Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812
_July 20th.--Joseph enters Madrid._ Mahmoud deposed by his younger
brother at Constantinople.
_July 22nd.--Dupont capitulates at Baylen--"the only stain on
French arms for twenty years (1792-1812)."_--Montgaillard.
_July 30th.--French protest against Austrian armaments._
_August 1st.--Wellington landed in Portugal._
_August 21st.--Battle of Vimiera, creditable to Junot._
_August 25th.--Spanish troops reoccupy Madrid._
_August 30th.--Convention of Cintra. French only hold Barcelona,
Biscay, Navarre, and Alava, in the whole of Spain._
_September 8th.--Convention of Paris (Prussia and France);
Prussian army not to exceed 40,000 men._
FOOTNOTES
[28] Charles Louis Napoleon, afterwards Napoleon III.
[29] At 17 Rue Lafitte.
SERIES J
"When he shows as seeking quarter, with paws like hands in prayer,
_That_ is the time of peril--the time of the truce of the Bear!"
--KIPLING.
SERIES J
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 269-273.)
LETTER PAGE
No. 1. _I have rather a cold_ 270
_I am pleased with the Emperor_ 270
No. 2. _Shooting over the battlefield of Jena_ 271
_The Weimar ball_ 271
_A few trifling ailments_ 271
No. 3. _I am pleased with Alexander_ 272
_He ought to be with me_ 272
_Erfurt_ 273
LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO
THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE DURING HIS
STAY AT ERFURT, 1808.
No. 1.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_Erfurt, September 29, 1808._
I have rather a cold. I have received your letter, dated Malmaison. I
am well pleased with the Emperor and every one here.
It is an hour after midnight, and I am tired.
Adieu, dear; take care of yourself.
NAPOLEON.
No. 2.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_October 9, 1808._
_My Dear_,--I have received your letter. I note with pleasure that you
are well. I have just been shooting over the battlefield of Jena. We
had breakfast (_dejeune_) at the spot where I bivouacked on the night
of the battle.
I assisted at the Weimar ball. The Emperor Alexander dances; but not
I. Forty years are forty years.
My health is really sound, in spite of a few trifling ailments.
Adieu, dear; I hope to see you soon.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
No. 3.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_My Dear_,--I write you seldom; I am very busy. Conversations which
last whole days, and which do not improve my cold. Still all goes
well. I am pleased with Alexander; he ought to be with me. If he were
a woman, I think I should make him my sweetheart.
I shall be back to you shortly; keep well and let me find you plump
and rosy.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
SERIES K
"The winter campaign commenced on the 1st of November 1808, and
terminated on the 1st of March 1809, to the advantage of the
French, who, for that reason, denominate it the _Imperial Campaign_.
The Spaniards were long before they could recover from the terror
caused by the defeat of their armies, the capture of Madrid, the
surrender of Saragossa, and the departure of the English from
Corunna."--_Sarrazin's History of the War in Spain and Portugal_,
1815.
SERIES K
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 273-278.)
LETTER PAGE
No. 5. Aranda 273
No. 6. Madrid 273
_Parisian weather_ 273
No. 8. _Kourakin_ 274
No. 9. _The English_ appear to have received reinforcements 274
No. 10. _Benavente_ 274
_The English flee panic-stricken_ 274
_The weather_ 274
_Lefebvre_ 275
No. 11. _Your letters_ 275-6
No. 12. _The English are in utter rout_ 276
Nos. 13 & 14. Valladolid 277
_Eugene has a daughter_ 277
_They are foolish in Paris_ 277
LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO
THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE DURING THE
SPANISH CAMPAIGN, 1808 AND 1809.
_October 29th.--English enter Spain._
_October 31st.--Blake defeated by Lefebvre at Tornosa._
No. 1.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_November 3, 1808._
I arrived to-night[30] with considerable trouble. I had ridden several
stages at full speed. Still, I am well.
To-morrow I start for Spain.
My troops are arriving in force.
Adieu, dear.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_November 4th.--Napoleon enters Spain._
No. 2.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Tolosa, November 5, 1808._
I am at Tolosa. I am starting for Vittoria, where I shall be in a few
hours. I am fairly well, and I hope everything will soon be
completed.
NAPOLEON.
No. 3.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Vittoria, November 7._
_My Dear_,--I have been the last two days at Vittoria. I am in good
health. My troops are arriving daily; the Guard arrived to-day.
The King is in very good health. I am very busy.
I know that you are in Paris. Never doubt my affection.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_November 10th._--Battle of Burgos. _Soult and Bessieres defeat
Spaniards, who lose 3000 killed and 3000 prisoners, and 20
cannon._
_November 12th._--Battle of Espinosa. _Marshal Victor defeats La
Romana and Blake, who lose 20,000 men and 50 cannon._
No. 4.
_November 14th._--Third revolution at Constantinople. _Mahmoud IV.
assassinated (November 15th)._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Burgos, November 14, 1808._
Matters here are progressing at a great rate. The weather is very
fine. We are successful. My health is very good.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_November 23rd.--Battle of Tudela. Castanos and Palafox
defeated, with loss of 7000 men and 30 cannon, by Marshal
Lannes. "The battle of Tudela makes the pendant of that of
Espinosa."_--NAPOLEON.
No. 5.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_November 26, 1808._
I have received your letter. I trust that your health be as good as
mine is, although I am very busy. All goes well here.
I think you should return to the Tuileries on December 21st, and from
that date give a concert daily for eight days.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
Kind regards to Hortense and to M. Napoleon.
* * * * *
_December 3rd.--French voluntarily evacuate Berlin._
_December 4th.--Surrender of Madrid. Napoleon abolishes the
Inquisition and feudal rights._ ("_He regards the taking of a
capital as decisive for the submission of a whole kingdom; thus in
1814 will act his adversaries, pale but judicious imitators of his
strategy._"--Montgaillard.)
No. 6.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_December 7, 1808._
Your letter of the 28th to hand. I am glad to see that you are well.
You will have seen that young Tascher has distinguished himself, which
has pleased me. My health is good.
Here we are enjoying Parisian weather of the last fortnight in May. We
are hot, and have no fires; but the nights are rather cool.
Madrid is quiet. All my affairs prosper.
Adieu, dear.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
Kind regards to Hortense and to M. Napoleon.
No. 7.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Chamartin, December 10, 1808._
_My Dear_,--Yours to hand, in which you tell me what bad weather you
are having in Paris; here it is the best weather imaginable. Please
tell me what mean these alterations Hortense is making; I hear she is
sending away her servants. Is it because they have refused to do what
was required? Give me some particulars. Reforms are not desirable.
Adieu, dear. The weather here is delightful. All goes excellently, and
I pray you to keep well.
NAPOLEON.
No. 8.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_December 21, 1808._
You ought to have been at the Tuileries on the 12th. I trust you may
have been pleased with your rooms.
I have authorised the presentation of Kourakin to you and the family;
be kind to him, and let him take part in your plays.
Adieu, dear. I am well. The weather is rainy; it is rather cold.
NAPOLEON.
No. 9.
_December 22nd.--Napoleon quits Madrid._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Madrid, December 22, 1808._
I start at once to outmanoeuvre the English, who appear to have
received reinforcements and wish to look big.
The weather is fine, my health perfect; don't be uneasy.
NAPOLEON.
No. 10.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Benavento, December 31, 1808._
_My Dear_,--The last few days I have been in pursuit of the English,
but they flee panic-stricken. They have pusillanimously abandoned the
remnant of La Romana's army in order not to delay its retreat a single
half day. More than a hundred waggons of their baggage have already
been taken. The weather is very bad.
Lefebvre[31] has been captured. He took part in a skirmish with 300 of
his chasseurs; these idiots crossed a river by swimming and threw
themselves in the midst of the English cavalry; they killed several,
but on their return Lefebvre had his horse wounded; it was swimming,
the current took him to the bank where the English were; he was taken.
Console his wife.
Adieu, dear. Bessieres, with 10,000 cavalry, is at Astorga.
NAPOLEON.
A happy New Year to everybody.
No. 11.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_January 3, 1809._
_My Dear_,--I have received your letters of the 18th and 21st. I am
close behind the English.
The weather is cold and rigorous, but all goes well.
Adieu, dear.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
A happy New Year, and a very happy one, to my Josephine.
No. 12.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Benavento, January 5, 1809._
_My Dear_,--I write you a line. The English are in utter rout; I have
instructed the Duke of Dalmatia to pursue them closely (_l'epee dans
les reins_). I am well; the weather bad.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
No. 13.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_January 8, 1809._
I have received yours of the 23rd and 26th. I am sorry to see you have
toothache. I have been here two days. The weather is what we must
expect at this season. The English are embarking. I am in good
health.
Adieu, dear.
I am writing Hortense. Eugene has a daughter.
Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
No. 14.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_January 9, 1809._
Moustache brings me your letter of 31st December. I see from it, dear,
that you are sad and have very gloomy disquietudes. Austria will not
make war on me; if she does, I have 150,000 men in Germany and as many
on the Rhine, and 400,000 Germans to reply to her. Russia will not
separate herself from me. They are foolish in Paris; all goes well.
I shall be at Paris the moment I think it worth while. I advise you to
beware of ghosts; one fine day, at two o'clock in the morning.
But adieu, dear; I am well, and am yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
FOOTNOTES
[30] At Bayonne.
[31] General Lefebvre--Desnouettes.
SERIES L
"Berthier, incapable of acting a principal part, was surprised, and
making a succession of false movements that would have been fatal to