Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812
the Queen_ 246
_I have bivouacked_ 246
No. 5. _Fatigues, bivouacs
have made me fat_ 246
_The great M. Napoleon_ 247
No. 7. _Potsdam_ 247
No. 8. _You do nothing but cry_ 247
No. 9_a_. _Madame Tallien_ 247
No. 10. _The bad things I say
about women_ 248
No. 11. _Lubeck_ 250
No. 13. _Madame L._ 250
No. 17. _December 2nd_ 250
No. 18. _Jealousy_ 250
No. 19. _Desir de femme est un feu
qui devore_ 251
No. 23. _I am dependent on events_ 251
No. 26. _The fair ones of Great
Poland_ 251
_A wretched barn_ 252
_Such things become common
property_ 252
No. 27. _Warsaw, January 3rd_ 252
No. 28. _Be cheerful--gai_ 253
No. 29. _Roads unsafe and detestable_ 253
No. 35. _I hope that you are at Paris_ 254
_T._ 254
No. 36. _Paris_ 254
No. 38. Arensdorf 254
No. 39. _The Battle of Preussich-Eylau_ 254
No. 40. _Corbineau_ 256
_Dahlmann_ 256
No. 41. _Young Tascher_ 256
No. 42. Napoleon's Correspondence 256
No. 43. _I am still at Eylau_ 257
_This country is covered
with dead and wounded_ 257
No. 50. _Osterode_ 257
_It is not as good as the
great city_ 258
_I have ordered what you
wish for Malmaison_ 258
No. 54. _Minerva_ 259
No. 55. The first use of _Vous_ 259
No. 56. _Dupuis_ 260
No. 58. _M. de T._ 260
No. 60. _Marshal Bessieres_ 260
No. 63. Date 260
No. 67. _Sweet, pouting, and capricious_ 260
No. 68. _Madame_ ---- 261
_Measles_ 261
No. 69. _I trust I may hear you
have been rational_ 261
No. 71. _May 20th_ 262
No. 74. _I am vexed with Hortense_ 262
No. 78. _Friedland_ 263
No. 79. _Tilsit_ 264
LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO
THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE DURING THE
CAMPAIGN AGAINST PRUSSIA AND RUSSIA,
1806-7.
1806.
_January 1st.--The Elector of Bavaria and the Duke of Wurtemberg
created Kings by France._
_January 23rd._--Death of William Pitt, aged 47.
_February 15th.--Joseph Bonaparte enters Naples, and on_
_March 10th is declared King of the Two Sicilies._
_April 1st.--Prussia seizes Hanover._
_June 5th.--Louis Bonaparte made King of Holland._
_July 6th.--Battle of Maida (Calabria. English defeat General
Reynier. French loss 4000; English 500)._
_July 12th.--Napoleon forms Confederation of the Rhine, with
himself as Chief and Protector._
_July 18th.--Gaeta surrenders to Massena._
_August 6th.--Francis II., Emperor of Germany, becomes Emperor of
Austria as Francis I._
_August 15th.--Russia refuses to ratify peace preliminaries signed
by her ambassador at Paris on July 25th._
_September 13th._--Death of Charles James Fox, aged 57.
No. 1.
_October 5th.--Proclamation by the Prince of the Peace against
France (germ of Spanish War)._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_October 5, 1806._
It will be quite in order for the Princess of Baden to come to
Mayence. I cannot think why you weep; you do wrong to make yourself
ill. Hortense is inclined to pedantry; she loves to air her views. She
has written me; I am sending her a reply. She ought to be happy and
cheerful. Pluck and a merry heart--that's the recipe.
Adieu, dear. The Grand Duke has spoken to me about you; he saw you at
Florence at the time of the retreat.
NAPOLEON.
No. 2.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_Bamberg, October 7, 1806._
I start this evening, my dear, for Cronach. The whole of my army is
advancing. All goes well. My health is perfect. I have only received
as yet one letter from you. I have some from Eugene and from Hortense.
Stephanie should now be with you. Her husband wishes to make the
campaign; he is with me.
Adieu. A thousand kisses and the best of health.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_October 8th.--Prussia, assisted by Saxony, Russia, and England,
declares war against France._
_October 9th.--Campaign opens. Prussians defeated at Schleitz._
_October 10th.--Lannes defeats them at Saalfeld. Prince Louis of
Prussia killed; 1000 men and 30 guns taken._
_October 11th.--French peace negotiations with England broken
off._
No. 3.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_Gera_, _October 13, 1806_, 2 A.M.
_My Dear_,--I am at Gera to-day. My affairs go excellently well, and
everything as I could wish. With the aid of God, they will, I believe,
in a few days have taken a terrible course for the poor King of
Prussia, whom I am sorry for personally, because he is a good man.
The Queen is at Erfurt with the King. If she wants to see a battle,
she shall have that cruel pleasure. I am in splendid health. I have
already put on flesh since my departure; yet I am doing, in person,
twenty and twenty-five leagues a day, on horseback, in my carriage, in
all sorts of ways. I lie down at eight, and get up at midnight. I
fancy at times that you have not yet gone to bed.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_October 14th.--Battles of Jena and Auerstadt._
No. 4.
_October 15th.--Napoleon at Weimar, He releases 6000 Saxon
prisoners, which soon causes peace with Saxony._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_Jena_, _October 15, 1806_, 3 A.M.
_My Dear_,--I have made excellent manoeuvres against the Prussians.
Yesterday I won a great victory. They had 150,000 men. I have made
20,000 prisoners, taken 100 pieces of cannon, and flags. I was in
presence of the King of Prussia, and near to him; I nearly captured
him and the Queen. For the past two days I have bivouacked. I am in
excellent health.
Adieu, dear. Keep well, and love me.
If Hortense is at Mayence, give her a kiss; also to Napoleon and to
the little one.
NAPOLEON.
No. 5.
_October 16th.--Soult routs Kalkreuth at Greussen; Erfurt and
16,000 men capitulate to Murat._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_Weimar_, _October 16, 1806_, 5 P.M.
M. Talleyrand will have shown you the bulletin, my dear; you will see
my successes therein. All has happened as I calculated, and never was
an army more thoroughly beaten and more entirely destroyed. I need
only add that I am very well, and that fatigue, bivouacs, and
night-watches have made me fat.
Adieu, dear. Kindest regards to Hortense and to the great M.
Napoleon.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_October 17th.--Bernadotte defeats Prussian reserve at Halle._
_October 18th.--Davoust takes Leipsic, and an enormous stock of
English merchandise._
_October 19th.--Napoleon at Halle._
_October 20th.--Lannes takes Dessau, and Davoust Wittenberg._
_October 21st.--Napoleon at Dessau._
No. 6.
_October 23rd.--Napoleon makes Wittenberg central depot for his
army._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_Wittenberg, October 23, 1806, Noon._
I have received several of your letters. I write you only a line. My
affairs prosper. To-morrow I shall be at Potsdam, and at Berlin on the
25th. I am wonderfully well, and thrive on hard work. I am very glad
to hear you are with Hortense and Stephanie, _en grande compagnie_. So
far, the weather has been fine.
Kind regards to Stephanie, and to everybody, not forgetting M.
Napoleon.
Adieu, dear.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
No. 7.
_October 24th.--Lannes occupies Potsdam._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_Potsdam, October 24, 1806._
_My Dear_,--I have been at Potsdam since yesterday, and shall remain
there to-day. I continue satisfied with my undertakings. My health is
good; the weather very fine. I find Sans-Souci very pleasant.
Adieu, dear. Best wishes to Hortense and to M. Napoleon.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_October 25th.--Marshal Davoust enters Berlin; Bernadotte occupies
Brandenburg._
_October 28th.--Prince Hohenlohe surrenders at Prenzlau to Murat
with 16,000 men, including the Prussian Guard._
_October 30th.--Stettin surrenders with 5000 men and 150 cannon._
No. 8.
_November 1st.--Anklam surrenders, with 4000 men, to General
Becker._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_November 1, 1806_, 2 A.M.
Talleyrand has just arrived and tells me, my dear, that you do nothing
but cry. What on earth do you want? You have your daughter, your
grandchildren, and good news; surely these are sufficient reasons for
being happy and contented.
The weather here is superb; there has not yet fallen during the whole
campaign a single drop of water. I am very well, and all goes
excellently.
Adieu, dear; I have received a letter from M. Napoleon; I do not
believe it is from him, but from Hortense. Kindest regards to
everybody.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_November 2nd.--Kustrin surrenders, with 4000 men and 90 guns, to
Davoust._
No. 9.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_Berlin, November 2, 1806._
Your letter of October 26th to hand. We have splendid weather here.
You will see by the bulletin that we have taken Stettin--it is a very
strong place. All my affairs go as well as possible, and I am
thoroughly satisfied. One pleasure is alone wanting--that of seeing
you, but I hope that will not long be deferred.
Kindest regards to Hortense, Stephanie, and to the little Napoleon.
Adieu, dear.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
No. 9A.
From the Memoirs of Mademoiselle d'Avrillon (vol. i. 128).
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_Berlin, Monday, Noon._
_My Dear_,--I have received your letter. I am glad to know that you
are in a place which pleases me, and especially to know that you are
very well there. Who should be happier than you? You should live
without a worry, and pass your time as pleasantly as possible; that,
indeed, is my intention.
I forbid you to see Madame Tallien, under any pretext whatever. I will
admit of no excuse. If you desire a continuance of my esteem, if you
wish to please me, never transgress the present order. She may
possibly come to your apartments, to enter them by night; forbid your
porter to admit her.
* * * * *
I shall soon be at Malmaison. I warn you to have no lovers there that
night; I should be sorry to disturb them. Adieu, dear; I long to see
you and assure you of my love and affection.
NAPOLEON.
No. 10.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE.
_November 6, 1806_, 9 P.M.
Yours to hand, in which you seem annoyed at the bad things I say about
women; it is true that I hate intriguing women more than anything. I