Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812
he urges Moreau to begin his campaign with the army of the Rhine, an
order reiterated on April 24th through Carnot, again made Minister of
War. A diversion to save the army of Italy was now imperative. On May
5th he congratulated Moreau on the battle of Stockach, but informs him
that Massena's position is critical, shut up in Genoa, and with food
only till May 25th. He advises Massena the same day that he leaves
Paris that night to join the Army of Reserve, that the cherished
child of victory must hold out as long as possible, at least until May
30th. At Geneva he met M. Necker. On May 14th he writes General
Mortier, commandant of Paris, to keep that city quiet, as he will have
still to be away a few days longer, which he trusts "will not be
indifferent to M. de Melas."
No. 3.
This letter was written from Ivrea, May 29th, 1800. On the 30th
Napoleon is at Vercelli, on June 1st at Novara, and on June 2nd in
Milan. Eugene served under Murat at the passage of the Ticino, May
31st.
_M.'s_; probably "Maman," _i.e._ his mother.
_Cherries._--This fruit had already tender associations. Las Cases
tells us that when Napoleon was only sixteen he met at Valence
Mademoiselle du Colombier, who was not insensible to his merits. It
was the first love of both.... "We were the most innocent creatures
imaginable," the Emperor used to say; "we contrived little meetings
together. I well remember one which took place on a midsummer morning,
just as daylight began to dawn. It will scarcely be believed that all
our happiness consisted in eating cherries together" (vol. i. 81,
1836).
No. 4.
_Milan._--He arrived here on June 2nd, and met with a great reception.
In his bulletin of June 5th we find him assisting at an improvised
concert. It ends, somewhat quaintly for a bulletin, as follows:
"Italian music has a charm ever new. The celebrated singers,
Billington,[50] La Grassini, and Marchesi are expected at Milan. They
say they are about to start for Paris to give concerts there."
According to M. Frederic Masson, this Paris visit masked ulterior
motives, and was arranged at a _dejeuner_ on the same day, where La
Grassini, Napoleon, and Berthier breakfasted together. Henceforward to
Marengo Napoleon spends every spare day listening to the marvellous
songstress, and as at Eylau, seven years later, runs great risks by
admitting Venus into the camp of Mars. At St. Helena he declares that
from June 3rd to 8th he was busy "receiving deputations, and showing
himself to people assembled from all parts of Lombardy to see their
liberator." The Austrians had declared that he had died in Egypt. The
date of No. 4 should probably be June 9th, on which day the rain was
very heavy. He reached Stradella the next day.
FOOTNOTES
[50] On reaching London a few months later Mistress Billington was
engaged simultaneously by Drury Lane and Covent Garden, and
during the following year harvested L10,000 from these two
engagements.
SERIES D
No. 1.
The date is doubtless 27 _Messidor_ (July 16), and the fete alluded to
that of July 14. The following day Napoleon signed the Concordat with
the Pope, which paved the way for the restoration of the Roman
Catholic religion in France (September 11).
_The blister._--On July 7 he quaintly writes Talleyrand: "They have
put a second blister on my arm, which prevented me giving audience
yesterday. Time of sickness is an opportune moment for coming to terms
with the priests."
_Some plants._--No trait in Josephine's character is more characteristic
than her love of flowers--not the selfish love of a mere collector,[51]
but the bountiful joy of one who wishes to share her treasures.
Malmaison had become the "veritable Jardin des Plantes" of the
epoch,[52] far better than its Paris namesake in those days. The
splendid hothouses, constructed by M. Thibaut, had been modelled on
those of Kew, and enabled Josephine to collect exotics from every
clime, and especially from her beloved Martinique. No jewel was so
precious to her as a rare and beautiful flower. The Minister of
Marine never forgot to instruct the deep-sea captains to bring back
floral tributes from the far-off tropics. These often fell, together
with the ships, into the hands of the British sea-dogs, but the
Prince Regent always had them sent on from London, and thus
rendered, says Aubenas, "the gallant homage of a courtly enemy to the
charming tastes and to the popularity already acquired by this
universally beloved woman." Her curator, M. Aime Bonpland, was an
accomplished naturalist, who had been with Humboldt in America, and
brought thence 6000 new plants. On his return in 1804 he was nominated
by Josephine manager of the gardens of Malmaison and Navarre.
In the splendid work, _Le Jardin de la Malmaison_, in three volumes,
are plates, with descriptions of 184 plants, mostly new, collected
there from Egypt, Arabia, the United States, the Antilles, Mexico,
Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, the East Indies, New
Caledonia, Australia, and China. To Josephine we owe the Camellia, and
the Catalpa, from the flora of Peru, whilst her maiden name (La
Pagerie) was perpetuated by Messrs. Pavon and Ruiz in the Lapageria.
_If the weather is as bad._--As we shall see later, Bourrienne was
invaluable to Josephine's court for his histrionic powers, and he
seems to have been a prime favourite. On the present occasion he
received the following "Account of the Journey to Plombieres. To the
Inhabitants of Malmaison,"--probably the work of Count Rapp, touched
up by Hortense (Bourrienne's _Napoleon_, vol. ii. 85. Bentley,
1836):--
"The whole party left Malmaison in tears, which brought on such
dreadful headaches that all the amiable company were quite overcome by
the idea of the journey. Madame Bonaparte, mere, supported the
fatigues of this memorable day with the greatest courage; but Madame
Bonaparte, consulesse, did not show any. The two young ladies who sat
in the dormeuse, Mademoiselle Hortense and Madame Lavalette, were
rival candidates for a bottle of Eau de Cologne; and every now and
then the amiable M. Rapp made the carriage stop for the comfort of his
poor little sick heart, which overflowed with bile; in fact, he was
obliged to take to bed on arriving at Epernay, while the rest of the
amiable party tried to drown their sorrows in champagne. The second
day was more fortunate on the score of health and spirits, but
provisions were wanting, and great were the sufferings of the stomach.
The travellers lived on in the hope of a good supper at Toul, but
despair was at its height when on arriving there they found only a
wretched inn, and nothing in it. We saw some odd-looking folks there,
which indemnified us a little for spinach dressed with lamp-oil, and
red asparagus fried with curdled milk. Who would not have been amused
to see the Malmaison gourmands seated at a table so shockingly
served!
"In no record of history is there to be found a day passed in distress
so dreadful as that on which we arrived at Plombieres. On departing
from Toul we intended to breakfast at Nancy, for every stomach had
been empty for two days, but the civil and military authorities came
out to meet us, and prevented us from executing our plan. We continued
our route, wasting away, so that you might see us growing thinner
every moment. To complete our misfortune, the dormeuse, which seemed
to have taken a fancy to embark on the Moselle for Metz, barely
escaped an overturn. But at Plombieres we have been well compensated
for this unlucky journey, for on our arrival we were received with all
kinds of rejoicings. The town was illuminated, the cannon fired, and
the faces of handsome women at all the windows gave us reason to hope
that we shall bear our absence from Malmaison with the less regret.
"With the exception of some anecdotes, which we reserve for chit-chat
on our return, you have here a correct account of our journey, which
we, the undersigned, hereby certify.
"JOSEPHINE BONAPARTE.
BEAUHARNAIS LAVALETTE.
HORTENSE BEAUHARNAIS.
RAPP.
BONAPARTE, MERE.
"The company ask pardon for the blots."
_"21 Messidor (July 10)._
"It is requested that the person who receives this journal will show
it to all who take an interest in the fair travellers."
At this time Hortense was madly in love with Napoleon's favourite
general, Duroc, who, however, loved his master more, and preferred not
to interfere with his projects, especially as a marriage with Hortense
would mean separation from Napoleon. Hortense and Bourrienne were both
excellent billiard players, and the latter used this opportunity to
carry letters from Hortense to her lukewarm lover.
_Malmaison, without you, is too dreary._--Although Madame la Grassini
had been specially summoned to sing at the Fete de la Concorde the day
before.
No. 2.
This is the third pilgrimage Josephine has made, under the doctor's
orders, to Plombieres; but the longed-for heir will have to be sought
for elsewhere, by fair means or foul. Lucien, who as Spanish
Ambassador had vainly spent the previous year in arranging the divorce
and remarriage of Napoleon to a daughter of the King of Spain,
suggests adultery at Plombieres, or a "warming-pan conspiracy," as the
last alternatives.[53] Josephine complains to Napoleon of his
brother's "poisonous" suggestions, and Lucien is again disgraced. In a
few months an heir is found in Hortense's first-born, Napoleon
Charles, born October 10.
_The fat Eugene_ had come partly to be near his sister in her mother's
absence, and partly to receive his colonelcy. Josephine is wretched to
be absent, and writes to Hortense (June 16):--"I am utterly wretched,
my dear Hortense, to be separated from you, and my mind is as sick as
my body. I feel that I was not born, my dear child, for so much
grandeur.... By now Eugene should be with you; that thought consoles
me." Aubenas has found in the Tascher archives a charming letter from
Josephine to her mother in Martinique, announcing how soon she may
hope to find herself a great-grandmother.
No. 3.
_Your letter has come._--Possibly the one to Hortense quoted above, as
Josephine was not fond of writing many letters.
_Injured whilst shooting a boar._--Constant was not aware of this
occurrence, and was therefore somewhat incredulous of Las Cases
(vol. i. 289). The account in the "Memorial of St. Helena" is as
follows:--"Another time, while hunting the wild boar at Marly, all his
suite were put to flight; it was like the rout of an army. The
Emperor, with Soult and Berthier,[54] maintained their ground against
three enormous boars. 'We killed all three, but I received a hurt
from my adversary, and nearly lost this finger,' said the Emperor,
pointing to the third finger of his left hand, which indeed bore the
mark of a severe wound. 'But the most laughable circumstance of all
was to see the multitude of men, surrounded by their dogs, screening
themselves behind the three heroes, and calling out lustily "Save the
Emperor![55] save the Emperor!" while not one advanced to my
assistance'" (vol. ii. 202. Colburn, 1836).
"_The Barber of Seville._"--This was their best piece, and spectators
(except Lucien) agree that in it the little theatre at Malmaison and
its actors were unsurpassed in Paris. Bourrienne as Bartholo, Hortense
as Rosina, carried off the palm. According to the Duchesse d'Abrantes,
Wednesday was the usual day of representation, when the First Consul
was wont to ask forty persons to dinner, and a hundred and fifty for
the evening. As the Duchess had reason to know, Bonaparte was the
severest of critics. "Lauriston made a noble lover," says the
Duchess--"rather heavy" being Bourrienne's more professional comment.