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Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812

Emperor of the French Napoleon I

I have done as I wished, and driven back the enemy, while making his projects fail. You are sure to be uneasy, and that thought troubles me. Nevertheless, calm yourself, my dear, and be cheerful.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. Tell Caroline and Pauline that the Grand Duke and the Prince[22] are in excellent health. * * * * * _February 16th.--Savary defeats Russians at Ostrolenka._ No. 44. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Eylau_, _February 17, 1807_, 3 A.M. Your letter to hand, informing me of your arrival at Paris. I am very glad to know you are there. My health is good. The battle of Eylau was very sanguinary, and very hardly contested. Corbineau was slain. He was a very brave man. I had grown very fond of him. Adieu, dear; it is as warm here as in the month of April; everything is thawing. My health is good. NAPOLEON. No. 45. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Landsberg_, _February 18, 1807_, 3 A.M. I write you two lines. My health is good. I am moving to set my army in winter quarters. It rains and thaws as in the month of April. We have not yet had one cold day. Adieu, dear.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 46. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Liebstadt_, _February 20, 1807_, 2 A.M. I write you two lines, dear, in order that you may not be uneasy. My health is very good, and my affairs prosper. I have again put my army into cantonments. The weather is extraordinary; it freezes and thaws; it is wet and unsettled. Adieu, dear.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 47. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Liebstadt_, _February 21, 1807_, 2 A.M. Your letter of the 4th February to hand; I see with pleasure that your health is good. Paris will thoroughly re-establish it by giving you cheerfulness and rest, and a return to your accustomed habits. I am wonderfully well. The weather and the country are vile. My affairs are fairly satisfactory. It thaws and freezes within twenty-four hours; there can never have been known such an extraordinary winter. Adieu, dear; I love you, I think of you, and wish to know that you are contented, cheerful, and happy.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 48. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Liebstadt, February 21, 1807, Noon._ _My Dear_,--Your letter of the 8th received; I see with pleasure that you have been to the opera, and that you propose holding receptions weekly. Go occasionally to the theatre, and always into the Royal box. I notice also with pleasure the banquets you are giving. I am very well. The weather is still unsettled; it freezes and thaws. I have once more put my army into cantonments in order to rest them. Never be doleful, love me, and believe in my entire affection. NAPOLEON. No. 49. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Osterode_, _February 23, 1807_, 2 P.M. _My Dear_,--Your letter of the 10th received. I am sorry to see you are a little out of sorts. I have been in the country for the past month, experiencing frightful weather, because it has been unsettled, and varying from cold to warm within a week. Still, I am very well. Try and pass your time pleasantly; have no anxieties, and never doubt the love I bear you. NAPOLEON. * * * * * _February 26th.--Dupont defeats Russians at Braunsberg._ No. 50. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Osterode, March 2, 1807._ _My Dear_,--It is two or three days since I wrote to you; I reproach myself for it; I know your uneasiness. I am very well; my affairs prosper. I am in a wretched village, where I shall pass a considerable time; it is not as good as the great city! I again assure you, I was never in such good health; you will find me very much stouter. It is spring weather here; the snow has gone, the streams are thawing--which is what I want. I have ordered what you wish for Malmaison; be cheerful and happy; it is my will. Adieu, dear; I embrace you heartily.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. * * * * * _March 9th._--The Grand Sanhedrim, which assembled at Paris on February 9, terminates its sittings. No. 51. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Osterode_, _March 10, 1807_, 4 P.M. _My Dear_,--I have received your letter of the 25th. I see with pleasure that you are well, and that you sometimes make a pilgrimage to Malmaison. My health is good, and my affairs prosper. The weather has become rather cold again. I see that the winter has been very variable everywhere. Adieu, dear; keep well, be cheerful, and never doubt my affection,--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 52. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Osterode, March 11, 1807._ _My Dear_,--I received your letter of the 27th. I am sorry to see from it that you are ill; take courage. My health is good; my affairs prosper. I am waiting for fine weather, which should soon be here. I love you and want to know that you are content and cheerful. A great deal of nonsense will be talked of the battle of Eylau; the bulletin tells everything; our losses are rather exaggerated in it than minimised.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 53. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Osterode_, _March 13, 1807_, 2 P.M. _My Dear_,--I learn that the vexatious tittle-tattle that occurred in your salon at Mayence has begun again; make people hold their tongues. I shall be seriously annoyed with you if you do not find a remedy. You allow yourself to be worried by the chatter of people who ought to console you. I desire you to have a little character, and to know how to put everybody into his (or her) proper place. I am in excellent health. My affairs here are good. We are resting a little, and organising our food supply. Adieu, dear; keep well. NAPOLEON. No. 54. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Osterode, March 15, 1807._ I received your letter of the 1st of March, from which I see that you were much upset by the catastrophe of Minerva at the opera. I am very glad to see that you go out and seek distractions. My health is very good. My affairs go excellently. Take no heed of all the unfavourable rumours that may be circulated. Never doubt my affection, and be without the least uneasiness.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 55. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. Osterode, March 17, 1807. _My Dear_,--It is not necessary for you to go to the small plays and into a private box; it ill befits your rank; you should only go to the four great theatres, and always into the Royal box. Live as you would do if I were at Paris. My health is very good. The cold weather has recommenced. The thermometer has been down to 8 deg..--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 56. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Osterode_, _March 17, 1807_, 10 P.M. I have received yours of March 5th, from which I see with pleasure that you are well. My health is perfect. Yet the weather of the past two days has been cold again; the thermometer to-night has been at 10 deg., but the sun has given us a very fine day. Adieu, dear. Very kindest regards to everybody. Tell me something about the death of that poor Dupuis; have his brother told that I wish to help him. My affairs here go excellently.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 57. _March 25th.--Abolition of slave trade in Great Britain by Parliament._ TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _March 25, 1807._ I have received your letter of March 13th. If you really wish to please me, you must live exactly as you live when I am at Paris. Then you were not in the habit of visiting the second-rate theatres or other places. You ought always to go into the Royal box. As for your home life: hold receptions there, and have your fixed circles of friends; that, my dear, is the only way to deserve my approbation. Greatness has its inconveniences; an Empress cannot go where a private individual may. Very best love. My health is good. My affairs prosper. NAPOLEON. No. 58. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Osterode_, _March 27, 1807_, 7 P.M. _My Dear_,--Your letter pains me. There is no question of your dying. You are in good health, and you can have no just ground for grief. I think you should go during May to St. Cloud; but you must spend the whole month of April at Paris. My health is good. My affairs prosper. You must not think of travelling this summer; nothing of that sort is feasible. You ought not to frequent inns and camps. I long as much as you for our meeting and for a quiet life. I can do other things besides fight; but duty stands first and foremost. All my life long I have sacrificed everything to my destiny--peace of mind, personal advantage, happiness. Adieu, dear. See as little as possible of that Madame de P----. She is a woman who belongs to the lowest grade of society; she is thoroughly common and vulgar. NAPOLEON. I have had occasion to find fault with M. de T----. I have sent him to his country house in Burgundy. I wish no longer to hear his name mentioned. No. 59. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Osterode, April 1, 1807._ _My Dear_,--I have just got your letter of the 20th. I am sorry to see you are ill. I wrote you to stay at Paris the whole month of April, and to go to St. Cloud on May 1st. You may go and spend the Sundays, and a day or two, at Malmaison. At St. Cloud you may have your usual visitors. My health is good. It is still quite cold enough here. All is quiet. I have named the little princess Josephine.[23] Eugene should be well pleased.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 60. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Finckenstein, April 2, 1807._ _My Dear_,--I write you a line. I have just moved my headquarters into a very fine chateau, after the style of Bessieres', where I have several fireplaces, which is a great comfort to me; getting up often in the night, I like to see the fire. My health is perfect. The weather is fine, but still cold. The thermometer is at four to five degrees. Adieu, dear.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 61. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Finckenstein_, _April 6, 1807_, 3 P.M. _My Dear_,--I have received your letter, from which I see you have spent Holy Week at Malmaison, and that your health is better. I long to hear that you are thoroughly well. I am in a fine chateau, where there are fireplaces, which I find a great comfort. It is still very cold here; everything is frozen. You will have seen that I have good news from Constantinople. My health is good. There is nothing fresh here.--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 62. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Finckenstein_, _April 10, 1807_, 6 P.M. _My Dear_,--My health is excellent. Here spring is beginning; but as yet there is no vegetation. I wish you to be cheerful and contented, and never to doubt my attachment. Here all goes well. NAPOLEON. No. 63. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Finckenstein_, _April 14, 1807_, 7 P.M. I have received your letter of April 3rd. I see from it that you are well, and that it has been very cold in Paris. The weather here is very unsettled; still I think the spring has come at length; already the ice has almost gone. I am in splendid health. Adieu, dear. I ordered some time ago for Malmaison all that you ask for,--Yours ever, NAPOLEON. No. 64. TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS. _Finckenstein, April 18, 1807._ I have received your letter of April 5th. I am sorry to see from it that you are grieved at what I have told you. As usual, your little Creole head becomes flurried and excited in a moment. Let us not, therefore, speak of it again. I am very well, but yet the weather is rainy. Savary is very ill of a bilious fever, before Dantzic; I hope it will be nothing serious. Adieu, dear; my very best wishes to you.