Napoleon's Letters to Josephine, 1796-1812
Adieu, my kind Josephine: love me, keep well, and often, often think
of me.
BONAPARTE.
No. 8.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Brescia, August 31, 1796._
I start at once for Verona. I had hoped to get a letter from you; and
I am terribly uneasy about you. You were rather ill when I left; I beg
you not to leave me in such uneasiness. You promised me to be more
regular; and, at the time, your tongue was in harmony with your heart.
You, to whom nature has given a kind, genial, and wholly charming
disposition, how can you forget the man who loves you with so much
fervour? No letters from you for three days; and yet I have written to
you several times. To be parted is dreadful, the nights are long,
stupid, and wearisome; the day's work is monotonous.
This evening, alone with my thoughts, work and correspondence, with
men and their stupid schemes, I have not even one letter from you
which I might press to my heart.
The Staff has gone; I set off in an hour. To-night I get an express
from Paris; there was for you only the enclosed letter, which will
please you.
Think of me, live for me, be often with your well-beloved, and be sure
that there is only one misfortune that he is afraid of--that of being
no longer loved by his Josephine. A thousand kisses, very sweet, very
affectionate, very exclusive.
Send M. Monclas at once to Verona; I will find him a place. He must
get there before September 4th.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_September 1st.--Bonaparte leaves Verona and directs his troops on
Trent. Wurmser, reinforced by 20,000 men, leaves his right wing at
Roveredo, and marches via the Brenta Gorge on Verona._
No. 9.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Ala, September 3, 1796._
We are in the thick of the fight, my beloved; we have driven in the
enemy's outposts; we have taken eight or ten of their horses with a
like number of riders. My troops are good-humoured and in excellent
spirits. I hope that we shall do great things, and get into Trent by
the fifth.
No letters from you, which really makes me uneasy; yet they tell me
you are well, and have even had an excursion to Lake Como. Every day I
wait impatiently for the post which will bring me news of you--you
are well aware how I prize it. Far from you I cannot live, the
happiness of my life is near my gentle Josephine. Think of me! Write
me often, very often: in absence it is the only remedy: it is cruel,
but, I hope, will be only temporary.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_September 4th.--Austrian right wing defeated at Roveredo._
_September 5th.--Bonaparte enters Trent, cutting off Wurmser from
his base. Defeats Davidowich on the Lavis and leaves Vaubois to
contain this general while he follows Wurmser._
_September 6th.--Wurmser continues his advance, his outposts
occupy Vicenza and Montebello._
_September 7th.--Combat of Primolano: Austrians defeated. Austrian
vanguard attack Verona, but are repulsed by General Kilmaine._
_September 8th.--Battle of Bassano: Wurmser completely routed, and
retires on Legnago._
No. 10.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Montebello, Noon, September 10, 1796._
_My Dear_,--The enemy has lost 18,000 men prisoners; the rest killed
or wounded. Wurmser, with a column of 1500 cavalry, and 500 infantry,
has no resource but to throw himself into Mantua.
Never have we had successes so unvarying and so great. Italy, Friuli,
the Tyrol, are assured to the Republic. The Emperor will have to
create a second army: artillery, pontoons, baggage, everything is
taken.
In a few days we shall meet; it is the sweetest reward for my labours
and anxieties.
A thousand fervent and very affectionate kisses.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_September 11th.--Skirmish at Cerea: Austrians successful.
Bonaparte arrives alone, and is nearly captured._
No. 11.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Ronco, September 12, 1796_, 10 A.M.
_My dear Josephine_,--I have been here two days, badly lodged, badly
fed, and very cross at being so far from you.
Wurmser is hemmed in, he has with him 3000 cavalry and 5000 infantry.
He is at Porto-Legnago; he is trying to get back into Mantua, but for
him that has now become impossible. The moment this matter shall be
finished I will be in your arms.
I embrace you a million times.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_September 13th.--Wurmser, brushing aside the few French who
oppose him, gains the suburbs of Mantua._
_September 14th.--Massena attempts a surprise, but is repulsed._
_September 15th.--Wurmser makes a sortie from St. Georges, but is
driven back._
_September 16th.--And at La Favorite, with like result._
No. 12.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Verona, September 17, 1796._
_My Dear_,--I write very often and you seldom. You are naughty, and
undutiful; very undutiful, as well as thoughtless. It is disloyal to
deceive a poor husband, an affectionate lover. Ought he to lose his
rights because he is far away, up to the neck in business, worries and
anxiety. Without his Josephine, without the assurance of her love,
what in the wide world remains for him. What will he do?
Yesterday we had a very sanguinary conflict; the enemy has lost
heavily, and been completely beaten. We have taken from him the
suburbs of Mantua.
Adieu, charming Josephine; one of these nights the door will be burst
open with a bang, as if by a jealous husband, and in a moment I shall
be in your arms.
A thousand affectionate kisses.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_October 2nd._--(Moreau defeats Latour at Biberach, but then
continues his retreat.)
_October 8th._--Spain declares war against England.
_October 10th.--Peace with Naples signed._
No. 13.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Modena, October 17, 1796_, 9 P.M.
The day before yesterday I was out the whole day. Yesterday I kept my
bed. Fever and a racking headache both prevented me writing to my
beloved; but I got your letters. I have pressed them to my heart and
lips, and the grief of a hundred miles of separation has disappeared.
At the present moment I can see you by my side, not capricious and out
of humour, but gentle, affectionate, with that mellifluent kindness of
which my Josephine is the sole proprietor. It was a dream, judge if it
has cured my fever. Your letters are as cold as if you were fifty; we
might have been married fifteen years. One finds in them the
friendship and feelings of that winter of life. Fie! Josephine. It is
very naughty, very unkind, very undutiful of you. What more can you do
to make me indeed an object for compassion? Love me no longer? Eh,
that is already accomplished! Hate me? Well, I prefer that!
Everything grows stale except ill-will; but indifference, with its
marble pulse, its rigid stare, its monotonous demeanour!...
A thousand thousand very heartfelt kisses.
I am rather better. I start to-morrow. The English evacuate the
Mediterranean. Corsica is ours. Good news for France, and for the
army.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_October 25th._--(Moreau recrosses the Rhine.)
_November 1st.--Advance of Marshal Alvinzi. Vaubois defeated by
Davidovich on November 5th, after two days' fight._
_November 6th.--Napoleon successful, but Vaubois' defeat compels
the French army to return to Verona._
No. 14.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Verona, November 9, 1796._
_My Dear_,--I have been at Verona since the day before yesterday.
Although tired, I am very well, very busy; and I love you passionately
at all times. I am just off on horseback.
I embrace you a thousand times.
BONAPARTE.
* * * * *
_November 12th.--Combat of Caldiero: Napoleon fails to turn the
Austrian position, owing to heavy rains. His position desperate._
_November 15th.--First battle of Arcola. French gain partial
victory._
_November 16th and 17th.--Second battle of Arcola. French
completely victorious "Lodi was nothing to Arcola" (Bourrienne)._
_November 17th._--Death of Czarina Catherine II. of Russia.
_November 18th.--Napoleon victoriously re-enters Verona by the
Venice gate, having left it, apparently in full retreat, on the
night of the 14th by the Milan gate._
No. 15.
From BOURRIENNE'S "LIFE OF NAPOLEON," vol. i. chap. 4.
_Verona, November 19th, Noon._
_My Adored Josephine_,--Once more I breathe freely. Death is no
longer before me, and glory and honour are once more re-established.
The enemy is beaten at Arcola. To-morrow we will repair Vaubois'
blunder of abandoning Rivoli. In a week Mantua will be ours, and
then your husband will clasp you in his arms, and give you a
thousand proofs of his ardent affection. I shall proceed to Milan as
soon as I can; I am rather tired. I have received letters from
Eugene and Hortense--charming young people. I will send them to
you as soon as I find my belongings, which are at present somewhat
dispersed.
We have made five thousand prisoners, and killed at least six thousand
of the enemy. Good-bye, my adored Josephine. Think of me often. If you
cease to love your Achilles, if for him your heart grows cold, you
will be very cruel, very unjust. But I am sure you will always remain
my faithful mistress, as I shall ever remain your fond lover. Death
alone can break the chain which sympathy, love, and sentiment have
forged. Let me have news of your health. A thousand and a thousand
kisses.
No. 16.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT MILAN.
_Verona, November 23, 1796._
I don't love you an atom; on the contrary, I detest you. You are a
good for nothing, very ungraceful, very tactless, very tatterdemalion.
You never write to me; you don't care for your husband; you know the
pleasure your letters give him, and you write him barely half-a-dozen
lines, thrown off anyhow.
How, then, do you spend the livelong day, madam? What business of
such importance robs you of the time to write to your very kind lover?
What inclination stifles and alienates love, the affectionate and
unvarying love which you promised me? Who may this paragon be, this
new lover who engrosses all your time, is master of your days, and
prevents you from concerning yourself about your husband? Josephine,
be vigilant; one fine night the doors will be broken in, and I shall
be before you.
Truly, my dear, I am uneasy at getting no news from you. Write me four
pages immediately, and some of those charming remarks which fill my
heart with the pleasures of imagination.
I hope that before long I shall clasp you in my arms, and cover you
with a million kisses as burning as if under the equator.
BONAPARTE.
No. 17.
_Verona, November 24, 1796._
I hope soon, darling, to be in your arms. I love you to distraction. I
am writing to Paris by this courier. All goes well. Wurmser was beaten
yesterday under Mantua. Your husband only needs Josephine's love to be
happy.
BONAPARTE.
No. 18.
TO JOSEPHINE, AT GENOA.
_Milan_, _November 27, 1796_, 3 P.M.
I get to Milan; I fling myself into your room; I have left all in
order to see you, to clasp you in my arms.... You were not there. You
gad about the towns amid junketings; you run farther from me when I am
at hand; you care no longer for your dear Napoleon. A passing fancy
made you love him; fickleness renders him indifferent to you.
Used to perils, I know the remedy for weariness and the ills of life.
The ill-luck that I now suffer is past all calculations; I did right
not to anticipate it.
I shall be here till the evening of the 29th. Don't alter your plans;
have your fling of pleasure; happiness was invented for you. The whole