Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812

NAPOLEON. No. 26. TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _Pultusk, December 31, 1806._ I have had a good laugh over your last letters. You idealise the fair ones of Great Poland in a way they do not deserve. I have had for two or three days the pleasure of hearing Paeer and two lady singers, who have given me some very good music. I received your letter in a wretched barn, having mud, wind, and straw for my only bed. To-morrow I shall be at Warsaw. I think all is over for this year. The army is entering winter quarters. I shrug my shoulders at the stupidity of Madame de L----; still you should show her your displeasure, and counsel her not to be so idiotic. Such things become common property, and make many people indignant. For my part, I scorn ingratitude as the worst fault in a human heart. I know that instead of comforting you, these people have given you pain. Adieu, dear; I am in good health. I do not think you ought to go to Cassel; that place is not suitable. You may go to Darmstadt. NAPOLEON. No. 27. TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _Warsaw, January 3, 1807._ _My Dear_,--I have received your letter. Your grief pains me; but one must bow to events. There is too much country to travel between Mayence and Warsaw; you must, therefore, wait till circumstances allow me to come to Berlin, in order that I may write you to come thither. It is true that the enemy, defeated, is far away; but I have many things here to put to rights. I should be inclined to think that you might return to Paris, where you are needed. Send away those ladies who have their affairs to look after; you will be better without people who have given you so much worry. My health is good; the weather bad. I love you from my heart. NAPOLEON. * * * * * _January 5th.--Capture of Breslau, with 7000 men, by Vandamme and Hedouville._ No. 28. _January 7th.--English Orders in Council against Berlin Decree._ TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _Warsaw, January 7, 1807._ _My Dear_,--I am pained by all that you tell me; but the season being cold, the roads very bad and not at all safe, I cannot consent to expose you to so many fatigues and dangers. Return to Paris in order to spend the winter there. Go to the Tuileries; receive, and lead the same life as you are accustomed to do when I am there; that is my wish. Perhaps I shall not be long in rejoining you there; but it is absolutely necessary for you to give up the idea of making a journey of 750 miles at this time of the year, through the enemy's country, and in the rear of the army. Believe that it costs me more than you to put off for some weeks the pleasure of seeing you, but so events and the success of my enterprise order it. Adieu, my dear; be cheerful, and show character. NAPOLEON. No. 29. TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _Warsaw, January 8, 1807._ _My Dear_,--I received your letter of the 27th with those of M. Napoleon and Hortense, which were enclosed with it. I had begged you to return to Paris. The season is too inclement, the roads unsafe and detestable; the distances too great for me to permit you to come hither, where my affairs detain me. It would take you at least a month to come. You would arrive ill; by that time it might perhaps be necessary to start back again; it would therefore be folly. Your residence at Mayence is too dull; Paris reclaims you; go there, it is my wish. I am more vexed about it than you. I should have liked to spend the long nights of this season with you, but we must obey circumstances. Adieu, dear.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 30. TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _Warsaw, January 11, 1807._ Your letter of the 27th received, from which I note that you are somewhat uneasy about military events. Everything is settled, as I have told you, to my satisfaction; my affairs prosper. The distance is too great for me to allow you to come so far at this time of year. I am in splendid health, sometimes rather wearied by the length of the nights. Up to the present I have seen few people here. Adieu, dear. I wish you to be cheerful, and to give a little life to the capital. I would much like to be there.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. I hope that the Queen has gone to the Hague with M. Napoleon. No. 31. _January 16th.--Capture of Brieg by the French._ TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _January 16, 1807._ MY DEAR,--I have received your letter of the 5th of January; all that you tell me of your unhappiness pains me. Why these tears, these repinings? Have you then no longer any fortitude? I shall see you soon. Never doubt my feelings; and if you wish to be still dearer to me, show character and strength of mind. I am humiliated to think that my wife can distrust my destinies. Adieu, dear. I love you, I long to see you, and wish to learn that you are content and happy. NAPOLEON. No. 32. TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _Warsaw, January 18, 1807._ I fear that you are greatly grieved at our separation and at your return to Paris, which must last for some weeks longer. I insist on your having more fortitude. I hear you are always weeping. Fie! how unbecoming it is! Your letter of January 7th makes me unhappy. Be worthy of me; assume more character. Cut a suitable figure at Paris; and, above all, be contented. I am very well, and I love you much; but, if you are always crying, I shall think you without courage and without character. I do not love cowards. An empress ought to have fortitude. NAPOLEON. No. 33. TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _Warsaw, January 19, 1807._ _My Dear_,--Your letter to hand. I have laughed at your fear of fire. I am in despair at the tone of your letters and at what I hear. I forbid you to weep, to be petulant and uneasy; I want you to be cheerful, lovable, and happy. NAPOLEON. No. 34. TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _Warsaw, January 23, 1807._ Your letter of January 15th to hand. It is impossible to allow women to make such a journey as this--bad roads, miry and unsafe. Return to Paris; be cheerful and content there. Perhaps even I shall soon be there. I have laughed at what you say about your having taken a husband to be with him. I thought, in my ignorance, that the wife was made for the husband, the husband for his country, his family, and glory. Pardon my ignorance; one is always learning from our fair ladies. Adieu, my dear. Think how much it costs me not to send for you. Say to yourself, "It is a proof how precious I am to him." NAPOLEON. No. 35. _January 25th.--Russians defeated at Mohrungen by Bernadotte._ TO THE EMPRESS, AT MAYENCE. _January 25, 1807._ I am very unhappy to see you are in pain. I hope that you are at Paris; you will get better there. I share your griefs, and do not groan. For I could not risk losing you by exposing you to fatigues and dangers which befit neither your rank nor your sex. I wish you never to receive T---- at Paris; he is a black sheep. You would grieve me by doing otherwise. Adieu, my dear. Love me, and be courageous. NAPOLEON. No. 36. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Warsaw, January 26, 1807, Noon._ _My Dear_,--I have received your letter. It pains me to see how you are fretting yourself. The bridge of Mayence neither increases nor decreases the distance which separates us. Remain, therefore, at Paris. I should be vexed and uneasy to know that you were so miserable and so isolated at Mayence. You must know that I ought, that I can, consider only the success of my enterprise. If I could consult my heart I should be with you, or you with me; for you would be most unjust if you doubted my love and entire affection. NAPOLEON. No. 37. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Willemberg, February 1, 1807, Noon._ Your letter of the 11th, from Mayence, has made me laugh. To-day, I am a hundred miles from Warsaw; the weather is cold, but fine. Adieu, dear; be happy, show character. NAPOLEON. No. 38. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _My Dear_,--Your letter of January 20th has given me pain; it is too sad. That's the fault of not being a little more devout! You tell me that your glory consists in your happiness. That is narrow-minded; one should say, my glory consists in the happiness of others. It is not conjugal; one should say, my glory consists in the happiness of my husband. It is not maternal; one should say, my glory consists in the happiness of my children. Now, since nations--your husband, your children--can only be happy with a certain amount of glory, you must not make little of it. Fie, Josephine! your heart is excellent and your arguments weak. You feel acutely, but you don't argue as well. That's sufficient quarrelling. I want you to be cheerful, happy in your lot, and that you should obey, not with grumbling and tears, but with gaiety of heart and a little more good temper. Adieu, dear; I start to-night to examine my outposts. NAPOLEON. * * * * * _February 5th.--Combats of Bergfriede, Waltersdorf, and Deppen; Russians forced back._ _February 6th.--Combat of Hof. Murat victorious._ _February 8th.--Battle of Eylau; retreat of Russians._ No. 39. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Eylau, February 9, 1807_, 3 A.M. _My Dear_,--Yesterday there was a great battle; the victory has remained with me, but I have lost many men. The loss of the enemy, which is still more considerable, does not console me. To conclude, I write you these two lines myself, although I am very tired, to tell you that I am well and that I love you.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 40. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Eylau, February 9, 1807_, 6 P.M. _My Dear_,--I write you a line in order that you may not be uneasy. The enemy has lost the battle, 40 pieces of cannon, 10 flags, 12,000 prisoners; he has suffered frightfully. I have lost many: 1600 killed, 3000 or 4000 wounded. Your cousin Tascher conducts himself well; I have summoned him near me with the title of orderly officer. Corbineau has been killed by a shell; I was singularly attached to that officer, who had much merit; I am very unhappy about him. My mounted guard has covered itself with glory. Dahlman is dangerously wounded. Adieu, dear.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 41. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Eylau, February 11, 1807_, 3 A.M. _My Dear_,--I write you a line; you must have been very anxious. I have beaten the enemy in a fight to be remembered, but it has cost many brave lives. The bad weather that has set in forces me to take cantonments. Do not afflict yourself, please; all this will soon be over, and the happiness of seeing you will make me promptly forget my fatigues. Besides, I have never been in better health. Young Tascher, of the 4th Regiment, has behaved well; he has had a rough time of it. I have summoned him near me; I have made him an orderly officer--there's an end to his troubles. This young man interests me. Adieu, dear; a thousand kisses. NAPOLEON. No. 42. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Preussich-Eylau, February 12, 1807._ I send you a letter from General Darmagnac. He is a very good soldier, who commanded the 32nd. He is much attached to me. If this Madame de Richmond be well off, and it is a good match, I shall see this marriage with pleasure. Make this known to both of them. NAPOLEON. No. 43. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Eylau, February 14, 1807._ _My Dear_,--I am still at Eylau. This country is covered with dead and wounded. It is not the bright side of warfare; one suffers, and the mind is oppressed at the sight of so many victims. My health is good.