Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812
England as an armed truce: on the side of Napoleon it had a very
different character.... A careful reader must admit that we were
guilty of a breach of faith in not surrendering Malta. The promise
of its surrender was the principal article of the treaty."
_England and Napoleon in 1803._
(Edited for the R. Hist. S. by Oscar Browning, 1887.)
SERIES D
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 225-231.)
LETTER PAGE
Date 225
No. 1. _The blister_ 225
_Some plants_ 225
_If the weather is as bad_ 226
_Malmaison, without you_ 228
No. 2. _The fat Eugene_ 228
No. 3. _Your letter has come_ 229
_Injured whilst shooting a boar_ 229
"_The Barber of Seville_" 229
No. 4. _The Sevres Manufactory_ 230
No. 5. _Your lover, who is tired of being alone_ 230
_General Ney_ 231
JOSEPHINE'S TWO VISITS TO PLOMBIERES,
1801 AND 1802.
EVENTS OF 1801.
_January 1st._--Legislative Union of Great Britain and Ireland.
_January 3rd._--French under Brune occupy Verona, and
_January 8th._--Vicenza.
_January 11th._--Cross the Brenta.
_January 16th._---Armistice at Treviso between Brune and the
Austrian General Bellegarde.
_February 9th._--Treaty of Luneville, by which the Thalweg of the
Rhine became the boundary of Germany and France.
_March 8th._--English land at Aboukir.
_March 21st._--Battle of Alexandria (Canopus). Menou defeated by
Abercromby, with loss of 2000.
_March 24th._--The Czar Paul is assassinated.
_March 28th._--Treaty of Peace between France and Naples, who
cedes Elba and Piombino.
_April 2nd._--Nelson bombards Copenhagen.
_May 23rd._--General Baird lands at Kosseir on the Red Sea with
1000 English and 10,000 Sepoys.
_June 7th._--French evacuate Cairo.
_July 1st._--Toussaint-Louverture elected Life-Governor of St.
Domingo. Slavery abolished there. The new ruler declares, "I am
the Bonaparte of St. Domingo, and the Colony cannot exist without
me;" and heads his letters to the First Consul, "From the First of
the Blacks to the First of the Whites."
_July 15th.--Concordat between Bonaparte and the Pope, signed at
Paris by Bonaparte, ratified by the Pope (August 15th)._
_August 4th._--Nelson attacks Boulogne flotilla and is repulsed.
_August 15th._--Attacks again, and suffers severely.
_August 31st._--Menou capitulates to Hutchinson at Alexandria.
_September 29th._--Treaty of Peace between France and Portugal;
boundaries of French Guiana extended to the Amazon.
_October 1st._--Treaty between France and Spain, who restores
Louisiana. Preliminaries of Peace between France and England
signed in London.
_October 8th._--Treaty of Peace between France and Russia.
_October 9th._--And between France and Turkey.
_December 14th._--Expedition sent out to St. Domingo by the French
under General Leclerc.
No. 1.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT PLOMBIERES.
_Paris the "27" ..., 1801._
The weather is so bad here that I have remained in Paris. Malmaison,
without you, is too dreary. The fete has been a great success; it has
rather tired me. The blister they have put on my arm gives me constant
pain.
Some plants have come for you from London, which I have sent to your
gardener. If the weather is as bad at Plombieres as it is here, you
will suffer severely from floods.
Best love to "Maman" and Hortense.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
EVENTS OF 1802.
_January 4th.--Louis Bonaparte marries Hortense Beauharnais, both
unwilling._
_January 9th.--The First Consul, with Josephine, leaves for Lyons,
where,_
_January 25th.--He remodels the Cisalpine Republic as the Italian
Republic, under his Presidency._
_March 25th._--Treaty of Amiens signed in London. French lose only
Ceylon and Trinidad. Malta to be restored to the Order of Knights,
reconstituted.
_May 7th._--Toussaint surrenders to Leclerc.
_May 19th._--Institution of the Legion of Honour.
No. 2.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT PLOMBIERES.
_Malmaison, June 19, 1802._
I have as yet received no news from you, but I think you must already
have begun to take the waters. It is rather dull for us here, although
your charming daughter does the honours of the house to perfection.
For the last two days I have suffered slightly from my complaint. The
fat Eugene arrived yesterday evening; he is very hale and hearty.
I love you as I did the first hour, because you are kind and sweet
beyond compare.
Hortense told me that she was often writing you.
Best wishes, and a love-kiss.--Yours ever,
BONAPARTE.
No. 3.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT PLOMBIERES.
_Malmaison, June 23, 1802._
_My Good Little Josephine_,--Your letter has come. I am sorry to see
you have been poorly on the journey, but a few days' rest will put you
right. I am very fairly well. Yesterday I was at the Marly hunt, and
one of my fingers was very slightly injured whilst shooting a boar.
Hortense is usually in good health. Your fat son has been rather
unwell, but is getting better. I think the ladies are playing "The
Barber of Seville" to-night. The weather is perfect.
Rest assured that my truest wishes are ever for my little
Josephine.--Yours ever,
BONAPARTE.
No. 4.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT PLOMBIERES.
_Malmaison, June 27, 1802._
Your letter, dear little wife, has apprised me that you are out of
sorts. Corvisart tells me that it is a good sign that the baths are
having the desired effect, and that your health will soon be
re-established. But I am most truly grieved to know that you are in
pain.
Yesterday I went to see the Sevres manufactory at St. Cloud.
Best wishes to all.--Yours for life,
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_June 29th.--Pope withdraws excommunication from Talleyrand._
No. 5.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT PLOMBIERES.
_Malmaison, July 1, 1802._
Your letter of June 29th has arrived. You say nothing of your health
nor of the effect of the baths. I see that you expect to be home in a
week; that is good news for your lover, who is tired of being alone!
You ought to have seen General Ney, who started for Plombieres; he
will be married on his return.
Yesterday Hortense played Rosina in "The Barber of Seville" with her
usual skill.
Rest assured of my love, and that I await your return impatiently.
Without you everything here is dreary.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_August 2nd.--Napoleon Bonaparte made First Consul for life._
"_The conduct and the language of Bonaparte represents at once
Augustus, Mahomet, Louis XI., Masaniello_" (Montgaillard, _an
avowed enemy_).
_September 22nd._--Opening of the Ourcq Waterworks for the supply
of Paris.
_September 25th.--Mass celebrated at St. Cloud for the first time.
In this month Napoleon annexes Piedmont, and the next sends Ney to
occupy Switzerland._
_October 11th.--Birth of Napoleon Charles, son of Louis Bonaparte
and Hortense._
_October 29th.--Napoleon and Josephine visit Normandy, and,
contrary to expectation, receive ovations everywhere. They return
to Paris, November 14th._
EVENTS OF 1803.
_February 19th._--New constitution imposed by France on
Switzerland.
_April 14th.--Bank of France reorganised by Bonaparte; it alone
allowed to issue notes._
_April 27th._--Death of Toussaint-Louverture at Besancon.
_April 30th._--France sells Louisiana to U.S. for L4,000,000 (15
million dollars).
_May 22nd.--France declares war against England, chiefly
respecting Malta. England having seized all French ships in
British harbours previous to war being declared, Napoleon seizes
all British tourists in France._
_May 31st.--His soldiers occupy Electorate of Hanover._
_June 14th.--He visits North of France and Belgium, accompanied by
Josephine, and returns to Paris August 12th._
_September 27th._--Press censorship established in France.
_November 30th._--French evacuate St. Domingo.
SERIES E
1804
"Everywhere the king of the earth found once more, to put a bridle on
his pride, the inevitable lords of the sea."--BIGNON, v. 130.
SERIES E
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 232-237.)
LETTER PAGE
No. 1. _Madame_ 232
_Pont de Bricques_ 232
_The wind having considerably freshened_ 232
No. 2. _The waters_ 233
_All the vexations_ 233
_Eugene has started for Blois_ 234
No. 3. _Aix-la-Chapelle_ 234
No. 4. _During the past week_ 235
_The day after to-morrow_ 235
_Hortense_ 235
_I am very well satisfied_ 235
No. 5. Its authenticity 236
_Arras, August 29th_ 236
_I am rather impatient to see you_ 236
No. 6. _T._ 237
_B._ 237
LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO
THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE DURING HIS
JOURNEY ALONG THE COAST, 1804.
EVENTS OF 1804.
_February 15th._--The conspiracy of Pichegru. Moreau arrested,
Pichegru (_February 28th_), and Georges Cadoudal (_March 9th_).
_March 21st._--Duc D'Enghien shot at Vincennes.
_April 6th._--Suicide of Pichegru.
_April 30th.--Proposal to make Bonaparte Emperor._
_May 4th.--Tribune adopts the proposal._
_May 18th.--The First Consul becomes the Emperor Napoleon._
_May 19th.--Napoleon confers the dignity of Marshal of the Empire
on Berthier, Murat, Moncey, Jourdan, Massena, Augereau,
Bernadotte, Soult, Brune, Lannes, Mortier, Ney, Davoust,
Bessieres, Kellermann, Lefebvre, Perignon, Serrurier._
_July 14th._--Inauguration of the Legion of Honour.
No. 1.
TO THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.
_Pont-de-Bricques, July 21, 1804._
_Madame and dear Wife_,--During the four days that I have been away
from you I have always been either on horseback or in a conveyance,
without any ill effect on my health.
M. Maret tells me that you intend starting on Monday; travelling by
easy stages, you can take your time and reach the Spa without tiring
yourself.
The wind having considerably freshened last night, one of our
gunboats, which was in the harbour, broke loose and ran on the
rocks about a league from Boulogne. I believed all lost--men and
merchandise; but we managed to save both. The spectacle was
grand: the shore sheeted in fire from the alarm guns, the sea
raging and bellowing, the whole night spent in anxiety to save
these unfortunates or to see them perish! My soul hovered between
eternity, the ocean, and the night. At 5 A.M. all was calm,
everything saved; and I went to bed with the feeling of having
had a romantic and epic dream--a circumstance which might have
reminded me that I was all alone, had weariness and soaked garments
left me any other need but that of sleep.
NAPOLEON.
[_Correspondence of Napoleon I., No. 7861,
communicated by M. Chambry._]
No. 2.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.