Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812
to see the King of Bavaria, who has just arrived in Paris. I shall
come to see you to-night at eight o'clock, and return at ten.
I hope to see you to-morrow, and to see you cheerful and placid.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
No. 6.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Trianon, Tuesday._
_My Dear_,--I lay down after you left me yesterday;[36] I am going to
Paris. I wish to hear that you are cheerful. I shall come to see you
during the week.
I have received your letters, which I am going to read in the
carriage.
NAPOLEON.
No. 7.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Paris, Wednesday, Noon, 27th December 1809._
Eugene told me that you were very miserable all yesterday. That is not
well, my dear; it is contrary to what you promised me.
I have been thoroughly tired in revisiting the Tuileries; that great
palace seemed empty to me, and I felt lost in it.
Adieu, dear. Keep well.
NAPOLEON.
No. 8.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Paris, Sunday, December 31_, 10 A.M., 1809.
_My Dear_,--To-day I have a grand parade; I shall see all my Old Guard
and more than sixty artillery trains.
The King of Westphalia is returning home, which will leave a house
vacant in Paris. I am sad not to see you. If the parade finishes
before 3 o'clock, I will come; otherwise, to-morrow.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
No. 9.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Thursday Evening_, 1810.
_My Dear_,--Hortense, whom I saw this afternoon, has given me news of
you. I trust that you will have been able to see your plants to-day,
the weather having been fine. I have only been out for a few minutes
at three o'clock to shoot some hares.
Adieu, dear; sleep well.
NAPOLEON.
No. 10.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Friday_, 8 P.M., 1810.
I wished to come and see you to-day, but I cannot; it will be, I hope,
in the morning. It is a long time since I heard from you. I learnt
with pleasure that you take walks in your garden these cold days.
Adieu, dear; keep well, and never doubt my affection.
NAPOLEON.
No. 11.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Sunday_, 8 P.M., 1810.
I was very glad to see you yesterday; I feel what charms your society
has for me.
To-day I walked with Esteve.[37] I have allowed L4000 for 1810, for
the extraordinary expenses at Malmaison. You can therefore do as much
planting as you like; you will distribute that sum as you may require.
I have instructed Esteve to send L8000 the moment the contract for the
Maison Julien shall be made. I have ordered them to pay for your
_parure_ of rubies, which will be valued by the Department, for I do
not wish to be robbed by jewellers. So, there goes the L16,000 that
this may cost me.
I have ordered them to hold the million which the Civil List owes you
for 1810 at the disposal of your man of business, in order to pay your
debts.
You should find in the coffers of Malmaison twenty to twenty-five
thousand pounds; you can take them to buy your plate and linen.
I have instructed them to make you a very fine porcelain service; they
will take your commands in order that it may be a very fine one.
NAPOLEON.
No. 12.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Wednesday_, 6 P.M., 1810.
_My Dear_,--I see no objection to your receiving the King of
Westphalia whenever you wish. The King and Queen of Bavaria will
probably come to see you on Friday.
I long to come to Malmaison, but you must really show fortitude and
self-restraint; the page on duty this morning told me that he saw you
weeping.
I am going to dine quite alone.
Adieu, dear. Never doubt the depth of my feelings for you; you would
be unjust and unfair if you did.
NAPOLEON.
No. 13.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Saturday_, 1 P.M., 1810.
_My Dear_,--Yesterday I saw Eugene, who told me that you gave a
reception to the kings. I was at the concert till eight o'clock, and
only dined, quite alone, at that hour.
I long to see you. If I do not come to-day, I will come after mass.
Adieu, dear. I hope to find you sensible and in good health. This
weather should indeed make you put on flesh.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_January 9.--The clergy of Paris annul the religious marriage of
Napoleon with Josephine_ (so _Biographie Universelle_, Michaud;
Montgaillard gives January 18). _Confirmed by the Metropolitan
Officialite, January 12_ (Pasquier).
No. 14.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Trianon, January 17, 1810._
_My Dear_,--D'Audenarde, whom I sent to you this morning, tells me
that since you have been at Malmaison you have no longer any courage.
Yet that place is full of our happy memories, which can and ought
never to change, at least on my side.
I want badly to see you, but I must have some assurance that you are
strong and not weak; I too am rather like you, and it makes me
frightfully wretched.
Adieu, Josephine; good-night. If you doubted me, you would be very
ungrateful.
NAPOLEON.
No. 15.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_January 20, 1810._
_My Dear_,--I send you the box that I promised you the day before
yesterday--representing the Island of Lobau. I was rather tired
yesterday. I work much, and do not go out.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
No. 16.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Noon, Tuesday, 1810._
I hear that you are making yourself miserable; this is too bad. You
have no confidence in me, and all the rumours that are being spread
strike you; this is not knowing me, Josephine. I am much annoyed, and
if I do not find you cheerful and contented, I shall scold you right
well.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
No. 17.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Sunday_, 9 P.M., 1810.
_My Dear_,--I was very glad to see you the day before yesterday.
I hope to go to Malmaison during the week. I have had all your affairs
looked after here, and ordered that everything be brought to the
Elysee-Napoleon.
Please take care of yourself.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
No. 18.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_January 30, 1810._
_My Dear_,--Your letter to hand. I hope the walk you had yesterday, in
order to show people your conservatories, has done you good.
I will gladly see you at the Elysee, and shall be very glad to see you
oftener, for you know how I love you.
NAPOLEON.
No. 19.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_Saturday_, 6 P.M., 1810.
I told Eugene that you would rather give ear to the vulgar gossip of a
great city than to what I told you; yet people should not be allowed
to invent fictions to make you miserable.
I have had all your effects moved to the Elysee. You shall come to
Paris at once; but be at ease and contented, and have full confidence
in me.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_February 2._--Soult occupies Seville. The Junta takes refuge at
Cadiz.
_February 6._--Guadeloupe surrenders to the English.
_February 7.--Convention of marriage between the Emperor Napoleon
and the Archduchess Marie Louise._
No. 20.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT THE ELYSEE-NAPOLEON.
_February 19, 1810._
_My Dear_,--I have received your letter. I long to see you, but the
reflections that you make may be true. It is, perhaps, not desirable
that we should be under the same roof for the first year. Yet
Bessieres' country-house is too far off to go and return in one day;
moreover I have rather a cold, and am not sure of being able to go
there.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
No. 21.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT THE ELYSEE-NAPOLEON.
_Friday_, 6 P.M., 1810.
Savary, as soon as he arrived, brought me your letter; I am sorry to
see you are unhappy. I am very glad that you saw nothing of the fire.
I had fine weather at Rambouillet.
Hortense told me that you had some idea of coming to a dinner at
Bessieres, and of returning to Paris to sleep. I am sorry that you
have not been able to manage it.
Adieu, dear. Be cheerful, and consider how much you please me
thereby.
NAPOLEON.
No. 22.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT MALMAISON.
_March 12, 1810._
_My Dear_,--I trust that you will be pleased with what I have done for
Navarre. You must see from that how anxious I am to make myself
agreeable to you.
Get ready to take possession of Navarre; you will go there on March
25, to pass the month of April.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_April 1.--Civil marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise._
(_Religious marriage, April 2._)
FOOTNOTES
[36] The Empress, with Hortense, had been to dine at Trianon.
[37] General Treasurer of the Crown.
SERIES N
1810
APRIL 2ND--DECEMBER 31ST
(_after the Marriage with Marie Louise_).
"Bella gerant alii, tu, felix Austria! nube."
SERIES N
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 304-310.)
LETTER PAGE
No. 1. _Navarre_ 304
_To Malmaison_ 305
No. 1_a_. _It is written in a bad style_ 305
No. 2. Josephine's wishes 305
No. 2_a_. _Two letters_ 306
No. 3. The northern tour of 1810 306
_I will come to see you_ 307
No. 4. _July 8th_ 308
_You will have seen Eugene_ 308
_That unfortunate daughter_ 308
No. 5. _The conduct of the King of Holland_ 308
No. 6. _To die in a lake_ 309
No. 8. _Paris, this Friday_ 309
No. 9. _The only suitable places_ 310
No. 10. Malmaison 310
_The Empress progresses satisfactorily_ 310
No. 1.
LETTER OF THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE TO THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.
_Navarre, April 19, 1810._
_Sire_,-I have received, by my son, the assurance that your Majesty
consents to my return to Malmaison, and grants to me the advances
asked for in order to make the chateau of Navarre habitable. This
double favour, Sire, dispels to a great extent the uneasiness, nay,
even the fears which your Majesty's long silence had inspired. I was
afraid that I might be entirely banished from your memory; I see that
I am not. I am therefore less wretched to-day, and even as happy as
henceforward it will be possible for me to be.
I shall go at the end of the month to Malmaison, since your Majesty
sees no objection to it. But I ought to tell you, Sire, that I should
not so soon have taken advantage of the latitude which your Majesty
left me in this respect had the house of Navarre not required, for my
health's sake and for that of my household, repairs which are urgent.
My idea is to stay at Malmaison a very short time; I shall soon leave
it in order to go to the waters. But while I am at Malmaison, your
Majesty may be sure that I shall live there as if I were a thousand
leagues from Paris. I have made a great sacrifice, Sire, and every day
I realise more its full extent. Yet that sacrifice will be, as it
ought to be, a complete one on my part. Your Highness, amid your
happiness, shall be troubled by no expression of my regret.
I shall pray unceasingly for your Majesty's happiness, perhaps even I
shall pray that I may see you again; but your Majesty may be assured
that I shall always respect our new relationship. I shall respect it
in silence, relying on the attachment that you had to me formerly; I
shall call for no new proof; I shall trust to everything from your
justice and your heart.
I limit myself to asking from you one favour: it is, that you will