know how dear- 
 ly I love that child, and the solicitude I feel 
 for him. I hope that the king will follow the 
 same route which you have taken. It will be, 
 my dear Hortense, a consolation to you both 
 to see each other again. All the letters which 
 I have received from him since his departure 
 are full of his attachment for you. Your heart 
 is too affectionate not to be touched by this. 
 Adieu, my dear child. Take care of your 
 health. Mine can never be established till I 
 shall no longer suffer for those whom I love. 
 I embrace you tenderly. JOSEPHINE." 
 
 * The husband of Hortense, King of Holland. He was 
 then very sick, suffering from an attack of paralysis. St. 
 Leu was a beautiful estate he owned in France. He had 
 with him his second and then only living child, Napoleon 
 Louis. Leaving him with his grandmother, he repaired to 
 Oauterets. where he joined Hortense, his wife.
 
 1807.] MARRIAGE or HORTENSE. 145 
 
 Josephine to Hortense. 
 
 Two days after this, on the 6th, the Empe- 
 ror wrote the Empress : 
 
 "I am very well, my love. Your letter of 
 yesterday gave me much pain. It appears 
 that you are continually sad, and that you are 
 not reasonable. The weather is very bad. 
 Adieu, my love. I love you and desire to 
 hear that you are cheerful and contented." 
 
 On the llth of June, Josephine again wrote 
 to Hortense : 
 
 " Your son is remarkably well. He amuses 
 me much ; he is so pleasant. I find he has 
 all the endearing manners of the poor child 
 over whose loss we weep." 
 
 Again she wrote, probably the next day, in 
 answer to a letter from Hortense : 
 
 " Your letter has affected me deeply, my 
 dear daughter. I see how profound and un- 
 varying is your grief. And I perceive it still 
 more sensibly by the anguish which I experi- 
 ence myself. We have lost that which in 
 every respect was the most worthy to be loved. 
 My tears flow as on the first day. Our grief 
 is too well-founded for reason to be able to 
 ause it to cease. Nevertheless, my dear Hor- 
 tense, it should moderate it You are not 
 alone in the world. There still remains to you
 
 146 HORTENSE. [1807, 
 
 Napoleon to Hortense. 
 
 a husband and a mother, whose tender love 
 you well know, and you have too much sensi- 
 bility to regard all that with coldness and in- 
 difference. Think of us; and let that memory 
 calm another well grounded and grievous. I 
 rely upon your attachment for me and upon 
 the strength of your mind. I hope also that 
 the journey and the waters will do you good. 
 Your son is remarkably well. He is a charm- 
 ing child. My health is a little better, but 
 you know that it depends upon yours. Adieu. 
 I embrace you. JOSEPHINE." 
 
 On the 16th of June, Napoleon again wrote 
 to Hortense from his distant encampment: 
 
 "MY DAUGHTER, I have received your 
 letter dated Orleans. Your griefs touch my 
 heart, but I could wish that you would sum- 
 mon more fortitude. To live is to suffer, and 
 the sincere man suffers incessantly to retain 
 the mastery over himself. I do not love to 
 see you unjust towards the little Napoleon 
 Louis, and towards all your friends. Your 
 mother and I had cherished the hope of being 
 more than we are in your heart. I have gain- 
 ed a great victory on the 14th of June.* I 
 * Victoiy of Friedland.
 
 1807.] MARRIAGE OF HORTENSE. 14:7 
 
 The need of charity. 
 
 am well and love you very much. Adieu, 
 my daughter. I embrace you with my whole 
 heart." 
 
 The above extracts from the private corre- 
 spondence of Napoleon and Josephine reveal, 
 more clearly than any thing else could possi- 
 bly do, the anguish with which Hortense was 
 oppressed. They also exhibit, in a very inter- 
 esting light, the affectionate relationship which 
 existed between the members of the Imperial 
 family. The authenticity of the letters is be- 
 yond all possible question. How much more 
 charitable should we be could we but fully 
 understand the struggles and the anguish to 
 which all human hearts are exposed.
 
 148 HORTENSE. [1808. 
 
 Birth of Louie Napoleon. 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 BIRTH OF Louis NAPOLEON AND 
 THE DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 
 
 latter part of July, 1807, Hortense, in 
 the state of anguish which the preceding 
 chapter develops, was, with her husband, at the 
 waters of Cauterets, in the south of France. 
 They were united by the ties of a mutual 
 grief. Napoleon was more than a thousand 
 miles away in the north of Europe. In con- 
 siderably less than a year from that date, on 
 the 20th of April, 1808, Hortense gave birth 
 in Paris to her third child, Louis Napoleon, 
 now Napoleon III., Emperor of the French. 
 Josephine was then at Bordeaux, and wrote 
 as follows to Hortense : 
 
 " Bordeaux, April 23d, 1808. 
 
 " I am, my dear Hortense, in an excess of 
 joy. The tidings of your happy accouche- 
 ment were brought to me yesterday by M. de 
 Villeneuve. I felt my heart beat the moment
 
 1808.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 149 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 I saw him enter. But I cherished the hope 
 that he had only good tidings to bring me, and 
 my presentiments did not deceive me. I have 
 received a second letter, which assures me that 
 you are very well, and also your son. I know 
 that Napoleon will console himself in not hav- 
 ing a sister, and that he already loves very 
 much his brother. Embrace them both for 
 me. But I must not write you too long a let- 
 ter from fear of fatiguing you. Take care of 
 yourself with the utmost caution. Do not re- 
 ceive too much company at present. Let me 
 hear from you every day. I await tidings 
 from you with as much impatience as I love 
 you with tenderness. JOSEPHINE." 
 
 The birth of this prince, Louis Napoleon, 
 whose renown as Napoleon III. now fills the 
 world, and respecting whose character and 
 achievements there is so wonderful a diversity 
 of sentiment among intelligent men, took place 
 in Paris. Napoleon was at that time upon the 
 highest pinnacle of prosperity. The Allies, 
 vanquished in every conflict, seemed disposed 
 to give up the attempt to reinstate the Bour- 
 bons upon the throne of France. The birth 
 of Louis Napoleon, as a prince of the Empire,
 
 150 HORTENSE. [1808. 
 
 Public announcement of the birth. 
 
 in the direct line of hereditary descent, was 
 welcomed by the guns of the Invalides, and by 
 military salutes all along the lines of the Impe- 
 rial army, from Hamburg to Eome, and from 
 the Pyrenees to the Danube. The important 
 event was thus announced in the Moniteur of 
 April 21st : 
 
 " Yesterday, at one o'clock, her Majesty the 
 Queen of Holland was safely delivered of a 
 prince. In conformity with Article 40, of the 
 Act of the Constitution of 28 Floreal, year 
 12, the Chancellor of the Empire attested the 
 birth, and wrote immediately to the Emperor, 
 the Empress, and the King of Holland, to com- 
 municate the intelligence. At five o'clock in 
 the evening, the act of birth was received by 
 the arch chancellor, assisted by his eminence, 
 Reynault de St. Jean d'Angely, minister of state 
 and state secretary of the Imperial family. In 
 the absence of the Emperor, the new-born 
 prince has not yet received his name. This 
 will be provided for by an ulterior act, accord- 
 ing to the orders of his Majesty." 
 
 By a decree of the Senate, these two chil- 
 dren of Louis Bonaparte and Hortense were 
 declared heirs to the Imperial throne, should 
 Napoleon and his elder brother Joseph die
 
 1808.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 151 
 
 Napoleon's attachment to his nephews. 
 
 without children. This decree of the Senate 
 was submitted to the acceptation of the French 
 people. With wonderful unanimity it was 
 adopted. There were 3,521,675 votes in the 
 affirmative, and but 2599 in the negative. 
 
 Napoleon ever manifested the deepest inter- 
 est in these two children. At the time of the 
 birth of Louis Napoleon he was at Bayonne, 
 arranging with the Spanish princes for the 
 transfer of the crown of Spain to Joseph Bo- 
 naparte. Josephine was at Bordeaux. From 
 this interview he passed, in his meteoric flight, 
 to the Congress of Kings at Erfurt, but a few 
 miles from the battle-field of Jena. -It was 
 here that the celebrated historian Miiller met 
 the Emperor and gave the following testimo- 
 ny as to the impression which his presence 
 produced upon his mind: 
 
 " Quite impartially and truly, as before God, 
 I must say, that the variety of his knowledge, 
 the acuteness of his observation, the solidity 
 of his understanding, filled me with astonish- 
 ment. His manner of speaking to me inspired 
 me with love for him. It was one of the most 
 remarkable days of my life. By his genius 
 and his disinterested goodness he has conquer- 
 ed me also,"
 
 .152 HORTENSE. [1809. 
 
 Letter from Napoleon. 
 
 Hortense, with a saddened spirit, now lived 
 in great seclusion, devoting herself almost ex- 
 clusively to the education of her two sons, Na- 
 poleon Louis and Louis Napoleon. Her bodily 
 health was feeble, and she was most of the 
 time deeply dejected. In May, 1809, Hortense, 
 without consulting the Emperor, who was ab- 
 sent in Germany, took the two princes with 
 her to the baths of Baden, where they were 
 exposed to the danger of being seized and held 
 as hostages by the Austrians. The solicitude 
 of the Emperor for them may be seen in the 
 following letter : 
 
 " Ebersdorf, May 28th, 1809. 
 
 "MY DAUGHTER, I arn very much dis- 
 pleased, (tres mecontent) that you should have 
 left France without my permission, and par- 
 ticularly that you should have taken my neph- 
 ews from France. Since you are at the waters 
 of Baden, remain there. But in one hour after 
 the reception of this letter, send my two neph- 
 ews to Strasbourg, near to the Empress. They 
 ought never to leave France. It is the first time 
 that I have had occasion to be dissatisfied with 
 you. But you ought not to dispose of my 
 nephews without my permission. You ought
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 158 
 
 Josephine to Hortenee. 
 
 to perceive the mischievous effects which that 
 may produce. 
 
 " Since the waters of Baden are beneficial to 
 you, you can remain there some days. But I 
 repeat to you, do not delay for a moment send- 
 ing my nephews to Strasbourg. Should the 
 Empress go to the waters of Plombi&res they 
 can accompany her there. But they ought 
 never to cross the bridge of Strasbourg. Your 
 affectionate father, NAPOLEON." 
 
 This letter was sent to Josephine to be trans- 
 mitted by her to Hortense. She received it on 
 the first of June, and immediately sent it to her 
 daughter, with a letter which implies that Hor- 
 tense had already anticipated the wishes of Na- 
 poleon, and had sent the princes, after a brief 
 visit, to Josephine at Strasbourg. Soon after 
 this it would seem that little Louis Napoleon, 
 who was evidently the favorite of his grand- 
 mother, perhaps because he was more with her, 
 accompanied Josephine to St. Cloud. About 
 a fortnight after this she wrote to Hortense from 
 that palace : 
 
 "I am happy to have your son with me. 
 He is charming. I am attached to him more 
 and more, in thinking he will be a solace to
 
 154 HORTENSE. [1809. 
 
 Remarks of the Duke of Rovigo. 
 
 you. His little reasons amuse me much. He 
 grows every day, and his complexion is very 
 fine. I am far from you, but I frequently 
 embrace your son, and love to imagine to 
 myself that it is my dear daughter whom I 
 embrace." 
 
 And now we approach that almost saddest 
 of earth's tragedies, the divorce of Josephine 
 the great wrong and calamity of Napoleon's 
 life. The event had so important a bearing 
 upon the character and the destiny of Hortense 
 as to demand a brief recital here. 
 
 It is often difficult to judge of the motives of 
 human actions ; but at times circumstances are 
 such that it is almost impossible to misjudge 
 the causes which lead to conduct. General 
 Savary, Duke of Eovigo, the intimate personal 
 friend of the Emperor, and one better acquainted 
 with his secret thoughts than any other person, 
 gives the following account of this momentous 
 and fatal act : 
 
 " A thousand idle stories have been related 
 concerning the Emperor's motives for breaking 
 the bonds he had contracted upwards of fifteen 
 years before, and separating from one who was 
 the partner of his life during the most stormy 
 events of his glorious career. It was ascribed
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 155 
 
 Remarks of the Duke of Kovigo. 
 
 to his ambition to connect himself with royal 
 blood ; and malevolence has delighted in spread- 
 ing the report that to this consideration he had 
 sacrificed every other. This opinion was quite 
 erroneous, and he was as unfairly dealt with, 
 upon the subject, as all persons are who hap- 
 pen to be placed above the level of mankind. 
 
 " Nothing can be more true than that the 
 sacrifice of the object of his affections was the 
 most painful that he experienced throughout 
 his life; and that he would have preferred 
 adopting any course than the one to which he 
 was driven by the motives which I am about 
 to relate. Public opinion in general was un- 
 just to the Emperor, when he placed the impe- 
 rial crown upon his head. A feeling of per- 
 sonal ambition was supposed to be the main- 
 spring of all his actions. This was, however, 
 a very mistaken impression. I have already 
 mentioned with what reluctance he had altered 
 the form of government, and that if he had not 
 been apprehensive that the State would fall 
 again a prey to those dissensions which are in 
 separable from an elective form of government, 
 he would not have changed an order of things 
 which appeared to have been the first solid 
 conquest achieved by the revolution. Ever
 
 156 iloKTEXSE. [1809. 
 
 Remarks of the Duke of Rovigo. 
 
 since he had brought back the nation to mo- 
 narchical principles, he had neglected no means 
 of consolidating institutions which permanent- 
 ly secured those principles, and yet firmly es- 
 tablished the superiority of modern ideas over 
 antiquated customs. Differences of opinion 
 could no longer create any disturbance respect- 
 ing the form of government, when his career 
 should be closed. 
 
 " But this was not enough. It was further 
 requisite that the line of inheritance should be 
 defined in so clear a manner that, at his death, 
 no pretense might be made for the contention 
 of any claimants to the throne. For if such a 
 misfortune were to take place, the least foreign 
 intervention would have sufficed to revive a 
 spirit of discord among us. This feeling of 
 personal ambition consisted in this case, in a 
 desire to hand his work down to posterity, and 
 to resign to his successor a state resting upon 
 his numerous trophies for its stability. He 
 could not have been blind to the fact, that the 
 perpetual warfare into which a jealousy of his 
 Strength had plunged him, had, in reality, no 
 ether object than his own downfall, because 
 with him must necessarily crumble that gi- 
 gantic power which was no longer upheld by
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 157 
 
 Remarks of the Duke of Rovigo. 
 
 the revolutionary energy he himself had re- 
 pressed. 
 
 " The Emperor had not any children. The 
 Empress had two, but he never could have en- 
 tertained a thought of them without exposing 
 himself to the most serious inconveniences. I 
 believe, however, that if the two children of 
 Josephine had been the only ones in his fami- 
 ly, he would have made some arrangement for 
 securing the inheritance to Eugene. He how- 
 ever dismissed the idea of appointing him his 
 heir, because he had nearer relations, and it 
 would have given rise to dissensions which it 
 was his principal object to avoid. He also con- 
 sidered the necessity in which he was placed 
 of forming an alliance sufficiently powerful, in 
 order that, in the event of his system being at 
 any time threatened, that alliance might be a 
 resting-point, and save it from total ruin. He 
 likewise hoped that it would be the means of 
 putting to an end that series of wars, of which 
 he was desirous, above all things, to avoid a re- 
 currence. These were the motives which deter- 
 mined him to break a union so long contraeted. 
 He wished it less for himself than for the pur- 
 pose of interesting a powerful state in the 
 maintenance of the order of things established
 
 158 HORTENSE. [1809. 
 
 Testimony of Cambaceres. 
 
 in France. He reflected often on the mode of 
 making this communication to the Empress. 
 Still he was reluctant to speak to her. He 
 was apprehensive of the consequences of her 
 tenderness of feeling. His heart was never 
 proof against the shedding of tears." 
 
 The arch -chancellor Cambaceres states that 
 Napoleon communicated to him the resolution 
 he had adopted ; alluded to the reasons for the 
 divorce, spoke of the anguish which the stern, 
 necessity caused his affections, and declared his 
 intention to invest the act with forms the most af- 
 fectionate and the most honorable to Josephine. 
 
 " I will have nothing " said he, " which can 
 resemble a repudiation ; nothing but a mere 
 dissolution of the conjugal tie, founded upon 
 mutual consent ; a consent itself founded upon 
 the interests of the empire. Josephine is to be 
 provided with a palace in Paris, with a prince- 
 ly residence in the country with an income of 
 six hundred thousand dollars, and is to occupy 
 the first rank among the princesses, after the 
 future Empress. I wish ever to keep her near 
 me as my best and most affectionate friend." 
 
 Josephine was in some degree aware of the 
 doom which was impending, and her heart was 
 consumed by unmitigated grief. Hortense,
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 159 
 
 The dreadful announcement. 
 
 who also was heart-stricken and world-weary, 
 was entreated by the Emperor to prepare her 
 mother for the sad tidings. She did so, but 
 very imperfectly. At last the fatal hour ar- 
 rived in which it was necessary for the Empe- 
 ror to make the dreaded announcement to the 
 Empress. They were both at Fontainebleau, 
 and Hortense was with her mother. For some 
 time there had been much constraint in the in- 
 tercourse between the Emperor and Empress; 
 he dreading to make the cruel communication, 
 and her heart lacerated with anguish in the ap- 
 prehension of receiving it. 
 
 It was the last day of November, 1809, cold 
 and cheerless. Napoleon and Josephine dined 
 alone in silence, not a word being spoken dur- 
 ing the repast. At the close of the meal, Na- 
 poleon, pale and trembling, took the hand of 
 the Empress and said : 
 
 "Josephine, my own good Josephine, you 
 know how I have loved you. It is to you 
 alone that I owe the few moments of happiness 
 I have known in the world. Josephine, my 
 destiny is stronger than my will. My dearest 
 affections must yield to the welfare of France." 
 
 All-expected as the blow was, it was none 
 the less dreadful. Josephine fell, apparently
 
 160 HORTENSE. [1809. 
 
 Anguish of the Imperial family. 
 
 lifeless, to the floor. The Count de Beaumont 
 was immediately summoned, and, with the aid 
 of Napoleon, conveyed Josephine to her apart- 
 ment Hortense came at once to her mother, 
 whom she loved so tenderly. The anguish oC 
 the scene overcame her. In respectful, though 
 reproachful tones, she said to the Emperor, 
 " My mother will descend from the throne, as 
 she ascended it, in obedience to your will. 
 Her children, content to renounce grandeurs 
 which have not made them happy, will gladly 
 go and devote their lives to comforting the 
 best and the most affectionate of mothers." 
 
 Napoleon was entirely overcome. He sat 
 down and wept bitterly. Eaising his eyes 
 swimming in tears to his daughter, he said : 
 
 " Do not leave me, Hortense. Stay by me 
 with Eugene. Help me to console your moth- 
 er and render her calm, resigned, and even hap- 
 py in remaining my friend, while she ceases to 
 be my wife." 
 
 Eugene was summoned from Italy. Upon 
 his arrival his sister threw herself into his arms, 
 and, after a brief interview of mutual anguish, 
 led him to their beloved mother. After a short 
 interview with her, he repaired to the cabinet 
 of the Emperor. In respectful terms, but firm
 
 1809.] DIVOKCE OF JOSEPHINE. 161 
 
 Noble conduct of Eugene. 
 
 and very sad, he inquired if Napoleon intended 
 to obtain a divorce from the Empress. Napo- 
 leon, who tenderly loved his noble son, could 
 only reply with the pressure of the hand. Eu- 
 gene immediately recoiled and, withdrawing his 
 hand, said : 
 
 " In that case, Sire, permit me to retire from 
 your service." 
 
 " How," exclaimed Napoleon, looking sadly 
 upon him. " Will you, my adopted son, for- 
 sake me ?" 
 
 " Yes, Sire," Eugene replied. " The son of 
 her who is no longer Empress, can not remain 
 viceroy. I will follow my mother into her re- 
 treat. She must now find her consolation in 
 her children." 
 
 Tears filled the eyes of the Emperor. " You 
 know," said he, " the stern necessity which 
 compels this measure. Will you forsake me? 
 Who then, should I have a son, the object of 
 my desires and preserver of my interests, who> 
 will watch over the child when I am absent? 
 If I die, who will prove to him a father ? Who 
 will bring him up? Who is to make a man 
 of him?" 
 
 Napoleon and Eugene then retired to the 
 garden, and for a long time walked, arm in arm, 
 311
 
 i62 HORTENSE. [1809. 
 
 The divorce. 
 
 up and down one of its avenues, engaged in 
 earnest conversation. Josephine, with a moth- 
 er's love, could not forget the interests of her 
 children, even in her own anguish. 
 
 " The Emperor," she said to Eugene, " is 
 your benefactor, your more than father; to 
 whom you are indebted for every thing, and to 
 whom theiefore you owe boundless obedience." 
 
 A fortnight passed away and the 15th of 
 December arrived ; the day appointed for the 
 consummation of this cruel sacrifice. The af- 
 fecting scene transpired in the grand saloon of 
 the palace of the Tuileries. All the member* 
 of the imperial family were present. Eugene 
 and Hortense were with their mother, sus- 
 taining her with their sympathy and love. An 
 extreme pallor overspread the countenance of 
 Napoleon, as he addressed the assembled digni- 
 taries of the empire. 
 
 " The political interests of my monarchy," 
 said he, " and the wishes of my people, which 
 have constantly guided my actions, require that 
 I should transmit to an heir, inheriting my 
 love for the people, the throne on which Prov- 
 idence has placed me. For many years I have 
 lost all hope of having children by my beloved 
 spouse the Empress Josephine. It is this con-
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 163 
 
 The ecene of the divorce. 
 
 sideration which induces me to sacrifice the 
 dearest affections of my heart, to consult only 
 the good of my subjects, and to desire the disso- 
 lution of our marriage. Arrived at the age of 
 forty years, I may indulge the reasonable hope 
 of living long enough to rear, in the spirit of 
 my own thoughts and disposition, the children 
 with which it may please Providence to bless- 
 me. God knows how much such a determi* 
 nation has cost my heart. But there is no sac- 
 rifice too great for my courage when it is 
 proved to be for the interest of France. Far 
 from having any cause of complaint, I have 
 nothing to say but in praise of the attachment 
 and tenderness of my beloved wife. She has 
 embellished fifteen years of my life, and the re- 
 membrance of them will be forever engraven 
 on my heart. She was crowned by my hand. 
 She shall always retain the rank and title of 
 Empress. Above all, let her never doubt my 
 affection, or regard me but as her best and dear- 
 est friend." 
 
 Josephine now endeavored to fulfill her part 
 in this sad drama. Unfolding a paper, she 
 vainly strove to read her assent to the divorce. 
 But tears blinded her eyes and emotion choked 
 her voice. Handing the paper to a friend and
 
 164 HOKTENSE. [1809. 
 
 The sceue of the divorce. 
 
 eobbing aloud, she sank into a chair and buried 
 her face in her handkerchief. Her friend, M. 
 Reynaud, read the paper, which was as follows : 
 " With the permission of my august and 
 dear spouse, I must declare that, retaining no 
 hope of having children who may satisfy the 
 requirements of his policy and the interests of 
 France, I have the pleasure of giving him the 
 greatest proof of attachment and devotedness 
 which was ever given on earth. I owe all to 
 his bounty. It was his hand that crowned me, 
 and on his throne I have received only mani- 
 festations of love and affection from the French 
 people. I respond to all the sentiments of the 
 Emperor, in consenting to the dissolution of a 
 marriage which is now an obstacle to the hap- 
 piness of France, by depriving it of the blessing 
 of being one day governed by the descendants 
 of that great man who was evidently raised up 
 by Providence to efface the evils of a terrible 
 revolution, and to restore the altar, the throne, 
 and social order. But the dissolution of my 
 marriage will in no respect change the senti- 
 ments of my heart. The Emperor will ever 
 find in me his best friend. I know how much 
 this act, commanded by policy and exalted in- 
 terests, has rent his heart. But we both glory
 
 THE DIVORCE ANNOUNCED.
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 167 
 
 The legal consummation. 
 
 in the sacrifices we make for the good of the 
 country." 
 
 " After these words," says Thiers, " the no- 
 blest ever uttered under such circumstances 
 for never, it must be confessed, did vulgar pas- 
 sions less prevail in an act of this kind Na- 
 poleon, embracing Josephine, led her to her 
 own apartment, where he left her, almost faint- 
 ing, in the arms of her children." 
 
 The next day the Senate was convened in 
 the grand saloon to sanction the legal consum- 
 mation of the divorce. Eugene presided. As 
 he announced the desire of the Emperor and 
 Empress for the dissolution of their marriage, 
 he said : " The tears of his Majesty at this sep- 
 aration are sufficient for the glory of my moth- 
 er." The description of the remaining scenes 
 of this cruel tragedy we repeat from " Abbott's 
 Life of Napoleon." 
 
 " The Emperor, dressed in the robes of state, 
 and pale as a statue of marble, leaned against 
 a pillar, careworn and wretched. Folding his 
 arms upon his breast, with his eyes fixed upon 
 vacancy, he stood in gloomy silence. It was 
 a funereal scene. The low hum of mournful 
 voices alone disturbed the stillness of the room. 
 A circular table was placed in the centre of the
 
 168 HORTENSE. [180ft, 
 
 The scene of the divorce. 
 
 apartment. Upon it there was a writing ap- 
 paratus of gold. A vacant arm-chair stood 
 before the table. The company gazed silently 
 upon it as the instrument of the most soul-har- 
 rowing execution. 
 
 "A side door opened, and Josephine entered. 
 Her face was as white as the simple muslin 
 robe which she wore. She was leaning upon 
 the arm of Hortense, who, not possessing the 
 fortitude of her mother, was sobbing convul- 
 sively. The whole assembly, upon the en- 
 trance of Josephine, instinctively arose. All 
 were moved to tears. With her own peculiar 
 grace, Josephine advanced to the seat provided 
 for her. Leaning her pale forehead upon her 
 hand, she listened with the calmness of stupor 
 to the reading of the act of separation. The 
 convulsive sobbings of Hortense, mingled with 
 the subdued and mournful tones of the reader's 
 voice, added to the tragic impressiveness of the 
 scene. Eugene, pale and trembling, stepped 
 forward and took a position by the side of his 
 adored mother, to give her the moral support 
 of his near presence. 
 
 " As soon as the reading of the act of separa- 
 tion was finished, Josephine, for a moment, in 
 anguish pressed her handkerchief to her
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 
 
 Josephine, Eugene, Hortenae. 
 
 and rising, in tones clear, musical, but tremulous 
 with repressed emotion, pronounced the oath 
 of acceptance. She sat down, took the pen, 
 and affixed her signature to the deed which 
 sundered the dearest hopes and the fondest ties 
 which human hearts can feel. Eugene could 
 endure this anguish no longer. His brain 
 reeled, his heart ceased to beat, and fainting, 
 he fell senseless to the floor. Josephine and 
 Hortense retired, with the attendants who bore 
 out the inanimate form of the affectionate son 
 and brother. It was a fitting termination of 
 the heart-rending yet sublime tragedy. 
 
 "Josephine remained in her chamber over- 
 whelmed with speechless grief. A sombre 
 night darkened over the city, oppressed by the 
 gloom of this cruel sacrifice. The hour arrived 
 at which Napoleon usually retired for sleep. 
 The Emperor, restless and wretched, had just 
 placed himself in the bed from which he had 
 ejected his faithful and devoted wife, when the 
 private door of his chamber was slowly opened, 
 and Josephine tremblingly entered. 
 
 "Her eyes were swollen with weeping, her 
 hair disordered, and she appeared in all the 
 dishabille of unutterable anguish. Hardly 
 conscious of what she did, in the delirium of
 
 170 HORTENSE. [1809. 
 
 Affecting interview. 
 
 her woe, she tottered into the middle of the 
 room and approached the bed of her former hus- 
 band. Then irresolutely stopping, she buried 
 her face in her hands and burst into a flood of 
 tears. 
 
 " A feeling of delicacy seemed, for a moment, 
 to have arrested her steps a consciousness 
 that she had now no right to enter the cham- 
 ber of Napoleon. In another moment all the 
 pent-up love of her heart burst forth, and for- 
 getting every thing in the fullness of her an- 
 guish, she threw herself upon the bed, clasped 
 Napoleon's neck in her arms, and exclaiming, 
 'My husband! my husband!' sobbed as though 
 her heart were breaking. The imperial spirit 
 of Napoleon was entirely vanquished. He 
 also wept convulsively. He assured Josephine 
 of his love of his ardent, undying love. In 
 every way he tried to soothe and comfort her. 
 For some time they remained locked in each 
 other's embrace. The valet-de-chambre, who 
 was still present, was dismissed, and for an 
 hour Napoleon and Josephine continued to- 
 gether in this their last private interview. 
 Josephine then, in the experience of an in- 
 tensity of anguish such as few human hearts 
 have ever known, parted forever from the hus-
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 171 
 
 Grief of Napoleon. 
 
 band whom she had so long and so faithfully 
 loved." 
 
 Josephine having withdrawn, an attendant 
 entered the apartment to remove the lights. 
 He found the Emperor so buried beneath the 
 bedclothes as to be invisible. Not a word 
 was uttered. The lights were removed, and 
 the unhappy monarch was left alone in dark- 
 ness and silence to the melancholy companion- 
 ship of his own thoughts. The next morning 
 the death-like pallor of his cheek, his sunken 
 eye, and the haggard expression of his counte- 
 nance, attested that the Emperor had passed 
 the night in sleeplessness and in suffering. 
 
 The grief of Napoleon was unquestionably 
 sincere. It could not but be so. He was in- 
 fluenced by no vagrant passion. He had 
 formed no new attachment. He truly loved 
 Josephine. He consequently resolved to re- 
 tire for a time to the seclusion of Trianon, at 
 Versailles. He seemed desirous that the ex- 
 ternals of mourning should accompany an 
 event so mournful. 
 
 " The orders for the departure for Trianon," 
 writes the Baron Meneval, Napoleon's private 
 secretary, " had been previously given. When 
 in the morning the Emperor was informed
 
 172 HORTENSE. [1809. 
 
 Testimony of Bui-cm MenevaL. 
 
 that his carriages were ready, he took his hat 
 and said, 'Meneval, come with me.' I follow- 
 ed him by the little winding staircase which, 
 from his cabinet, communicated with the 
 apartment of the Empress. Josephine was 
 alone, and appeared absorbed in the most mel- 
 ancholy reflections. At the noise which we 
 made in entering, she eagerly rose and threw 
 herself sobbing upon the neck of the Emperor. 
 He pressed her to his bosom with the most ar- 
 dent embraces. 
 
 " In the excess of her emotion she fainted. 
 I rang the bell for succor. The Emperor 
 wishing to avoid the renewal of scenes of an- 
 guish which he could no longer alleviate, 
 placed the Empress in my arms as soon as she 
 began to revive. Directing me not to leave 
 her, he hastily retired to his carriage which 
 was waiting for him at the door. The Em- 
 press, perceiving the departure of the Emperor, 
 redoubled her tears and moans. Her women, 
 placed her upon a sofa. She seized my hands r 
 and frantically urged me to entreat Napoleon 
 not to forget her, and to assure him that her 
 love would survive every event. 
 
 " She made me promise to write her imme- 
 diately on my arrival at Trianon, and to SQ&
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 173. 
 
 Letter from Napoleon to Josephine. 
 
 that the Emperor wrote to her also. She 
 could hardly consent to let me go, as if my de- 
 parture "would break the last tie which still 
 sonnected her with the Emperor. I left her, 
 deeply moved by the exhibition of a grief 
 so true and an attachment so sincere. I was 
 profoundly saddened during my ride, and I 
 could not refrain from deploring the rigorous 
 exigencies of state which rudely sundered the 
 ties of a long-tried affection, to impose another 
 union offering only uncertainties. Having ar- 
 rived at Trianon, I gave the Emperor a faith- 
 ful account of all that had transpired after his 
 departure. He was still oppressed by the mel- 
 ancholy scenes through which he had passed. 
 He dwelt upon the noble qualities of Jose- 
 phine, and upon the sincerity of the affection 
 which she cherished for him. He ever after 
 preserved for her the most tender attachment. 
 The same evening he wrote to her a letter to 
 console her solitude." The letter was as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 " My love, I found you to-day more feeble 
 than you. ought to be. You have exhibited 
 much fortitude, and it is necessary that you 
 should still continue to sustain yourself. You 
 must not yield to funereal melancholy. Strive
 
 174 HORTENSE. [1809. 
 
 The retirement of Josephine. 
 
 to be tranquil, and, above all, to preserve your 
 health, which is so precious to me. If you are 
 attached to me, if you love me, you must 
 maintain your energy and strive to be cheer- 
 ful. You can not doubt my constancy and 
 my tender affection. You know too well all 
 the sentiments with which I regard you to 
 suppose that I can be happy if you are unhap- 
 py, that I can be serene if you are agitated. 
 Adieu, my love. Sleep well. Believe that I 
 -wish it. NAPOLEON." 
 
 After the departure of the Emperor, at elev 
 en o'clock in the morning all the household of 
 the Tuileries were assembled upon the grand 
 staircase, to witness the retirement of their be- 
 loved mistress from the scenes where she had 
 so long been the brightest ornament. Jose- 
 phine descended from her apartment veiled 
 from head to foot. Her emotions were too 
 deep for utterance. Silently she waved an 
 adieu to the affectionate and weeping friends 
 who surrounded her. A close carriage with 
 six horses was before the door. She entered 
 it, sank back upon the cushions, buried her 
 face in her handkerchief, and, sobbing bitterly, 
 left the Tuileries forever.
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 175 
 
 Josephine at Malmaison. 
 
 After the divorce, Josephine spent most of 
 her time at the beautiful chateau of Malmaison r 
 which had been assigned to her, or at the pal- 
 ace of Navarre, which was embellished for her 
 at an expense of two hundred thousand dollars.. 
 She retained the title of Empress, and received 
 a jointure of about six hundred thousand dol- 
 lars a year. Almost daily letters were ex- 
 changed between her and the Emperor, and he- 
 frequently visited her. But from motives of 
 delicacy he never saw her alone. We know 
 of nothing more pathetic in history than the- 
 gleams we get of these interviews, as revealed 
 in the "Confidential letters of Napoleon and 
 Josephine," whose publication was authorized 
 by Queen Hortense, after the death of her 
 mother. Josephine, in the following words, 
 describes one of these interviews at Malmaison. 
 It was after the marriage with Maria Louisa. 
 
 " I was one day painting a violet, a flower 
 which recalled to my memory my more happy 
 days, when one of my women ran towards me- 
 and made a sign by placing her finger upon 
 her lips. The next moment I was overpow- 
 ered I beheld Napoleon. He threw himself 
 with transport into the arms of his old friend, 
 Oh, then I was convinced that he could still
 
 176 HORTENSE. [1809. 
 
 Interview between Napoleon and Josephine. 
 
 love me ; for that man really loved me. It 
 seemed impossible for him to cease gazing 
 upon me, and his look was that of tender af- 
 fection. At length, in a tone of deepest com- 
 passion and love, he said : 
 
 " ' My dear Josephine, I have always loved 
 you. I love you still. Do you still love me, 
 excellent and good Josephine ? Do you still 
 love me, in spite of the relations I have again 
 contracted, and which have separated me from 
 you ? But they have not banished you from 
 my memory.' 
 
 " ' Sire,' I replied 
 
 " ' Call me Bonaparte,' said he ; ' speak to 
 me, my beloved, with the same freedom, the 
 same familiarity as ever/ 
 
 "Bonaparte soon disappeared, and I heard 
 only the sound of his retiring footsteps. Oh, 
 how quickly does every thing take place on 
 earth. I had once more felt the pleasure of 
 being loved." 
 
 In reference to this melancholy event, Na- 
 poleon said, at Saint Helena : 
 
 " My divorce has no parallel in history. It 
 did not destroy the ties which united our fami- 
 lies, and our mutual tenderness remained un- 
 changed. Our separation was a sacrifice, de
 
 1809.] DIVORCE OF JOSEPHINE. 177 
 
 Napoleon's remarks on his divorce. 
 
 manded of us by reason, for the interests of my 
 crown and of my dynasty. Josephine was de- 
 voted to me. She loved me tenderly. No one 
 ever had a preference over me in her heart. I 
 occupied the first place in it, her children the 
 next. She was right in thus loving me ; and 
 the remembrance of her is still all-powerful in 
 my mind. Josephine was really an amiable 
 woman : she was so kind, so humane. She 
 was the best woman in France. 
 
 "A son, by Josephine, would have completed 
 my happiness, not only in a political point of 
 view, but as a source of domestic felicity. As 
 a political result it would have secured to me 
 the possession of the throne. The French peo- 
 ple would have been as much attached to the 
 son of Josephine as they were to the King of 
 Borne, and I should not have set my foot on 
 an abyss covered with a bed of flowers. But 
 how vain are all human calculations! Who 
 can pretend to decide on what may lead to 
 happiness or unhappiness in this life !" 
 
 The divorce of Josephine, strong as were the 
 political motives which led to it, was a viola- 
 tion of the immutable laws of God. Like all 
 wrong-doing, however seemingly prosperous 
 for a time, it promoted final disaster and woe. 
 
 312
 
 178 HORTENS^. [1809. 
 
 Sin of the divorce. 
 
 Doubtless Napoleon, educated in the midst of 
 those convulsions which had shaken all the 
 foundations of Christian morality, did not clear- 
 ly perceive the extent of the wrong. He un- 
 questionably felt that he was doing right ; that 
 the interests of France demanded the sacrifice. 
 But the penalty was none the less inevitable. 
 The laws of God can not be violated with im- 
 punity, even though the violation be a sin of 
 ignorance.
 
 1810.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 179 
 
 Marriage of Napoleon and Maria Louisa. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 THE DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 
 
 FROM the sad scenes described in the last 
 chapter, Eugene returned to Italy. Hor- 
 tense, in the deepest state of dejection, remain- 
 ed for a short time in Paris, often visiting her 
 mother at Malmaison. About five months af- 
 ter the divorce, Napoleon was again married 
 to Maria Louisa, daughter of the Emperor 
 of Austria. The marriage ceremony was first 
 celebrated with great pomp in Vienna, Napo- 
 poleon being represented by proxy ; and again 
 the ceremony was repeated in Paris. It de- 
 volved upon Hortense, as the daughter of Na- 
 poleon, and the most prominent lady of his 
 household, to receive with smiles of welcome 
 and cordiality of greeting the princess who 
 took the place of her mother. Seldom has it 
 been the lot of a woman to pass through a 
 more painful ordeal. Josephine, that she 
 might be far removed from the tumult of Par- 
 is, rejoicing upon the arrival of Maria Louisa, 
 retired from Malmaison to the more distant
 
 180 HORTENSE. [1810. 
 
 Hortense goes to Navarre. 
 
 palace of Navarre. Soon after the marriage, 
 Hortense hastened to join her mother there. 
 There was at this time but little sympathy be- 
 tween Hortense and her husband. The power 
 of a great sorrow in the death of their eldest 
 son had for a short time brought them more 
 closely together. There was, however, but lit- 
 tle compatibility in their tastes and disposi- 
 tions; and Hortense, deeming it her duty to 
 comfort her mother, and finding more congeni- 
 ality in her society than in that of her hus- 
 band, made but brief visits to Holland. 
 
 It is easy for the prosperous and the happy 
 to be amiable. Hortense was in a state of 
 great physical debility, and almost every hope 
 of her life had been crushed out. The letters 
 of Hortense to Josephine have not been made 
 public. We can only judge of their character 
 from the replies which her mother made. 
 From these it would appear that scarcely did 
 a ray of joy illumine the gloomy path which 
 she was destined to tread. On the 4th of 
 April, 1810, Josephine wrote to Hortense from 
 Navarre : 
 
 " I am touched, my dear Hortense, with all 
 the griefs which you experience. I hope that 
 there is no more question of your return to
 
 1810.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 181 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 Holland, and that you will have a little repose. 
 I know how much you must suffer from these 
 disappointments, but I entreat you not to allow 
 yourself to be affected by them. As long as 
 any thing remains to me you shall be mistress 
 of your destiny; grief and happiness you 
 know that I share all with you. 
 
 " Take, then, a little courage, my dear daugh- 
 ter. We both of us have much need of it. 
 Often mine is too feeble, and sorrow makes me- 
 sick. But I seek fortitude all the time, and 
 with my utmost efforts." 
 
 Soon after this Hortense, taking her two 
 children with her, rejoined her husband, King 
 Louis, in Holland. Josephine wrote to her on 
 the 10th of May, from Navarre : 
 
 " I have received your letter, my dear Hor- 
 tense, and I see, with much pain, that your 
 health is not good. I hope that repose will 
 re-establish it; and I can not doubt that the 
 king will contribute to it every thing in his 
 power, by his attentions and his attachments. 
 Every day will lead him to see more and more 
 how much you merit. Take care of yourself, 
 my dear daughter; you know how much I 
 have need of you. My heart has suffered to- 
 a degree which has somewhat impaired rny
 
 182 HORTENSE. [1810 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 health. But fortitude triumphs over sorrow, 
 and I begin to be a little better." 
 
 Again, on the 15th, the Empress wrote to 
 Hortense, who was still in Amsterdam: 
 
 " I have been extremely anxious on account 
 of your health, my dear Hortense. I know 
 that you have experienced several attacks of 
 fever, and I have need to be tranquilized. 
 
 "Your letter of the 10th has just reached me, 
 but it has not given me the consolation I had 
 hoped for. I see in it an abandonment of 
 yourself, which gives me great pain. How 
 many ties are there which should bind you to 
 life! And if you have so little affection for 
 me, is it then, when I am no longer happy, 
 that you can think, with so much tranquillity, 
 of leaving me ? 
 
 " Take courage, my daughter, and especially 
 be careful of your health. I am confident, as 
 I have already sent you word, that the waters 
 which have been prescribed for you will do 
 you good. Speak of it to the king with frank- 
 ness. He certainly will not refuse you any 
 thing which may be essential to your health. 
 I am making all my arrangements to go to 
 the springs in the month of June. But I do 
 not think that I shall go to Aix-la-Chapelle,
 
 1810.J DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 183 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 but rather to Aix in Savoy, which place I pre- 
 fer. 
 
 "Diversion of mind is necessary for my 
 health, and I have more hope of finding that 
 in a place which I have never seen, and whose 
 situation is picturesque. The waters of Aix 
 are particularly efficacious for the nerves. I 
 earnestly recommend you to take them instead 
 of those of Plombieres. We can pass the time 
 together. Reply to me immediately upon this 
 subject. We can lodge together. It will not 
 be necessary for you to take many companions 
 with you. I shall take but very few, intend- 
 ing to travel incognito. To-morrow I go to 
 Malmaison, where I shall remain until I leave 
 for the springs. I see with pleasure that the 
 health of Louis Napoleon is good, and that he 
 has not suffered from the change of air. Em- 
 brace him for me, my dear Hortense, and love 
 me as tenderly as I love you. 
 
 " JOSEPHINE. 
 
 " P. S. Remember me to the king." 
 
 For some unexplained reason, Hortense re- 
 paired first to the waters of Plombieres. Her 
 youngest son, Louis Napoleon, was sent to 
 Malmaison, to be with Josephine, who so fondly
 
 184 HORTENSE. [1810. 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 loved the child that she was quite unwilling 
 to be separated from him. Hortense took her 
 elder child, Napoleon Louis, with her to the 
 springs. Here she was taken very sick. On 
 the 14th of June Josephine wrote her from 
 Malmaison : 
 
 "I did not know how much you had suffer- 
 ed, my dear Hortense, until you were better ; 
 but I had a presentiment of it, and my anxiety 
 induced me to write to one of your ladies, to 
 indicate to her the telegraph from Nancy, as a 
 prompt resource to call a physician. You ask 
 me what I am doing. I had yesterday a day 
 of happiness. The Emperor came to see me. 
 His presence made me happy, although it re- 
 newed my grief. These are emotions such as 
 one could wish often to experience. 
 
 "All the time he remained with me I had 
 .sufficient fortitude to restrain the tears which I 
 felt were ready to flow. But after he had left, 
 I had no longer power to restrain them, and I 
 found myself very unhappy. He was kind to 
 me, and amiable as ever; and I hope that he 
 will have read in my heart all the affection 
 and all the devotion with which I cherish him. 
 
 "I spoke to him of your situation, and he 
 listened to me with interest. He is of opinion
 
 1810.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 185 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 that you should not return to Holland, the 
 king not having conducted as he would wish 
 to have him. The opinion of the Emperor is 
 that you should take the waters for the neces- 
 sary time ; that you should then write to your 
 husband that it is the opinion of your physi- 
 cians that you should reside in a warm climate 
 for some time, and that consequently you are 
 going to Italy. As to your son, the Emperor 
 will give orders that he is not to leave France. 
 
 "I hope to see you, perhaps at Aix in Sa- 
 voy, if the waters at Plombieres do not agree 
 with you; perhaps in Switzerland, where the 
 Emperor has permitted me to journey. We 
 shall be able to appoint for ourselves a rendez- 
 vous where we may meet. Then I will relate 
 to you with the living voice those details 
 which it would require too much time to 
 write. I intend to leave next Monday for 
 Aix in Savoy. I shall travel incognito, under 
 the name of Madame d'Aubery. Your son 
 (Louis Napoleon), who is now here, is very 
 well. He has rosy cheeks and a fair skin." 
 
 Immediately upon Josephine's arrival at Aix, 
 she wrote again to Hortense, who was still at 
 Plombi5res, a letter expressive of great anxiety 
 for her health and happiness, and entreating
 
 186 HORTENSE. [1810. 
 
 Louis Bonaparte abdicates. 
 
 her to come and join her at Aix. " How I 
 regret," she wrote, " not having known, before 
 raj departure, the true state of your health. I 
 should have been at Plombieres to take care 
 of you, and I should not have experienced the 
 anxiety which tortures me at this great dis- 
 tance. My only consolation is to think that 
 you will soon come here. Let me soon see 
 you. Alone, desolate, far from all my friends, 
 and in the midst of strangers, you can judge 
 how sad I am, and all the need I have of your 
 presence." 
 
 In July, Louis Bonaparte abdicated the 
 throne of Holland. Hortense wrote to her 
 mother all the details of the event. Josephine 
 engaged a cottage at Aix for herself and Hor- 
 tense. She wrote to Hortense on the 18th of 
 July: 
 
 " I am delighted with the resolution you 
 have taken to come here. I am occupied, in 
 preparing your lodgings, more pleasantly than 
 I could have hoped. A gentleman here has 
 relinquished his house. I have accepted it, 
 for it is delightfully situated, and the view is 
 enchanting. The houses here are very small, 
 but that which you will inhabit is larger. You 
 can ride anywhere in a caleche. You will be
 
 1810.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 187 
 
 Madame Broc. 
 
 very glad to have your own. I have mine,, 
 and I ride out in it every day. Adieu, my 
 dear Hortense. I am impatient for the mo 
 ment when I can embrace you." 
 
 As it was not deemed proper for the young 
 princes, the sons of Hortense, to leave France, 
 they were both left at the chateau of St. Cloud, 
 while Hortense visited her mother at Aix. 
 The devoted friend of Hortense, Madame Broc r 
 to whom we have previously alluded, accom- 
 panied the ex-queen to Aix. The two friends 
 frequently enjoyed long walks together in that 
 region full of picturesque scenery. Hortense 
 had a very keen appreciation of the beauties 
 of nature, and had attained much excellence- 
 as a landscape painter. Aix, from its deep re- 
 tirement and physical grandeur, became quite 
 a favorite retreat. She had but little heart for 
 any society but that of the solitudes of nature. 
 
 About the first of October Hortense return- 
 ed, by the advice of the Emperor, to Fontaine- 
 bleau, where she was reunited to her two sons. 
 Josephine was, in the mean time, taking a short 
 tour in Switzerland. We have previously 
 spoken of Hortense's taste for music, and her 
 skill as a composer. One of the airs, or ro- 
 mances, as they were called, composed by Hor-
 
 188 HORTENSE. [181L 
 
 " Partant pour la Syrie." 
 
 tense still retains in Europe perhaps unsurpass- 
 ed popularity. It was termed familiarly Beau 
 Dunois, or the Knight Errant. Its full title was 
 "Partant pour la Syrie, lejeune et beau Dunois"* 
 Josephine, writing from Geneva to Hortense 
 at Fontainebleau, says : " I have heard sung 
 all over Switzerland your romance of Beau Du- 
 nois! I have even heard it played upon the 
 piano with beautiful variations." Josephine 
 soon returned to Navarre, which at that time 
 she preferred to Malmaison, as it was farther 
 removed from the capital, and from the tumult 
 of joy with which the birth of the child of 
 Maria Louisa would be received. On the 20th 
 of March, 1811, all France resounded with ac- 
 clamations at the birth of the young King of 
 Rome. Hortense, devoting herself to her chil- 
 dren, hemained in Paris and its environs. In 
 the autumn of this year Josephine left Na- 
 varre, and returned to Malmaison to spend 
 the winter there. Hortense and her husband, 
 though much estranged from each other, and 
 living most of the time apart, were still not 
 
 * Hie writer remembers that forty years ago this was a 
 favorite song in this country. At Bowdoin College it was the 
 popular college song. It is now, in France, one of the favor- 
 it national airs.
 
 1812.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 189 
 
 Illness of Napoleon Louis. 
 
 formally separated, and occasionally dwelt to- 
 gether. The ostensible cause of the frequent 
 absence of Hortense from her husband was the 
 state of her health, rendering it necessary for 
 her to make frequent visits to the springs, and 
 the griefs of her mother requiring often the 
 .solace of her daughter's presence. 
 
 Louis Bonaparte owned a very beautiful es- 
 tate, called St. Leu, in France. Early in May, 
 1812, Napoleon left Paris for the fatal cam- 
 paign to Moscow. Just before his departure, 
 he called at Malmaison and took an affection- 
 ate leave of Josephine. Hortense was at St 
 Leu, with her children. After a short visit 
 which Josephine made to St. Leu, antl which 
 she describes as delightful, she returned to Mal- 
 maison, and Hortense went to the springs of 
 Aix-la-Chapelle, taking her two children with 
 her. Here Napoleon Louis was attacked with 
 scarlet fever, which caused his mother and the 
 Empress great anxiety. 
 
 Josephine wrote to her, on the 28th of July: 
 " You are very kind not to have forgotten me 
 in the midst of your anxiety for your son. Em- 
 trace for me that dear child, and my little Oui 
 Oui" (yes, yes).* Again she wrote, two days 
 
 * Oui Oui was the pet name given to little Louis Napoleon.
 
 190 HORTENSE. [1812. 
 
 Letter from Eugene. 
 
 after : " I hope that our dear Napoleon contin 
 ues to improve, and that the little Oui Out is 
 doing well." Eugene, leaving his amiable and 
 much -loved wife and little family at Milan, 
 had accompanied Napoleon on his Russian 
 campaign. During his absence Josephine vis- 
 ited Milan, and there, as everywhere else, won 
 the love of all who saw her. Hortense, with 
 her children, was most of the time in Paris. 
 Eugene, immediately after the terrible battle 
 of Borodino, wrote as follows to Josephine. 
 His letter was dated September 8, 1812. 
 
 " MY GOOD MOTHER, I write you from the 
 field of battle. The Emperor has gained a 
 great victory over the Russians. The battle 
 lasted thirteen hours. I commanded the right, 
 and hope that the Emperor will be satisfied. 
 
 "I can not sufficiently thank you for youi 
 attentions and kindness to my little family. 
 You are adored at Milan, as everywhere else. 
 They write me most charming accounts of you, 
 and you have won the love of every one with 
 whom you have become acquainted. Adieu ! 
 Please give tidings of me to my sister. I wili 
 write her to-morrow. Your affectionate son, 
 
 " EUGENE."
 
 1813.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 191 
 
 Napoleon arrives in Paris. 
 
 The latter part of October of this year, 1812, 
 Napoleon commenced his awful retreat from 
 Moscow. Josephine and Hortense were much 
 of the time together in a state of indescribable 
 suspense and anguish. At midnight, on the 
 18th of December, Napoleon arrived in Paris. 
 The disasters in Russia had caused a new coa- 
 lition of all the dynasties against France. The 
 Emperor of Austria, unmindful of the marriage 
 of his daughter with Napoleon, had joined the 
 coalition with all the military powers of his 
 empire. The majestic army with which Na- 
 poleon had invaded Russia was almost annihi- 
 lated, and nearly two millions of bayonets 
 were now directed against the Republican Em- 
 pire. 
 
 All France rose with enthusiasm to co-oper- 
 ate with Napoleon in his endeavors to resist 
 the thronging foes. By the middle of April, 
 nearly three hundred thousand men were on 
 the march from France towards Germany, gal- 
 lantly to meet the onswelling flood of more 
 than a million of bayonets. On the 15th of 
 April, 1818, at four o'clock in the morning, Na- 
 poleon left St. Cloud for the seat of war. The 
 terrific campaign of Lutzen, Bautzen, Dresden, 
 and Leipsic ensued.
 
 192 HORTENSE. [1813. 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 Days of darkness were lowering around the 
 Empire. The health of Hortense rendered it 
 necessary for her to go to the springs of Aix in 
 Savoy. Her two children were left with her 
 mother at Malmaison. Under date of June 
 11. 1813, the Empress wrote to her daughter: 
 
 " I have received your letter of the 7th, my 
 dear Hortense. I see with pleasure that you 
 have already been benefited by the waters. I 
 advise you to continue them, in taking, as you 
 do, a few days of repose. Be very tranquil 
 respecting your children. They are perfectly 
 well. Their complexion is of the lily and the 
 rose. I can assure you that since they have 
 been here they have not had the slightest in- 
 disposition. I must relate to you a very 
 pretty response on the part of Oui Out. The 
 Abbe* Bertrand caused him to read a fable 
 where there was a question about metamorpho- 
 sis. Being called to explain the^word, he said 
 to the abbe* : 
 
 " ' I wish I could change myself into a little 
 bird, I would then fly away at the hour of 
 your lesson ; but I would return when M. Hase 
 (his teacher of German) arrived.' 
 
 " 'But, prince,' remarked the abbe", 'it is not 
 yery polite for you to say that to me.' ' Oh, 1
 
 THE DEATH OF MADAME BROO
 
 1813.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 195 
 
 Death of Madame Broc. 
 
 replied Oui Oui, l that which 1 say is only for 
 the lesson, not for the man.' 
 
 " Do you not think, with me, that that rep- 
 artee was very spirituellef It was impossible 
 for him to extricate himself from the embar- 
 rassment with more delicacy and gracefulness. 
 Your children were with me when I received 
 your letter. They were very happy to receive 
 tidings from their mamma. Continue to write 
 often, my dear daughter, for their sake and for 
 mine. It is the only means to enable me to 
 support your absence." 
 
 While upon this visit to Aix, Hortense was 
 accompanied by her inseparable friend, Ma- 
 dame Broc. One day Hortense and Adele 
 were ascending a mountain, whose summit 
 commanded a very magnificent view. Their 
 path led over a deep, dark, craggy ravine, 
 which was swept by a mountain torrent, foam- 
 ing and roaring over the rocks. Alpine firs, 
 casting a gloomy shade, clung to its sides. A 
 frail rustic bridge crossed the chasm. Hor- 
 tense with light step passed over in safety. 
 Madame Broc followed. A piercing shriek 
 was heard, followed by a crash. As Hortense 
 turned round she saw that the bridge had 
 given way, and her companion was falling,
 
 196 HORTENSE. [1813. 
 
 Hortense at Aix. 
 
 torn and mangled, from rock to rock, till the 
 rushing torrent seized her and whirled her 
 lifeless body down the gulf in its wild waters. 
 There was no possibility of rescue. For a 
 moment the fluttering robes of the unfortunate 
 lady were seen in the midst of the surging 
 flood, and then the body was swept away far 
 down the dismal gorge. 
 
 The shock which this frightful accident 
 gave to the nerves of Hortense was like that 
 which she experienced at the death of her son. 
 For a time she seemed stunned by the blow, 
 and reason tottered on its throne. Instead of 
 flying from Aix, she lingered there. As soon 
 as she partially recovered tranquillity, she 
 sought to divert her grief by entering the 
 abodes of sickness, sorrow, and suffering in 
 the neighborhood, administering relief with 
 her own hands. She established a hospital at 
 Aix from her own private funds for the indi- 
 gent, and, like an angel of mercy, clothed the 
 naked and fed the hungry, and, while her own 
 heart was breaking, spoke words of consolation 
 to the world-weary. 
 
 In reference to this event Josephine wrote 
 from Malmaison to Hortense at Aix, under 
 date of June 16, 1813:
 
 1813.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 197 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 " What a horrible accident, my dear Hor- 
 tense ! What a friend you have lost, and by 
 what a frightful calamity ! Since yesterday, 
 when I heard of it, I have been so horror- 
 struck as not to be able to write to you. Ev- 
 ery moment I have before my eyes the fate of 
 that poor Adele. Every body is in tears for 
 her. She was so beloved, so worthy of being 
 beloved, by her excellent qualities and by her 
 attachment for you. I can think of nothing 
 but what condition you are in. I am so anx- 
 ious, that I send my chamberlain, M. Turpin, 
 to you, that he may give me more certain in- 
 telligence respecting your health. I shall 
 make haste to leave myself for a short time, 
 that my presence and my care may be useful 
 to you. I feel keenly your grief. It is too 
 well founded. But, my dear daughter, think 
 of your children, who are so worthy of your 
 love. Preserve yourself for them! Think 
 also of your mother, who loves you tenderly. 
 
 " JOSEPHINE." 
 
 Thus blow after blow fell upon the heart 
 of poor Hortense. Two days after the above 
 date Josephine wrote again, in reply to a letter 
 from her daughter :
 
 198 HORTENSE. [1813. 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 " Your letter has reanimated me, my dear 
 Hortense. In the dejection in which I was, I 
 experienced true consolation in seeing your 
 hand-writing, and in being assured by your- 
 self that you try to conquer your grief. I 
 fully realize how much it must cost you. 
 Your letter, so tender, so touching, has renew- 
 ed my tears. Ever since this frightful accident 
 1 have been sick. Alas! my dear daughter, 
 you did not need this new trial. 
 
 " I have embraced your children for you. 
 They also are deeply afflicted, and think of 
 you very much. I am consoled in thinking 
 that you will not forget us. I thank you for 
 it, my dear Hortense, my daughter tenderly 
 beloved." 
 
 Again, a few days after, this affectionate 
 mother wrote to her grief-stricken child : 
 
 "I can not permit your courier to leave 
 without transmitting to you intelligence from 
 me; without letting you know how much I 
 think of you. I fear that you may surrender 
 yourself too much to the grief which you have 
 experienced. I shall not feel reassured until 
 M. Turpin shall have returned. Think of 
 your charming children, my dear Hortense. 
 Think also of a mother who adores you, and
 
 1813.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 199 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 whom your life alone attaches to the world. I 
 hope that all these motives will give you cour- 
 age to support with more resignation the loss 
 of a friend so tender. 
 
 "I have just received a letter from Eugene. 
 He fully shares your grief, and desires that 
 you should go and pass some time with him, 
 if you have sufficient strength. I should be 
 happy to know that you were with him. 
 Your children are enjoying perfect health. 
 They are truly interesting. It would, indeed, 
 touch your feelings if you knew how much 
 they think of you. Life is very precious, and 
 one clings to it when one has such good chil- 
 dren. Adieu t my daughter. Think often of 
 a mother who loves you tenderly, and who 
 tenderly embraces you." 
 
 As nothing can more clearly reveal than do 
 these confidential letters the character of Hor- 
 tense, and the domestic relations of this illus- 
 trious and afflicted family, I insert them freely. 
 They give us a rare view of .those griefs of 
 our suffering humanity which are found in 
 the palace no less than in the cottage. On 
 the 29th of June, Josephine wrote again to 
 Hortense : 
 
 " M. De Turpin has brought me your letter,
 
 200 HORTENSE. [1813. 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 mj dear daughter. I see with pain how sad 
 and melancholy you still are. But it is, at 
 least, a great consolation to me to be assured 
 that your health has not severely suffered. 
 Take courage, my dear Hortense. I hope that 
 happiness will yet be your lot. You have 
 passed through many trials. Have not all 
 persons their griefs? The only difference is 
 in the greater or less fortitude of soul with 
 which one supports them. That which ought 
 particularly to soothe your grief is that every 
 one shares it with you. There are none who 
 do not regret our poor Adele as much for 
 themselves as for you. 
 
 "Your children mourn over your sorrows. 
 Every thing announces in them an excellent 
 character, and a strong attachment for you. 
 The more I see of them the more I love them. 
 Nevertheless, I do not spoil them. Feel easy 
 on their account. We follow exactly what 
 you have prescribed for their regimen and 
 their studies. When they have done well 
 during the week, I invite them to breakfast 
 and dine with me on the Sabbath. The proof 
 that they are in good health is that they have 
 grown much. Napoleon had one eye slightly 
 inflamed yesterday from the sting of a gnat
 
 1813.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 201 
 
 Letter from Josephine. 
 
 He was not, however, oil that account, less 
 well than usual. To-day it is no longer mani- 
 fest. It would not be worth mentioning, were 
 we not in the habit of rendering you an exact 
 account of every thing which concerns them." 
 
 On the 6th of August Josephine wrote as 
 follows : 
 
 "The beautiful days of .summer have at 
 last come with the month of August. I 
 hope that they will strengthen you, my dear 
 daughter. Your lungs will feel the influence 
 of them, and the baths will do you much 
 more good. I see with pleasure that you 
 have not forgotten the years of your child- 
 hood, and you are very kind to your mother 
 in recalling them to her. I did right in mak- 
 ing happy, too, children so good and so affec- 
 tionate, and they have since abundantly rec- 
 ompensed me for it. Your children will do 
 the same for you, my dear Hortense. Their 
 hearts resemble yours. They will never cease 
 to love you. Their health is wonderfully 
 good, and they have never been more fresh 
 and vigorous. 
 
 " The little Oui Oui is always gallant and 
 amiable to me. Two days ago, in seeing Ma- 
 dame Tascher leave us, who went to join her
 
 202 HORTENSE. [1813. 
 
 Disasters to Napoleon. 
 
 husband at the springs, he said to Madame 
 Boucheporn : 
 
 '"She must love her husband very much in^ 
 deed, to be willing, for him, to leave my grand- 
 mother!' 
 
 "Do you not think that was charming? 
 On the same day he went to walk in the 
 woods of Butard. As soon as he was in the 
 grand avenue, he threw his hat in the air, 
 shouting, ' Oh, how I love beautiful nature !'* 
 
 " Not a day passes in which some one is not 
 amused by his amiability. The children ani- 
 mate all around me. Judge if you have not 
 rendered me happy in leaving them with me. 
 I can not be more happy until the day when 
 I shall see you." 
 
 Disaster now followed disaster as the allied 
 armies, in resistless numbers, crowded down 
 upon France. The carnage of Dresden and 
 Leipsic compelled the Emperor, in November, 
 to return to Paris to raise reinforcements. 
 
 * All will read with interest the above anecdotes of the 
 childhood of Louis Napoleon, now Emperor of France, flis 
 manhood has more than fulfilled even the great promise of 
 his early days. The stories which have been circulated in 
 this country respecting his early dissipation are entirely un- 
 founded. They originated in an error by which another 
 trince Bonaparte was mistaken for him.
 
 1814.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 203 
 
 Embarrassment of Maria Louisa. 
 
 Though he had been victorious in almost ev- 
 ry battle, still the surging billows of his foes, 
 flowing in upon him from all directions, could 
 not be rolled back. 
 
 Maria Louisa was in a state of great em- 
 barrassment, and dreaded to see her husband. 
 Her father, the Emperor of Austria, at the head 
 of an immense army, was marching against 
 France. When Napoleon, returning from the 
 terrific strife, entered her apartment, Maria 
 Louisa threw herself into his arms, and, unable 
 to utter a word, burst into a flood of tears. 
 Napoleon, having completed his arrangements 
 for still maintaining the struggle, on the 25th 
 of January, 1814, embraced his wife and child, 
 and returned to the seat of war. He never 
 saw wife or child again. 
 
 As his carriage left the door of the palace, 
 the Emperor, pressing his forehead with his 
 hand, said to Caulaincourt, who accompanied 
 him, " I envy the lot of the meanest peasant 
 of my empire. At my age he has discharged 
 his debts to his country, and may remain at 
 home enjoying the society of his wife and chil- 
 dren, while I I must fly to the 'camp and en- 
 gage in the strife of war. Such is the man- 
 date of my inexplicable destiny."
 
 204 HOBTENSE. [1814 
 
 Napoleon's last interview with Josephine. 
 
 After a moment's reverie, he added, " My 
 good Louise is gentle and submissive. I can 
 dapend on her. Her love and fidelity will 
 never fail me. In the current of events there 
 may arise circumstances which will decide the 
 fate of an empire. In that case I hope that 
 the daughter of the Caesars will be inspired by 
 the spirit of her grandmother, Maria Theresa." 
 
 The struggle which ensued was short but 
 awful. In the midst of these terrific scenes 
 Napoleon kept up an almost daily correspond- 
 ence with Josephine. On one occasion, when 
 the surgings of the battle brought him within 
 a few miles of Malmaison, he turned aside and 
 sought a hurried interview with his most faith- 
 ful friend. It was their last meeting. Napo- 
 leon took the hand of Josephine, and, gazing 
 tenderly upon her, said : 
 
 "Josephine, I have been as fortunate as ever 
 was man upon the face of this earth. But in 
 this hour, when a storm is gathering over my 
 head, I have not in this wide world any one 
 but you upon whom I can repose." 
 
 Soon after this, as the seat of war approach- 
 ed nearer to Paris, Josephine found it necessa- 
 ry to retire to Navarre. She wrote to Hor- 
 tense, on the 28th of March : " To-morrow I
 
 1814.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 205 
 
 Josephine goes to Navarre. 
 
 shall leave for Navarre. I have but sixteen 
 men for a guard, and all wounded. I shall 
 take care of them ; but in truth I have no 
 need of them. I am so unhappy in being sep- 
 arated from my children that I am indifferent 
 respecting my fate." 
 
 At eight o'clock in the morning of the 29th 
 Josephine took her carriage for Navarre. The 
 Allies were rapidly approaching Paris, and a 
 state of indescribable consternation filled the 
 streets of the metropolis. Several times on 
 the route the Empress was alarmed by the cry 
 that the Cossacks were coming. The day was 
 dark and stormy, and the rain fell in torrents. 
 The pole of the carriage broke as the wheels 
 sunk in a rut. Just at that moment a troop 
 of horsemen appeared in the distance. The 
 Empress, in her terror, supposing them to be 
 the barbarous Cossacks, leaped from the car- 
 riage and fled through the fields. Was there 
 ever a more cruel reverse of fortune ? Jose- 
 phine, the Empress of France, the admired of 
 all Europe, in the frenzy of her alarm, rushing 
 through the storm and the rain to seek refuge 
 in the woods! The troops proved to be French. 
 Her attendants followed and informed her of 
 the mistake. She again entered her carriage,
 
 206 HORTENSE. [1814. 
 
 Letter from Napoleon. 
 
 and uttered scarcely a word during the rest of 
 her journey. Upon entering the palace of 
 Navarre, she threw herself upon a couch, ex- 
 claiming: 
 
 " Surely Bonaparte is ignorant of what is 
 passing within sight of the gates of Paris, or, 
 if he knows, how cruel the thoughts which 
 must now agitate his breast." 
 
 In a hurried letter which the Emperor wrote 
 Josephine from Brienne, just after a desperate 
 engagement with his vastly outnumbering foes, 
 he said : 
 
 " On beholding the scenes where I had pass- 
 ed my boyhood, and comparing my peaceful 
 condition then with the agitation and terrors I 
 now experience, I several times said, in my 
 own mind, ' I have sought to meet death in 
 many conflicts. I can no longer fear it. To 
 me death would now be a blessing. But I 
 would once more see Josephine.' " 
 
 Immediately after Josephine's arrival at Na- 
 varre, she wrote to Hortense, urging that she 
 should join her at that place. In the letter she 
 eaid: 
 
 " I can not tell you how sad I am. I have 
 had fortitude in afflicted positions in which I 
 have found myself, and I shall have enough
 
 1814.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 20T 
 
 Napoleon abdicates. 
 
 to bear my reverses of fortune ; but I have not 
 sufficient to sustain me under absence from my 
 children, and uncertainty respecting their fate. 
 For two days I have not ceased to weep. Send 
 me tidings respecting yourself and your chil- 
 dren. If you can learn any thing respecting 
 Eugene and his family, inform me." 
 
 Two days after this, Hortense, with her two 
 sons, joined her mother at Navarre. Paris was 
 soon in the hands of the Allies. The Emperor 
 Alexander invited Josephine and Hortense to 
 return to Malmaison, where he established a 
 guard for their protection. Soon after Napo- 
 leon abdicated at Fontainebleau. Upon the 
 eve of his departure for Elba, he wrote to Jo- 
 sephine : 
 
 "I wrote to you on the 8ih. Possibly you 
 have not received my letter. It may have 
 been intercepted. At present communications 
 must be re-established. I have formed my 
 resolution. I have no doubt that this billet 
 will reach you. I will not repeat what I said 
 to you. Then I lamented my situation. Now 
 I congratulate myself thereon. My head and 
 spirit are freed from an enormous weight. My 
 fall is great, but at least is useful, as men say. 
 Adieu ! my dear Josephine. Be resigned as I
 
 208 HORTENSE. [1814. 
 
 Kindness of Alexander. 
 
 am, and ever remember him who never forgets 
 and never will forget you." 
 
 Josephine returned to Malmaison, and Hor- 
 tense repaired to Eambouillet, to join Maria 
 Louisa in these hours of perplexity and disas- 
 ter. As soon as Maria Louisa set out under 
 an Austrian escort for Vienna, Hortense rejoin- 
 ed her mother at Malmaison. Alexander was 
 particularly attentive to Josephine and Hor- 
 tense. He had loved Napoleon, and his sym- 
 pathies were now deeply excited for his afflict- 
 ed family. Through his kind offices, the beau- 
 tiful estate of St. Leu, which Louis Bonaparte 
 had owned, and which he had transferred to 
 his wife, was erected into a duchy for her ad- 
 vantage, and the right of inheritance was vest- 
 ed in her children. The ex-Queen of Holland 
 now took the title of the Duchess of St. Leu. 
 
 On the 10th of May the Emperor Alexander 
 dined with Josephine at Malmaison. Grief, 
 and a season unusually damp and cheerless, 
 had seriously undermined her health. Not- 
 withstanding acute bodily suffering, she exert- 
 ed herself to the utmost to entertain her guests. 
 At night she was worse and at times was de- 
 lirious. Not long after this, Alexander and 
 the King of Prussia were both guests to dine
 
 1814.] DEATH OF JOSEPHINE. 209 
 
 Illness of Josephine. 
 
 at Malmaison. The health of Josephine was 
 such that she was urged by her friends not to 
 leave her bed. She insisted, however, upon 
 dressing to receive the allied sovereigns. Her 
 sufferings increased, and she was obliged to 
 retire, leaving Hortense to supply her place. 
 
 The next day Alexander kindly called to 
 inquire for her health. Hour after hour she 
 seemed to be slowly failing. On the morning 
 of the 28th she fell into a lethargic sleep, 
 which lasted for five hours, and her case was 
 pronounced hopeless. Eugene and Hortense 
 were at her side. The death-hour had come. 
 The last rites of religion were administered to 
 the dying. The Emperor Alexander was also 
 in this chamber of grief. Josephine was per- 
 fectly rational. She called for the portrait of 
 Napoleon, and, gazing upon it long and tender- 
 ly, breathed the following prayer: 
 
 " O God, watch over Napoleon while he re- 
 mains in the desert of this world. Alas! 
 though he hath committed great faults, hath 
 he not expiated them by great sufferings? 
 Just God, thou hast looked into his heart, and 
 hast seen by how ardent a desire for useful 
 and durable improvements he was animated. 
 Deign to approve this my last petition, and 
 
 314
 
 210 HORTENSE. [1814 
 
 Death of Josephine. 
 
 may this image of my husband bear me wit* 
 ness that my latest wish and my latest prayer 
 were for him and for my children." 
 
 Her last words were "Island of Elba No,- 
 pokon." It was the 29th of May, 1814. For 
 four days her body remained laid out in state, 
 surrounded with numerous tapers. "Every 
 road," writes a French historian, " from Paris 
 and its environs to Kuel was crowded with 
 trains of mourners. Sad groups thronged all 
 the avenues ; and I could distinguish tears even 
 in the splendid equipages which came rattling 
 across the court-yard." 
 
 More than twenty thousand persons mon- 
 archs, nobles, statesmen, and weeping peasants 
 thronged the chateau of Malmaison to take- 
 the iast look of the remains of one who had 
 been universally beloved. The funeral took 
 place at noon of the 2d of June. The re- 
 mains were deposited in the little church of 
 Euel. A beautiful mausoleum of white mar- 
 ble, representing the Empress kneeling in he* 
 coronation robes, bears the simple inscription: 
 
 EUGENE AND HORTENSB 
 
 TO 
 
 JOSEPHINE.
 
 1814.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 211 
 
 Eugene meets Louis XVIII. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 
 
 THERE probably never was a more tender, 
 loving mother than Josephine. And it 
 is not possible that any children could be 
 more intensely devoted to a parent than were 
 Eugene and Hortense to their mother. The 
 grief of these bereaved children was heart- 
 rending. Poor Hortense was led from the 
 grave almost delirious with woe. Etiquette 
 required that Eugene, passing through Paris, 
 should pay his respects to Louis XYIII. The 
 king had remarkable tact in paying compli- 
 ments. Eugene announced himself simply as 
 General Beauharnais. He thanked the king 
 for the kind treatment extended by the allied 
 monarchs to his mother and his sister. Hor- 
 tense was also bound, by the laws of courtesy, 
 to call upon the king in expression of grati- 
 tude. They were both received with so much 
 cordiality as to expose the king to the accusa- 
 tion of having become a rank Bonapartist. 
 On the other hand, Eugene and Hortense were
 
 212 HORTENSE. [1814 
 
 Hortense in Paris. 
 
 censured by the partisan press for accepting 
 any favors from the Allies. After the inter- 
 view of Louis XVIII. with Hortense, in which 
 she thanked him for the Duchy of St. Leu, the 
 king said to the Duke de Duras : " Never 
 have I seen a woman uniting such grace to 
 such distinguished manners; and lam a judge 
 ot women." 
 
 It is very difficult to ascertain with accuracy 
 the movements of Hortense during the inde- 
 scribable tumult of the next few succeeding 
 months. The Duke of Rovigo says that Hor- 
 tense reproached the Emperor Alexander for 
 turning against Napoleon, for whom he for- 
 merly had manifested so much friendship. 
 But the Emperor replied: "I was compelled 
 to yield to the wishes of the Allies. As for 
 myself personally, I wash my hands of every 
 thing which has been done." 
 
 The death of Josephine and the departure 
 of Eugene left Hortense, bereaved and deject- 
 ed, almost alone in Paris with her two children. 
 Their intelligence and vivacity had deeply in- 
 terested Alexander and other royal guests, 
 who had cordially paid their tribute of respect 
 and sympathy to their mother. Napoleon 
 had taken a deep interest in the education of
 
 1814.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 213 
 
 Interest of Napoleon in the princea. 
 
 the two princes, as he was aware of the frailty 
 of life, and as the death of the King of Rome 
 would bring them in the direct line to the in- 
 heritance of the crown. 
 
 The Emperor generally breakfasted alone 
 when at home, at a small table in his cabinet. 
 The two sons of Hortense were frequently 
 admitted, that they might interest him with 
 their infant prattle. The Emperor would tell 
 them a story, and have them repeat it after 
 him, that he might ascertain the accuracy of 
 their memory. Any indication of intellectual 
 superiority excited in his mind the most lively 
 satisfaction. Mademoiselle Cochelet, who was 
 the companion and reader of Queen Hortense, 
 relates the following anecdote of Louis Napo- 
 leon: 
 
 " The two princes were in intelligence quite 
 in advance of their years. This proceeded 
 from the care which their mother gave herself 
 to form their characters and to develop their 
 faculties. They were, however, too young to 
 understand all the strange scenes which were 
 transpiring around them. As they had always 
 beheld in the members of their own family, in 
 their uncles and aunts, kings and queens, when 
 the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia
 
 214 H.ORTENSE. [1814. 
 
 Anecdote of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 were first introduced to them, the little Louis 
 Napoleon asked if they were also their uncles, 
 and if they were to be called so. 
 
 " ' No,' was the reply ; * they are not your 
 uncles. You will simply address them as sire.' 
 
 " ' But are not all kings our uncles ?' in- 
 quired the young prince. 
 
 " ' Far from being your uncle,' was the reply, 
 'they have come, in their turn, as conquer- 
 ors.' 
 
 "'Then they are the enemies,' said Louis 
 Napoleon, 'of our uncle, the Emperor. Why, 
 then, do they embrace us ?' 
 
 " ' Because the Emperor of Eussia, whom 
 you see, is a generous enemy. He wishes to 
 be useful to you and to your mamma. But 
 for him you would no longer have any thing; 
 and the condition of your uncle, the Emperor, 
 would be more unhappy.' 
 
 " ' We ought, then, to love this Emperor, 
 ought we ?' 
 
 " * Yes, certainly,' was the reply ; ' for you 
 owe him your gratitude.' 
 
 "The next time the Emperor Alexander call- 
 ed upon Hortense, little Louis Napoleon, who 
 was naturally very retiring and reticent, took 
 ft ring which his uncle Eugene had given him,
 
 1814.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 215 
 
 Removal of the remains of Napoleon Charles. 
 
 and, stealing timidly over to Alexander, slip* 
 ped the ring into his hand, and, half frightened, 
 ran away with all speed. Hortense called the 
 child to her, and asked him what he had done. 
 Blushing deeply, the warm-hearted boy said: 
 
 " ' I have nothing but the ring. I wanted to 
 give it to the Emperor, because he is good to 
 my mamma.' 
 
 " Alexander cordially embraced the prince, 
 and, putting the ring upon his watch-chain, 
 promised that he would always wear it." 
 
 The remains of Napoleon Charles, who had 
 died in Holland, had been deposited, by direc- 
 tion of Napoleon, in the vaults of St. Denis, 
 the ancient burial-place of the kings of France. 
 So great was the jealousy of the Bourbons of 
 the aame of Napoleon, and so unwilling were 
 they to recognize in any way the right of the 
 people to elect their own sovereign, that the 
 government of Louis XVIII. ordered the body 
 to be immediately removed. Hortense trans- 
 ferred the remains of her child to the church 
 of St. Leu. 
 
 Notwithstanding this jealousy, Alexander 
 and the King of Prussia could not ignore the 
 imperial character of Napoleon, whose govern- 
 ment they had recognized, and with whom
 
 216 HORTENSE. [1814. 
 
 Titles of the princes. 
 
 they had exchanged ambassadors and formed 
 treaties : neither could they deny that the King 
 of Holland had won a crown recognized by all 
 Europe. They and the other crowned heads, 
 who paid their respects to Hortense, in accord- 
 ance with the etiquette of courts, invariably 
 addressed each of the princes as Your Royal 
 Highness. Hortense had not accustomed them 
 to this homage. She had always addressed 
 the eldest as Napoleon, the youngest as Louis. 
 It was her endeavor to impress them with the 
 idea that they could be nothing more than their 
 characters entitled them to be. But after this, 
 when the Bourbon Government assumed that 
 Napoleon was an usurper, and that popular 
 suffrage could give no validity to the crown, 
 then did Hortense, in imitation of Napoleon at 
 St. Helena, firmly resist the insolence. Then 
 did she teach her children that they were 
 princes, that they were entitled to the throne 
 of France by the highest of all earthly author- 
 ity the almost unanimous voice of the French 
 people and that the Bourbons, trampling pop- 
 ular rights beneath their feet, and ascending 
 the throne through the power of foreign bay- 
 onets, were usurpers. 
 
 Madame Cochelet, the reader of Queen Hor-
 
 HORTENSE AXD HER CHILDREN.
 
 1814.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 219 
 
 Conversation with the princes. 
 
 tense, writes, in her interesting memoirs : " I 
 have often seen her take her two boys on her 
 knees, and talk with them in order to form 
 their ideas. It was a curious conversation to 
 listen to, in those days of the splendors of the 
 empire, when those children were the heirs of 
 so many crowns, which the Emperor was dis- 
 tributing to his brothers, his officers, his allies. 
 Having questioned them on every thing they 
 knew already, she passed in review whatever 
 they should know besides, if they were to rely 
 upon their own resources for a livelihood. 
 
 " Suppose you had no money," said Hor- 
 tense to the eldest, " and were alone in the 
 world, what would you do, Napoleon, to sup- 
 port yourself?" 
 
 " I would become a soldier," was the reply, 
 " and would fight so well that I should soon 
 be made an officer." 
 
 " And Louis," she inquired of the younger, 
 " how would you provide for yourself?" 
 
 The little prince, who was then but about 
 five years old, had listened very thoughtfully 
 to all that was said. Knowing that the gun 
 and the knapsack were altogether beyond his 
 strength, he replied: 
 
 " I would sell violet bouquets, like the little
 
 220 HORTENSE. [1815. 
 
 Louis Bonaparte demands the children. 
 
 boy at the gate of the Tuileries, from whom 
 we purchase them every day." 
 
 The boy is father of the man. Such has 
 been Louis Napoleon from that hour to this; 
 the quiet student hating war, loving peace 
 all-devoted to the arts of utility and of beauty. 
 He has been the great pacificator of Europe. 
 But for his unwearied efforts, the Continent 
 would have been again and again in a blaze 
 of war. As all present at this conversation 
 smiled, in view of the unambitious projects of 
 the prince, Hortense replied : 
 
 " This is one of my lessons. The misfortune 
 of princes born on the throne is that they think 
 every thing is their due ; that they are formed 
 of a different nature from other men, and there- 
 fore never feel under any obligations to them. 
 They are ignorant of human miseries, or think 
 themselves beyond their reach. Thus, when 
 misfortunes come, they are surprised, terrified, 
 and always remain sunk below their destinies." 
 
 The Allies retired, with their conquering 
 armies. Hortense remained with her children 
 in Paris. Louis Bonaparte, sick and dejected, 
 took up his residence in Italy. He demanded 
 the children. A mother's love clung to them 
 with tenacity which could not be relaxed.
 
 1815.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 221 
 
 Hortense meets the Emperor. 
 
 There was an appeal to the courts. Hortense 
 employed the most eminent counsel to plead 
 her cause. Eleven months passed away from 
 the time of the abdication ; and upon the very 
 day when the court rendered its decision, that 
 the father should have the eldest child, and 
 the mother the youngest, Napoleon landed at 
 Cannes, and commenced his almost miraculous 
 march to Paris. The sublime transactions of 
 the " One Hundred Days " caused all other 
 events, for a time, to be forgotten. 
 
 Hortense was at the Tuileries, one of the 
 first to greet the Emperor as he was borne in 
 triumph, upon the shoulders of the people, up 
 the grand staircase. "Sire," said Hortense, "I 
 had a presentiment that you would return, and 
 I waited for you here." The Allies had robbed 
 the Emperor of his son, and the child was a 
 prisoner with his mother in the palaces of Vi- 
 enna. Very cordially Napoleon received his 
 two nephews, and kept them continually near 
 him. With characteristic devotion to the prin- 
 ciple of universal suffrage, Napoleon submitted 
 the question of his re-election to the throne of 
 the empire to the French people. More than 
 a million of votes over all other parties re- 
 sponded in the affirmative.
 
 222 HORTENSE. [1815, 
 
 Reinauguration of the Emperor. 
 
 On the first of June, 1815, the Emperor was- 
 reinaugurated on the field of Mars, and the 
 eagles were restored to the banners. It was 
 one of the most imposing pageants Paris had 
 ever witnessed. Hundreds of thousands crowd- 
 ed that magnificent parade-ground. As the 
 Emperor presented the eagles to the army, a. 
 roar as of reverberating thunder swept along 
 the lines. By the side of the Emperor, upon 
 the platform, sat his two young nephews. He 
 presented them separately to the departments, 
 and the army as in the direct line of inherit- 
 ance. This scene must have produced a pro- 
 found impression upon the younger child, Louis 
 Napoleon, who was so thoughtful, reflective, 
 and pensive. 
 
 In the absence of Maria Louisa, who no lon- 
 ger had her liberty, Hortense presided at the 
 Tuileries. Inheriting the spirit of her mother, 
 she was unfailing in deeds of kindness to the 
 many Royalists who were again ruined by the 
 return of Napoleon. Her audience -chamber 
 was ever crowded by those who, through her, 
 sought to obtain access to the ear of the Em- 
 peror. Napoleon was overwhelmed by too 
 many public cares to give much personal at- 
 tention to private interests.
 
 1815.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 223 
 
 Anecdote of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 The evening before Napoleon left his cabi- 
 net for his last campaign, which resulted in the 
 disaster at Waterloo, he was in his cabinet con- 
 versing with Marshal Soult. The door was 
 gently opened, and little Louis Napoleon crept 
 silently into the apartment. His features were 
 swollen with an expression of the profoundest 
 grief, which he seemed to be struggling in vain, 
 to repress. Tremblingly he approached the 
 Emperor, and, throwing himself upon his knees, 
 buried his face in his two hands in the Empe- 
 ror's lap, and burst into a flood of tears. 
 
 " What is the matter, Louis ?" said the Em- 
 peror, kindly ; " why do you interrupt me, and 
 why do you weep so ?" 
 
 The young prince was so overcome with 
 emotion that for some time he could not utter 
 a syllable. At last, in words interrupted by 
 sobs, he said, 
 
 " Sire, my governess has told me that you 
 are going away to the war. Oh ! do not go ! 
 do not go!" 
 
 The Emperor, much moved, passed his fin- 
 gers through the clustering ringlets of the 
 -child, and said, tenderly, 
 
 "My child, this is not the first time that I 
 have been to the war. Why are you so afflict-
 
 224 HORTENSE. [1815, 
 
 Anecdote of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 ed ? Do not fear for me. I shall soon come 
 back again." 
 
 " Oh I my dear uncle," exclaimed the child, 
 weeping convulsively ; " those wicked Allies 
 wish to kill you. Let me go with you, dear 
 uncle, let me go with you !" 
 
 The Emperor made no reply, but, taking 
 Louis Napoleon upon his knee, pressed him to 
 his heart with much apparent emotion. Then 
 calling Hortense, the mother of the child, he- 
 said to her : 
 
 " Take away my nephew, Hortense, and rep- 
 rimand his governess, who, by her inconsid- 
 erate words, has so deeply excited his sympa- 
 thies." 
 
 Then, after a few affectionate words address- 
 ed to the young prince, he was about to hand 
 him to his mother, when he perceived that 
 Marshal Soult was much moved by the scene. 
 
 " Embrace the child, Marshal," said the Em 
 peror; "he has a warm heart and a noble soul. 
 Perhaps he is to be the hope of my race /" 
 
 Napoleon returned from the disaster at Wa- 
 terloo with all his hopes blighted. Hortense 
 hastened to meet him, and to unite her fate with 
 his. " It is my duty," she said. " The Em- 
 peror has always treated me as his child, and I
 
 1815.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 225 
 
 Hortens'e meets Napoleon. 
 
 will try, in return, to be his devoted and grate- 
 ful daughter." In conversation with Hortense,. 
 Napoleon remarked : " Give myself up to Aus- 
 tria! Never. She has seized upon my wife 
 and my son. Give myself up to Russia ! That 
 would be to a single man. But to give my- 
 self up to England, that would be to throw 
 myself upon a people." His friends assured 
 him that, though he might rely upon the honor 
 of the British people, he could not trust to the 
 British Government. Hortense repaired to Mai- 
 maison with her two sons, where the Emperor 
 soon rejoined her. " She restrained her own. 
 tears," writes Baron Fleury, " reminding us r 
 with the wisdom of a philosopher and the 
 sweetness of an angel, that we ought to sur- 
 mount our sorrows and regrets, and submit 
 with docility to the decrees of Providence." 
 
 It was necessary for Napoleon to come to a 
 prompt decision. The Allies now nearly sur- 
 rounded Paris. On the 29th of June the Em- 
 peror sat in his library at Malmaison, exhaust- 
 ed with care and grief. Hortense, though with 
 swollen eyes and a heart throbbing with an- 
 guish, did every thing which a daughter's love 
 could suggest to minister to the solace of her 
 afflicted father. Just before his departure to 
 315
 
 226 HORTENSE. [1815. 
 
 Departure of the Emperor. 
 
 Rochefort, where he intended to embark for 
 some foreign land, he called for his nephews, 
 to take leave of them. It was a very affecting 
 scene. Both of the children wept bitterly. 
 The soul of the little, pensive Louis Napoleon 
 was stirred to its utmost depths. He clung 
 frantically to his uncle, screaming and insisting 
 that he should go and " fire off the cannon I" 
 It was necessary to take him away by force. 
 
 "The Emperor was departing almost without 
 money. Hortense, after many entreaties, suc- 
 ceeded in making him accept her beautiful 
 necklace, valued at eight hundred thousand 
 francs. She sewed it up in a silk ribbon, 
 which he concealed in his dress. He did not, 
 however, find himself obliged to part with this 
 jewel till on his death-bed, when he intrusted 
 it to Count Montholon, with orders to restore 
 it to Hortense. This devoted man acquitted 
 himself successfully of this commission."* 
 
 Upon the departure of Napoleon, Hortense, 
 with her children, returned to Paris. She was 
 entreated by her friends to seek refuge in the 
 interior of France, as the Royalists were much 
 exasperated against her in consequence of her 
 reception of the Emperor. They assured her 
 
 * Life of Napoleon III., by Edward Roth.
 
 1815.] THE SOKROWS OF EXILE. 227 
 
 Anger of the Royalists. 
 
 that the army and the people would rally 
 around her and her children as the representa- 
 tives of the Empire. But Hortense replied : 
 
 " I must now undergo whatever fortune has 
 in store for me. I am nothing now. I cam 
 not pretend to make the people think that I 
 rally the troops around me. If I had been 
 Empress of France, I would have done every 
 thing to prolong the defense. But now it does 
 not become me to mingle my destinies with 
 such great interests, and I must be resigned." 
 
 In a few days the allied armies were again 
 in possession of Paris. The Royalists assumed; 
 so threatening an attitude towards her, that she 
 felt great solicitude for the safety of her chil- 
 dren. Many persons kindly offered to give 
 them shelter. But she was unwilling to com- 
 promise her friends by receiving from them 
 such marks of attention. A kind-hearted 
 woman, by the name of Madame Tessier, kept 
 a hose establishment on the Boulevard Mont- 
 martre. The children were intrusted to her 
 care, where they would be concealed from ob- 
 servation, and where they would still be per- 
 fectly comfortable. 
 
 Hortense had her residence in a hotel on tbe 
 Rue Cerutti. The Austrian Prince Schwartz-
 
 228 HORTENSE. [1815. 
 
 Hostility of the Allies. 
 
 nberg occupied the same hotel, and Hortense 
 hoped that this circumstance would add to her 
 security. But the Allies were now greatly ex- 
 asperated against the French people, who had 
 so cordially received the Emperor on his re- 
 turn from Elba. Even the Emperor Alexander 
 treated Hortense with marked coldness. He 
 called upon Prince Schwartzenberg without 
 making any inquiries for her. 
 
 The hostility of the Allies towards this un- 
 fortunate lady was so great, that on the 19th 
 of July Baron de Muffling, who commanded 
 Paris for the Allies, received an order to notify 
 the Duchess of St. Leu that she must leave 
 Paris within two hours. An escort of troops 
 was offered her, which amounted merely to an 
 armed guard, to secure her departure and to 
 mark her retreat As Hortense left Paris for 
 exile, she wrote a few hurried lines to a friend, 
 in which she said : 
 
 " I have been obliged to quit Paris, having 
 been positively expelled from it by the allied 
 armies. So greatly am I, a feeble woman, with, 
 her two children, dreaded, that the enemy'f 
 troops are posted all along our route, as they 
 say, to protect our passage, but in reality to 
 insure our departure."
 
 1815.J THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 229 
 
 Driven into exile. 
 
 Prince Schwartzenberg, who felt much sym- 
 pathy for Hortense, accompanied her, as a com- 
 panion and a protector, on her journey to the 
 frontiers of France. Little Louis Napoleon, 
 though then but seven years of age, seemed 
 fully to comprehend the disaster which had 
 overwhelmed them, and that they were ban- 
 ished from their native land. With intelli- 
 gence far above his years he conversed with 
 his mother, and she found great difficulty in 
 -consoling him. It was through the influence 
 of such terrible scenes as these that the char- 
 acter of that remarkable man has been formed. 
 
 It was nine o'clock in the evening when 
 Hortense and her two little boys, accompanied 
 by Prince Schwartzenberg, reached the Chateau 
 de Bercy, where they passed the night. The 
 next morning the journey was resumed to- 
 wards the frontiers. It was the intention of 
 Hortense to take refuge in a very retired coun- 
 try-seat which she owned at Pregny, in Swit- 
 zerland, near Geneva. At some points on her 
 journey the Royalists assailed her with re- 
 proaches. Again she was cheered by loudly- 
 expressed manifestations of the sympathy and 
 affection of the people. At Dijon the multi- 
 tude crowding around her carriage, supposing
 
 230 HORTENSE. [1815. 
 
 Takes refuge at Aix. 
 
 that she was being conveyed into captivity, 
 gallantly attempted a rescue. They were only 
 appeased by the assurance of Hortense that 
 she was under the protection of a friend. 
 
 Scarcely had this melancholy wanderer en- 
 tered upon her residence at Pregny, with the 
 title of the Duchess of St. Leu, ere the French 
 minister in Switzerland commanded the Swiss 
 government to issue an order expelling her 
 from the Swiss territory. Switzerland could 
 not safely disregard the mandate of the Bour- 
 bons of France, who were sustained in their 
 enthronement by allied Europe. Thus pur- 
 sued by the foes of the Empire, Hortense re- 
 paired to Aix, in Savoy. Here she met a cor- 
 dial welcome. The people remembered her 
 frequent visits to those celebrated springs, her 
 multiplied charities, and here still stood, as an 
 ever-during memorial of her kindness of heart, 
 the hospital which she had founded and so 
 munificently endowed. The magistrates at 
 Aix formally invited her to remain at Aix so 
 long as the Allied powers would allow her to 
 make that place her residence. 
 
 It seemed as though Hortense were destined 
 to drain the cup of sorrow to its dregs. Aix 
 was the scene of the dreadful death of Madame
 
 1815.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 231 
 
 Separation of the princes. 
 
 Broc, which we have above described. Every 
 thing around her reminded her of that terrible 
 calamity, and oppressed her spirits with the 
 deepest gloom. And, to add unutterably to 
 her anguish, an agent arrived at Aix from her 
 husband, Louis Bonaparte, furnished with all 
 competent legal powers to take custody of the 
 eldest child and convey him to his father in 
 Italy. It will be remembered that the court 
 had decided that the father should have the 
 eldest and the mother the youngest child. The 
 stormy events of the " Hundred Days " had in- 
 terrupted all proceedings upon this matter. 
 
 This separation was a terrible trial not only 
 to the mother, but to the two boys. The pe- 
 culiarities of their dispositions and tempera- 
 ments fitted them to assimilate admirably to- 
 gether. Napoleon Louis, the elder, was bold, 
 resolute, high-spirited. Louis Napoleon, the 
 younger, was gentle, thoughtful, and pensive. 
 The parting was very affecting Louis Napo- 
 leon throwing his arms around his elder broth- 
 er, and weeping as though his heart would 
 break. The thoughtful child, thus companion- 
 less, now turned to his mother with the full 
 flow of his affectionate nature. A French 
 writer, speaking of these scenes, says :
 
 232 HORTENSE. [Iblo. 
 
 Continued persecutions. 
 
 "The soul of Hortense had been already 
 steeped in misfortune, but her power of endur- 
 ance seemed at length exhausted. When she 
 had embraced her son for the last time, and 
 beheld the carriage depart which bore him 
 away, a deep despondency overwhelmed her 
 spirits. Her very existence became a dream ; 
 and it seemed a matter of indifference to her 
 whether her lot was to enjoy or to suffer, to be 
 persecuted, respected, or forgotten." 
 
 And now came another blow upon the be- 
 wildered brain and throbbing heart of Hor- 
 tense. The Allies did not deem it safe to al- 
 low Hortense and her child to reside so near 
 the frontiers of France. They knew that the 
 French people detested the Bourbons. They 
 knew that all France, upon the first favorable 
 opportunity, would rise in the attempt to re- 
 establish the Empire. The Sardinian govern- 
 ment was accordingly ordered to expel Hor- 
 tense from Savoy. Where should she go ? It 
 seemed as though all Europe would refuse a 
 home to this bereaved, heart-broken lady and 
 her child. She remembered her cousin, Ste- 
 phanie Beauharnais, her schoolmate, whom her 
 mother and Napoleon had so kindly sheltered 
 and provided for in the days when the Royal-
 
 1815.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 233 
 
 Hospitality of the Swiss. 
 
 ists were in exile. Stephanie was the lady to 
 whom her father had been so tenderly attach- 
 ed. She was now in prosperity and power, 
 the wife of the Grand Duke of Baden. Hor- 
 tense decided to seek a residence at Constance, 
 in the territory of Baden, persuaded that the 
 duke and duchess would not drive her, home- 
 less and friendless, from their soil, out again 
 into the stormy world. 
 
 To reach Baden it was necessary to pass 
 through Switzerland. The Swiss government, 
 awed by France, at first refused to give her 
 permission to traverse their territory. But the 
 Duke of Richelieu intervened in her favor, 
 and, by remonstrating against such cruelty, ob- 
 tained the necessary passport. It was now the 
 month of November. Cold storms swept the 
 snow-clad hills and the valleys. Hortense de- 
 parted from Aix, taking with her her son Louis 
 Napoleon, his private tutor, the Abbe. Bertrand, 
 her reader, Mademoiselle Cochelet, and an at- 
 tendant. She wished to spend the first night 
 at her own house, at Pregny ; but even this 
 slight gratification was forbidden her. 
 
 The police were instructed to watch her care- 
 fully all the way. At Morat she was even ar- 
 rested, and detained a prisoner two days, until
 
 234 HORTENSE. [1815. 
 
 Anguish of Hortense. 
 
 instructions should be received from the dis- 
 tant authorities. At last she reached the city 
 of Constance. But even here she found that 
 her sorrows had not yet terminated. Neither 
 the Duke of Baden nor the Duchess ventured 
 to welcome her. On the contrary, immediate- 
 ly upon her arrival, she received an official 
 notification that, however anxious the grand 
 duke and duchess might be to afford her hos- 
 pitable shelter, they were under the control of 
 higher powers, and they must therefore request 
 her to leave the duchy without delay. It was 
 now intimated that the only countries in Eu- 
 rope which would be allowed to afford her 
 a shelter were Austria, Prussia, or Russia. 
 
 The storms of winter were sweeping those 
 northern latitudes. The health of Hortense 
 was extremely frail. She was fatherless and 
 motherless, alienated from her husband, be- 
 reaved of one of her children, and all her fam- 
 ily friends dispersed by the ban of exile. She 
 had no kind friends to consult, and she knew 
 not which way to turn. Thus distracted and 
 crushed, she wrote an imploring letter to her 
 cousins, the Duke and Duchess of Baden, stat- 
 ing the feeble condition of her health, the in- 
 clement weather, her utter friendlessness, and
 
 1815.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 235 
 
 Retires to the Lake of Constance. 
 
 exhaustion from fatigue and sorrow, and beg- 
 ging permission to remain in Constance until 
 the ensuing spring. 
 
 In reply she received a private letter from 
 the grand duchess, her cousin Stephanie, as- 
 suring her of her sympathy, and of the cor- 
 diality with which she would openly receive 
 and welcome her, if she did but dare to do so. 
 In conclusion, the duchess wrote : " Have pa- 
 tience, and do not be uneasy. Perhaps all will 
 be right by spring. By that time passions will 
 be calmed, and many things will have been 
 forgotten." 
 
 Though this letter did not give any positive 
 permission to remain, it seemed at least to im- 
 ply that soldiers would not be sent to transport 
 her, by violence, out of the territory. Some- 
 what cheered by this assurance, she rented a 
 small house, in a very retired situation upon 
 the western shore of the Lake of Constance. 
 Though in the disasters of the times she had 
 lost much property, she still had an ample 
 competence. Her beloved brother, Eugene, 
 it will be remembered, had married a daughter 
 of the King of Bavaria. He was one of the 
 noblest of men and the best of brothers. As 
 soon as possible, he took up his residence near
 
 236 HORTENSE. [1815. 
 
 Prince Eugene. 
 
 his sister. He also was in the enjoyment of 
 an ample fortune. Thus there seemed to be 
 for a short time a lull in those angry storms 
 which for so long had risen dark over the way 
 of Hortense. 
 
 In this distant and secluded home, upon the 
 borders of the lake, Hortense and her small 
 harmonious household passed the winter of 
 1815. Though she mourned over the absence 
 of her elder child, little Louis Napoleon cheer- 
 ed her by his bright intelligence and his in- 
 tense affectionateness. Prince Eugene often 
 visited his sister ; and many of the illustrious 
 generals and civilians, who during the glories 
 of the Empire had filled Europe with their re- 
 nown, were allured as occasional guests to the 
 home of this lovely woman, who had shared 
 with them in the favors and the rebuffs of for- 
 tune. 
 
 Hortense devoted herself assiduously to the 
 education of her son. She understood thor- 
 oughly the political position of France. For- 
 eigners, with immense armies, had invaded the 
 kingdom, and forced upon the reluctant people 
 a detested dynasty. Napoleon was Emperor 
 by popular election. The people still, with 
 almost entire unanimity, desired the Empire.
 
 1815.] THE SORROWS OF EXILE. 237 
 
 Testimony of Lady Blessington. 
 
 And Hortense knew full well that, so soon as 
 the French people could get strength to break 
 the chains with which foreign armies had 
 bound them, they would again drive out the 
 Bourbons and re-establish the Empire. 
 
 Hortense consequently never allowed her 
 son to forget the name he bore, or the political 
 principles which his uncle, the Emperor, had 
 borne upon his banners throughout Europe. 
 The subsequent life of this child has proved 
 how deep was the impression produced upon 
 his mind, as pensively, silently he listened to 
 the conversation of the statesmen and the gen- 
 erals who often visited his mother's parlor. 
 Lady Blessington about this time visited Hor- 
 tense, and sb'e gives the following account of 
 the impression which the visit produced upon 
 her mind : 
 
 " Though prepared to meet in Hortense Bona- 
 parte, ex-Queen of Holland, a woman possessed 
 of no ordinary powers of captivation, she has, 
 I confess, far exceeded my expectations. I 
 have seen her frequently, and spent two hours 
 yesterday in her society. Never did time fly 
 away with greater rapidity than while listen- 
 ing to her conversation, and hearing her sing 
 those charming little French romances, written.
 
 HORTENSE. [1815. 
 
 Testimony of Lady Blessington. 
 
 and composed by herself, which, though I had 
 often admired them, never previously struck 
 me as being so expressive and graceful as they 
 now proved to be. 
 
 " I know not that I ever encountered a per- 
 son with so fine a tact or so quick an appre- 
 hension as the Duchess of St. Leu. These give 
 her the power of rapidly forming an apprecia- 
 tion of those with whom she comes in contact, 
 and of suiting the subjects of conversation to 
 their tastes and comprehensions. Thus, with 
 the grave she is serious, with the lively gay, 
 -and with the scientific she only permits just a 
 sufficient extent of her savoir to be revealed to 
 encourage the development of theirs. 
 
 " She is, in fact, all things to all men, with- 
 out losing a single portion of her own natural 
 character; a peculiarity of which seems to be 
 the desire, as well as the power, of sending all 
 away who approach her satisfied with them- 
 selves and delighted with her. Yet there is 
 no unworthy concession of opinions made, or 
 tacit acquiescence yielded, to conciliate popu- 
 larity. She assents to or dissents from the 
 sentiments of others with a mildness and good 
 sense which gratifies those with whom she coin- 
 cides, or disarms those from whom she differs."
 
 1816.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 239 
 
 Visits the Baths of Geiss. 
 
 A 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 
 
 S the spring of the year 1816 opened upon 
 Europe, Hortense was found residing un- 
 disturbed, with her son, Louis Napoleon, in 
 their secluded home upon the shores of Lake 
 Constance. The Allies seemed no longer dis- 
 posed to disturb her. Still, she had many in- 
 dications that she was narrowly watched. She 
 was much cheered by a visit which she made 
 to her brother at Berg, on the Wurmsee, where 
 she was received with that warmth of affection 
 which her wounded heart so deeply craved. 
 Her health being still very frail, she, by the ad- 
 vice of her physicians, spent the heat of sum- 
 mer at the baths of Geiss, among the mount- 
 ains of Appenzell. Her son, Louis Napoleon,, 
 was constantly with her. Nearly the whole 
 attention of the mother was devoted to his ed- 
 ucation. 
 
 She had the general superintendence of all 
 his studies, teaching him herself drawing and 
 dancing, often listening to his recitations and
 
 240 HORTENSE. [181ft 
 
 Watchfulness of the Allies. 
 
 guiding his reading. Her own highly-cultiva- 
 ted mind enabled her to do this to great ad- 
 vantage. The young prince read aloud to his 
 mother in the evenings, the selections being 
 regulated in accordance with his studies in 
 geography or history. Saturday Hortense de- 
 voted the entire day to her son, reviewing all 
 the reading and studies of the week. In ad- 
 dition to the Abbe Bertrand, another teacher 
 was employed, M. Lebas, a young professor of 
 much distinction from the Normal School of 
 Paris. 
 
 Thus the summer and autumn of 1816 passed 
 tranquilly away. But the eagle eye of the 
 Bourbons was continually upon Hortense. 
 They watched every movement she made, she 
 could not leave her home, or receive a visit 
 from any distinguished stranger, without ex- 
 tiiting their alarm. Their uneasiness at length 
 became so great that, early in the year 1817, 
 the Duke of Baden received peremptory orders 
 that he must immediately expel Hortense and 
 her child from his territory. The Bourbons 
 could not allow such dangerous personages to 
 dwell so near the frontiers of France. Hor- 
 tense was a feeble, heart-broken woman. Her 
 child was but eight years of age. But they
 
 1817.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 241 
 
 The retreat of Arenemberg. 
 
 were representatives of the Empire. And the 
 Bourbons were ever terror-stricken lest the 
 French people should rise in insurrection, and 
 demand the restoration of that Empire, of 
 which foreign armies had robbed them. 
 
 In the extreme north-eastern portion of Swit- 
 zerland, on the southern shores of the Lake of 
 Constance, there was the small Swiss canton of 
 Thurgovia. The gallant magistrates of the 
 canton informed Hortense that if she wished 
 to establish herself in their country, she should 
 be protected by both the magistrates and the 
 people. The ex-queen had occasionally enter- 
 ed the canton in her drives, and had observed 
 with admiration a modest but very beautiful 
 chateau called Arenemberg, very picturesque- 
 ly located on the borders of the lake. She 
 purchased the estate for about sixty thousand 
 francs. This became a very delightful summer 
 residence, though in winter it presented a bleak 
 exposure, swept by piercing winds. Until the 
 death of Hortense, Arenemberg continued to 
 be her favorite place of residence. 
 
 To add to this transient gleam of happiness, 
 there was now a partial reconciliation between 
 Hortense and her husband ; and, to the un- 
 speakable joy of the mother and Louis Napole- 
 
 516
 
 242 HORTENSE. [18ia 
 
 The princes enter college. 
 
 on, they enjoyed a visit of several months from 
 Napoleon Louis. It is not easy to imagine the 
 happiness which this reunion created, after 
 a separation of nearly three years. 
 
 The judicious mother now thought it im- 
 portant that her sons should enjoy the advan- 
 tages of a more public education than that which 
 they had been receiving from private tutors at 
 home. She accordingly took them both to 
 Augsburg, in Bavaria, where they entered the 
 celebrated college of that city. Hortense en- 
 gaged a handsome residence there, that she 
 might still be with her sons, whom she loved 
 so tenderly. A French gentleman of distinc- 
 tion, travelling in that region, had the honor of 
 an introduction to her, and gives the following 
 account of his visit : 
 
 " Eeturning to France in 1819, after a long 
 residence in Eussia, I stopped at Augsburg, 
 where the Duchess of St. Leu was then a resi- 
 dent. I had hitherto only known her by re- 
 port Some Russian officers, who had accom- 
 panied the Emperor Alexander to Malmaison 
 in 1814, had spoken to me of Hortense with so 
 much enthusiasm, that for the first few mo- 
 ments it appeared as if I saw her again after a 
 long absence, and as if I owed my kind recep
 
 1819.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 243 
 
 Loveliness of Hortense. 
 
 tion to the ties of ancient friendship. Every 
 thing about her is in exact harmony with the 
 angelic expression of her face, her conversation, 
 demeanor, and the sweetness of her voice and 
 disposition. 
 
 " When she speaks of an affecting incident, 
 the language becomes more touching through 
 the depths of her sensibility. She lends so 
 much life to every scene, that the auditor be- 
 comes witness of the transaction. Her powers 
 of instructing and delighting are almost magic- 
 al ; and her artless fascination leaves on every 
 heart those deep traces which even time can 
 never efface. 
 
 "She introduced me to her private circle, 
 which consisted of the two children and their 
 tutors, some old officers of her household, two 
 female friends of her infancy, and that living 
 monument of conjugal devotion, Count Laval- 
 lette.* The conversation soon became general. 
 
 * Count Lavallette was one of the devoted friends of Na- 
 poleon, who had long served in the armies of the Empire. 
 For the welcome he gave Napoleon on his return from Elba 
 he was doomed, by the Bourbons, to death. While prepara- 
 fions were being made for his execution, his wife and daugh- 
 ter, with her governess, were permitted to visit him. Very 
 adroitly he escaped in his wife's clothes, she remaining in his 
 place. Irritated by this escape, the Government held his wife 
 a prisoner until she became a confirmed lunatic.
 
 244 HORTENSE. [1819L 
 
 . Letter from a visitor. 
 
 They questioned me about the Ukraine, where 
 I long had resided, and Greece and Turkey,, 
 through which I had lately travelled. 
 
 "In return, they spoke of Bavaria, St. Leu r 
 the Lake of Constance, and, by degrees, of 
 events deriving their chief interest from the 
 important parts played by the narrators them- 
 selves. We dined at five. I afterwards ac- 
 companied the duchess into the garden, and, 
 in the few moments then enjoyed of intimate 
 conversation, I saw that no past praises had 
 ever been exaggerated. How admirable were 
 her feelings when she recalled the death of her 
 mother, and in her tragic recital of the death, 
 of Madame Broc. 
 
 " But when she spoke of her children, her 
 friends, and the fine arts, her whole figure 
 seemed to glow with the ardor of her imagina- 
 tion. Goodness of heart was displayed in 
 every feature, and gave additional value to her 
 other estimable qualities. In describing her- 
 present situation it was impossible to avoid 
 mentioning her beloved France. 
 
 " ' You are returning,' said she, ' to your na- 
 tive country;' and the last word was pro- 
 nounced with a heartfelt sigh. I had been ani 
 exile from my cradle, yet my own eager anx-
 
 1819.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 245- 
 
 Letter from a visitor. 
 
 iety to revisit a birth-place scarcely remember- 
 ed, enabled me to estimate her grief at the* 
 thoughts of an eternal separation. She spoke- 
 of the measures adopted for her banishment 
 with that true resignation which mourns but 
 never murmurs. After two hours of similar- 
 conversation, it was impossible to decide which 
 was the most admirable, her heart, her good 
 sense, or her imagination. 
 
 " We returned to the drawing-room at eight,, 
 where tea was served. The duchess observed 
 that this was a habit learned in Holland, 
 'though you are not to suppose,' she added, 
 with a slight blush, ' that it is preserved as a 
 remembrance of days so brilliant, but now al- 
 ready so distant. Tea is the drink of cold 
 climates, and I have scarcely changed my tem- 
 perature.' 
 
 "Numerous visitors came from the neigh- 
 borhood, and some even from Munich. She 
 may, indeed, regard this attention with a feel- 
 ing of proud gratification. It is based upon 
 esteem alone, and is far more honorable than, 
 the tiresome adulation of sycophants while at 
 St. Cloud or the Hague. In the course of the 
 evening we looked through a suite of rooms 
 containing, besides a few master-pieces of the-
 
 246 HORTENSE. {1819. 
 
 Social life at Arenemberg. 
 
 different schools, a large collection of precious 
 r-uriosities. Many of these elegant trifles had 
 once belonged to her mother ; and nearly ev- 
 ery one was associated with the remembrance 
 of some distinguished personage or celebrated 
 event. Indeed, her museum might almost be 
 called an abridgment of contemporary history. 
 Music was the next amusement ; and the duch- 
 ess sang, accompanying herself with the same 
 correct taste which inspires her compositions. 
 She had just finished the series of drawings in- 
 tended to illustrate her collection of romances. 
 How could I avoid praising that happy talent 
 which thus personifies thought? The next 
 day I received that beautiful collection as a 
 remembrance. 
 
 "I took my leave at midnight, perhaps with- 
 out even the hope of another meeting. I left 
 her as the traveller parts from the flowers of 
 the desert, to which he can never hope to re- 
 turn. But, wherever time, accident, or destiny 
 may place me, the remembrance of that day 
 will remain indelibly imprinted alike on my 
 memory and heart It is pleasing to pay hom- 
 age to the fallen greatness of one like Hortense, 
 who joins the rare gift of talents to the charms 
 of the tenderest sensibility."
 
 BORTEXSE AT ARENEMBERG.
 
 1819.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 249 
 
 Scenery at Arenemberg. 
 
 The residence of Hortense in Augsburg was 
 in a mansion, since called Pappenheirn Palace, 
 in Holy Cross Street. After the graduation 
 of her children, Hortense, with Louis Napo- 
 leon, spent most of their time at Arenemberg, 
 interspersed with visits to Eome and Florence. 
 The beautiful chateau was situated upon a 
 swell of land, with green lawns and a thick 
 growth of forest trees, through which there 
 were enchanting views of the mountain and 
 of the lake. The spacious grounds were em- 
 bellished with the highest artistic skill, with 
 terraces, trellis-work woodbines, and rare ex- 
 otics. 
 
 " The views," writes an English visitor, 
 " which were in some places afforded through 
 the woods, and in others, by their rapid de- 
 scent, carried over them, were broken in a 
 manner which represented them doubly beau- 
 tiful. From one peep you caught the small 
 vine-clad island of Reichman, with its cottage 
 gleams trembling upon the twilighted lake. 
 From another you had a noble reach of the 
 Rhine, going forth from its brief resting-place 
 to battle its way down the Falls of Schaffhau- 
 sen ; and beyond it the eye reposed upon the 
 distant outline of the Black Forest, melting
 
 250 HORTENSE. [1819. 
 
 Pleasant neighbors. 
 
 warmly in the west. In a third direction you 
 saw the vapory steeples of Constance, appar- 
 ently sinking in the waters which almost sur- 
 rounded them ; and far away you distinguish 
 the little coast villages, like fading constella- 
 tions, glimmering fainter and fainter, till land 
 and lake and sky were blended together in ob- 
 scurity." 
 
 Not far distant was the imposing chateau of 
 Wolfberg, which had been purchased by Gen- 
 eral Parguin, a young French officer of the 
 Empire of much distinction. He had married 
 Mademoiselle Cochelet, and became one of the 
 most intimate friends of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 Prince Eugene had also built him a house in 
 the vicinity, that he might be near his sister 
 and share her solitude. Just as the house was 
 finished, and before he moved into it, Eugene 
 died. This was another crushing blow to the 
 heart of Hortense. She was in Rome at the 
 time, and we shall have occasion to refer to 
 the event again. 
 
 Hortense, in her retirement, was no less a 
 queen than when the diadem was upon her 
 brow. Though at the farthest possible remove 
 from all aristocratic pride, her superior mind, 
 her extraordinary attainments, and her queen-
 
 1819.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 251 
 
 An evening scene. 
 
 ly grace and dignity, invested her with no less 
 influence over the hearts of her friends than 
 she enjoyed in her days of regal power. A 
 visitor at Wolf berg, in the following language,, 
 describes a call which Hortense made upon 
 Madame Parguin and her guests at the cha- 
 teau: 
 
 " One fine evening, as we were all distrib- 
 uted about the lawn at Wolfberg, there was 
 an alarm that Hortense was coming to visit 
 Madame Parguin. As I saw her winding 
 slowly up the hill, with all her company, in 
 three little summer carriages, the elegance of 
 the cavalcade, in scenes where elegance waa 
 so rare, was exceedingly striking. 
 
 " The appearance of Hortense was such as. 
 could not fail to excite admiration and kind 
 feeling. Her countenance was full of talent,, 
 blended with the mild expression of a perfect 
 gentlewoman. Her figure, though not beyond 
 the middle height, was of a mould altogether 
 majestic. She lamented that she had not soon- 
 er known of the purposed length of our stay 
 in that part of Switzerland, as, having con- 
 ceived that we were merely passing a few 
 days, she had been unwilling to occupy our 
 time. She then spoke of her regret at not
 
 '252 HORTENSE. [1819. 
 
 Theatric entertainment*. 
 
 being able to entertain us according to her 
 wishes. And, finally, she told us that she had 
 in agitation some little theatricals which, if we 
 could bear with such trifles, we should do her 
 pleasure in attending. All this was said with 
 -simple and winning eloquence." 
 
 The room for this little theatric entertain- 
 ment was in a small building, beautifully dec- 
 orated, near the house. Many distinguished 
 guests were present; many from Constance; 
 so that the apartment was crowded to its ut- 
 most capacity. There were two short plays 
 enacted. In one Hortense took a leading part 
 in scenes of trial and sorrow, in which her pe- 
 culiar powers were admirably displayed. Even 
 making all suitable allowance for the polite- 
 ness due from guests to their host, it is evident 
 that Hortense possessed dramatic talent of a 
 very high order. 
 
 From the theatre the guests returned to the 
 chateau, where preparations had been made 
 for dancing. In the intervals between the 
 dances there was singing, accompanied by the 
 piano. " Here, again," writes one of the guests, 
 " Hortense was perfectly at home. . She sang 
 several songs, of which I afterwards found her 
 to be the unacknowledged composer. Among
 
 1819.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 253 
 
 Taste and culture. 
 
 these was the beautiful air, Partant pour la Sy- 
 rie, which will be a fair guaranty that I do not 
 eay too much for the rest." 
 
 At the close of the evening, as the guests 
 began to depart, the remainder were dispersed 
 through the suite of rooms, admiring the vari- 
 ous objects of curiosity and of beauty with 
 which they are decorated. There were some 
 beautiful paintings, and several pieces of ex- 
 quisite statuary. Upon the tables there were 
 engravings, drawing-books, and works of belles- 
 lettres. 
 
 "I chanced," writes the visitor from whom 
 we have above quoted, "to place my hand 
 upon a splendid album, and had the further 
 good-fortune to seat myself beside a beautiful 
 young dame de compagnie of the duchess, who 
 gave me the history of all the treasures I found 
 therein. Whatever I found most remarkable 
 was still the work of Hortense. Of a series of 
 small portraits, sketched by her in colors, the 
 likeness of those of which I had seen the sub- 
 jects would have struck me, though turned 
 upside down. She had the same power and 
 the same affectionate feeling for fixing the re- 
 membrance of places likewise. 
 
 " The landscapes which she had loved in for-
 
 254: HORTENSE. [1819. 
 
 Accomplishments of Hortense, 
 
 bidden France, even the apartments which she 
 had inhabited, were executed in a manner that 
 put to shame the best amateur performances I 
 had ever seen. There was a minute attention 
 to fidelity in them, too, which a recollection of 
 her present circumstances could not fail to bring 
 home to the spectator's heart 
 
 " I -know not when my interest would have 
 cooled in this mansion of taste and talent. To- 
 wards morning I was obliged to take my leave r 
 and I doubt if there were any individual who 
 returned home by that bright moonlight, with- 
 out feeling that Hortense had been born some 
 century and a half too late. For an age of 
 bigots and turncoats she, indeed, seemed un- 
 suited. In that of true poetry and trusty cava- 
 liers, she would have been the subject of the 
 best rhymes and rencontres in romantic France. 
 
 " After this I saw her frequently, both at her 
 own house and at Wolf berg, and I never found 
 any thing to destroy the impression which I re- 
 ceived on my introduction. Independently of 
 the interest attached to herself, she had always 
 in her company some person who had made a 
 noise in the world, and had become an object 
 of curiosity. At one time it was a distinguished 
 painter or poet; again, it was a battered soldier,
 
 1819.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 255 
 
 Society at Arenemberg. 
 
 who preferred resting in retirement to the im- 
 putation of changing his politics for advance- 
 ment ; then a grand duke or duchess who had 
 undergone as many vicissitudes as herself; and, 
 finally, the widow of the unfortunate Marshal 
 Key. 
 
 "There was something in the last of these 
 characters, particularly when associated with 
 Hortense, more interesting than all the others. 
 She was a handsome, but grave and silent 
 woman, and still clad in mourning for her hus- 
 band, whose death, so connected with the ban- 
 ishment of the duchess, could not fail to render 
 them deeply sympathetic in each other's for- 
 tunes. The amusements provided for all this 
 company consisted of such as I have mentioned 
 expeditions to various beautiful spots in the 
 neighborhood, and music parties on the water. 
 The last of these used sometimes to have a pe- 
 culiarly romantic effect ; for on fete days the 
 young peasant girls, all glittering in their gold- 
 en tinsel bonnets, would push off with their 
 sweethearts, like mad things, in whatever boats 
 they could find upon the beach. I have seen, 
 them paddling their little fleet round the duch- 
 ess's boat with all the curiosity of savages 
 round a man-of-war.
 
 256 HORTENSE. [1819. 
 
 Amiability of Hortense, 
 
 " At length the time arrived for me to bid 
 adieu to Switzerland. It was arranged that I 
 should set out for Italy with a small party of 
 my Wolf berg friends. An evening or two be- 
 fore we departed we paid a leave-taking visit 
 to the duchess. She expressed much polite 
 regret at our intention, and gave us a cordial 
 invitation to renew our acquaintance with her 
 in the winter at Eome. Her care, indeed, tc* 
 leave a good impression of her friendly dispo- 
 sition upon our minds, was exceedingly grati- 
 fying. She professed to take an interest in 
 the plans which each of us had formed, and, 
 when her experience qualified her, gave us in- 
 structions for our travels. 
 
 " When we rose to depart, the night being 
 fine, she volunteered to walk part of the way 
 home with us. She came about a quarter of a 
 mile to where she could command an uninter- 
 rupted view of the lake, above which the moon 
 was just then rising, a huge red orb which shot 
 a burning column to her feet. ' I will now bid 
 you adieu,' she said ; and we left her to the 
 calm contemplation of grandeur which could 
 not fade, and enjoyments which could not be- 
 tray. This was the last time I saw, and per- 
 haps shall ever see Hortense; but I shall al*
 
 1820.J PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 257 
 
 The city home of Hortense and her son. 
 
 ways remember my brief acquaintance with 
 her as a dip into days which gave her country 
 the character of being the most polished of na- 
 tions." 
 
 Hortense, with her son Louis Napoleon, had 
 been in the habit of passing the severity of the 
 winter months in the cities of Augsburg or 
 Munich, spending about eight months of the 
 year at Arenemberg. But after the death of 
 her brother Eugene, the associations which 
 those cities recalled were so painful that she 
 transferred her winter residence to Rome or 
 Florence. An English lady who visited her 
 at Arenemberg writes : 
 
 "The style of living of the Duchess of St, 
 Leu is sumptuous, without that freezing eti- 
 quette so commonly met with in the great. 
 Her household still call her Queen, and her son 
 Prince Napoleon or Prince Louis. The suite is 
 composed of two ladies of honor, an equerry r 
 and the tutor of her younger son. She has a 
 numerous train of domestics, and it is among 
 them that the traces are still observable of by- 
 gone pretensions, long since abandoned by the 
 true nobleness of their mistress. The former 
 queen, the daughter of Napoleon, the mother 
 of the Imperial heir -apparent, has returned 
 317
 
 258 HORTENSE. [1820. 
 
 Testimony of an English lady. 
 
 quietly to private life with the perfect grace of 
 a voluntary sacrifice. 
 
 " The duchess receives strangers with inex- 
 pressible kindness. Ever amiable and oblig- 
 ing, she is endowed with that charming sim- 
 plicity which inspires, at first sight, the confi- 
 dence of intimate affection. She speaks freely 
 of the brilliant days of her prosperity. And 
 history then flows so naturally from her lips, 
 that more may be learned as a delighted lis- 
 tener, than from all the false or exaggerated 
 works so abundant everywhere. The deposed 
 queen considers past events from such an emi- 
 nence that nothing can interpose itself between 
 her and the truth, This strict impartiality 
 gives birth to that true greatness, which is a 
 thousand times preferable to all the splendors 
 she lost in the flower of her age. 
 
 "I have been admitted to the intimacy of 
 the Duchess of St. Leu, both at Rome and in 
 the country. I have seen her roused to en- 
 thusiasm by the beauties of nature, and have 
 seen her surrounded by the pomp of ceremony ; 
 but I have never known her less than herself; 
 nor has the interest first inspired by her char- 
 acter ever been diminished by an undignified 
 sentiment or the slightest selfish reflection.
 
 1820.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 259 
 
 The Duchess of St. Leu. 
 
 " It is impossible to be a more ardent and 
 tasteful admirer of the fine arts than is the 
 duchess. Every one has heard her beautiful 
 romances, which are rendered still more touch- 
 ing by the soft and melodious voice of the 
 composer. She usually sings standing ; and, 
 although a finished performer on the harp and 
 piano, she prefers the accompaniment of one of 
 her attendant ladies. Many of her leisure 
 hours are employed in painting. Miniatures, 
 landscapes, and flowers are equally the subjects 
 of her pencil. She declaims well, is a delightful 
 player in comedy, acts proverbs with uncom- 
 mon excellence, and I really know no one who 
 can surpass her in every kind of needle-work. 
 
 " The Duchess of St. Leu never was a regular 
 beauty, but she is still a charming woman. 
 She has the softest and most expressive blue 
 eyes in the world. Her light flaxen hair con- 
 trasts beautifully with the dark color of her 
 long eyelashes and eyebrows. Her complexion 
 is fresh and of an even tint ; her figure elegant- 
 ly moulded; her hands and feet perfect. In 
 fine, her whole appearance is captivating in the 
 extreme. She speaks quickly with rapid ges- 
 tures, and all her movements are easy and 
 graceful. Her style of dress is rich, though she
 
 260 HORTENSE. [1820. 
 
 Pursuits of Prince Louis. 
 
 has parted with most of her jewels and precious 
 stones." 
 
 Hortense was almost invariably accompanied 
 by her son, Louis Napoleon, whether residing 
 in Italy or in Switzerland. When at Arenem- 
 berg, the young prince availed himself of the 
 vicinity to the city in pursuing a rigorous 
 .course of study in physics and chemistry un- 
 der the guidance of a very distinguished French 
 philosopher. He also connected himself, in 
 prosecuting his military studies, with a Baden 
 regiment garrisoned at Constance. He was 
 here recognized as the Duke of St. Leu, and 
 was always received with much distinction. At 
 Eome, the residence of Hortense was the centre 
 of the most brilliant and polished society of the 
 city. Here her son was introduced to the most 
 distinguished men from all lands, and especial- 
 ly to the old friends of the Empire, who kept 
 alive in his mind the memory of the brilliant 
 exploits of him whose name he bore. Pauline 
 Bonaparte, who had married for her second 
 husband Prince Borghese, and who was im- 
 mensely wealthy, also resided in the vicinity 
 of Eome, in probably the most magnificent vil- 
 la in Europe. Hortense and her son were con- 
 stant visitors at her residence.
 
 1824.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 261 
 
 Madame RScamier meets Hortense. 
 
 Madame Recamier, who had ever been the 
 warm friend of the Bourbons, and whom Hor- 
 tense had befriended when the Bourbons were 
 in exile, gives the following account of an in- 
 terview she had with Queen Hortense in Rome, 
 early in the year 1824. The two friends had 
 not met since the " Hundred Days" in 1815. 
 We give the narrative in the words of Madame 
 Recamier : 
 
 " I went one day to St. Peter's to listen to the 
 music, so beautiful under the vaults of that im- 
 mense edifice. There, leaning against a pillar, 
 meditating under my veil, I followed with heart 
 .and soul the solemn notes that died away in the 
 depths of the dome. An elegant-looking wom- 
 an, veiled like myself, came and placed herself 
 near the same pillar. Every time that a more 
 lively feeling drew from me an involuntary 
 movement my eyes met those of the stranger. 
 She seemed to be trying to recognize my fea- 
 tures. And I, on my side, through the obstacle 
 of our veils, thought I distinguished blue eyes 
 and light hair that were not unknown to me. 
 ' Madame Recamier !' 'Isityou,madame?' we 
 said almost at the same moment. ' How de- 
 lighted I am to see you !' said Queen Hortense, 
 for she it was. ' You know,' she added, smil-
 
 262 HORTENSE. 
 
 Madame R6camier meets Hortense. 
 
 ing, ' that I would not have waited until now to 
 find you out ; but you have always been cere- 
 monious with me.' 
 
 " ' Then, madame,' I replied, ' my friends were 
 exiled and unfortunate. You were happy and 
 brilliant, and my place was not near you.' 
 
 " ' If misfortune has the privilege of attract- 
 ing you,' replied the queen, ' you must confess 
 that my time has come and permit me to ad- 
 vance my claims.' 
 
 " I was a little embarrassed for a reply. My 
 connection with the Duke de Laval, our ambas- 
 sador at Rome, and with the French Govern- 
 ment in general, was a barrier to any visiting 
 between us. She understood my silence. 
 
 " ' I know,' she said, sadly, ' that the incon- 
 veniences of greatness follow us still, when even 
 our prerogatives are gone. Thus, with loss of 
 rank, I have not acquired liberty of action. I 
 can not to-day even taste the pleasures of a 
 woman's friendship, and peaceably enjoy soci- 
 ety that is pleasant and dear to me.' 
 
 " I bowed my head with emotion, expressing 
 my sympathy only by my looks. 
 
 " ' But I must talk to you,' said the queen, 
 more warmly. ' I have so many things to say 
 to you. If we can not visit each other, nothing
 
 1824.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 263 
 
 Interview with Madame Recamier. 
 
 prevents us from meeting elsewhere. We will 
 appoint some place to meet. That will be 
 charming.' 
 
 '"Charming indeed, madame,' I replied, smil- 
 ing ; ' and especially for me. But how shall 
 we fix the time and place for these interviews?' 
 
 " ' It is you,' Hortense replied, ' who must ar- 
 range that ; for, thanks to the solitude forced 
 upon me, my time is entirely at my own dis- 
 posal. But it may not be the same with you. 
 Sought for as you are, you mix, no doubt, a 
 great deal in society.' 
 
 " ' Heaven forbid !' I replied. ' On the con- 
 trary, I lead a very retired life. It would be 
 absurd to come to Rome to see society, and peo- 
 ple everywhere the same. I prefer to visit 
 what is peculiarly her own her monuments 
 and ruins.' 
 
 " ' Well, then, we can arrange every thing 
 finely,' added Hortense ; ' if it is agreeable to 
 you I will join you in these excursions. Let 
 me know each day your plans for the next; 
 and we will meet, as if by accident, at the ap- 
 pointed places.' 
 
 " I eagerly accepted this offer, anticipating 
 much pleasure in making the tour of old Rome 
 with so gracious and agreeable a companion,
 
 264 HORTENSE. [1824. 
 
 Arrangements for meeting. 
 
 and one who loved and understood art. The 
 queen, on her side, was happy in the thought 
 that I would talk to her of France; whilst to 
 both of us the little air of mystery thrown over 
 these interviews gave them another charm. 
 
 " ' Where do you propose to go to-morrow 1* 
 asked the queen. 
 
 " ' To the Coliseum.' 
 
 '"You will assuredly find me there,' Hor- 
 tense replied. ' I have much to say to you. I 
 wish to justify myself in your eyes from an 
 imputation that distresses me.' 
 
 " The queen began to enter into explana- 
 tions; and the interview threatening to be a 
 long one, I frankly reminded her that the 
 French ambassador, who had brought me to 
 St. Peter's, was coming back for me ; for I 
 feared that a meeting would be embarrassing 
 to both. 
 
 "'You are right,' said the queen. 'We 
 must not be surprised together. Adieu, then. 
 To-morrow at the Coliseum ;' and we separa- 
 ted." 
 
 Madame Kecamier, the bosom-friend of Cha- 
 teaubriand, was in entire political sympathy 
 with the illustrious poet. She regarded legiti- 
 macy as a part of her religion, and was intensely
 
 1824.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 266 
 
 Difficulty between Napoleon and Madame Rocamier. 
 
 devoted to the interests of the Bourbons. She 
 was one of the most beautiful and fascinating 
 women who ever lived. Napoleon at St. Hele- 
 na, in allusion to this remarkable lady, said : 
 
 " I was scarcely First Consul ere I found 
 myself at issue with Madame Re'camier. Her 
 father had been placed in the Post-office De- 
 partment. I had found it necessary to sign, in 
 confidence, a great number of appointments ; 
 but I soon established a very rigid inspection 
 in every department A correspondence was 
 discovered with the Chouans, going on under 
 the connivance of M. Bernard, the father of 
 Madame Be'camier. He was immediately dis- 
 missed, and narrowly escaped trial and con- 
 demnation to death. His daughter hastened 
 to me, and upon her solicitation I exempted 
 M. Bernard from taking his trial, but was reso- 
 lute respecting his dismissal. Madame Eeca- 
 mier, accustomed to obtain every thing, would 
 be satisfied with nothing less than the reinstate- 
 ment of her father. Such were the morals of 
 the times. My severity excited loud animad- 
 versions. It was a thing quite unusual. Ma- 
 dame Re'camier and her party never forgave 
 me."* 
 
 * Abbott's " Napoleon at St. Helena," p. 94.
 
 HORTENSE. [1824. 
 
 Banishment of Madame de Stael. 
 
 The home of Madame De Stael, who was the 
 very intimate friend of Madame Recamier, be- 
 came, in the early stages of the Empire, the ren- 
 dezvous of all those who were intriguing for 
 the overthrow of the government of Napoleon. 
 The Emperor, speaking upon this subject at 
 St. Helena, said : 
 
 "The house of Madame De Stael had become 
 quite an arsenal against me. People went there 
 to be armed knights. She endeavored to raise 
 enemies against me, and fought against me her- 
 self. She was at once Armida and Clorinda. 
 It can not be denied that Madame de Stael is 
 a very distinguished woman. She will go 
 down to posterity. At the time of the Con- 
 cordat, against which Madame de Stael was 
 violently inflamed, she united at once against 
 me the aristocrats and the republicans. Hav- 
 ing at length tired out my patience, she was 
 sent into exile. I informed her that I left her 
 the universe for the theatre of her achieve- 
 ments; that I reserved only Paris for myself, 
 which I forbade her to approach, and resigned 
 the rest of the world to her." 
 
 The banishment of Madame de Stael from 
 Paris excited as much bitterness in the soul of 
 Madame Recamier as it was possible for a lady
 
 1815.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 267 
 
 Cause of Madame Recamier's banishment. 
 
 of such rare amiability arid loveliness of char- 
 acter to feel. Madame Re"camier, in giving an 
 account of this transaction, says : 
 
 " I had a passionate admiration for Madame 
 de Stae'l ; and this harsh and arbitrary act 
 showed me despotism under its most odious as- 
 pect. The man who banished a woman, arid 
 such a woman, who caused her such unhappi- 
 ness, could only be regarded by me as an un- 
 merciful tyrant; and from that hour I was 
 against him." 
 
 The result was that Madame Re"camier was 
 forbidden to reside within one hundred and 
 twenty miles of Paris. The reason which Na- 
 poleon assigned for these measures was, that 
 Madame de Stael, with the most extraordinary 
 endowments of mind, and Madame Recamier, 
 with charms of personal loveliness which had 
 made her renowned through all Europe, were 
 combining their attractions in forming a con- 
 spiracy which would surely deluge the streets 
 of Paris in blood. Napoleon affirmed that 
 though the Government was so strong that it 
 could certainly crush an insurrection in the 
 streets, he thought it better to prohibit these 
 two ladies any further residence in Paris, rather 
 than leave them to foment rebellion, which
 
 268 HORTENSE. [1815, 
 
 She returns to Paris. 
 
 would cost the lives of many thousands of com- 
 paratively innocent persons. 
 
 When the Bourbons, at the first restoration, 
 returned to Paris, in the rear of the batteries of 
 the Allies, Madame Recamier again took up her 
 residence in Paris. Her saloons were thronged 
 with the partisans of the old regime, and she 
 was universally recognized as the queen of 
 fashion and beauty. She was in the enjoyment 
 of a very large income, kept her carriage, had a 
 box at the opera, and on opera nights had re- 
 ceptions after the performances. The wheel 
 of fortune had turned, and she was now in the 
 ascendant. Lord Wellington was among her 
 admirers. But the brusque, unpolished duke 
 disgusted the refined French lady by his boast 
 to her, " I have given Napoleon a good beating." 
 
 Still the wheel continued its revolution. 
 Napoleon returned from Elba. The Bourbons 
 and their partisans fled precipitately from. 
 France. But, in the interim, Madame Recamier 
 and Madame de Stae'l had dined with the 
 Duchess of St. Leu, at her estate a few leagues 
 from Paris. The return of Napoleon plunged 
 Madame Recamier and her friend into the ut- 
 most consternation. She was very unwilling 
 again to leave Paris. In this emergency, Hor
 
 1815.J PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 26# 
 
 Hortense exiled. 
 
 tense, who was then at the Tuileries, wrote to 
 her under date of March 28, 1815: 
 
 "I hope that you are tranquil. You may 
 trust to me to take care of your interests. 1 
 am convinced that I shall not have occasion ta 
 show you how delighted I should be to be use- 
 ful to you. Such would be my desire. But 
 under any circumstances count upon me, and 
 believe that I shall be very happy to prove my 
 friendship for you. HORTENSE." 
 
 The "Hundred Days" passed away. 
 Bourbons were re-enthroned. Madame Ke*ca- 
 mier was again a power in Paris. Hortense,. 
 deprived of the duchy of St. Leu, was driven- 
 an exile out of France. Fifteen years . had 
 rolled away, and these two distinguished ladies- 
 had not met until the accidental interview ta 
 which we have alluded beneath the dome of 
 St. Peter's Cathedral. They were friends, 
 though one was the representative of aristocra- 
 cy and the other of the rights of the people. 
 
 According to the arrangement which they 
 had made, Hortense and Madame Ke*camier met 
 the next day at the Coliseum. Though it 13 
 not to be supposed that Madame Ke'camier 
 would make any false representations, it is evi-
 
 270 HORTENSE. [1824. 
 
 Interview at the Coliaeum. 
 
 dent that, under the circumstances, she would 
 not soften any of the expressions of Hortense, 
 or represent the conversation which ensued 
 in any light too favorable to Napoleon. We 
 give the narrative, however, of this very inter- 
 esting interview in the words of Madame Re- 
 carnier : 
 
 " The next day, at the Ave Maria, I was at 
 the Coliseum, where I saw the queen's carriage, 
 which had arrived a few minutes before me. 
 We entered the amphitheatre together, com- 
 plimenting each other on our punctuality, and 
 strolled through this immense ruin as the sun 
 was setting, and to the sound of distant bells. 
 
 " Finally we seated ourselves on the steps 
 of the cross in the centre of the amphitheatre, 
 while Charles Napoleon Bonaparte and M. 
 Ampere, who had followed us, walked about at 
 A little distance. The night came on an Ital- 
 ian night. The moon rose slowly in the heav- 
 ens, behind the open arcades of the Coliseum. 
 The breeze of evening sighed through the de- 
 serted galleries. Near me sat this woman, her- 
 self the living ruin of so extraordinary a for- 
 tune. A confused and undefinable emotion 
 forced me to silence. The queen also seemed 
 absorbed in her reflections.
 
 INTERVIEW IN THF, <:O1,TSEUM.
 
 1824.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 273 
 
 Interview at the Coliseum. 
 
 "'How many events have contributed to 
 bring us together,' she said finally, turning to- 
 wards me, ' events of which I often have been 
 the puppet or the victim, without having fore- 
 seen or provoked them.' 
 
 " I could not help thinking that this preten- 
 sion to the role of a victim was a little hazard- 
 ous. At that time I was under the conviction 
 that she had not been a stranger to the return 
 from the island of Elba. Doubtless the queen 
 divined my thoughts, since it is hardly possible 
 for me to hide my sentiments. My bearing 
 and face betray me in spite of myself. 
 
 " 'I see plainly,' she said earnestly, 'that you 
 share an opinion that has injured me deeply; 
 and it was to controvert it that I wanted to 
 speak to you freely. Henceforth you will jus- 
 tify me, I hope ; for I can clear myself of the 
 charge of ingratitude and treason, which would 
 abase me in my own eyes if I had been guilty 
 of them.' 
 
 "She was silent a moment and then resumed. 
 'In 1814, after the abdication of Fontainebleau, 
 I considered that the Emperor had renounced 
 alJ his rights to the throne, and that his family 
 ought to follow his example. It was my wish 
 to remain in France, under a title that would 
 318
 
 274 HORTENSE. [1824. 
 
 Interview at the Coliseum. 
 
 not give umbrage to the new Government. At 
 the request of the Emperor of Russia, Louis 
 XVIII. gave me authority to assume the title 
 of Duchess of St. Leu, and confirmed me in the 
 possession of my private property. In an au- 
 dience that I obtained to thank him, he treated 
 me with so much courtesy and kindness that I 
 was sincerely grateful ; and after having freely 
 accepted his favors I could not think of con- 
 spiring against him. 
 
 " ' I heard of the landing of the Emperor 
 only through public channels, and it gave me 
 much more annoyance than pleasure. I knew 
 the Emperor too well to imagine that he would 
 have attempted such an enterprise without 
 having certain reasons to hope for success. 
 But the prospect of a civil war afflicted me 
 deeply, and I was convinced that we could not 
 escape it. The speedy arrival of the Emperor 
 baffled all my previsions. 
 
 " 'On hearing of the departure of the king, 
 and picturing him to myself old, infirm, and 
 forced to abandon his country again, I was 
 sensibly touched. The idea that he might be 
 accusing me of ingratitude and treason was in- 
 supportable to me; and, notwithstanding all 
 the risk of such a step, I wrote to him to ex-
 
 1824] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 275 
 
 Interview at the Coliseum. 
 
 culpate myself from any participation in the 
 events which had just taken place. 
 
 " ' On the evening of the 20th of March, 
 being advised of the Emperor's approach by 
 his old minister, I presented myself at the Tu- 
 ileries to await his coming. I saw him arrive, 
 surrounded, pressed, and borne onward by a 
 crowd of officers of all ranks. In all this tu- 
 mult I could scarcely accost him. He received 
 me coldly, said a few words to me, and ap- 
 pointed an interview for next day. The Em- 
 peror has always inspired me with fear, and 
 his tone on this occasion was not calculated 
 to reassure me. I presented myself, however, 
 with as calm a bearing as was possible. I was 
 introduced into his private room ; and we were 
 scarcely alone when he advanced toward me 
 quickly, and said brusquely, 
 
 " ' " Have you then so poorly comprehended 
 your situation that you could renounce your 
 name, and the rank you held from me, to ac- 
 cept a title given by the Bourbons?" 
 
 " ' " My duty sire," I replied, summoning 
 up all my courage to answer him, " was to 
 think of my children's future, since the abdi- 
 cation of your Majesty left me no longer any 
 other to fulfill.''
 
 276 HORTENSE. [1824. 
 
 Interview at the Coliseum. 
 
 " ' " Your children," exclaimed the Emper- 
 or, " your children 1 Were they not my neph- 
 ews before they were your sons ? Have you 
 forgotten that? Had you the right to strip 
 them of the rank that belonged to them?" 
 And as I looked at him, all amazed, he added, 
 with increasing rage, " Have you not read the 
 Code, then ?" 
 
 " ' I avowed my ignorance, recalling to my- 
 self that he had formerly considered it repre- 
 hensible, in any woman, and especially in mem- 
 bers of his own family, to dare to avow that 
 they knew any thing about legislation. Then 
 he explained to me with volubility the article 
 in the law prohibiting any change in the state 
 of minors, or the making of any renunciation 
 in their name. As he talked he strode up and 
 down the room, the windows of which were 
 open to admit the beautiful spring sun. I fol- 
 lowed him, trying to make him understand 
 that, not knowing the laws, I had only thought 
 of the interests of my children, and taken coun- 
 sel of my heart. The Emperor stopped all of 
 a sudden, and turning roughly towards me, 
 Baid, 
 
 u t Then it should have told you, Madame, 
 that when you shared the prosperity of a fam-
 
 1824.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 277 
 
 Interview at the Coliseum. 
 
 ily, you ought to know how to submit to its 
 misfortunes." 
 
 " ' At these last words I burst into tears. 
 But at this moment our conversation was in- 
 terrupted by a tremendous uproar which night- 
 ened me. The Emperor, while talking, had 
 unconsciously approached the window looking 
 upon the terrace of the Tuileries, which was 
 filled with people, who, upon recognizing him, 
 rent the air with frantic acclamations. The 
 Emperor, accustomed to control himself, sa- 
 luted the people electrified by his presence, 
 and I hastened to dry my eyes. But they 
 had seen my tears, without the slightest sus- 
 picion of their cause. For the next day the 
 papers vied with each other in repeating that 
 the Emperor had shown himself at the win- 
 dows of the Tuileries, accompanied by Queen 
 Hortense, and that the Queen was so moved 
 by the enthusiasm manifested at the sight of 
 her that she could scarcely restrain her tears. 7 
 
 " This account," adds Madame Rdcamier, 
 " had an air of sincerity about it, which shook 
 my previous convictions, and the regard I felt 
 for the Queen was heightened. From that 
 time we became firm friends. We met each 
 other every day, sometimes at the Temple of
 
 278 HORTENSE. [1824. 
 
 Subsequent meetings. 
 
 Vesta, sometimes at the Baths of Titus, or at 
 the Tomb of Cecilia Metella; at others, in some 
 one of the numerous churches of the Christian 
 city, in the rich galleries of its palaces, or at 
 one of the beautiful villas in its environs ; and 
 such was our punctuality, that our two car- 
 riages almost always arrived together at the 
 appointed place. 
 
 " I found the queen a very fascinating com- 
 panion. And she showed such a delicate tact 
 in respecting the opinions she knew I held, 
 that I could not prevent myself saying that I 
 could only accuse her of the one fault of not 
 being enough of a Bonapartist. Notwithstand- 
 ing the species of intimacy established between 
 us, I had always abstained from visiting her, 
 when news arrived of the death of Eugene 
 Beauharnais. The Queen loved her brother 
 tenderly. I understood the grief she must feel 
 in losing her nearest relation and the best 
 friend she had in the world, and came quickly 
 to a decision. I immediately went to her, and 
 found her in the deepest affliction. The whole 
 Bonaparte family was there, but that gave me 
 little uneasiness. In such cases it is impossi 
 ble for me to consider party interests or pub- 
 lie opinion. I have been often blamed for this,
 
 1824] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 279 
 
 Letter from Hortense. 
 
 and probably shall be again, and I must resign 
 myself to this censure, since I shall never cease 
 to deserve it." 
 
 Hortense, immediately upon receiving the 
 tidings of the dangerous sickness of her broth- 
 er, had written thus to Madame Recamier. 
 The letter was dated, 
 
 "Kome, Friday, morning, April, 1824. 
 
 "MY DEAR MADAME, It seems to be my 
 fate not to be able to enjoy any pleasures, 
 diversions, or interest without the alloy of 
 pain. I have news of my brother. He has 
 been ill. They kindly assure me that he was 
 better when the letter was sent, but I can not 
 help being extremely anxious. I have a pre- 
 sentiment that this is his last illness, and I am 
 far from him. I trust that God will not de- 
 prive me of the only friend left me the best 
 and most honorable man on earth. I am go- 
 ing to St. Peter's to pray. That will comfort 
 me perhaps, for my very anxiety frightens 
 me. One becomes weak and superstitious in 
 grief. I can not therefore go with you to-day, 
 but I shall be happy to see you, if you would 
 like to join me at St. Peter's. I know that 
 you are not afraid of the unhappy, and that
 
 280 HORTENSE. [1824. 
 
 Letter from Hortense. 
 
 you bring them happiness. To wish for you 
 now is enough to prove to you my regard /or 
 you. HORTENSE." 
 
 Soon after the death of Prince Eugene, Hor- 
 tense returned to Arenemberg. From that 
 place she wrote to Madame Re'camier, under 
 date of June 10th, 1824 : 
 
 " You were kind enough, Madame, to wish 
 to hear from me. I can not say that I am 
 well, when I have lost every thing on this 
 earth. Meanwhile I am not in ill health. I 
 have just had another heart-break. I have 
 seen all my brother's things. I do not recoil 
 from this pain, and perhaps I may find in it 
 some consolation. This life, so full of troubles, 
 can disturb no longer the friends for whom we 
 mourn. He, no doubt, is happy. With your 
 sympathies you can imagine all my feelings. 
 
 " I am at present in my retreat. The scene- 
 ry is superb. In spite of the lovely sky of 
 Italy, I still find Arenemberg very beautiful 
 But I must always be pursued by regrets. It 
 is undoubtedly my fate. Last year I was so 
 contented. I was very proud of not repining, 
 not wishing for any thing in this world. I 
 had a good brother, good children. To-day
 
 1824.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 281 
 
 Letter from Hortense. 
 
 how much need have I to repeat to myself that 
 there are still some left to whom I am neces- 
 sary! 
 
 " But I am talking a great deal about my- 
 self, and I have nothing to tell you, if it be not 
 that you have been a great comfort to me, and 
 that I shall always be pleased to see yon again. 
 You are among those persons to whom it is- 
 not needful to relate one's life or one's feelings. 
 The heart is the best interpreter, and they who 
 thus read us become necessary to us. 
 
 " I do not ask you about your plans, and 
 nevertheless I am interested to know them. 
 Do not be like me, who live without a future, 
 and who expect to remain where fate puts 
 me; for I may stay at my country -place all 
 winter, if 1 can have all the rooms heated. 
 Sometimes the wind seems to carry the house 
 off, and the snow, I am told, is of frightful 
 depth. But it requires little courage to sur- 
 mount these obstacles. On the contrary, these 
 great effects of nature are sometimes not with- 
 out their charms. Adieu. Do not entirely 
 forget me. Believe me, your friendship has 
 done me good. You know what a comfort a 
 friendly voice from one's native country is; 
 when it comes to us in misfortune and isolar
 
 282 HOR TENSE. [1824. 
 
 Disgrace of Chateaubriand. 
 
 tion. Be kind enough to tell me that I am 
 unjust if I complain too much of my destiny, 
 and that I have still some friends left. 
 
 " HOJRTENSE." 
 
 Just about this time M. de Chateaubriand, 
 the illustrious friend of Madame Ke'camier, was 
 quite insultingly dismissed from the ministry 
 for not advocating a law of which the king ap- 
 proved. The disgrace of the minister created 
 a very deep sensation. In allusion to it, Hor- 
 tense wrote to Madame Kecamier, from Aren- 
 emberg, Sept. 11, 1824, as follows : 
 
 "I expected to hear from you on your re- 
 turn from Naples, and as I have not heard, I 
 know not where to find you. I have fancied 
 that you were on the road to Paris, because I 
 always imagine that we go where the heart 
 goes, and where we can be useful to our friends. 
 It is curious to think what a chain the affections 
 are. Why, I myself, secluded from the world, 
 stranger to every thing, am sorry to see so dis- 
 tinguished a man shut out from public life. Is 
 it on account of the interest you have made me 
 take in that quarter, or is it, rather, because, 
 like a Frenchwoman, I love to see merit and 
 superiority honored in my country ?
 
 1824.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 283 
 
 Letter from Hortense. 
 
 " At present I am no longer alone. I have 
 my cousin with me, the Grand Duchess of Ba- 
 den, a most accomplished person. The bril- 
 liancy of her imagination, the vivacity of her 
 wit, the correctness of her judgment, together 
 with the perfect balance of all her faculties, 
 render her a charming and a remarkable wom- 
 an. She enlivens my solitude and softens my 
 profound grief. We converse in the language 
 of our country. It is that of the heart, you 
 know, since at Home we understood each other 
 so well. 
 
 I claim your promise to stop on the way 
 at Arenemberg. It will always be to me very 
 sweet to see you. I can not separate you 
 from one of my greatest sorrows ; which is to 
 say that you are very dear to me, and that I 
 shall be happy to have an opportunity to as- 
 sure you of my affection. HORTENSE." 
 
 Madame Re'camier, after leaving Rome, kept 
 up her friendly relations and correspondence 
 with Queen Hortense. 
 
 The winter of 1829 Hortense spent with her 
 Bons in Rome. Chateaubriand was then French 
 ambassador in that city. Upon his leaving, 
 to return to Paris, Hortense wrote to Madame
 
 284 HORTENSE. [1829. 
 
 Letter from Hortense. 
 
 Recamier the following letter, in which she al- 
 ludes to his departure : 
 
 "Home, May 10, 1829. 
 
 " DEAR MADAME, I am not willing that one 
 of your friends should leave the place where I 
 am living, and where I have had the pleasure 
 of meeting you, without carrying to you a to- 
 ken of my remembrance. I also wish you to 
 convey to him my sentiments. Kindnesses 
 show themselves in the smallest things, and 
 are also felt by those who are the object of 
 them, without their being equal to the expres- 
 sion of their feelings. But the benevolence 
 which has been able to reach me has made me 
 regret not being permitted to know him whom 
 I have learned to appreciate, and who, in a for- 
 eign land, so worthily represented to me my 
 country, at least such as I always should like 
 to look upon her, as a friend and protectress. 
 
 "I am soon to return to my mountains r 
 where I hope to hear from you. Do not for- 
 get me entirely. Remember that I love you, 
 and that your friendship contributed to soothe 
 one of the keenest sorrows of my life. These 
 are two inseparable memories. Thus never 
 doubt my tender love, in again assuring you 
 of which I take such pleasure. 
 
 "HORTENSK"
 
 1830.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 285 
 
 Revolution in France. 
 
 The year 1830 came. Louis Napoleon was 
 then twenty -two years of age. An insurrec- 
 tion in Paris overthrew the old Bourbon dy- 
 nasty, and established its modification in the 
 throne of Louis Philippe. This revolution in 
 France threw all Europe into commotion. All 
 over Italy the people rose to cast off the yoke 
 which the Allies, who had triumphed at Water- 
 loo, had imposed upon them. The exiled mem- 
 bers of the Bonaparte family met at Rome to 
 decide what to do in the emergency. Hortense 
 attended the meeting with her two sons. The 
 eldest, Napoleon Louis, had married his cousin, 
 the daughter of Joseph Bonaparte. Both of 
 the young princes, with great enthusiasm, join- 
 ed the patriots. Hortense was very much 
 alarmed for the safety of her sons. She could 
 see but little hope that the insurrection could 
 be successful in Italy, for the " Holy Alliance " 
 was pledged to crush it. She wrote imploring- 
 ly to her children. Louis Napoleon replied, 
 
 " Your affectionate heart will understand 
 our determination. We have contracted en 
 gagements which we can not break. Can we 
 remain deaf to the voice of the unfortunate 
 who call to us? We bear a name which 
 obliges us to listen."
 
 286 HORTENSE. [1830. 
 
 Attempt of the Italian patriots. 
 
 We have not here space to describe the con- 
 flict. The Italian patriots, overwhelmed by the 
 armies of Austria, were crushed or dispersed. 
 The elder of the sons of Hortense, Napoleon 
 Louis, died from the fatigue and exposure of 
 the campaign, and was buried at Florence. 
 The younger son, Louis Napoleon, enfeebled 
 by sickness, was in the retreat with the van- 
 quished patriots to Ancona, on the shores of 
 the Adriatic. The distracted mother was has- 
 tening to her children when she heard of the 
 death of the one, and of the sickness and peril- 
 ous condition of the other. She found Louis 
 Napoleon at Ancona, in a burning fever. The 
 Austrians were gathering up the vanquished 
 patriots wherever they could be found in their 
 dispersion, and were mercilessly shooting them. 
 Hortense was in an agony of terror. She knew 
 that her son, if captured, would surely be shot. 
 The Austrians were soon in possession of An- 
 cona. They eagerly sought for the young 
 prince, who bore a name which despots have 
 ever feared. A price was set upon his head 
 The sagacity of the mother rescued the child. 
 She made arrangements for a frail skiff to steal 
 out from the harbor and cross the Adriatic Sea 
 to the shores of Illyria. Deceived by this strata-
 
 1830.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 287 
 
 Escape of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 gem, the Austrian police had no doubt that the 
 young prince had escaped. Their vigilance was 
 accordingly relaxed. Hortense then took a car- 
 riage for Pisa. Her son, burning with fever and 
 emaciate from grief and fatigue, mounted the 
 box behind in the disguise of a footman. In this 
 manner, exposed every moment to the danger 
 of being arrested by the Austrian police, the 
 anxious mother and her son traversed the whole 
 breadth of Italy. As Louis Napoleon had, with 
 arms in his hands, espoused the cause of the 
 people in their struggle against Austrian despot- 
 ism, he could expect no mercy, and there was 
 no safety for him anywhere within reach of 
 the Austrian arm. 
 
 By a law of the Bourbons, enacted in 1816, 
 which law was re-enacted by the Government 
 of Louis Philippe, no member of the Bonaparte 
 family could enter France but under the pen- 
 alty of death. But Napoleon L, when in pow- 
 er, had been very generous to the House of Or- 
 leans. Hortense, also, upon the return of Na- 
 poleon from Elba, when the Royalists were fly- 
 ing in terror from the kingdom, had protected 
 and warmly befriended distinguished members 
 of the family. Under these circumstances, dis- 
 tracted by the fear that her only surviving child
 
 288 HORTENSE. [1831. 
 
 They seek refuge in France. 
 
 would be arrested and shot, and knowing not 
 which way to turn for safety, the mother and 
 the son decided, notwithstanding the menace of 
 .death suspended over them, to seek a moment- 
 ary refuge, incognito, in France. 
 
 Embarking in a small vessel, still under as- 
 sumed names, they safely reached Cannes. At 
 this port Napoleon had landed sixteen years 
 ago, in his marvellous return from Elba. The 
 mother and son proceeded immediately to Paris, 
 resolved to cast themselves upon the generosi- 
 ty of Louis Philippe. Louis Napoleon was still 
 very sick, and needed his bed rather than the 
 fatigues of travel. It was the intention of his 
 mother, so soon as the health of her son was 
 sufficiently restored, to continue their journey 
 and cross over to England. 
 
 Hortense, in her "Memoires," speaking of 
 these hours of adversity's deepest gloom, writes: 
 
 " At length I arrived at the barrier of Paris. 
 I experienced a sort of self-love in exhibiting 
 to my son, by its most beautiful entrance, that 
 capital, of which he could probably retain but a 
 feeble recollection. I ordered the postillion to 
 take us through the Boulevards to the Rue de 
 la Paix, and to stop at the first hotel. Chance 
 conducted us to the Hotel D' Hollande. I oc
 
 1831.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAD. 289 
 
 The vicissitudes of life. 
 
 cupied a small apartment on the third floor, du 
 premier, first above the entresol. From my 
 room I could see the Boulevard and the column 
 in the Place Vendome. I experienced a sort 
 of saddened pleasure, in my isolation, in once 
 more beholding that city which I was about to 
 leave, perhaps forever, without speaking to a 
 person, and without being distracted by the 
 impression which that view made upon me." 
 
 Twenty-two years before, Hortense, in this 
 city, had given birth to the child who was now 
 sick and a fugitive. Austria was thirsting for 
 his blood, and the Government of his own na- 
 tive land had laid upon him the ban of exile, 
 and it was at the peril of their lives that either 
 mother or son placed their feet upon the soil 
 of France. And yet the birth of this prince 
 was welcomed by salvos of artillery, and by 
 every enthusiastic demonstration of public re- 
 joicing, from Hamburg to Eome, and from the 
 Pyrenees to the Danube. 
 
 Louis Napoleon was still suffering from a 
 burning fever. A few days of repose seemed 
 essential to the preservation of his life. Hor- 
 tense immediately wrote a letter to King Louis 
 Philippe, informing him of the arrival of herself 
 and son, incognito, in Paris, of the circumstan- 
 319
 
 290 HORTENSE. [183L 
 
 Obligations of Louts Philippe to Hortense. 
 
 ces which had rendered the step necessary, and 
 casting themselves upon his protection. Louis 
 Philippe owed Hortense a deep debt of grati- 
 tude. He had joined the Allies in their war 
 against France. He had come back to Paris in 
 the rear of their batteries. By French law he 
 was a traitor doomed to die. When Napoleon 
 returned from Elba he fled from France in ter- 
 ror, again to join the Allies. He was then the 
 Duke of Orleans. The Duchess of Orleans had 
 slipped upon the stairs and broken her leg. She 
 could not be moved. Both Hortense and Na- 
 poleon treated her with the greatest kindness. 
 Of several letters which the Duchess of Orleans 
 wrote Hortense, full of expressions of obliga- 
 ion and gratitude, we will quote but one. 
 
 The Duchess of Orleans to Queen Hortense. 
 
 " April 19, 1815. 
 
 " MADAME, I am truly afflicted that the fee- 
 ble state of my health deprives me of the oppor- 
 tunity of expressing to your majesty, as I could 
 wish, my gratitude for the interest she has man- 
 ifested in my situation. I am still suffering 
 much pain, as my limb has not yet healed. But 
 I can not defer expressing to your majesty, and 
 to his majesty, the Emperor, to whom I beg
 
 1831.] PEACEFUL DAYS, YET SAC. 
 
 The Duchess of Bourbon. 
 
 you to be my interpreter, the gratitude I feei 
 I am, madame, your majesty's servant, 
 " LOUISE MARIE ADELAIDE DE 
 
 BOURBON, DUCHESS D'ORLEANS. 
 
 The Emperor, in response to the solicitations 
 of Hortense, had permitted the Duchess of Or- 
 leans to remain in Paris, and also had assured 
 her of a pension of four hundred thousand francs 
 ($80,000). The Duchess of Bourbon, also, aunt 
 of the Duke of Orleans, was permitted to re- 
 main in the city. And she, also, that she might 
 be able to maintain the position due to her 
 rank, received from the Emperor a pension of 
 two hundred thousand francs ($40,000). The 
 Duchess of Bourbon had written to Hortense 
 for some great favors, which Hortense obtain- 
 ed for her. In reply to the assurance of Hor- 
 tense that she would do what she could to aid 
 her, the duchess wrote, under date of April 
 29th, 1815: 
 
 " I am exceedingly grateful for your kind- 
 ness, and I have full confidence in the desire 
 which you express to aid me. I can hardly 
 believe that the Emperor will refuse a demand 
 which I will venture to say is so just, and par- 
 ticularly when it is presented by you. Believe
 
 -292 HORTENSE. [1831. 
 
 Letter to Hortense. 
 
 me, madame, that my gratitude equals the sen- 
 timents of which I beg you to receive, in ad- 
 vance, the most sincere attestation." 
 
 Under these circumstances Hortense could 
 not doubt that she might venture to appeal to 
 the magnanimity of the king.
 
 1831.] LIFE AT ARENEMBERG. 29 
 
 Embarrassments of Louis Philippe. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 LIFE AT ARENEMBERQ. 
 
 IT mast be confessed that the position of 
 Louis Philippe was painful when he re- 
 ceived the note from Hortense announcing that 
 she and her son were in Paris. An insurrec- 
 tion in the streets of Paris had overthrown the 
 throne of the Bourbons, and with it the doo- 
 trine of legitimacy. Louis Philippe had been 
 placed upon the vacant throne, not by the voice 
 of the French people, but by a small clique in 
 Paris. There was danger that allied Europe 
 would again rouse itself to restore the Bour- 
 bons. Louis Philippe could make no appeal 
 to the masses of the people for support, for he- 
 was not the king of their choice. Should he- 
 do any thing indicative of friendship for the 
 Bonapartes, it might exasperate all dynastic 
 Europe ; and should the French people learn 
 that an heir of the Empire was in France, theii 
 enthusiasm might produce convulsions the end 
 of which no one could foresee. 
 
 Thus unstably seated upon his throne, Louia
 
 294 HORTENSE. [1831. 
 
 The minister's interview with Hortense. 
 
 Philippe was in a state of great embarrassment 
 He felt that he could not consult the impulses 
 of his heart, but that he must listen to the cold- 
 er dictates of prudence. He therefore did not 
 venture personally to call upon Queen Hor- 
 tense, but sent Casimir Perier, president of his 
 council, to see her. As Perier entered her 
 apartment, Hortense said to him : 
 
 " Sir, I am a mother. My only means of 
 saving my son was to come to France. I know 
 very well that I have transgressed a law. I 
 am well aware of the risks we run. You have 
 a right to cause our arrest. It would be just." 
 
 "Just?" responded the minister, "no; legal? 
 yes." The result of some anxious deliberation 
 was that, in consideration of the alarming sick- 
 ness of the young prince, they were to be per- 
 mitted, provided they preserved the strictest 
 incognito, to remain in the city one week. 
 The king also granted Hortense a private 
 audience. He himself knew full well the sor- 
 rows of exile. He spoke feelingly of the weary 
 years which he and his family had spent in 
 banishment from France. 
 
 "I have experienced," said he to Hortense, 
 " all the griefs of exile. And it is not in ac- 
 cordance with my wishes that yours have not
 
 1831.] LIFE AT ARENEHBERG. 295 
 
 Hortense ordered to leave France. 
 
 yet ceased." Hortense also saw the queen and 
 the king's sister. There were but these four 
 persons who were allowed to know that Hor- 
 tense was in Paris. And but two of these, the 
 king and his minister, knew that Prince Louis 
 Napoleon was in the city. But just then came 
 the 5th of May. It was the anniversary of the 
 death of the Emperor at St. Helena. As ever, 
 in this anniversary, immense crowds of the 
 Parisian people gathered around the column 
 on the Place Vendome with their homage to 
 their beloved Emperor, and covering the rail- 
 ing with wreaths of immortelles and other 
 flowers. Had the populace known that from 
 his window an heir of the great Emperor was 
 looking upon them, it would have created a 
 flame of enthusiasm which scarcely any earth- 
 ly power could have quenched. 
 
 The anxiety of the king, in view of the peril, 
 was so great, that Hortense was informed that 
 the public safety required that she should im- 
 mediately leave France, notwithstanding the 
 continued sickness of her son. The order was 
 imperative. But both the king and the minis- 
 ter offered her money, that she might continue 
 her journey to London. But Hortense did 
 not need pecuniary aid. She had just cashed
 
 296 HORTENSE. [1881 
 
 Letter from Louis Napoleon. 
 
 at the bank an order for sixteen thousand 
 francs. Before leaving the city, Louis Napo- 
 leon wrote to the king a very eloquent and 
 dignified letter, in which he claimed his right, 
 as a French citizen, who had never committed 
 any crime, of residing in his native land. He 
 recognized the king as the representative of a 
 great nation, and earnestly offered his services 
 in defense of his country in the ranks of the 
 army. He avowed that in Italy he had es- 
 poused the cause of the people in opposition 
 to aristocratic usurpation, and he demanded the 
 privilege of taking his position, as a French, 
 citizen, beneath the tri-color of France. 
 
 No reply was returned to this letter. It is 
 said that the spirit and energy it displayed mag- 
 nified the alarm of the king, and increased his 
 urgency to remove the writer, as speedily as 
 possible, from the soil of France. 
 
 On the 6th of May Hortense and her so 
 left Paris, and proceeded that day to Chantilly. 
 Travelling slowly, they were four days in reach- 
 ing Calais, where they embarked for England. 
 Upon their arrival in London, both Hortense 
 and her son met with a very flattering recep- 
 tion from gentlemen of all parties. For some 
 time they were the guests of the Duke of Bed-
 
 1832.] LIFE AT ARENEMBERG. 297 
 
 Right of citizenship conferred. 
 
 ford, at Woburn Abbey. Talleyrand, who was 
 then French ambassador at the Court of St. 
 James, with characteristic diplomatic caution 
 called himself, and by means of an agent sought 
 to ascertain what were the secret plans and 
 purposes of Queen Hortense. 
 
 Several months were passed very profitably 
 in England, and as pleasantly as was possible 
 for persons who had been so long buffetted by 
 the storms of adversity, who were exiles from 
 their native land, and who knew not in what 
 direction to look for a home of safety. While 
 in this state of perplexity, both mother and son 
 were exceedingly gratified by receiving from 
 the Canton of Thurgovia the following docu- 
 ment, conferring the rights of citizenship upon 
 the young prince. The document bore the 
 date of Thurgovia, April 30th, 1832. 
 
 " We, the President of the Council of the 
 Canton of Thurgovia, declare that, the Com- 
 mune of Sallenstein having offered the right 
 of communal citizenship to his highness, Prince 
 Louis Napoleon, out of gratitude for the nu- 
 merous favors conferred upon the canton by 
 the family of the Duchess of St. Leu, since her 
 residence in Arenemberg; and the grand coun- 
 cil having afterwards, by its unanimous vote
 
 298 HORTENSE. [1832. 
 
 Response of the prince. 
 
 of the 14th of April, sanctioned this award, and 
 decreed unanimously to his highness the right 
 of honorary burghership of the canton, with 
 the desire of proving how highly it honors the 
 generous character of this family, and how 
 highly it appreciates the preference they have 
 shown for the canton ; declares that his high- 
 ness, Prince Louis Napoleon, son of the Duke 
 and Duchess of St. Leu, is acknowledged as a 
 citizen of the Canton of Thurgovia." 
 
 The prince, in the response which he made 
 in the name of his mother and himself, ex- 
 pressed their gratitude for the kindness with 
 which they had ever been treated, and thank- 
 ed them especially for the honor which they 
 had conferred upon him, in making him the 
 " citizen of a free nation." As a testimonial 
 of his esteem he sent to the authorities of the 
 canton two brass six -pounder cannon, with 
 complete trains and equipage. He also found- 
 ed a free school in the village of Sallenstein. 
 
 Encouraged by these expressions of kindly 
 feeling, both Hortense and her son were very 
 desirous to return to their quiet and much- 
 loved retreat at Arenemberg. The prince, 
 however, who never allowed himself to waste 
 a moment of time, devote.d himself, during this
 
 1832.] LIFE AT ARENEMBERG. 299 
 
 Permission to pass through France. 
 
 short visit to England, assiduously to the study 
 of the workings of British institutions, and to 
 the progress which the nation had attained in 
 the sciences and the arts. It was not easy for 
 Hortense and her son to return to Arenemberg. 
 The Government of Louis Philippe would not 
 permit them to pass through France. Austria 
 vigilantly and indignantly watched every path- 
 way through Italy. They made application 
 for permission to pass through Belgium, but 
 this was denied them. The Belgian throne, 
 which was afterwards offered to Leopold, was 
 then vacant. It was feared that the people 
 would rally at the magic name of Napoleon, 
 and insist that the crown should be placed 
 upon the brow of the young prince. 
 
 In this sore dilemma, Louis Philippe at last 
 consented, very reluctantly, that they might 
 pass hurriedly through France, Hortense as- 
 suming the name of the Baroness of Arenem- 
 berg, and both giving their pledge not to enter 
 Paris. Having obtained the necessary pass- 
 ports, Hortense, with her son, left London in 
 August, and, crossing the Channel, landed at 
 Calais, thus placing their feet once more upon 
 the soil of their native land, from which they 
 were exiled by Bourbon power simply because
 
 300 HORTENSE. [1832. 
 
 Louis Napoleon invited to the throne of Poland. 
 
 they bore the name of Bonaparte, which all 
 France so greatly revered. In conformity with 
 their agreement they avoided Paris, though 
 they visited the tomb of Josephine, at Ruel. 
 
 They had scarcely reached Switzerland when 
 a deputation of distinguished Poles called upon 
 the young prince, urging him to place himself 
 at the head of their nation, then in arms, en- 
 deavoring to regain independence. The letter 
 containing this offer was dated August 31. 
 1831. It was signed by General Kniazewiez, 
 Count Plater, and many other of the most it 
 lustrious men of Poland. 
 
 " To whom," it was said, " can the direction 
 of our enterprise be better intrusted than to 
 the nephew of the greatest captain of all ages ? 
 A young Bonaparte appearing in our country, 
 tri-color in hand, would produce a moral ef- 
 fect of incalculable consequences. Come, then, 
 young hero, hope of our country. Trust to 
 the waves, which already know your name, 
 the fortunes of Cassar, and what is more, the 
 destinies of liberty. You will gain the grati- 
 tude of your brethren in arms and the admira- 
 tion of the world." 
 
 The chivalric spirit of the young prince was 
 aroused. Notwithstanding the desperation of
 
 1832.] LIFE AT ARENEMBERG. 301 
 
 Visit of Madame Recamier. 
 
 the enterprise and the great anxiety of his 
 mother, Louis Napoleon left Arenemberg to 
 join the Poles. He had not proceeded far 
 when he received the intelligence that War- 
 saw was captured and that the patriots were 
 crushed. Sadly he returned to Arenemberg. 
 Again, as ever, he sought solace for his disap- 
 pointment in intense application to study. In 
 August, 1832, Madame Recamier with M. de 
 Chateaubriand made a visit to Hortense, at the 
 chateau of Arenemberg. The biographer of 
 Madame Recamier in the following terms re- 
 cords this visit : 
 
 " In August, 1832, Madame Recamier de- 
 cided to make a trip to Switzerland, where she 
 was to meet M. de Chateaubriand, who was al- 
 ready wandering in the mountains. She went 
 to Constance. The chateau of Arenemberg, 
 where the Duchess of St. Leu passed her sum- 
 mers, and which she had bought and put in 
 order, overlooks Lake Constance. It was im- 
 possible for Madame Re'camier not to give a 
 few days to this kind and amiable person, es- 
 pecially in her forlorn and isolated position. 
 The duchess, too, had lost, the year previous, 
 her eldest son, Napoleon, who died in Italy. 
 
 "When M. de Chateaubriand joined Madame
 
 302 HORTENSE. [1832. 
 
 Accomplishments of the Prince. 
 
 Re*camier at Constance, he was invited to dine 
 with her at the castle. Hortense received him 
 with the most gracious kindness, and read tc 
 him some extracts from her own memoira 
 The establishment at Arenemberg was elegant, 
 and on a large though not ostentatious scale. 
 Hortense's manners, in her own house, were 
 simple and affectionate. She talked too much, 
 perhaps, about her taste for a life of retirement, 
 love of nature, and aversion to greatness, to be 
 wholly believed. After all these protestations, 
 her visitor could not perceive without surprise 
 the care the duchess and her househol "" *-?ok 
 to treat Prince Louis like a sovereign He 
 had the precedence of every one. 
 
 " The prince, polite, accomplished, a- -, taci- 
 turn, appeared to Madame Re'camier tc ^e a 
 very different person from his elder brother, 
 whom she had known in Rome, young, gen- 
 erous, and enthusiastic. The prince sketched 
 for her, in sepia, a view of Lake Constance, 
 overlooked by toe chateau of Arenemberg. 
 In the foreground a shepherd, leaning against 
 a tree, is watching his flock and playing on 
 the flute. This design, pleasantly associated 
 with Madame Re*camier's visit, is now histori- 
 cally interesting. For the last ten years the
 
 1832.] LlF3 AT ASENEMBERG. 303 
 
 Heirs to the Empire. 
 
 signature of the author has been affixed to 
 very different things." 
 
 But a month before this visit, in July, 1832, 
 Napoleon's only son, the Duke of Keichstadt, 
 died at the age of twenty-one years. All con- 
 cur in testifying to his noble character. He 
 died sadly, ever cherishing the memory of his 
 illustrious sire, who had passed to the grave 
 through the long agony of St. Helena. The 
 death of the Duke of Reichstadt brought Louis 
 Napoleon one step nearer to the throne of the 
 Empire, according to the vote of the French. 
 There were now but two heirs between him 
 and the crown his uncle Joseph and his fa- 
 ther Louis. Both of these were advanced in 
 life, and the latter exceedingly infirm. The 
 legitimists denied that the people had any 
 right to establish a dynasty ; but it was clear 
 that whatever rights popular suffrage could 
 confer would descend to Louis Napoleon upon 
 the death of Joseph and of Louis Bonaparte. 
 Louis Napoleon had no doubt that the im- 
 mense majority of the French people would 
 improve the first possible opportunity to re- 
 establish the Empire ; and consequently the 
 conviction which he so confidently cherished, 
 that he was destined to be the Emperor of
 
 804 HORTENSE. [1832. 
 
 Studious luibits of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 France, was not a vague and baseless impres- 
 sion, but the dictate of sound judgment. 
 
 The Holy Alliance now contemplated Louia 
 Napoleon with great anxiety, and kept a very 
 close watch upon all his movements. The Gov- 
 ernment of Louis Philippe was even more un- 
 popular in France than the Government of the 
 elder branch of the Bourbons had been. The 
 crown had not been placed upon his brow either 
 by legitimacy or by popular suffrage, and there 
 were but few whom he could rally to his sup- 
 port 
 
 With never-flagging zeal the prince prose- 
 cuted his studies in the peaceful retreat at 
 Arenemberg, that he might be prepared for 
 the high destiny which he believed awaited 
 him. He published several very important 
 treatises, which attracted the attention of Eu- 
 rope, and which gave him a high position, not 
 merely as a man of letters, but as a statesman 
 of profound views. The Spectateur Militaire, in 
 the review of the " Manual of Artillery," by 
 Prince Louis Napoleon, says: 
 
 " In looking over this book, it is impossible 
 not to be struck with the laborious industry of 
 which it is the fruit. Of this we can get an 
 idea by the list of authors, French, German, and
 
 1832.] LIFE AT ARENEMBERG. 305 
 
 Testimony of an English gentleman. 
 
 English, which he has consulted. And this list 
 is no vain catalogue. We can find in the text 
 the ideas, and often the very expressions, o't 
 the authorities which he has quoted. When 
 we consider how much study and perseverance 
 must have been employed to succeed in pro- 
 ducing only the literary part (for even the illus- 
 trations scattered through the work are from 
 the author's own designs) of a book which re- 
 quires such profound and varied attainments, 
 and when we remember that this author was 
 born on the steps of a throne, we can not help 
 being seized with admiration for the man who 
 thus bravely meets the shocks of adversity." 
 
 A gentleman, in a work entitled "Letters 
 from London," in the following language de- 
 scribes the prince's mode of life at Arenem- 
 berg: 
 
 " From his tenderest youth Prince Louis Na- 
 poleon has despised the habits of an effeminate 
 life. Although his mother allowed him a con- 
 siderable sum for his amusements, these were 
 the last things he thought of. All this money 
 was spent in acts of beneficence, in founding 
 schools or houses of refuge, in printing his 
 military or political works, or in making scien- 
 tific experiments. His mode of life was always 
 320
 
 306 HORTENSE. [1832. 
 
 Personal appearance of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 frugal, and rather rude. At Arenemberg it 
 was quite military. 
 
 " His room, situated not in the castle, but in 
 a small pavilion beside it, offered none of the 
 grandeur or elegance so prevalent in Hortense's 
 apartment. It was, in truth, a regular soldier's 
 tent Neither carpet nor arm-chair appeared 
 there ; nothing that could indulge the body ; 
 nothing but books of science and arms of all 
 kinds. As for himself, he was on horseback 
 at break of day, and before any one had risen 
 in the castle he had ridden several leagues. He 
 then went to work in his cabinet. Accustomed 
 to military exercises, as good a rider as could 
 be seen, he never let a day pass without devot- 
 ing some hours to sword and lance practice 
 and the use of infantry arms, which he managed 
 with extraordinary rapidity and address." 
 
 His personal appearance at that time is thus 
 graphically sketched. " He is middle-sized, of 
 an agreeable countenance, and has a military 
 air. To personal advantages he joins the more 
 seductive distinction of manners simple, natu- 
 ral, and full of good taste and ease. At first 
 sight I was struck with his resemblance to 
 Prince Eugene, and to the Empress Josephine, 
 his grandmother. But I did not remark a like
 
 THE STUDY OF LOUIS NAPOLEON.
 
 1833.] LIFE AT ARENEHBERG. 309 
 
 His resemblance to the Emperor. 
 
 resemblance to the Emperor. But by atten- 
 tively observing the essential features, that is r 
 those not depending on more or less fullnesa 
 or on more or less beard, we soon discover that 
 the Napoleonic type is reproduced with aston- 
 ishing fidelity. It is, in fact, the same lofty 
 forehead, broad and straight, the same nose, of 
 fine proportions, the same gray eyes, though 
 the expression is milder. It is particularly the 
 same contour and inclination of the head. The 
 latter especially, when the prince turns, is so- 
 full of the Napoleon air, as to make a soldier 
 of the Old Guard thrill at the sight. And if 
 the eye rests on the outline of these forms, it 
 is impossible not to be struck, as if before the 
 head of the Emperor, with the imposing grand- 
 eur of the Roman profile, of which the lines, 
 so defined, so grave, I will even add and so sol- 
 emn, are, as it were, the soul of great destinies. 
 " The distinguishing expression of the fea- 
 tures of the young prince is that of nobleness 
 and gravity. And yet, far from being harsh, 
 his countenance, on the contrary, breathes a 
 sentiment of mildness and benevolence. It 
 seems that the maternal type which is pre- 
 served in the lower part of his face has come 
 to correct the rigidity of the imperial lines, as
 
 310 HORTENSE. [1833. 
 
 Letter to M. Belmontet. 
 
 the blood of the Beauharnais seems to have 
 tempered in him the southern violence of the 
 Napoleon blood. But what excites the greatest 
 interest is that indefinable tinge of melancholy 
 and thoughtfulness observable in the slightest 
 movement, and revealing the noble sufferings 
 of exile. 
 
 " But after this portrait you must not figure 
 to yourself one of those elegant young men, 
 those Adonises of romance who excite the ad- 
 miration of the drawing-room. There is noth- 
 ing of effeminacy in the young Napoleon. The 
 dark shadows of his countenance indicate an 
 energetic nature. His assured look, his glance 
 at once quick and thoughtful, every thing 
 about him points out one of those exceptional 
 natures, one of those great souls that live by 
 meditating on great things, and that alone are 
 capable of accomplishing them." 
 
 About this time the young prince wrote as 
 follows to his friend, the poet Belmontet: 
 " Still far from my country, and deprived of 
 all that can render life dear to a manly heart, 
 I yet endeavor to retain my courage in spite 
 of fate, and find my only consolation in hard 
 study. Adieu. Sometimes think of all the 
 bitter thoughts which must fill my mind when
 
 1833.] LIFE AT ARENEMBERG. 311 
 
 Letter to a friend. 
 
 I contrast the past glories of France with her 
 presen t condition and hopeless future. It needs 
 no little courage to press on alone, as one can, 
 towards the goal which one's heart has vowed 
 to reach. Nevertheless I must not despair, 
 the honor of France has so many elements of 
 vitality in it." 
 
 Some months later he wrote to the same 
 friend: "My life has been until now marked 
 only by profound griefs and stifled wishes. 
 The blood of Napoleon rebels in my veins, in 
 not being able to flow for the national glory. 
 Until the present time there has been nothing 
 remarkable in my life, excepting my birth. 
 The sun of glory shone upon my cradle. Alas ! 
 that is all. But who can complain when the 
 Emperor has suffered so much ? Faith in the 
 future, such is my only hope ; the sword of the 
 Emperor my only stay ; a glorious death for 
 France my ambition. Adieu 1 Think of the 
 poor exiles, whose eyes are ever turned towards 
 the beloved shores of France. And believe 
 that my heart will never cease to beat at the 
 sound of country, honor, patriotism, and devo- 
 tion." 
 
 Hortense deeply sympathized in the sorrows 
 of her son. Like the caged eagle, he was
 
 312 HORTENSE. 
 
 Love of Hortense for her son. 
 
 struggling against his bars, longing for a lofty 
 flight. On the 10th of August, 1834, she wrote 
 to their mutual friend, Belmontet as follows : 
 
 " The state of my affairs obliges me to re- 
 main during the winter in my mountain home, 
 exposed to all its winds. But what is this 
 compared with the dreadful sufferings which 
 the Emperor endured upon the rock of St. 
 Helena? I would not complain if my son, at 
 his age, did not find himself deprived of all so- 
 ciety and completely isolated, without any di- 
 version but the laborious pursuits to which he 
 is devoted. His courage and strength of soul 
 equal his sad and painful destiny. What a 
 generous nature I What a good and noble 
 young man! I am proud to be his mother, 
 and I should admire him if I were not so. I 
 rejoice as much in the nobleness of his charac- 
 ter, as I grieve at being unable to render his 
 life more happy. He was born for better 
 things. He is worthy of them. We contem- 
 plate passing a couple of months at Geneva 
 There he will at least hear the French lan- 
 guage spoken. That will be an agreeable 
 change for him. The mother- tongue, is it not 
 almost one's country ?" 
 
 It every day became more and more evident
 
 1834] LIFE AT ARENEMBERG. 313 
 
 Column in the Place Vendome. 
 
 that the throne of Louis Philippe, founded only 
 upon the stratagem of a clique in Paris, could 
 not stand long. Under these circumstances, 
 one of the leading Eepublicans in Paris wrote 
 to the prince as follows : 
 
 " The life of the king is daily threatened. 
 If one of these attempts should succeed, we 
 should be exposed to the most serious convul 
 sions; for there is no longer in France any 
 party which can lead the others, nor any man 
 who can inspire general confidence. In this 
 position, prince, we have turned our eyes to* 
 you. The great name which you bear, your 
 opinions, your character, every thing induces us 
 to see in you a point of rallying for the popu- 
 lar cause. Hold yourself ready for action, and 
 when the time shall come your friends will not 
 fail you." 
 
 The Government of Louis Philippe had been 
 constrained by the demand of the French peo- 
 ple to restore to the summit of the column in 
 the Place Vendome the statue of Napoleon, 
 which the Allies had torn from it. As the 
 colossal image of the Emperor was raised to its 
 proud elevation on that majestic shaft, the ut- 
 most enthusiasm pervaded not only the streets 
 of the metropolis, but entire France. Day af-
 
 S14 HOBTENSE. [1834. 
 
 Arc de 1'Etoile. 
 
 ter day immense crowds gathered in the place, 
 garlanding the railing with wreaths of immor- 
 telles, and exhibiting enthusiam which greatly 
 alarmed the Government. 
 
 Hortense and Louis, from their place of 
 exile, watched these popular demonstrations 
 with intensest interest All France seemed to 
 be honoring Napoleon. And yeJt neither Hor- 
 tense nor her son were allowed by the Gov- 
 ernment to touch the soil of France under 
 penalty of death, simply because they were 
 relatives of Napoleon. The completion of the 
 Arc de 1'Etoile, at the head of the avenue of 
 the Champs Elysee, a work which Napoleon 
 had originated, was another reminder to the 
 Parisians of the genius of the great Emperor. 
 
 The Emperor, with dying breath, had said 
 at St. Helena, " It is my wish that my ashes 
 may repose on the banks of the Seine, in the 
 midst of the French people whom I have loved 
 so well." All France was now demanding 
 that this wish should be fulfilled. The Gov- 
 ernment dared not attempt to resist the popu- 
 lar sentiment. The remains were demanded 
 of England, and two frigates were sent to trans- 
 port them to France. And the whole king- 
 dom prepared to receive those remains, and
 
 1835.] LIFE AT AKENEMBERG. 315 
 
 First heir to the Kmpire. 
 
 honor them with a burial more imposing than 
 had ever been conferred upon a mortal before. 
 
 Louis Napoleon and his friends thought that 
 the time had now arrived in which it was ex- 
 pedient for him to present himself before the 
 people of France, and claim their protection 
 from the oppression of the French Government. 
 It was believed that the French people, should 
 the opportunity be presented them, would rise 
 at the magic name of Napoleon, overthrow the 
 throne of Louis Philippe, and then, by the 
 voice of universal suffrage, would re-establish 
 the Empire. 
 
 This would place Joseph Bonaparte on the 
 throne, and would at once annul the decree of 
 banishment against the whole Bonaparte fami- 
 ly. Hortense and Louis Napoleon could then 
 return to their native land. As Louis Napo- 
 leon was in the direct line of hereditary de- 
 scent, the re-establishment of the Empire would 
 undoubtedly in the end secure the crown for 
 Louis Napoleon. The ever-increasing enthu- 
 siasm manifested for the memory of Napoleon 
 I., and the almost universal unpopularity of the 
 Government of Louis Philippe, led Louis Na- 
 poleon and his friends to think that the time 
 had come for the restoration of the Empire, or
 
 816 HORTENSE. [183d. 
 
 The throne of Lonis Philippe menaced. 
 
 rather to restore to the people the right of uni- 
 versal suffrage, that they might choose a re- 
 public or empire or a monarchy, as the people 
 should judge best for the interests of France. 
 
 It so happened that there was, at that time, 
 in garrison at Strasburg the same regiment in 
 which General Bonaparte so brilliantly com- 
 menced his career at the siege of Toulon, and 
 which had received him with so much enthu- 
 siasm at Grenoble, on his return from Elba, 
 and had escorted him in his triumphant march 
 to Paris. Colonel Vaudrey, a very enthusi- 
 astic and eloquent young man who had great 
 influence over his troops, was in command of 
 the regiment. It was not doubted that these 
 troops would with enthusiasm rally around an 
 heir of the Empire. In preparation for the 
 movement, Louis Napoleon held several inter- 
 views with Colonel Vaudrey at Baden In one 
 of these interviews the prince said to the colo- 
 nel: 
 
 " The days of prejudice are past. The pres- 
 tige of divine right has vanished from France 
 with the old institutions. A new era has com- 
 menced. Henceforth the people are called to 
 the free development of their faculties. But 
 in this general impulse, impressed by modern
 
 1836.] LIFE AT ARENEMBERG. 317 
 
 Remarks of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 civilization, what can regulate the movement? 
 What government will be sufficiently strong 
 to assure to the country the enjoyment of pub- 
 lic liberty without agitations, without disorders ? 
 It is necessary for a free people that they should 
 have a government of immense moral force. 
 And this moral force, where can it be found, 
 if not in the right and the will of all ? So long 
 as a general vote has not sanctioned a govern- 
 ment, no matter what that government may be, 
 it is not built upon a solid foundation. Adverse 
 factions will constantly agitate society ; while 
 institutions ratified by the voice of the nation 
 will lead to the abolition of parties and will an- 
 nihilate individual resistances. 
 
 " A revolution is neither legitimate nor ex- 
 cusable except when it is made in the interests 
 of the majority of the nation. One may be 
 sure that this is the motive which influences 
 him, when he makes use of moral influences 
 only to attain his ends. If the Government 
 have committed so many faults as to render a 
 revolution desirable for the nation, if the Na- 
 poleonic cause have left sufficiently deep re- 
 membrances in French hearts, it will be enough 
 for me merely to present myself before the 
 soldiers and the people, recalling to their mem-
 
 318 HOBTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Peril of the movements. 
 
 ory their recent griefs and past glory, for them 
 to flock around my standard. 
 
 " If I succeed in winning over a regiment, if 
 the soldiers to whom I am unknown are roused 
 by the sight of the imperial eagle, then all the 
 chances will be mine. My cause will be mor- 
 ally gained, even if secondary obstacles rise to 
 prevent its success. It is my aim to present a 
 popular flag the most popular, the most glori- 
 ous of all, which shall serve as a rallying- 
 point for the generous and the patriotic of all 
 parties ; to restore to France her dignity with- 
 out universal war, her liberty without license, 
 her stability without despotism. To arrive at 
 such a result, what must be done? One must 
 receive from the people alone all his power 
 and all his rights." 
 
 The man who should undertake in this way 
 to overthrow an established government, must 
 of course peril his life. If unsuccessful, he 
 could anticipate no mercy. Hortense perceived 
 with anxiety that the mind of her son was in 
 tensely absorbed in thoughts which he did not 
 reveal to her. On the morning of the 25th of 
 October, 1836, Louis Napoleon bade adieu to 
 his mother, and left Arenemberg in his private 
 carriage, ostensibly to visit friends at Baden
 
 1836.] LIFE AT ABENEMBERG. 319 
 
 Letter to Hortcnse. 
 
 A few days after, Hortense was plunged into 
 the deepest distress by the cjception of the fol- 
 lowing letter : 
 
 " MY DEAR MOTHER, You must have been 
 very anxious in receiving no tidings from me 
 you who believed me to be with my cousin. 
 But your inquietude will be redoubled when 
 you learn that I made an attempt at Strasburg, 
 which has failed. I am in prison, with several 
 other officers. It is for them only that I suf- 
 fer. As for myself, in commencing such an en- 
 terprise, I was prepared for every thing. Do 
 not weep, mother. I am the victim of a noble 
 cause, of a cause entirely French. Hereafter 
 justice will be rendered me and I shall be 
 commiserated. 
 
 " Yesterday morning I presented myself be- 
 fore the Fourth Artillery, and was received with 
 cries of Vive VEmpereur ! For a time all went 
 well. The Forty -sixth resisted. We were cap- 
 tured in the court-yard of their barracks. Hap- 
 pily no French blood was shed. This consoles 
 me in my calamity. Courage, my mother ! I 
 shall know how to support, even to the end, 
 the honor of the name I bear. Adieu ! Do 
 not uselessly mourn my lot. Life is but a lit-
 
 320 HOBTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Capture of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 tie thing. Honor and France are every thing 
 to me. I embrace r ou with my whole heart. 
 Your tender and ret ectful son, 
 
 " Louis IN APOLEON BONAPARTE. 
 
 " Strasburg, November 1, 1836." 
 
 Hortense immediately hastened to France, to 
 'do whatever a mother's love and anguish could 
 accomplish for the release of her son, though 
 in crossing the frontiers she knew that she ex- 
 posed herself to the penalty of death. Appre- 
 hensive lest her presence in Paris might irritate 
 the Government, she stopped at Viry, at the 
 house of the Duchess de Eaguse. Madame 
 Re'camier repaired at once to Viry to see Hor- 
 tense, where she found her in great agony. 
 Soon, however, a mother's fears were partially 
 relieved, as the Government of Louis Philippe, 
 knowing the universal enthusiasm with which 
 the Emperor and the Empire were regarded, did 
 not dare to bring the young prince to trial, or 
 even to allow it to be known that he was upon 
 the soil of France. With the utmost precipi- 
 tation they secretly hurried their prisoner 
 through France, by day and by night, to the 
 seaboard, where he was placed on board a 
 frigate, whose captain had sealed instructions
 
 1836.J LIFE AT ARENEMBERG. 321 
 
 Anguish of Hortense. 
 
 respecting the destination of his voyage, which 
 he was not to open until he had been several 
 days at sea. 
 
 Poor Hortense, utterly desolate and heart- 
 broken, returned to Arenemberg. She knew 
 that the life of her son had been spared, and 
 that he was to be transported to some distant 
 land. But she knew not where he would be 
 sent, or what would be his destiny there. It is 
 however probable that ere long she learned, 
 through her numerous friends, what were the 
 designs of the Government respecting him. 
 She however never saw her son again until, 
 upon a dying bed, she gave him her last em- 
 brace and blessing. The hurried journey, arid 
 the terrible anxiety caused by the arrest and 
 peril of her son, inflicted a blow upon Hortense 
 from which she never recovered. Weary 
 months passed away in the solitude of Aren- 
 emberg, until at last the heart-stricken mother 
 received a package of letters from the exile 
 As the narrative contained in these letters 
 throws very interesting light upon the char- 
 acter of the mother as well as of the son, W3 
 Bhall insert it in the next chapter. 
 321
 
 322 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 The attempt at Strasbnrg. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 LETTER FROM Louis NAPOLEON TO 
 HIS MOTHER. 
 
 MOTHEE, To give you a detail- 
 ed recital of my misfortunes is to re 
 new your griefs and mine. And still it is a 
 consolation, both for you and for me, that you 
 should be informed of all the impressions 
 which I have experienced, and of all the emo- 
 tions which have agitated me since the end of 
 October. You know what was the pretext 
 which I gave when I left Arenemberg. But 
 you do not know what was then passing in 
 my heart. Strong in my conviction which led 
 me to look upon the Napoleonic cause as the 
 only national cause in France, as the only civ- 
 ilizing cause in Europe, proud of the nobility 
 and purity of my intentions, I was fully re- 
 solved to raise the imperial eagle, or to fall 
 the victim of my political faith. 
 
 "I left, taking in my carriage the same 
 route which I had followed three months be-
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 823 
 
 The attempt at Strasbnrg. 
 
 fore when going from Urkirch to Baden. Ev- 
 ery thing was the same around me. But what 
 a difference in the impressions with which I 
 was animated I I was then cheerful and se- 
 rene as the unclouded day. But now, sad and 
 thoughtful, my spirit had taken the hue of the 
 air, gloomy and chill, which surrounded me. 
 1 may be asked, what could have induced me 
 to abandon a happy existence, to encounter all 
 the risks of a hazardous enterprise. I reply 
 that a secret voice constrained me ; and that 
 nothing in the world could have induced me 
 to postpone to another period an attempt which 
 seemed to me to present so many chances of 
 success. 
 
 "And the most painful thought for me at 
 this moment is now that reality has come to 
 take the place of suppositions, and that, instead 
 of imagining, I have seen that I am firm in the 
 belief that if I had followed the plan which I 
 had marked out for myself, instead of being 
 now under the Equator, I should be in my 
 own country. Of what importance to me are 
 those vulgar ones which call me insensate be- 
 cause I have not .succeeded, and which would 
 have exaggerated my merit had I triumphed ? 
 I take upon myself all the responsibility of the
 
 824 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 The attempt at Strasburg. 
 
 movement, for I have acted from conviction, 
 and not from the influence of others. Alas ! 
 if I were the only victim I should have noth- 
 ing to deplore. I have found in my friends 
 boundless devotion, and I have no reproaches 
 to make against any one whatever. 
 
 " On the 27th I arrived at Lahr, a small 
 town of the Grand-duchy of Baden, where I 
 awaited intelligence. Near that place the axle 
 of my carriage broke, and I was compelled to 
 remain there for a day. On the morning of 
 the 28th I left Lahr, and, retracing my steps, 
 passed through Fribourg, Neubrisach, and Col- 
 mar, and arrived, at eleven o'clock in the even- 
 ing, at Strasburg without the least embarrass- 
 ment My carriage was taken to the Hotel de 
 la Fleur, while I went to lodge in a small 
 chamber, which had been engaged for me, in 
 the Rut de la Fontaine. 
 
 " There I saw, on the 29th, Colonel Vaudrey, 
 and submitted to him the plan of operations 
 which I had drawn up But the colonel, whose 
 noble and generous sentiments merited a better 
 fate, said to me: 
 
 " ' There is no occasion here for a conflict 
 with arms. Your cause is too French and too 
 pure to be soiled in shedding French blood.
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 825 
 
 The attempt at Strasburg. 
 
 There is but one mode of procedure which is 
 worthy of you, because it will avoid all col- 
 lision. When you are at the head of my regi- 
 ment we will march together to General Voi- 
 rol's.* An old soldier will not resist the sight 
 of you and of the imperial eagle when he 
 knows that the garrison follows you.' 
 
 " I approved his reasons, and all things were 
 arranged for the next morning. A house had 
 been engaged in a street in the neighborhood 
 of the quarter of Austerlitz, whence we all 
 were to proceed to those barracks as soon as 
 the regiment of artillery was assembled. 
 
 " Upon the 29th, at eleven o'clock in the 
 evening, one of my friends came to seek me at 
 the Rue de la Fontaine, to conduct me to the 
 general rendezvous. We traversed together 
 the whole city. A bright moon illuminated 
 the streets. I regarded the fine weather as a 
 favorable omen for the next day. I examined 
 with care the places through which I passed. 
 The silence which reigned made an impression 
 upon me. By what would that calm be replaced 
 to-morrow ! 
 
 " ' Nevertheless,' said 1 to my companion, 
 'there will be no disorder if I succeed. It is 
 
 * The commanding officer of the garrison.
 
 326 HORTENSE. [1836 
 
 The attempt at Strasburg. 
 
 especially to avoid the troubles which frequent- 
 ly accompany popular movements that I have 
 wished to make the revolution by means oi 
 the army. But,' I added, ' what confidence, 
 what profound conviction must we have of the 
 nobleness of our cause, to encounter not mere- 
 ly the dangers which we are about to meet, 
 but that public opinion which will load us 
 with reproaches and overwhelm us if we do 
 not succeed ! And still, I call God to witness 
 that it is not to satisfy a personal ambition, but 
 because I believe that I have a mission to ful- 
 fill, that I risk that which is more dear to me 
 than life, the esteem of my fellow-citizens.' 
 
 "Having arrived at the house in fozRue des 
 Orphelins, I found my friends assembled in two 
 apartments on the ground floor. I thanked 
 them for the devotion which they manifested 
 for my cause, and said to them that from that 
 hour we would share good and bad fortune 
 together. One of the officers had an eagle. It 
 was that which had belonged to the seventh 
 regiment of the line. * The eagle of Labe'- 
 doy&re,'* one exclaimed, and each one of us 
 
 * Colonel LabeMoyere was u young man of fine figure and 
 elegant manners, descended from a respectable family, and 
 whose heart ever throbbed warmly in remembrance of the 
 glories of the Empire. Upon the abdication of Napoleon
 
 1836.] LETTEB TO HORTENSE. 321 
 
 The attempt at Strasburg. 
 
 pressed it to his heart with lively emotion. 
 All the officers were in full uniform. I had 
 put on the uniform of the artillery and the hat 
 of a major-general. 
 
 " The night seemed to us very long. I 
 spent it in writing my proclamations, which I 
 had not been willing to have printed in ad- 
 vance for fear of some indiscretion. It was 
 decided that we should remain in that house 
 until the colonel should notify me to proceed 
 to the barracks. We counted the hours, the 
 minutes, the seconds. Six o'clock in the morn- 
 ing was the moment indicated. 
 
 " How difficult it is to express what one 
 experiences under such circumstances. In a 
 
 apd his retirement to Elba, Labedoyere was in command of 
 the seventh regiment of the line, stationed at Grenoble. He 
 fraternized with his troops in the enthusiasm with which one 
 and all were swept away at the sight of the returning Empe- 
 ror. Drawing a silver eagle from his pocket, he placed it 
 upon the flag-staff and embraced it in the presence of all his 
 soldiers, who, in a state of the wildest excitement, with shouts 
 of joy, gathered around Napoleon, crying Vive I'Empereur! 
 
 After Waterloo and the exile to St. Helena, Labedoyere 
 was arrested, tried, and shot. It is said that the judges shed 
 tears when they condemned the noble young man to death. 
 His young wife threw herself at the feet of Louis XVIII., 
 and, frantic with grief, cried out, "Pardon, sire, pardon!" 
 Louis replied, "My duty as a king ties my hands. I can 
 only pray for the soul of him whom justice has condemned." 
 "Abbott's Life of Napoleon, vol. ii. p. 110.
 
 328 HORTENSE. [183ft. 
 
 The attempt at Strasbnrg. 
 
 second one lives more than in ten years; fo* 
 to live is to make use of our organs, our senses, 
 our faculties of all the parts of ourselves 
 which impart the sentiment of our existence. 
 And in these critical moments our faculties, 
 our organs, our senses, exalted to the highest 
 degree, are concentrated on one single point. 
 It is the hour which is to decide our entire 
 destiny. One is strong when he can say to 
 himself, 'To-morrow I shall be the liberator of 
 my country, or I shall be dead.' One is gt-eat- 
 ly to be pitied when circumstances are such 
 that he can neither be one nor the other. 
 
 " Notwithstanding my precautions, the noise 
 which a certain number of persons meeting to 
 gether can not help making, awoke the occu- 
 pants of the first story. We heard them rise 
 and open their windows. It was five o'clock. 
 We redoubled our precautions, and they went 
 to sleep again. 
 
 " At last the clock struck six. Never be- 
 fore did the sound of a clock vibrate so -vio- 
 lently in my heart. But a moment after the 
 bugle from the quarter of Austerlitz came to 
 accelerate its throbbings. The great moment 
 was approaching. A very considerable tumult 
 was heard in the street Soldiers passed shout-
 
 1836.J LETTER TO HORTENSE. 32$ 
 
 The attempt at Strusburg. 
 
 ing; horsemen rode at full gallop by our win- 
 dows. I sent an officer to ascertain the cause 
 of the tumult. Had the chief officer of the 
 garrison been informed of our projects? Had 
 we been discovered ? My messenger soon re 
 turned to say to me that the noise came from 
 some soldiers whom the colonel had sent to 
 fetch their horses, which were outside the quar- 
 ter. 
 
 " A few more minutes passed, and I was in- 
 formed that the colonel was waiting for me. 
 Full of hope, I hastened into the street. M. 
 Parguin,* in the uniform of a brigadier-gen- 
 eral, and a commander of battalion, carrying 
 the eagle in his hand, are by my side. About 
 a dozen officers follow me. 
 
 "The distance was short; it was soon trav- 
 ersed. The regiment was drawn up in line of 
 battle in the barrack -yard, inside of the rails. 
 Upon the grass forty of the horse-artillery were 
 stationed. 
 
 "My mother, judge of the happiness I ex- 
 
 * M. Parguin was the gentleman to whom we have before 
 *lluded, who was a highly esteemed young officer under Na- 
 poleon I., and who, having married Mademoiselle Cotelet, 
 the reader of Queen Hortense, had purchased the estate of 
 Wolfberg, in the vicinity ot Arenemberg, and became one of 
 the most intimate friends of Prince Louis Napoleon.
 
 830 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 The attempt at Strasburg. 
 
 perienced at that moment After twenty-years 
 of exile, I touched again the sacred soil of my 
 country. 1 found myself with Frenchmen 
 whom the recollection of the Empire was again 
 to electrify. 
 
 "Colonel Vaudrey was alone in the middle 
 of the yard. I directed my steps towards him. 
 Immediately the colonel, whose noble counte- 
 nance and fine figure had at that moment some- 
 thing of the sublime, drew his sword and ex- 
 claimed: 
 
 "'Soldiers of the Fourth Regiment of Artil- 
 lery ! A great revolution is being accomplish- 
 ed at this moment. You see here before you 
 the nephew of the Emperor Napoleon. He 
 comes to reconquer the rights of the people. 
 The people and the army can rely upon him. 
 It is around him that all should rally who love 
 the glory and the liberty of France. Soldiers ! 
 you must feel, as does your chief, all the grand- 
 eur of the enterprise you are about to under- 
 take, all the sacredness of the cause you are 
 about to defend. Soldiers! can the nephew 
 of the Emperor rely upon you?' 
 
 "His voice was instantly drowned by unani- 
 mous cries of Vive Napoleon! Vive TEmpereur! 
 I then addressed them in the following words:
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE 881 
 
 The attempt at Strasburg. 
 
 " ' ."Resolved to conquer or to die for the cause 
 of the French people, it is to you first that I 
 wish to present myself, because between you 
 and me exist grand recollections. It is in your 
 regiment that- the Emperor, my uncle, served 
 as captain. It is with you that he made his 
 name famous at the siege of Toulon, and it is 
 your brave regiment again which opened to 
 him the gates of Grenoble, on his return from 
 the isle of Elba. Soldiers ! new destinies are 
 reserved for you. To you belongs the glory 
 of commencing a great enterprise; to you the 
 honor of first saluting the eagle of Austerlitz 
 and of Wagram.' 
 
 " I then seized the eagle-surmounted banner, 
 which one of my officers, M. de Carelles, bore, 
 and presenting it to them, said, 
 
 " ' Soldiers ! behold the symbol of the glory 
 of France. During fifteen years it conducted 
 our fathers to victory. It has glittered upon 
 all the fields of battle. It has traversed all the 
 capitals of Europe. Soldiers! will you not 
 rally around this noble standard which I con- 
 fide to your honor and to your courage ? Will 
 you not march with me against the traitors 
 and the oppressors of our country to the cry, 
 Vive la France 1 Vive la liberte ! T
 
 832 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 The attempt at Strasburg. 
 
 "A thousand affirmative cries responded to 
 me. We then commenced our march, music 
 *i front. Joy and hope beamed from every 
 countenance. The plan was, to hasten to the 
 house of the general, and to present to him, 
 not a dagger at his throat, but the eagle before 
 his eyes. It was necessary, in order to reach 
 his house, to traverse the whole city. While 
 on the way, I had to send an officer with a 
 guard to publish my proclamations; another 
 to the prefect, to arrest him. In short, six re- 
 ceived special missions, so that when I arrived 
 at the general's, I had voluntarily parted with 
 a considerable portion of my forces. 
 
 "But had I then necessity to surround myself 
 with so many soldiers ? could I not rely upon 
 the participation of the people? and, in fine, 
 whatever may be said, along the whole route 
 which I traversed I received unequivocal signs 
 of the sympathy of the population. I had actu- 
 ally to struggle against the vehemence of the 
 marks of interest which were lavished upon 
 me ; and the variety of cries which greeted me 
 showed that there was no party which did not 
 sympathize with my feelings. 
 
 " Having arrived at the court of the hotel of 
 the general, I ascended the stairs, followed by
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 333 
 
 The attempt at Strasburg. 
 
 Messieurs Vaudrey, Parguin, and two officers. 
 The general was not yet dressed. I said to 
 him, 
 
 '"General, I come to you as a friend. I 
 should be sorry to raise our old tri-color ban- 
 ner without the aid of a brave soldier like you. 
 The garrison is in my favor. Decide and fol- 
 low me.' 
 
 " The eagle was presented to him. He re- 
 jected it, saying, ' Prince, they have deceived 
 you. The army knows its duties, as I will 
 prove to you immediately.' 
 
 " I then departed, and gave orders to leave 
 a file of men to guard him. The general after- 
 wards presented himself to his soldiers, to in- 
 duce them to return to obedience. The artil- 
 lerymen, under the orders of M. Parguin, dis- 
 regarded his authority, and replied to him only 
 by reiterated cries of Vive TEmpereur. Subse- 
 quently the general succeeded in escaping from 
 his hotel by an unguarded door. 
 
 " When I left the hotel of the general, I was 
 greeted with the same acclamations of Vive 
 VEmp&reur. But this first check had already 
 seriously affected me. I was not prepared for 
 it, convinced as I had been that the sight alone 
 of the eagle would recall to the general the old
 
 334: HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 The march through the street*. 
 
 souvenirs of glory, and would lead him to join 
 us. 
 
 "We resumed our march. Leaving the 
 main street, we entered the barracks of Finke- 
 matt, by the lane which leads there through the 
 Faubourg of Pierre. This barrack is a large 
 building, erected in a place with no outlet but 
 the entrance. The ground in front is too nar- 
 now for a regiment to be drawn up in line of 
 battle. In seeing myself thus hedged in be- 
 tween the ramparts and the barracks, I per- 
 ceived that the plan agreed upon had not been 
 followed out. Upon our arrival, the soldiers 
 thronged around us. I harangued them. 
 Most of them went to get their arms, and re- 
 turned to rally around me, testifying their sym- 
 pathy for me by their acclamations. ' 
 
 " However, seeing them manifest a sudden 
 hesitation, caused by the reports circulated by 
 some officers among them who endeavored to 
 inspire them with doubts of my identity, and 
 as we were also losing precious time in an un- 
 favorable position, instead of hastening to the 
 other regiments who expected us, I requested 
 the colonel to depart. lie urged me to remain 
 a little longer. I complied with his advice. 
 
 " Some infantry officers arrived, ordered the
 
 THE ARREST-
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 337 
 
 Peril of the prince. 
 
 gates to be closed, and strongly reprimanded 
 their soldiers. The soldiers hesitated. I or- 
 dered the arrest of the officers. Their soldiers 
 rescued them. Then all was confusion. The 
 space was so contracted that each one was lost 
 in the crowd. The people, who had climbed 
 upon the wall, threw stones at the infantry. 
 The cannoneers wished to use their arms, but 
 we prevented it. We saw clearly that it would 
 cause the death of very many. I saw the colo- 
 nel by turns arrested by the infantry, and res- 
 cued by his soldiers. I was myself upon the 
 point of being slain by a multitude of men 
 who, recognizing me, crossed their bayonets 
 upon me. I parried their thrusts with my 
 sabre, trying at the same time to calm them, 
 when the cannoneers -rescued me from their 
 guns, and placed me in the middle of them- 
 selves. 
 
 " I then pressed forward, with somfe subal- 
 tern officers, towards the mounted artillery 
 men, to seize a horse. All the infantry fol- 
 lowed me. I found myself hemmed in be- 
 tween the horses and the wall, without power 
 to move. Then the soldiers, arriving from all 
 parts, seized me and conducted me to the 
 guard -house. On entering I found M. Par- 
 322
 
 338 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Utter failure of the enterprise. 
 
 guin. I extended my hand to him. He said 
 to me, speaking in tones calm and resigned, 
 ' Prince, we shall be shot, but it will be in a 
 good cause.' 
 
 "'Yes,' I replied, * we have fallen in a grand 
 and a glorious enterprise.' 
 
 " Soon after General Voirol arrived. He 
 said to me, upon entering, 
 
 " ' Prince, you have found but one traitor in 
 the French army.' 
 
 " ' Say rather, general,' I replied, ' that I have 
 found one Labedoy&re.' Some carriages were 
 soon brought, and we were transported to the 
 new prison. 
 
 " Behold me, then, between four walls, with 
 barred windows, in the abode of criminals. 
 Ah 1 those who know what it is to pass in an 
 instant from the excess of happiness, caused 
 by the noblest illusions, to the excess of mis- 
 ery, which leaves no hope, and to pass over 
 this immense interval without having one mo- 
 ment to prepare for it, alone can comprehend 
 what was passing in my heart. 
 
 " At the lodge we met again. M. de Que- 
 relles, pressing my hand, said to me in a loud 
 voice, ' Prince, notwithstanding our defeat, I 
 am still proud of what we have done.' They
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 339 
 
 Examination of the captive. 
 
 subjected me to an interrogation. I was calm 
 and resigned. My part was taken. The fol- 
 lowing questions were proposed to me : 
 
 " ' What has induced you to act as you have 
 done?' 
 
 " ' My political opinions,' I replied, * and my 
 desire to return to my country, from which a 
 foreign invasion has exiled me. In 1830, I 
 demanded to be treated as a simple citizen. 
 They treated me as a pretender. Well, I have 
 acted as a pretender.' 
 
 " ' Did you wish,' it was asked, ' to establish 
 a military government ?' 
 
 " ' I wished,' was my reply, ' to establish a 
 government based on popular election.' 
 
 " ' What would you have done if success- 
 ful?' 
 
 " ' I would have assembled a national Con- 
 gress.' 
 
 "I declared then, that I alone having or- 
 ganized every thing, that I alone having in- 
 duced others to join me, the whole responsi- 
 bility should fall upon my head alone. Re- 
 conducted to prison, I threw myself upon a 
 bed which had been prepared for me, and, not- 
 withstanding my torments, sleep, which soothes 
 Buffering, in giving repose to the anguish of
 
 840 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Anxiety of Louis Napoleon for his companion*. 
 
 the soul, came to calm my senses. Eeposo 
 does not fly from the couch of the unfortunate. 
 It only avoids those who are consumed by re* 
 morse. But how frightful was my awaking, 
 I thought that I had had a dreadful nightmare, 
 The fate of the persons who were compromised 
 caused me the greatest grief and anxiety. I 
 wrote to General Voirol, to say to him that his 
 honor obliged him to interest himself in behalf 
 of Colonel Vaudrey ; for it was, perhaps, the at- 
 tachment of the colonel for him, and the regard 
 with which he had treated him, which were 
 the causes of the failure of my enterprise. I 
 closed in beseeching him that all the rigor of 
 the law might fall upon me, saying that I was 
 the most guilty, and the only one to be feared. 
 " The general came to see me, and was very 
 affectionate. He said, upon entering, ' Prince, 
 when I was your prisoner, I could find no 
 words sufficiently severe to say to you. Now 
 that you are mine, I have only words of con- 
 solation to offer.' Colonel Vaudrey and I were 
 conducted to the citadel, where I, at least, was 
 much more comfortable than in prison. But 
 the civil power claimed us, and at the end of 
 twenty-four hours we were conveyed back to 
 our former abode.
 
 1886.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 341 
 
 Severe treatment. 
 
 " The jailer and the director of the prison at 
 Strasburg did their duty ; but they endeavor- 
 ed to alleviate as much as posssible my situa- 
 tion, while a certain M. Lebel, who had been 
 sent from Paris, wishing to show his authority, 
 prevented me from opening my windows to 
 breathe the air, took from me my watch, which 
 he only restored to me at the moment of my 
 departure, and, in fine, even ordered blinds to 
 intercept the light. 
 
 " On the evening of the 9th I was told that 
 I was to be transferred to another prison. I 
 went out and met the general and the prefect, 
 who took me away in their carriage without 
 informing me where I was to be conducted. 
 I insisted that I should be left with my com- 
 panions in misfortune. But the Government 
 had decided otherwise. Upon arriving at the 
 hotel of the prefecture, I found two post-chaises. 
 I was ordered into one with M. Cuynat, com- 
 mander of the gendarmerie of the Seine, and 
 Lieutenant Thiboutot In the other there were 
 four sub-ofricers. 
 
 "When I perceived that I was to leave 
 Strasburg, and that it was my lot to be sep- 
 arated from the other accused, I experienced 
 anguish difficult to be described. Behold me,
 
 842 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Sympathy of the guard. 
 
 then, forced to abandon the men who had de- 
 voted themselves to me. Behold me deprived 
 of the means of making known in my defense 
 my views and my intentions. Behold me re- 
 ceiving a so-called favor from him upon whom 
 I had wished to inflict the greatest evil. I 
 vented my sorrow in complaints and regrets. 
 I could only protest. 
 
 " The two officers who conducted me were 
 two officers of the Empire, intimate friends of 
 M. Parguin. Thus they treated me with the 
 kindest attentions. I could have thought my- 
 self travelling with friends. Upon the lltb, 
 at two o'clock in the morning, I arrived at 
 Paris, at the hotel of the Prefecture of Police. 
 M. Delessat was very polite to me. He in- 
 formed me that you had come to France to 
 claim in my favor the clemency of the king, 
 and that I was to start again in two hours for 
 Lorient, and that thence I was to sail for the 
 United States in a French frigate. 
 
 "I said to the prefect that I was in despair 
 in not being permitted to share the fate of my 
 companions in misfortune ; that being thus 
 withdrawn from prison before undergoing a 
 general examination (the first had been only 
 a summary one), I was deprived of the meana
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 343 
 
 Hurried through France. 
 
 of testifying to many facts in favor of the ac- 
 cused. But my protestations were unavailing. 
 I decided to write to the king. And I said to 
 him that, having been cast into prison after 
 having taken up arms against his Government, 
 I dreaded but one thing, and that was his gen- 
 erosity, since it would deprive me of my sweet- 
 est consolation, the possibility of sharing the 
 fate of my companions in misfortune. I added 
 that life itself was of little value to me ; but 
 that my gratitude to him would be great if he 
 would spare the lives of a few old soldiers, the 
 remains of our ancient army, who had been en- 
 ticed by me, and seduced by glorious souvenirs. 
 " At the same time I wrote to M. Odillon 
 Barrot* the letter which I send with this, beg- 
 ging him to take charge of the defense of Colo- 
 nel Vaudrey. At four o'clock I resumed my 
 journey, with the same escort, and on the 14th 
 we arrived at the citadel of Port Louis, near 
 Lorient. I remained there until the twenty- 
 first day of November, when the frigate was 
 ready for sea. 
 
 " After having entreated M. Odillon Barrot 
 JD assume the defense of the accused, and in 
 particular of Colonel Vaudrey, I added : 
 * A distinguished advocate in Paris.
 
 344 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Statement of Louis Napoleon. 
 
 "'Monsieur, notwithstanding my desire to 
 remain with my companions in misfortune, and 
 to partake of their lot, notwithstanding my en- 
 treaties upon that subject, the king, in his 
 clemency, has ordered that I should be conduct 
 ed to Lorient, to pass thence to America. Sen- 
 sible as I ought to be of thb generosity of the 
 king, I am profoundly afflicted in leaving my 
 co-accused, since I cherish the conviction that 
 could I be present at the bar, my depositions 
 in their favor would influence the jury, and en- 
 lighten them as to their decision. Deprived of 
 the consolation of being useful to the men whom 
 I have enticed to their loss, I am obliged to in- 
 trust to an advocate that which I am unable to 
 say myself to the jury. 
 
 " ' On the part of rny co-accused there was 
 no plot. There was only the enticement of the 
 moment. I alone arranged all. I alone made 
 the necessary preparations. I had already seen 
 Colonel Yaudrey before the 30th of October, but 
 he had not conspired with me. On the 29th, 
 at eight o'clock in the evening, no person knew 
 but myself that the movement was to take 
 place the next day. I did not see Colonel 
 Vaudrey until after this. M. Parguin had 
 come to Strasburg on his own private business.
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 345 
 
 Remarks to Colonel Vaudrey. 
 
 It was not until the evening of the 29th, that I 
 appealed to him. The other persons knew of 
 my presence in France, but were ignorant of 
 the object of my visit. It was not until the 
 evening of the 29th that I assembled the per- 
 sons now accused ; and I did not make them 
 acquainted with my intentions until that mo- 
 ment. 
 
 "'Colonel Vaudrey was not present. The 
 officers of the engineers had come to join us, 
 ignorant at first of what was to transpire. Cer- 
 tainly, in the eyes of the established Govern- 
 ment we are all culpable of having taken up 
 arms against it. But I am the most culpable. 
 It is I who, for a long time meditating a revo- 
 lution, came suddenly to lure men from an 
 honorable social position, to expose them to the 
 hazards of a popular movement. Before the 
 laws, my companions are guilty of allowing 
 themselves to be enticed. But never were cir- 
 cumstances more extenuating in the eyes of the 
 country than those in their favor. When I 
 saw Colonel Vaudrey and the other persons on 
 the evening of the 29th, I addressed them in 
 the following language : 
 
 " ' " GENTLEMEN, You are aware of all th 
 complaints of the nation against the Govern
 
 846 HOKTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Remarks to Colonel Vaadrey. 
 
 menu But you also know that there is no 
 party now existing which is sufficiently strong 
 to overthrow it ; no one sufficiently strong to 
 unite the French of all parties, even if it should 
 succeed in taking possession of supreme power. 
 This feebleness of the Government, as well as 
 this feebleness of parties, proceeds from the 
 fact that each one represents only the interests 
 of a single class in society. Some rely upon 
 the clergy and nobility ; others upon the mid- 
 dle-class aristocracy, and others still upon the 
 lower classes alone. 
 
 " ' " In this state of things, there is but a 
 single flag which can rally all parties, because 
 it is the banner of France, and not that of a 
 faction ; it is the eagle of the Empire. Under 
 this banner, which recalls so many glorious 
 memories, there is no class excluded. It rep- 
 resents the interests and the rights of all. The 
 Emperor Napoleon held his power from the 
 French people. Four times his authority re 
 ceived the popular sanction. In 1814, heredi- 
 tary, right, in the family of the Emperor, was 
 recognized by four millions of votes. Since 
 then the people have not been consulted. 
 
 " ' " As the eldest of the nephews of Napo- 
 leon, I can then consider myself as the repre-
 
 1836.J LETTER TO HORTENSE. 347 
 
 The Napoleonic system. 
 
 eentative of popular election ; I will not say 
 of the Empire because in the lapse of twenty 
 years the ideas and wants of France may have 
 changed. But a principle can not be annulled 
 by facts. It can only be annulled by anoth- 
 er principle. Now the principle of popular 
 election in 1804 can not be annulled by the 
 twelve hundred thousand foreigners who en- 
 tered France in 1815, nor by the chamber of 
 two hundred and twenty-one deputies in 1830. 
 
 " ' " The Napoleon sj'etem consists in pro- 
 moting the march of en ilization without dis- 
 order and without excess; in giving an im- 
 pulse to ideas by developing material inter- 
 ests; in strengthening power by rendering it 
 respectable ; in disciplining the masses accord- 
 ing to their intellectual faculties; in fine, in 
 uniting around the altar of the country the 
 French of all parties by giving them honor 
 and glory as the motives of action." 
 
 " ' " No," exclaimed my brave companions 
 in reply, " you shall not die alone. We will 
 die with you, or we will conquer together for 
 the cause of the French people." 
 
 44 ' You see thus, sir, that it is I who have 
 enticed them, in speaking to them of every 
 th'Q which could move the hearts of French-
 
 348 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Louie Napoleon's plea for his confederates. 
 
 men. They spoke to me of their oatha But 
 I reminded them that, in 1815, they had taken 
 the oath to Napoleon II. and his dynasty. 
 "Invasion alone," I said to them, "released 
 you from that oath. Well, force can re-estab- 
 lish that which force alone has destroyed." ' 
 
 " I went even so far as to say to them that 
 the death of the king had been spoken of. I 
 inserted this, my mother, as you will under- 
 stand, in order to be useful to them. You see 
 how culpable I was in the eyes of the Govern- 
 ment. Well, the Government has been gener- 
 ous to me. It has comprehended that my po- 
 sition of exile, that my love for my country, 
 that my relationship to the great man were ex- 
 tenuating causes. Will the jury be less con- 
 siderate than the Government? Will it not 
 find extenuating causes far stronger in favor 
 of my accomplices, in the souvenirs of the Em- 
 pire ; in the intimate relations of many among 
 them to me; in the enticement of the moment; 
 in the example of Labddoyere ; in fine, in that 
 Sentiment of generosity which rendered it in- 
 evitable that, being soldiers of the Empire, 
 they could not see the eagle without emotion ; 
 they preferred to sacrifice their own lives rath- 
 er than abandon the nephew of the Emperor
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 349 
 
 Scenes at aea. 
 
 Napoleon, than to deliver him to his execu- 
 tioners, for we were far from thinking of any 
 mercy in case of failure? 
 
 " In view of Madeira, December 12, 1836. 
 
 " I remained ten days at the citadel of Port 
 Louis. Every morning I received a visit from 
 the sub-prefect of Lorient, from the command- 
 er of the place, and from the officer of the gen- 
 darmerie. They were all very kind to me, 
 and never ceased to speak to me of their at- 
 tachment to the memory of the Emperor. The 
 commander, Cuynat, and Lieutenant Thiboutot, 
 were unfailing in their attentions to me. I 
 could ever believe myself in the midst of my 
 friends, and the thought that they were in a 
 position hostile to me gave me much pain. 
 
 "The winds remained contrary and prevent- 
 ed the frigate from leaving port. At last, on 
 the 21st, a steamer towed out the frigate. The 
 sub-prefect came to tell me that it was time to 
 depart. The draw-bridge of the citadel was 
 lowered. I went forth, accompanied by the 
 hospitable officers of the place, in addition to 
 those who brought me to Lorient. I passed 
 between two files of soldiers, who kept off the 
 crowd of the curious, which had gathered to 
 see me.
 
 350 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Life on board the frigate. 
 
 " We all entered the boats which were to 
 convey us to the frigate, which was waiting 
 for us outside of the harbor. I took leave of 
 these gentlemen with cordiality. I ascended 
 to the deck, and saw with sadness of heart the 
 shores of France disappear behind me. 
 
 " I must now give you the details of the 
 frigate. The commander has assigned me a 
 stateroom in the stern of the ship, where I 
 sleep. I dine with him, his son, the second of- 
 ficer, and the aide-de-camp. The commander, 
 captain of the ship, Henry de Villeneuve, is an 
 excellent man, frank and loyal as an old sailor. 
 He pays me every attention. You see that I 
 have much less to complain of than my friends. 
 The other officers of the frigate are also very 
 kind to me. 
 
 " There are two other passengers who are 
 two types. The one, an M. D., is a savant, 
 twenty-six years of age. He has much intelli- 
 gence and imagination, mingled with original- 
 ity, and even with a little eccentricity. For 
 example, he believes in fortune- telling, and 
 undertakes to predict to each one of us his 
 fate. He has also great faith in magnetism, 
 and has told me that a somnambulist had pre- 
 dicted to him, two years ago, that a member
 
 1836.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 351 
 
 Uncertainty of the destination. 
 
 of the family of the Emperor would return to 
 France and would dethrone Louis Philippe, 
 He is going to Brazil to make some experi- 
 ments in electricity. The other passenger is 
 an ancient librarian of Don Pedro, who has 
 preserved all the manners of the ancient court. 
 Maltreated at Brazil, in consequence of his at- 
 tachment to the Emperor, he returns there to 
 obtain redress. 
 
 " The first fifteen days of the voyage were 
 very disagreeable. We were continually toss- 
 ed about by tempests and by contrary winds, 
 which drove us back almost to the entrance of 
 the Channel. It was impossible during that 
 time to take a single step without clinging to 
 whatever could be seized with one's hand. 
 
 " For several days we did not know that our 
 destination was changed. The commander had 
 sealed orders, which he opened and which di- 
 rected him to go to Rio Janeiro ; to remain 
 there as long as should be necessary to re-pro- 
 vision the vessel ; to retain me on board dur 
 ing the whole time the frigate remained in tha 
 harbor, and then to convey me to New York. 
 Now you know that this frigate was destined to 
 go to the southern seas, where it will remain 
 stationed for two years. It was thus compelled
 
 352 HORTENSE. [1836. 
 
 Reflections of the captiva 
 
 to make an additional voyage of three thou- 
 sand leagues; for from New York it will be 
 obliged to return to Rio, making a long circuit 
 to the east in order to take advantage of the 
 trade- winds. 
 
 " In view of the Canaries, December 14th. 
 " Every man carries within himself a world, 
 composed of all which he has seen and loved, 
 and to which he returns incessantly, even when 
 he is traversing foreign lands. I do not know, 
 at such times, which is the most painful, the 
 memory of the misfortunes which you have en- 
 countered, or of the happy days which are no 
 more. We have passed through the winter 
 And are again in summer. The trade-winds 
 have succeeded the tempests, so that I can 
 spend most of my time on deck. Seated upon 
 the poop, I reflect upon all which has happen- 
 ed to me, and I think of you and of Arenern* 
 berg. Situations depend upon the affections 
 which one cherishes. Two months ago I asked 
 only that I might never return to Switzerland. 
 Now, if I should yield to my impressions, I 
 should have no other desire than to find my- 
 self again in my little chamber in that beauti- 
 ful country, where it seems to me that I ought 
 to be so happy. Alas I when one has a soul
 
 1836.J LETTER TO HORTENSE. 353 
 
 Reflections of the captive. 
 
 which feels deeply, one is destined to pass his 
 days in the languor of inaction or in the con- 
 vulsions of distressing situations. 
 
 " When I returned, a few months ago, from 
 conducting Matilde,* in entering the park I 
 found a tree broken by the storm, and I said 
 to myself, our marriage will be broken by fate. 
 That which I vaguely imagined has been real- 
 ized. Have I, then, exhausted in 1836 all the 
 share of happiness which is to be allotted to 
 me? 
 
 " Do not accuse me of feebleness if I allov 
 myself to give you an account of all my im- 
 pressions. One can regret that which he has 
 lost, without repenting of that which he has 
 done. Besides, our sensations are not so inde- 
 pendent of interior causes, but that our ideas 
 should be somewhat modified by the objects 
 which surround us. The rays of the sun or 
 the direction of the wind have a great influence 
 over our moral state. When it is beautiful 
 weather, as it is to-day, the sea being as calm 
 as the Lake of Constance when we used to 
 walk upon its banks in the evening when the 
 moon, the same moon, illumines us with the 
 
 * The Princess Matilde, his cousin, daughter of Jerome, 
 with whom it is supposed that he then contemplated marriage. 
 323
 
 354 HORTENSE. (1886. 
 
 Crossing the equator. 
 
 same softened brilliance when the atmos- 
 phere, in fine, is as mild as in the month of 
 August in Europe, then I am more sad than 
 usual. All memories, pleasant or painful, fall 
 with the same weight upon my heart. Beauti- 
 ful weather dilates the heart and renders it 
 more impressible, while bad weather contracts 
 it The passions alone are independent of the 
 changes of the seasons. When we left the bar- 
 racks of Austerlitz, a flurry of snow fell upon 
 us. Colonel Vaudrey, to whom I made the re- 
 mark, said to me, 'Notwithstanding this squall, 
 we shall have a fine day.' 
 
 " December 29th. 
 
 " We passed the line yesterday. The cus- 
 tomary ceremony took place. The command- 
 er, who is always very polite to me, exempted 
 me from the baptism. It is an ancient usage, 
 but which, nevertheless, is not sensible, to fete 
 the passage of the line by throwing water over 
 one's self and aping a divine office. It was 
 very hot. I have found on board enough 
 books to occupy my time. I have read again 
 the works of M. de Chateaubriand and of J. J 
 Rousseau. Still, the motion of the ship ren- 
 ders all occupation fatiguing.
 
 1837.] LETTER TO HORTENSJB. 35& 
 
 letter to his mother. 
 
 "January 1, 1837, ; 
 
 " MY DEAR MAMMA, MA CHERE MAMAN, ~ 
 This is the first day of the year. I am fifteen 
 hundred leagues from you in another hemis- 
 phere. Happily, thought traverses that space- 
 in less than a second. I am near you. 1 ex- 
 press to you my profound regret for all the 
 sorrows which I have occasioned you. I renew 
 to you the expression of my tenderness and of 
 my gratitude. 
 
 " This morning the officers came in a body 
 to wish me a happy new year. I was much 
 gratified by this attention on their part. At 
 half-past four we were at the table. As we 
 were seventeen degrees of longitude west of 
 Constance, it was at that same time seven 
 o'clock at Arenemberg. You were probably 
 at dinner. I drank, in thought, to your health. 
 You perhaps did the same for me. At least I 
 flattered myself in believing so at that moment. 
 I thought, also, of my companions in misfor- 
 tune. Alas! I think continually of them. I 
 thought that they were more unhappy than 
 I, and that thought renders me more unhappy 
 than they. 
 
 "Present my very tender regards to good 
 Madame Salvage, to the young ladies, to that
 
 856 HORTENSE. [1837. 
 
 Arrival at Rio Janeiro. 
 
 poor little Claire, and to M. Cottrau, and to 
 Arsene. 
 
 " January 5th. 
 
 44 We have had a squall, which struck us 
 "with extreme violence. If She sails had not 
 been torn to pieces by the wind the frigate 
 would have been in great danger. One of the 
 masts was broken. The rain fell so impetu- 
 ously that the sea was entirely white. To-day 
 the sky is as serene as usual, the damages are 
 repaired, and the tempestuous weather is forgot- 
 ten. But it is not so with the storms of life. 
 In speaking of the frigate, the commander told 
 me that the frigate which bore your name is 
 now in the South Sea, and is called La Flora. 
 
 *' January 10. 
 
 "We have arrived at Rio Janeiro. The 
 coup <Fceil of the harbor is superb. To-mor- 
 row I shall make a drawing of it. I hope that 
 this letter will soon reach you. Do not think 
 of coming to join me. I do not yet know 
 where I shall settle. Perhaps I may find more 
 inducements to live in South America. The 
 labor to which the uncertainty of my lot will 
 oblige me to devote myself, in order to create 
 for myself a position, will be the only consola-
 
 1857.] LETTER TO HORTENSE. 857 
 
 Remembrance of Mends. 
 
 tion which I can enjoy. Adieu, my mother. 
 Kemember me to the old servants, and to our 
 friends of Thurgovia and of Constance. I am 
 very well. Your affectionate and respectful 
 son, Louis NAPOLEON BONAPARTE."
 
 358 HORTENSE. [1837. 
 
 Cruel slanders. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE DEATH OF HORTENSE, AND THE 
 ENTHRONEMENT OF HER SON. 
 
 AFTER a short tarry at Rio Janeiro, dur- 
 ing which the prince was not permitted 
 to land, the frigate again set sail, and on the 
 30th of March, 1837, reached Norfolk, Virginia. 
 The prince proceeded immediately to New 
 York. By a cruel error, which has mistaken 
 him for one of his cousins, Pierre Bonaparte, a 
 very wild young man, the reputation of Louis 
 Napoleon has suffered very severely in this 
 country. The evidence is conclusive that there 
 has been a mistake. Louis Napoleon, thought- 
 ful, studious, pensive, has ever been at the far- 
 thest possible remove from vulgar dissipation. 
 A writer in the Home Journal, whose relia- 
 bility is vouched for by the editor, says, in 
 reference to his brief residence in New York: 
 "He is remembered as a quiet, melancholy 
 man, winning esteem rather by the unaffected 
 modesty of his demeanor than by eclSt of lin-
 
 1837.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 359 
 
 Brief stay in this country. 
 
 eage or the romantic incidents which had befall- 
 en him. In the words of a distinguished 
 writer, who well knew him at that day : ' So 
 unostentatious was his deportment, so correct, 
 so pure his life, that even the ripple of scandal 
 can not appear plausibly upon its surface.' 
 We have inquired of those who entertained 
 him as their guest, of those who tended at his 
 sick-bed, of the artist who painted his minia- 
 ture, of his lady friends (and he was known to 
 some who yet adorn society), of politicians, 
 clergymen, editors, gentlemen of leisure, in fact, 
 of every source whence reliable information 
 could be obtained, and we have gathered but 
 accumulated testimonials to his intrinsic worth 
 and fair fame." 
 
 Prince Louis Napoleon remained in this 
 country but seven weeks. The testimony of 
 all who knew him is uncontradicted, that he 
 was peculiarly winning in his attractions as 
 a friend, and irreproachable as a man. Eev. 
 Charles S. Stewart, of the United States Navy, 
 was intimately acquainted with him during the 
 whole period of his residence here. He writes : 
 
 " The association was not that of hours only 
 but of days, and on one occasion, at least, of 
 days in succession ; and was characterized by
 
 360 HORTENSE. [1837. 
 
 Elevated personal character. 
 
 a freedom of conversation on a great variety 
 of topics that could scarce fail, under the in- 
 genuousness and frankness of his manner, to 
 put me in possession of his views, principles, 
 and feelings upon most points that give insight 
 to character. 
 
 "I never heard a sentiment from him and 
 never witnessed a feeling that could detract 
 from his honor and purity as a man, or his dig- 
 nity as a prince. On the contrary, I often had 
 occasion to admire the lofty thought and ex- 
 alted conceptions which seemed most to occu- 
 py his mind. He was winning in the invaria- 
 bleness of his amiability, often playful in spirits 
 and manner, and warm in his affections. He 
 was a most fondly attached son and seemed to 
 idolize his mother. When speaking of her, the 
 intonations of his voice and his whole manner 
 were often as gentle and feminine as those of a 
 woman. 
 
 " In both eating and drinking he was, as far 
 as I observed, abstemious rather than self-in- 
 dulgent. I repeatedly breakfasted, dined, and 
 supped in his company ; and never knew him 
 to partake of any thing stronger in drink than 
 the light wines of France and Germany, and of 
 these in great moderation. I have been with
 
 1887.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 861 
 
 Testimony to his private worth. 
 
 him early and late, unexpectedly as well as by 
 appointment, and never saw reason for the 
 slightest suspicion of any irregularity in his 
 habits." 
 
 Such is the testimony, so far as can be ascer- 
 tained, of every one who enjoyed any personal 
 acquaintance with Louis Napoleon while in 
 this country. He was the guest of Washing- 
 ton Irving, Chancellor Kent, and of the Hamil- 
 tons, Clintons, Livingstons, and other such dis- 
 tinguished families in New York. 
 
 While busily engaged in studying the insti- 
 tutions of our country and making arrange- 
 ments for quite an extensive tour through the 
 States, he received a letter from his mother 
 which immediately changed all his plans. The 
 event is thus described by Mr. Stewart: 
 
 " With this expectation he consulted me and 
 others as to the arrangement of the route of 
 travel, so as to visit the different sections of" the 
 Union at the most desirable seasons. But his 
 plans were suddenly changed by intelligence 
 of the serious illness of Queen" Ho rtense, or, as 
 then styled, the Duchess of St. Leu. I was 
 dining with him the day the letter conveying 
 this information was received. Recognizing 
 the writing on the envelope, as it was handed
 
 362 HORTENSE. [1837. 
 
 to him at the table, he hastily broke the seal 
 and had scarce glanced over half a page before 
 he exclaimed: 
 
 " ' My mother is ill. I must see her. In- 
 stead of a tour of the States, I shall take the 
 next packet for England. I will apply for 
 passports for the Continent at every embassy 
 in London, and if unsuccessful, will make my 
 way to her without them.' " 
 
 The following was the letter which he re- 
 ceived from his mother : 
 
 " My DEAR Sox, I am about to submit to an 
 operation which has become absolutely necessa- 
 ry. If it is not successful I send you, by this let- 
 ter, my benediction. We shall meet again, shall 
 we not ? in a better world, where may you come 
 to join me as late as possible, In leaving this 
 world I have but one regret ; it is to leave you 
 and your affectionate tenderness the greatest 
 charm of my existence here. It will be a con- 
 solation to you, my dear child, to reflect that by 
 your attentions you have rendered your moth- 
 er as happy as it was possible for her, in her 
 circumstances, to be. Think that a loving and 
 a watchful eye still rests on the dear ones we 
 leave behind, and that we shall surely meet
 
 1837.J DEATH OF HOBTENSE. 363 
 
 Anxieties, sorrows, and sickness of Hortense. 
 
 again. Cling to this sweet idea. It is too 
 necessary not to be true. I press you to my 
 heart, my dear son. I am very cairn and re- 
 signed, and hope that we shall again meet in 
 this world. Your affectionate mother, 
 
 " HORTENSE. 
 
 " Arenemberg, April 3, 1837." 
 
 As we have mentioned, Queen Hortense, 
 upon receiving news of the arrest of her son, 
 hastened to France to do what she could to save 
 him. Madame Recamier found her at Viry, in 
 great anguish of spirit. When she received 
 tidings of his banishment she returned, over- 
 whelmed with the deepest grief, to her deso- 
 lated home. It seems that even then an inter- 
 nal disease, which, with a mother's love, she 
 had not revealed to her son, was threatening 
 her life. Madame Recamier, as she bade her 
 adieu, was much moved by the great change 
 in her appearance. The two friends never 
 met again. 
 
 Madame Salvage, a distinguished lady, who 
 had devoted herself with life-long enthusiasm 
 to the Queen of Holland, accompanied her to 
 France and returned with her to Arenemberg. 
 On the 13th of April, Madame Salvage wrote
 
 364 HORTENSE. [1837. 
 
 Letter to Madame Ri-camier. 
 
 the following letter from Arenemberg to Ma- 
 dame Re'camier. 
 
 " I wrote you a long letter four days ago, 
 dear friend, telling you of my unhappiness. I 
 received yesterday your letter of the 7th, for 
 which I thank you. I needed it much, and it 
 is a consolation to me. 
 
 "I have informed Madame, the Duchess of 
 St. Leu, of the lively interest you take in her 
 troubles, and have given her your message. 
 She was much touched by it, even to tears; 
 and has begged me several times to tell you 
 how much she appreciated it. 
 
 " I have not replied to you sooner, because I 
 hoped to give you better tidings. Alas! it is 
 quite the contrary. After a consultation of 
 the physicians of Constance and Zurich with 
 Dr. Conneau, her own physician, Professor Lis- 
 franc, from Paris, was called in, on account of 
 his skill, and also because he is the recognized 
 authority with regard to the operation two of 
 these gentlemen thought, necessary. 
 
 " After a careful examination, the opinion 
 of M. Lisfranc and that of the three other con- 
 sulting physicians was, that the operation was 
 impossible. They were unanimous in pro- 
 nouncing an irrevocable sentence, and they
 
 1837.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 365 
 
 Hortense receives letters from her son. 
 
 have left us no hope in human resources. I 
 still like to trust in the infinite goodness of 
 God, whom I implore with earnest prayers. 
 
 " The mind of madame the duchess is as 
 calm as one could expect in a position like 
 hers. They told her that they would not per- 
 form the operation because it was not necessary, 
 and because a mere treatment would suffice, 
 with time and patience, to produce a perfect 
 cure. She had been quite resigned to submit 
 to the operation, showing a noble courage. 
 Now she is happy in not being obliged to un- 
 dergo it, and is filled with hope. 
 
 " In anticipation of the operation, of which, 
 against my advice, she had been told a fortnight 
 before M. Lisfranc came, she made her will and 
 attended to the last duties of religion. 
 
 " On the 30th of March, an hour after she 
 had partaken of the communion, she had the 
 joy, which she looked upon as a divine favor, 
 of receiving a large package from her son, the 
 first since the departure from Lorient. His 
 letter, which is very long, contains a relation 
 of all he has done, all that has happened to 
 him, and much that he has felt since he left 
 Arenemberg, until he wrote, the 10th of Jan- 
 uary, on board the frigate Andromeda, lying in
 
 366 HORTENSE. [1837. 
 
 Louis Napoleon returns to Arenemberg. 
 
 the harbor of Rio Janeiro, where he was not 
 permitted to go on shore. He had on board 
 M. de Chateaubriand's works, and re-read them 
 during a frightful storm that lasted a fortnight, 
 and allowed of no other occupation, and scarce- 
 ly that. Pray tell this to M. de Chateaubriand, 
 in recalling me personally to his kind remem- 
 brance. 
 
 "Think of me sometimes. Think of my 
 painful position. To give to a person whom 
 we love, and whom we are soon to lose, a care 
 that is perfectly ineffectual; to seek to alleviate 
 sharp and almost continual suffering, and only 
 succeed very imperfectly ; to wear a calm 
 countenance when the heart is torn ; to de- 
 ceive, to try unceasingly to inspire hopes that 
 we no longer cherish, ah, believe me, this is 
 frightful, and one would cheerfully give up 
 life itself. Adieu, dear friend, you know how 
 I love you." 
 
 Louis Napoleon, hastening to the bedside of 
 his dying mother, took ship from New York 
 for London. The hostility of the allied powers 
 to him was such that it was with great difficulty 
 he could reach Arenemberg. He arrived there 
 just in time to receive the dying blessing of 
 his mother and to close her eyes in death.
 
 1837.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 367 
 
 Death of Hortense. 
 
 Just before she died, Hortense assembled all her 
 household in the dying chamber. She took 
 each one affectionately by the hand and ad- 
 dressed to each one a few words of adieu. 
 Her son, her devoted physician Dr. Conneau, 
 and the ladies of her household, bathed in tears, 
 were kneeling by her bedside. Her mind, in 
 delirious dreams, had again been with the Em- 
 peror, sympathizing with him in the terrible 
 tragedy of his fall. But now, as death drew 
 near, reason was fully restored. " I have 
 never," said she, "done wrong to any one. 
 God will have mercy upon me." Conscious that 
 the final moment had arrived, she made an ef- 
 fort to throw her arms around the neck of her 
 son in a mother's last embrace, when she fell 
 back upon her pillow dead. It was October 5 r 
 1837. 
 
 The prince, with his own hands, closed his 
 mother's eyes in that sleep which knows no 
 earthly waking. He remained for some time 
 upon his knees at her bedside, with his weeping 
 eyes buried in his hands. At last he was led 
 away from the precious remains from which it 
 seemed impossible for him to separate himself. 
 His home and his heart were indeed desolata 
 Motherless, with neither brother nor sister, hia
 
 868 HORTENSE. [1837. 
 
 Action of the Government of Louis Philippe. 
 
 aged and infirm father dying in Italy, where 
 he could not be permitted to visit him, banished 
 from his native land, jealously watched and 
 menaced by all the allied powers, his fair name 
 maligned, all these considerations seemed to fill 
 his cup of sorrow to the brim. 
 
 It was the dying wish of Hortense that she 
 might be buried by the side of Josephine, her 
 mother, in the village church of Ruel, near Mai- 
 maison. The Government of Louis Philippe, 
 which had closed the gates of France against 
 Hortense while living, allowed her lifeless re- 
 mains to sleep beneath her native soil. But 
 the son was not permitted to follow his mother 
 to her grave. It was feared that his appear, 
 ance in France would rouse the enthusiasm of 
 the masses ; that they would rally around him, 
 and, sweeping away the throne of Louis Phi- 
 lippe in a whirlwind of indignation, would re- 
 establish the Empire. Madame Re'camier, 
 speaking of the death of Hortense, says: 
 
 "After the unfortunate attempt of Prince 
 Louis, grief, anxiety and perhaps the loss of a 
 last and secret hope, put an end to the turbu- 
 lent existence of one who was little calculated 
 to lead such a life of turmoil. France, closed 
 to her living, was open to her dead, and she
 
 1837.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 369 
 
 Burial of Hortenae. 
 
 was carried to Ruel and laid beside her mother. 
 A funeral service was celebrated in her honor 
 at the village church. All the relics of the 
 Empire were there; among them the widow 
 of Murat,* who there witnessed the ceremony 
 that shortly afterwards was to be performed 
 over herself. 
 
 " It was winter. A thick snow covered the 
 ground. The landscape was as silent and cold 
 as the dead herself. I gave sincere tears to 
 this woman so gracious and so kind ; and I 
 learned shortly afterwards that she had remem- 
 bered me in her will. It is not without a pro 
 found and a religious emotion that we receive 
 these remembrances from friends who are no 
 more ; these pledges of affection which come 
 to you, so to say, from across the tomb, as. if to 
 assure you that thoughts of you had followed 
 them as far as there. Judge, then, how touched 
 I was in receiving the legacy destined for me 
 that light, elegant, and mysterious gift, chosen 
 to recall to me unceasingly the tie that had ex- 
 isted between us. It was a lace veil, the one 
 she wore the day of our meeting in St. Peter's." 
 
 In reference to the mother and the son, Julie 
 de Marguerittes writes : " Louis Napoleon's 
 
 * Caroline Bonaparte. 
 324
 
 370 HORTENSE. [1840. 
 
 Louis Napoleon's love for his mother. 
 
 love for his mother had in it a tenderness and 
 devotion even beyond that of a son. She had 
 been his instructor and companion ; and from 
 the hour of her change of position she had 
 manifested great and noble qualities, which the 
 frivolity and prosperity of a court might for- 
 ever have left unrevealed. Hortense was a 
 woman to be loved and revered. And even 
 at this distance of years, Napoleon's love for his 
 mother has suffered no change. He has striv- 
 en, in all ways, to associate her with his present 
 high fortune. He has made an air of her com- 
 position, * Partant pour la Syrie,' the national 
 air of France. The ship which bore him from 
 Marseilles to Genoa, on his Italian expedition, 
 is called La Reine Hortense, after his mother." 
 
 Scarcely were the remains of Hortense com- 
 mitted to the tomb, ere the Swiss Government 
 received an imperative command from the Gov- 
 ernment of Louis Philippe to banish Louis Na- 
 poleon from the soil of Switzerland. To save 
 the country which had so kindly adopted him 
 from war, the prince retired to London. He 
 could have no hopes of regaining his rights aa 
 a French citizen until the Government of 
 Louis Philippe should be overthrown. Anoth- 
 er attempt was made at Boulogne in August
 
 1840.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 371 
 
 Account of the escape from Hum. 
 
 1840. It proved a failure. Louis Napoleon 
 was again arrested, tried, and condemned to 
 imprisonment for life. Six years he passed in 
 dreary captivity in the Castle of Ham. The 
 following brief account of the wonderful escape 
 of the prince is given in his own words, con- 
 tained in a letter to the editor of the Journal 
 de la Somme. 
 
 " My DEAR M. DE GEORGE, My desire to see 
 my father once more in this world made me at- 
 tempt the boldest enterprise I ever engaged in. 
 It required more resolution and courage on my 
 part than at Strasburg or Boulogne ; for I was- 
 determined not to bear the ridicule that attach- 
 es to those who are arrested escaping under ; 
 disguise, and a failure I could not have er 
 dured. The following are the particulars of 
 my escape : 
 
 "You know that the fort was guarded by 
 four hundred men, who furnished daily sixty 
 soldiers, placed as sentries outside the walls. 
 Moreover, the principal gate of the prison was 
 guarded by three jailers, two of whom were 
 constantly on duty. It was necessary that I 
 should first elude their vigilance, afterwards 
 traverse the inside court before the windows 
 of the commandant's residence, and arriving
 
 ST2 HOBTENSE. [1846. 
 
 The escape from Ham. 
 
 there, I should be obliged to pass by a gate 
 which was guarded by soldiers. 
 
 " Not wishing to communicate my design to 
 Bny one, it was necessary to disguise myself. 
 As several of the rooms in the building I oc- 
 cupied were undergoing repairs, it was not diffi- 
 cult to assume the dress of a workman. My 
 good and faithful valet, Charles Thelin, pro- 
 cured a smock-frock and a pair of wooden 
 shoes, and after shaving off my mustaches I 
 took a plank upon my shoulders. 
 
 " On Monday morning I saw the workmen 
 enter at half-past eight o'clock. Charles took 
 them some drink, in order that I should not 
 meet any of them on my passage. He was 
 also to call one of the turnkeys while De Con- 
 neau conversed with the others. Nevertheless 
 I had scarcely got out of my room before I 
 was accosted by a workman who took me for 
 one of his comrades ; and at the bottom of the 
 stairs I found myself in front of the keeper. 
 Fortunately, I placed the plank I was carrying 
 before my face, and succeeded in reaching the 
 yard. Whenever I passed a sentinel or any 
 other person I always kept the plank before 
 my face. 
 
 " Passing before the first sentinel, I let my
 
 1846.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 373 
 
 The escape from Ham. 
 
 pipe fall and stopped to pick up the bits. 
 There I met the officer on duty ; but as he 
 was reading a letter he did not pay attention 
 to me. The soldiers at the guard-house ap- 
 peared surprised at my dress, and a drummer 
 turned around several times to look at me. I 
 placed the plank before my face, but they ap- 
 peared to be so curious that I thought I should 
 never escape them until I heard them cry, ' Oh, 
 it is Bernard 1' 
 
 " Once outside, I walked quickly towards the 
 road of St. Quentin. Charles, who the day be- 
 fore had engaged a carriage, shortly overtook 
 me, and we arrived at St. Quentin. I passed 
 through the town on foot, after having thrown 
 off my smock-frock. Charles procured a post- 
 chaise, under pretext of going to Cambrai. 
 We arrived without meeting with any hin- 
 drance at Valenciennes, where I took the rail- 
 way. I had procured a Belgian passport, but 
 nowhere was I asked to show it. 
 
 " During my escape, Dr. Conneau, always so 
 devoted to me, remained in prison, and caused 
 them to believe that I was ill, in order to give 
 me time to reach the frontier. It was neces- 
 sary to be convinced that the Government 
 would never set me at liberty if I would not
 
 374 HORTENSE. [1846. 
 
 Louis Napoleon in London. 
 
 consent to dishonor myself, before I could be 
 persuaded to quit France. It was also a mat- 
 ter of duty that I should exert all my powers 
 to be able to console my father in his old age. 
 
 " Adieu, my dear M. de George. Although 
 free, I feel myself to be most unhappy. Re- 
 ceive the assurance of my sincere friendship ; 
 and if you are able, endeavor to be useful to 
 my kind Conneau." 
 
 It was the latter part of May, 1846, that Louis 
 Napoleon escaped from Ham. He repaired 
 immediately to London. In accordance with 
 his habits and his tastes, he continued to de- 
 vote himself earnestly to his studies, still cher- 
 ishing the unfaltering opinion that he was yet 
 to be the Emperor of France. In London he 
 was cordially welcomed by his old friends, 
 Count d'Orsay and Lady Blessington. His 
 cousin Maria of Baden, then Lady Douglass, 
 subsequently the Duchess of Hamilton, was 
 proud to receive him in her sumptuous abode, 
 and to present him to her aristocratic friends. 
 To her, it is said that he confided his projects 
 and hopes more frankly than to any one else. 
 In one of his notes he wrote, 
 
 "My DEAR COUSIN, I do not belong to
 
 1848.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 375 
 
 Overthrow of LouU Philippe. 
 
 myself, I belong to my name and my country. 
 It is because my fortune has twice betrayed 
 me, that my destiny is nearer its accomplish- 
 ment. I bide my time." 
 
 In the latter part of February, 1848, the 
 throne of Philippe was overturned, and he fled 
 from France. Louis Napoleon immediately 
 returned to Paris after so many weary years 
 of exile. This is not the place to describe the 
 scenes which ensued. It is sufficient simply 
 to state that, almost by acclamation, he was sent 
 by the people of Paris to the Assembly, was 
 there elected president of the Republic, and 
 then, by nearly eight million of votes, the Em- 
 pire was re-established and Louis Napoleon 
 was placed upon the imperial throne. 
 
 As soon as Louis Napoleon was chosen 
 president of the French Republic, Walter Sav- 
 age Landor, a brilliant scholar, a profound, 
 original thinker, and a highly independent 
 and honorable man, wrote as follows to Lady 
 Blessington, under date of January 9th, 1849: 
 
 " Possibly you may have never seen the two 
 articles which I enclose. I inserted another 
 in the 'Examiner,' deprecating the anxieties 
 which a truly patriotic and, in my opinion, a 
 ingularly wise man, was about to encounter,
 
 376 HORTENSE. [1849. 
 
 Walter Savage Landor. 
 
 in accepting the presidency of France. Ne- 
 cessity will compel him to assume the imperial 
 power, to which the voice of the army and of 
 the people will call him. You know, who 
 know not merely my writings but my heart, 
 how little I care for station. I may therefore 
 tell you safely, that I feel a great interest, a 
 great anxiety for the welfare of Louis Napo- 
 leon. I told him that if he were ever again in 
 prison, I would visit him there, but never if he 
 were upon a throne would I come near him. 
 He is the only man living who would adorn 
 one. But thrones are my aversion and ab- 
 horrence. France, I fear, can exist in no oth- 
 er condition. May God protect the virtuous 
 Louis Napoleon, and prolong in happiness the 
 days of my dear kind friend Lady Blessington. 
 
 " WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR 
 "P.S. I wrote a short letter to the Presi- 
 dent, and not of congratulation. May he find 
 many friends as disinterested and sincere." 
 
 Even the blunt Duke of Wellington wrote 
 as follows to the Count d'Orsay under date of 
 April 9, 1849: "I rejoice at the prosperity of 
 France and of the success of the president of 
 the Republic. Every thing tends towards the
 
 1849.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 377 
 
 Empress Eugenie. 
 
 permanent tranquillity of Europe," which is 
 necessary for the happiness of all. 
 
 If Hortense from the spirit-land can look 
 down upon her son, her heart must be cheered 
 in view of the honors which his native land, 
 with such unprecedented unanimity, has con- 
 ferred upon him. And still more must her 
 heart be cheered in view of the many, many 
 years of peace, prosperity, and happiness which 
 France has enjoyed under his reign. Every 
 well-informed man will admit that the king- 
 dom of France has never, since its foundations 
 were laid, enjoyed so many years of tranquilli- 
 ty, and of mental and material advancement at 
 home, and also of respect and influence abroad, 
 as during the reign of the son of Hortense. 
 
 The Emperor is eminently happy in his do- 
 mestic relations. There are none who know 
 the Empress Eugenie who do not revere and 
 love her. She is the worthy successor of Jo- 
 aephine, upon the throne of the reinstated em- 
 pire. The following beautiful tribute to her 
 virtues comes from the lips of our former dis- 
 tinguished ambassador at the court of France, 
 Hon. John A. Dix. They were uttered in a 
 speech which he addressed to the American 
 residents in Paris, upon the occasion of his
 
 878 HORTENSE. [1869. 
 
 surrendering the ambassadorial chair to his 
 successor, Hon. Mr. Washburne. It was in 
 June, 1869. 
 
 " Of her who is the sharer of the Emperor's 
 honors and the companion of his toils who 
 in the hospital, at the altar, or on the throne is 
 alike exemplary in the discharge of her varied 
 duties, whether incident to her position, or 
 voluntarily taken upon herself, it is difficult 
 for me to speak without rising above the level 
 of the common language of eulogism. 
 
 " But I am standing here to-day, as a citizen 
 of the United States, without official relations 
 to my own Government, or any other. I have 
 taken my leave of the imperial family, and I 
 know no reason why I may not freely speak 
 what I honestly think ; especially as I know I 
 can say nothing which will not find a cordial 
 response in your own breasts. 
 
 " As in the history of the ruder sex, great 
 luminaries have from time to time risen high 
 above the horizon, to break, and at the same 
 time to illustrate, the monotony of the general 
 movement, so in the annals of hers, brilliant 
 lights have at intervals shone forth, and shed 
 their lustre upon the stately march of regal 
 pomp and power.
 
 1869.] DEATH OF HORTENSE. 379 
 
 Testimony of General Dix. 
 
 " When I have seen her taking part in the 
 most imposing of all imperial pageants the 
 open-ing of the Legislative Chambers stand- 
 ing amid the assembled magistracy of Paris, 
 surrounded by the representatives of the tal- 
 ent, the genius, and the piety of this great em- 
 pire ; or amidst the resplendent scenes of the 
 palace, moving about with a gracefulness all 
 her own, and with a simplicity of manner 
 which has a double charm when allied to ex- 
 alted rank and station, I confess that I have 
 more than once whispered to myself, and I be- 
 lieve not always inaudibly, the beautiful verse 
 of the graceful and courtly Claudian, the last 
 of the Roman poets, 
 
 " 'Divino semitu, gressu claruit;' 
 or, rendered in our own plain English, and 
 stripped of its poetic hyperbole, ' The very path 
 she treads is radiant with her unrivalled step. 1 " 
 
 THE END.
 
 A 000056520