On this delicate subject I recall two or three occurrences which took

place, I think, about the period which my narrative has now reached.

The Empress Josephine was jealous, and, notwithstanding the prudence

which the Emperor exercised in his secret liaisons, could not remain in

entire ignorance of what was passing.

The Emperor had known at Genoa Madame Gazani, the daughter of an Italian

dancer, whom he continued to receive at Paris; and one day, having an

appointment with her in his private apartments, ordered me to remain in

his room, and to reply to whoever asked for him, even if it was her

Majesty the Empress herself, that he was engaged in his cabinet with a

minister.

The place of the interview was the apartment formerly occupied by

Bourrienne, communicating by a staircase which opened on his Majesty's

bedroom. This room had been arranged and decorated very plainly, and had

a second exit on the staircase called the black staircase, because it was

dark and badly lighted, and it was through this that Madame Gazani

entered, while the Emperor came in by the other door. They had been

together only a few moments when the Empress entered the Emperor's room,

and asked me what her husband was doing. "Madame, the Emperor is very

busy just now; he is working in his cabinet with a minister."--"Constant,

I wish to enter."--"That is impossible, Madame. I have received a formal

order not to disturb his Majesty, not even for her Majesty the Empress;"

whereupon she went away dissatisfied and somewhat irritated, and at the

end of half an hour returned; and, renewing her demand, I was obliged to

repeat my reply, and, though much distressed in witnessing the chagrin of

her Majesty the Empress, I could not disobey my orders. That evening on

retiring the Emperor said to me, in a very severe tone, that the Empress

had informed him she had learned from me, that, at the time she came to

question me in regard to him, he was closeted with a lady. Not at all

disturbed, I replied to the Emperor, that of course he could not believe

that. "No," replied the Emperor, returning to the friendly tone with

which he habitually honored me, "I know you well enough to be assured of

your discretion; but woe to the idiots who are gossiping, if I can get

hold of them." The next night the Empress entered, as the Emperor was

retiring, and his Majesty said to her in my presence, "It is very bad to

impute falsehood to poor Monsieur Constant; he is not the man to make up

such a tale as that you told me." The Empress, seated on the edge of the

bed, began to laugh, and put her pretty little hand over her husband's

mouth; and, as it was a matter concerning myself, I withdrew. For a few

days the Empress was cool and distant to me; but, as this was foreign to

her nature, she soon resumed the gracious manner which attached all

hearts to her.

The Emperor's liaison with Madame Gazani lasted nearly a year, but they

met only at long intervals.

The following instance of jealousy is not as personal to me as that which

I have just related.

Madame de Remusat, [Authoress of the well-known Memoirs. Born in Paris,

1780, died 1821. Her husband was first chamberlain to the Emperor.]

wife of one of the prefects of the palace, and one of the ladies of honor

to whom the Empress was most attached, found her one evening in tears and

despair, and waited in silence till her Majesty should condescend to tell

her the cause of this deep trouble. She had not long to wait, however;

for hardly had she entered the apartment than her Majesty exclaimed, "I

am sure that he is now with some woman. My dear friend," added she,

continuing to weep, "take this candle and let us go and listen at his

door. We will hear much." Madame de Remusat did all in her power to

dissuade her from this project, representing to her the lateness of the

hour, the darkness of the passage, and the danger they would run of being

surprised; but all in vain, her Majesty put the candle in her hand,

saying, "It is absolutely necessary that you should go with me, but, if

you are afraid, I will go in front." Madame de Remusat obeyed; and

behold the two ladies advancing on their tiptoes along the corridor, by

the light of a single candle flickering in the air. Having reached the

door of the Emperor's antechamber, they stopped, hardly daring to

breathe, and the Empress softly turned the knob; but, just as she put her

foot into the apartment, Roustan, who slept there and was then sleeping

soundly, gave a formidable and prolonged snore. These ladies had not

apparently remembered that they would find him there; and Madame de

Remusat, imagining that she already saw him leaping out of bed saber and

pistol in hand, turned and ran as fast as she could, still holding the

candle in her hand, and leaving the Empress in complete darkness, and did

not stop to take breath until she reached the Empress's bedroom, when she

remembered that the latter had been left in the corridor with no light.

Madame de Remusat went back to meet her, and saw her returning, holding

her sides with laughter, and forgetting her chagrin in the amusement

caused by this adventure. Madame de Remusat attempted to excuse herself.

"My dear friend," said her Majesty, "you only anticipated me, for that

pigheaded Roustan frightened me so that I should have run first, if you

had not been a greater coward than I."

I do not know what these ladies would have discovered if their courage

had not failed them before reaching the end of their expedition, but

probably nothing at all, for the Emperor rarely received at the Tuileries

any one for whom he had a temporary fancy. I have already stated that,

under the consulate, he had his meetings in a small house in the allee

des Veuves; and after he became Emperor, such meetings still took place

outside the chateau; and to these rendezvous he went incognito at night,

exposing himself to all the chances that a man runs in such adventures.

One evening, between eleven o'clock and midnight, the Emperor called me,

asked for a black frock coat and round hat, and ordered me to follow him;

and with Prince Murat as the third party, we entered a close carriage

with Caesar as driver, and only a single footman, both without livery.

After a short ride, the Emperor stopped in the rue de ---, alighted, went

a few steps farther, and entered a house alone, while the prince and I

remained in the carriage. Some hours passed, and we began to be uneasy;

for the life of the Emperor had been so often menaced, that it was very

natural to fear some snare or surprise, and imagination takes the reins

when beset by such fears. Prince Murat swore and cursed with all his

might, sometimes the imprudence of his Majesty, then his gallantry, then

the lady and her complaisance. I was not any better satisfied than he,

but being calmer I tried to quiet him; and at last, unable longer to

restrain his impatience, the prince sprang out of the carriage, and I

followed; but, just as his hand was on the knocker of the door, the

Emperor came out. It was then already broad daylight, and the Prince

informed him of our anxiety, and the reflections we had made upon his

rashness. "What childishness!" said his Majesty; "what is there to

fear? Wherever I am, am I not in my own house?"

It was as volunteers that any courtiers mentioned to the Emperor any

young and pretty persons who wished to make his acquaintance, for it was

in no wise in keeping with his character to give such commissions. I was

not enough of a courtier to think such an employment honorable, and never

voluntarily took part in any business of the kind.

It was not, however, for want of having been indirectly sounded, or even

openly solicited, by certain ladies who were ambitious of the title of

favorites, although this title would have given very few rights and

privileges with the Emperor; but I would never enter into such bargains,

restricting myself to the duties which my position imposed on me, and not

going beyond them; and, although his Majesty took pleasure in reviving

the usages of the old monarchy, the secret duties of the first valet de

chambre were not re-established, and I took care not to claim them.

Many others (not valets de chambre) were less scrupulous than I. General

L---- spoke to the Emperor one day of a very pretty girl whose mother

kept a gambling-house, and who desired to be presented to him; but the

Emperor received her once only, and a few days afterwards she was

married. Some time later his Majesty wished to see her again, and asked

for her; but the young woman replied that she did not belong to herself

any longer, and refused all the invitations and offers made to her. The

Emperor seemed in no wise dissatisfied, but on the contrary praised

Madame D---- for her fidelity to duty, and approved her conduct highly.

In 1804 her imperial highness Princess Murat had in her household a young

reader named Mademoiselle E----, seventeen or eighteen years of age,

tall, slender, well made, a brunette, with beautiful black eyes,

sprightly, and very coquettish. Some persons who thought it to their

interest to create differences between his Majesty and the Empress, his

wife, noticed with pleasure the inclination of this young reader to try

the power of her glances upon the Emperor, and his disposition to

encourage her; so they stirred up the fire adroitly, and one of them took

upon himself all the diplomacy of this affair. Propositions made through

a third party were at once accepted; and the beautiful E---- came to the

chateau secretly, but rarely, and remained there only two or three,

hours. When she became enceinte, the Emperor had a house rented for her

in the Rue Chantereine, where she bore a fine boy, upon whom was settled

at his birth an income of thirty thousand francs. He was confided at

first to the care of Madame I----, nurse of Prince Achille Murat, who

kept him three or four years, and then Monsieur de Meneval, his Majesty's

secretary, was ordered to provide for the education of this child; and

when the Emperor returned from the Island of Elba; the son of

Mademoiselle E---- was placed in the care of her Majesty, the

Empress-mother. The liaison of the Emperor with Mademoiselle E---- did

not last long. She came one day with her mother to Fontainebleau, where

the court then happened to be, went up to his Majesty's apartment, and

asked me to announce her; and the Emperor, being exceedingly displeased

by this step, directed me to say to Mademoiselle E---- that he forbade

her to present herself before him again without his permission, and not

to remain a moment longer at Fontainebleau. In spite of this harshness

to the mother, the Emperor loved the son tenderly; and I brought him to

him often, on which occasions he caressed the child, gave him a great

many dainties, and was much amused by his vivacity and repartees, which

showed remarkable intelligence for his age.

This child and that of the Polish beauty, of whom I will speak later,

[This son of Countess Walewska became Count Walewski, a leading

statesman of the Second Empire, ambassador to London, 1852, minister

of foreign affairs, 1855, minister of state, 1860, president of

Corps Legislatif, 1865. Born 1810, died 1868.--TRANS.]

and the King of Rome, were the only children of the Emperor. He never

had a daughter, and I believe he desired none.

I have seen it stated, I know not where, that the Emperor, during the

long stay we made at Boulogne, indemnified himself at night for the

labors of the day with a beautiful Italian, and I will now relate what I

know of this adventure. His Majesty complained one morning, while I was

dressing him, in the presence of Prince Murat, that he saw none but

moustached faces, which he said was very tiresome; and the prince, ever

ready on occasions of this kind to offer his services to his

brother-in-law, spoke to him of a handsome and attractive Genoese lady,

who had the greatest desire to see his Majesty. The Emperor laughingly

granted a tete-a-tete, the prince himself offering to send the message;

and two days later, by his kind assistance, the lady arrived, and was

installed in the upper town. The Emperor, who lodged at Pont des

Briques, ordered me one evening to take a carriage, and find this

protegee of Prince Murat. I obeyed, and brought the beautiful Genoese,

who, to avoid scandal, although it was a dark night, was introduced

through a little garden behind his Majesty's apartments. The poor woman

was much excited, and shed tears, but controlled herself quickly on

finding that she was kindly received, and the interview was prolonged

until three o'clock in the morning, when I was called to carry her back.

She returned afterwards four or five times, and was with the Emperor

afterwards at Rambouillet. She was gentle, simple, credulous, and not

at all intriguing, and did not try to draw any benefit from a liaison

which at best was only temporary.

Another of these favorites of the moment, who threw themselves so to

speak into the arms of the Emperor without giving him time to make his

court to them, was Mademoiselle L. B----, a very pretty girl. She was

intelligent, and possessed a kind heart, and, had she received a less

frivolous education, would doubtless have been an estimable woman; but I

have reason to believe that her mother had from the first the design of

acquiring a protector for her second husband, by utilizing the youth and

attractions of the daughter of her first. I do not now recall her name,

but she was of a noble family, of which fact the mother and daughter were

very proud, and the young girl was a good musician, and sang agreeably;

but, which appeared to me as ridiculous as indecent, she danced the

ballet before a large company in her mother's house, in a costume almost

as light as those of the opera, with castanets or tambourines, and ended

her dance with a multiplicity of attitudes and graces. With such an

education she naturally thought her position not at all unusual, and was

very much chagrined at the short duration of her liaison with the

Emperor; while the mother was in despair, and said to me with disgusting

simplicity, "See my poor Lise, how she has ruined her complexion in her

vexation at seeing herself neglected, poor child. How good you will be,

if you can manage to have her sent for." To secure an interview for

which the mother and daughter were both so desirous, they came together

to the chapel at Saint-Cloud, and during mass the poor Lise threw glances

at the Emperor which made the young ladies blush who witnessed them, and

were, nevertheless, all in vain, for the Emperor remained unmoved.

Colonel L. B---- was aide-de-camp to General L----, the governor of

Saint-Cloud; and the general was a widower, which facts alone furnish an

excuse for the intimacy of his only daughter with the family of L. B----,

which astonished me greatly. One day, when I was dining at the house of

the colonel, with his wife, his step-daughter, and Mademoiselle L----,

the general sent for his aides-de-camp, and I was left alone, with the

ladies; who so earnestly begged me to accompany them on a visit to

Mademoiselle le Normand, that it would have been impolite to refuse,

consequently we ordered a carriage and went to the Rue de Tournon.

Mademoiselle L. B---- was first to enter the Sybil's cave, where she

remained a long while, but on her return was very reserved as to any

communications made to her, though Mademoiselle L---- told us very

frankly that she had good news, and would soon marry the man she loved,

which event soon occurred. These ladies having urged me to consult the

prophetess in my turn, I perceived plainly that I was recognized; for

Mademoiselle le Normand at once discovered in my hand that I had the

happiness of being near a great man and being highly esteemed by him,

adding much other nonsense of the same kind, which was so tiresome that I

thanked her, and made my adieux as quickly as possible.

CHAPTER XXXI.

While the Emperor was giving crowns to his brothers and sisters,--to

Prince Louis, the throne of Holland; Naples to Prince Joseph; the Duchy

of Berg to Prince Murat; to the Princess Eliza, Lucca and Massa-Carrara;

and Guastalla to the Princess Pauline Borghese; and while, by means of

treaties and family alliances, he was assuring still more the

co-operation of the different states which had entered into the

Confederation of the Rhine,--war was renewed between France and Prussia.

It is not my province to investigate the causes of this war, nor to

decide which first gave cause of offense.

All I can certify is this, frequently at the Tuileries, and on the

campaign, I heard the Emperor, in conversation with his intimate friends,

accuse the old Duke of Brunswick, whose name had been so odious in France

since 1792, and also the young and beautiful Queen of Prussia, of having

influenced King Frederic William to break the treaty of peace. The Queen

was, according to the Emperor, more disposed to war than General Blucher

himself. She wore the uniform of the regiment to which she had given her

name, appeared at all reviews, and commanded the maneuvers.

We left Paris at the end of September. I will not enter into the details

of this wonderful campaign, in which the Emperor in an incredibly short

time crushed to pieces an army of one hundred and fifty thousand men,

perfectly disciplined, full of enthusiasm and courage, and fighting in

defense of their country. In one of the first battles, the young Prince

Louis of Prussia, brother of the king, was killed at the head of his

troops by Guinde, quartermaster of the Tenth Hussars. The prince fought

hand to hand with this brave sub-officer, who said to him, "Surrender,

Colonel, or you are a dead man," to which Prince Louis replied only by a

saber stroke, whereupon Guinde plunged his own into the body of his

opponent, and he fell dead on the spot.

On this campaign, as the roads had become very rough from the continual

passage of artillery, my carriage was one day upset, and one of the

Emperor's hats fell out of the door; but a regiment which happened to

pass along the same road having recognized the hat from its peculiar

shape, my carriage was immediately set up again, "For," said these brave

soldiers, "we cannot leave the first valet of the little corporal in

trouble;" and the hat, after passing through many hands, was at last

restored to me before my departure.

On the Emperor's arrival at the plateau of Weimar, he arranged his army

in line of battle, and bivouacked in the midst of his guard. About two

o'clock in the morning he arose and went on foot to examine the work on a

road that was being cut in the rock for the transportation of artillery,

and after remaining nearly an hour with the workmen, decided to take a

look at the nearest advance posts before returning to his bivouac.

This round, which the Emperor insisted on making alone and with no

escort, came near costing him his life. The night was so dark that the

sentinels of the camp could not see ten steps in front of them; and the

first, hearing some one in the darkness approaching our line, called out

"Qui vive?" and prepared to fire. The Emperor being lost in thought, as

he himself told me afterwards, did not notice the sentinel's challenge,

and made no reply until a ball, whistling by his ears, woke him from his

reverie, when immediately perceiving his danger, he threw himself face

downwards on the ground, which was a very wise precaution; for hardly had

his Majesty placed himself in this position, than other balls passed over

his head, the discharge of the first sentinel having been repeated by the

whole line. This first fire over, the Emperor rose, walked towards the

nearest post, and made himself known.

His Majesty was still there when the soldier who had fired on him joined

them, being just relieved at his post; he was a young grenadier of the

line. The Emperor ordered him to approach, and, pinching his cheeks

hard, exclaimed, "What, you scamp, you took me for a Prussian! This

rascal does not throw away his powder on sparrows; he shoots only at

emperors." The poor soldier was completely overcome with the idea that

he might have killed the little corporal, whom he adored as much as did

the rest of the army; and it was with great difficulty he could say,

"Pardon, Sire, but I was obeying orders; and if you did not answer, it

was not my fault. I was compelled to have the countersign, and you would

not give it." The Emperor reassured him with a smile, and said, as he

left the post, "My brave boy, I do not reproach you. That was pretty

well aimed for a shot fired in the dark; but after awhile it will be

daylight; take better aim, and I will remember you."

The results of the Battle of Jena, fought on the 14th of October (1806),

are well known. Almost all the Prussian generals, at least the bravest

among them, were there taken prisoners, or rendered unable to continue

the campaign.

The king and queen took flight, and did not halt till they had reached

Koenigsberg.

A few moments before the attack, the Queen of Prussia, mounted on a

noble, graceful steed, had appeared in the midst of the soldiers; and,

followed by the elite of the youth of Berlin, this royal Amazon had

galloped down the front rank of the line of battle. The numerous banners

which her own hands had embroidered to encourage her troops, with those

of the great Frederick, blackened by the smoke of many battles, were

lowered at her approach, amid shouts of enthusiasm which rang through the

entire ranks of the Prussian army. The atmosphere was so clear, and the

two armies so near each other, that the French could easily distinguish

the costume of the queen.

This striking costume was, in fact, one great cause of the danger she

encountered in her flight. Her head was covered with a helmet of

polished steel, above which waved a magnificent plume, her cuirass

glittered with gold and silver, while a tunic of silver cloth completed

her costume and fell to her feet, which were shod in red boots with gold

spurs. This dress heightened the charms of the beautiful queen.

When the Prussian army was put to flight, the queen was left alone with

three or four young men of Berlin, who defended her until two hussars,

who had covered themselves with glory during the battle, rushed at a

gallop with drawn sabers on this little group, and they were instantly

dispersed. Frightened by this sudden onset, the horse which her Majesty

rode fled with all the strength of his limbs; and well was it for the

fugitive queen that he was swift as a stag, else the two hussars would

infallibly have made her a prisoner, for more than once they pressed so

close that she heard their rude speeches and coarse jests, which were of

such a nature as to shock her ears.

The queen, thus pursued, had arrived in sight of the gate of Weimar, when

a strong detachment of Klein's dragoons were perceived coming at full

speed, the chief having orders to capture the queen at any cost; but, the

instant she entered the city, the gates swung to behind her, and the

hussars and the detachment of dragoons returned disappointed to the

battle-field.

The particulars of this singular pursuit soon reached the Emperor's ears,

and he summoned the hussars to his presence, and having in strong terms

testified his disapproval of the improper jests that they had dared to

make regarding the queen; at a time when her misfortunes should have

increased the respect due both to her rank and her sex, the Emperor then

performed the duty of rewarding these two brave fellows for the manner in

which they had borne themselves on the field of battle. Knowing that

they had dons prodigies of valor, his Majesty gave them the cross, and

ordered three hundred francs to be given each one as gratuity.

The Emperor exercised his clemency toward the Duke of Weimar, who had

commanded a Prussian division. The day after the battle of Jena, his

Majesty, having reached Weimar, lodged at the ducal palace, where he was

received by the duchess regent, to whom he said, "Madame, I owe you

something for having awaited me; and in appreciation of the confidence

you have manifested in me, I pardon your husband."

While we were in the army I slept in the Emperor's tent, either on a

little rug, or on the bearskin which he used in his carriage; or when it

happened that I could not make use of these articles, I tried to procure

a bed-of straw, and remember one evening having rendered a great service

to the King of Naples, by sharing with him the bundle of straw which was

to have served as my bed.

I here give a few details from which the reader can form an idea of the

manner in which I passed the nights on the campaign.

The Emperor slept on his little iron bedstead, and I slept where

I could. Hardly did I fall asleep before the Emperor called me,

"Constant."--"Sire."--"See who is on duty" (it was the aides-de-camp to

whom he referred).--"Sire, it is M.----"--"Tell him to come to me." I

then went out of the tent to summon the officer, and brought him back

with me. On his entrance the Emperor said to him, "Report to such a

corps, commanded by such a marshal; you will request him to send such a

regiment to such a position; you will ascertain the position of the

enemy, then you will return to report." The aide-de-camp, having left

on horseback to execute these orders, I lay down again, and the Emperor

now seemed to be going to sleep; but, at the end of a few moments,

I heard him call again, "Constant."--"Sire."--"Have the Prince de

Neuchatel summoned." I sent for the prince, who came at once; and during

the conversation I must remain at the door of the tent, until the prince

wrote several orders and withdrew. These interruptions took place many

times during the night, and at last towards morning his Majesty slept,

when I also had a few moments of repose.

When aides-de-camp arrived, bringing any news to the Emperor, I awoke

him, by shaking him gently.

"What is it?" said his Majesty, waking with a start; "what o'clock is it?

Let him enter." The aide-de-camp made his report; and if it was

necessary, his Majesty rose immediately, and left the tent, his toilet

never occupying much time. If a battle was in contemplation the Emperor

scanned the sky and the horizon carefully, and often remarked, "We are

going to have a beautiful day."

Breakfast was prepared and served in five minutes, and at the end of a

quarter of an hour the cloth was removed. The Prince de Neuchatel

breakfasted and dined every day with his Majesty; and, in eight or ten

minutes, the longest meal was over. "To horse," then exclaimed the

Emperor, and set out, accompanied by the Prince de Neuchatel, and an

aide-de-camp or two, with Roustan, who always carried a silver flask of

brandy, which, however, the Emperor rarely ever used. His Majesty passed

from one corps to the other, spoke to the officers and soldiers,

questioned them, and saw with his own eyes all that it was possible to

see.

If a battle was on hand, dinner was forgotten, and the Emperor ate only

after his return; but, if the engagement lasted too long, there was

carried to him, without his ordering it, a crust of bread and a little

wine.

M. Colin, chief of the culinary department, many times braved the cannon

to carry a light repast to the Emperor.

At the close of the combat, his Majesty never failed to visit the

battle-field, where he had aid given the wounded, and encouraged them

with cheering words.

The Emperor sometimes returned overcome by fatigue; he then took a light

repast, and lay down again to begin his interrupted sleep.

It was remarkable, that, each time that unexpected circumstances forced

the aides-de-camp to have the Emperor waked, he was as ready for work as

he would have been at the beginning or in the middle of the day, and his

awaking was as amiable as his manner was pleasant. The report of an

aide-de-camp being finished, Napoleon went to sleep again as easily as if

his sleep had not been interrupted.

During the three or four hours preceding an engagement, the Emperor spent

most of the time with large maps spread out before him, the places on

which he marked with pins with heads of different colored wax.

I have already said that all the persons of the Emperor's household

emulated each other in seeking the surest and promptest means of carrying

out his wishes; and everywhere, whether in traveling or on the campaign,

his table, his coffee, his bed, or even his bath could be prepared in

five minutes. How many times were we obliged to remove, in still less

time, corpses of men and horses, to set up his Majesty's tent.

In one of the campaigns beyond the Rhine we were delayed in a poor

village, and, in order to prepare the Emperor's lodging, were obliged to

use a peasant's hut, which had served as a field hospital; and we began

preparations by carrying away the dismembered limbs, and washing up the

stains of blood, this labor being finished, and everything almost in

order, in less than-half an hour.

The Emperor, sometimes slept a quarter or half an hour on the field of

battle when he was fatigued, or wished to await more patiently the result

of the orders he had given.

While on the road to Potsdam, we were overtaken by a violent storm, which

became so severe, and the rain so heavy, that we were obliged to stop and

take refuge in a neighboring house on the road. Well wrapped in his gray

overcoat, and not thinking that he could be recognized, the Emperor was

much surprised to see, as he entered the house, a young woman who seemed

to tremble at his presence. He ascertained that she was an Egyptian, who

had retained for my master the religious veneration which all the Arabs

bore him, and was the widow of an officer of the army of Egypt, whom

chance had led to the same house in Saxony where he had been welcomed.

The Emperor granted her a pension of twelve hundred francs, and took upon

himself the education of her son, the only legacy left her by her

husband. "This is the first time," said Napoleon, "that I have alighted

to avoid a storm; I had a presentiment that an opportunity of doing good

awaited me here."

The loss of the battle of Jena had struck the Prussians with such terror,

and the court had fled with such precipitation, that everything had been

left in the royal residences; and, consequently, on his arrival at

Potsdam, the Emperor found there the sword of the great Frederick, his

gorget, the grand cordon of his order, and his alarm-clock, and had them

carried to Paris, to be preserved at the Hotel des Invalides. "I prefer

these trophies," said his Majesty, "to all the treasures of the King of

Prussia; I will send them to my old soldiers of the campaign of Hanover,

who will guard them as a trophy of the victories of the grand army, and

of the revenge that it has taken for the disaster of Rosbach." The

Emperor the same day ordered the removal to his capital of the column

raised by the great Frederick to perpetuate the remembrance of the defeat

of the French at Rosbach. [At Rosbach, November, 1757, the French, under

Prince de Soubise, had been shamefully defeated by Frederick the Great]

He might have contented himself with changing the inscription.

Napoleon remained at the chateau of Charlottenburg, where he had

established his headquarters, until the regiments of the guard had

arrived from all points; and as soon as they were assembled, orders were

given to put themselves in full uniform, which was done in the little

wood before the town. The Emperor made his entry into the capital of

Prussia between ten and eleven o'clock in the morning, surrounded by his

aides-de-camp, and the officers of his staff, all the regiments filing

before him in the most perfect order, drums and music at their head; and

the fine appearance of the troops excited the admiration of the

Prussians.

Having entered Berlin in the suite of the Emperor, we arrived at the town

square, in the midst of which a bust of the great Frederick had been

placed. The name of this monarch is so popular at Berlin, and, in fact,

throughout all Prussia, that on many occasions, when any one by chance

pronounced it, either in a cafe or in any other public place, or even in

private assemblies, I have seen every one present rise, and lift his hat

with an air of the most profound respect and genuine adoration.

When the Emperor arrived in front of the bust, he described a semicircle

at a gallop, followed by his staff, and lowering the point of his sword,

while uncovering his head, was the first to salute the image of Frederick

II. His staff followed his example; and all the general and other

officers who composed it ranged themselves in a semicircle around the

bust, with the Emperor in the center. His Majesty gave orders that each

regiment should present arms in defiling before the bust, which maneuver

was not to the taste of some grumblers of the first regiment of the

Guard, who, with moustaches scorched, and faces still blackened with the

powder of Jena, would have better liked an order for lodgings with the

bourgeois than all this parade, and took no pains to conceal their

ill-humor. There was one, among others, who, as he passed in front of

the bust and before the Emperor, exclaimed between his teeth, without

moving a muscle of his face, but still loud enough to be heard by his

Majesty, "Damn the bust." His Majesty pretended not to hear, but that

evening he repeated with a laugh the words of the old soldier.

His Majesty alighted at the chateau, where his lodging was prepared, and

the officers of his household had preceded him. Having learned that the

electoral princess of Hesse-Cassel, sister of the king, was still ill at

the end of her confinement, the Emperor ascended to the apartment of this

princess, and, after quite a long visit, gave orders that she should be

treated with all the deference due to her rank and unfortunate situation.

VOLUME II.

CHAPTER I.

I left the Emperor at Berlin, where each day, and each hour of the day,

he received news of some victory gained, or some success obtained by his

generals. General Beaumont presented to him eighty flags captured from

the enemy by his division, and Colonel Gerard also presented sixty taken

from Blucher at the battle of Wismar. Madgeburg had capitulated, and a

garrison of sixty thousand men had marched out under the eyes of General

Savary. Marshal Mortier occupied Hanover in the name of France, and

Prince Murat was on the point of entering Warsaw after driving out the

Russians.

War was about to recommence, or rather to be continued, against the

latter; and since the Prussian army could now be regarded as entirely

vanquished, the Emperor left Berlin in order to personally conduct

operations against the Russians.

We traveled in the little coaches of the country; and as was the rule

always on our journeys, the carriage of the grand marshal preceded that

of the Emperor. The season, and the passage of such large numbers of

artillery, had rendered the roads frightful; but notwithstanding this we

traveled very rapidly, until at last between Kutow and Warsaw, the grand

marshal's carriage was upset, and his collarbone broken. The Emperor

arrived a short time after this unfortunate accident, and had him borne

under his own eyes into the nearest post-house. We always carried with

us a portable medicine-chest in order that needed help might be promptly

given to the wounded. His Majesty placed him in the hands of the

surgeon, and did not leave him till he had seen the first bandage

applied.

At Warsaw, where his Majesty passed the entire month of January, 1807, he

occupied the grand palace. The Polish nobility, eager to pay their court

to him, gave in his honor magnificent fetes and brilliant balls, at which

were present all the wealthiest and most distinguished inhabitants of

Warsaw.

At one of these reunions the Emperor's attention was drawn to a young

Polish lady named Madame Valevska, twenty-two years of age, who had just

married an old noble of exacting temper and extremely harsh manners, more

in love with his titles than with his wife, whom, however, he loved

devotedly, and by whom he was more respected than loved. The Emperor

experienced much pleasure at the sight of this lady, who attracted his

attention at the first glance. She was a blonde, with blue eyes, and

skin of dazzling whiteness; of medium height, with a charming and

beautifully proportioned figure. The Emperor having approached her,

immediately began a conversation, which she sustained with much grace and

intelligence, showing that she had received a fine education, and the

slight shade of melancholy diffused over her whole person rendered her

still more seductive.

His Majesty thought he beheld in her a woman who had been sacrificed, and

was unhappy in her domestic relations; and the interest with which this

idea inspired him caused him to be more interested in her than he had

ever been in any woman, a fact of which she could not fail to be

conscious. The day after the ball, the Emperor seemed to me unusually

agitated; he rose from his chair, paced to and fro, took his seat and

rose again, until I thought I should never finish dressing him.

Immediately after breakfast he ordered a person, whose name I shall not

give, to pay a visit to Madame Valevska, and inform her of his

subjugation and his wishes. She proudly refused propositions which were

perhaps too brusque, or which perhaps the coquetry natural to all women

led her to repulse; and though the hero pleased her, and the idea of a

lover resplendent with power and glory revolved doubtless over and over

in her brain, she had no idea of surrendering thus without a struggle.

The great personage returned in confusion, much astonished that he had

not succeeded in his mission; and the next day when the Emperor rose I

found him still preoccupied, and he did not utter a word, although he was

in the habit of talking to me at this time. He had written to Madame

Valevska several times, but she had not replied; and his vanity was much

piqued by such unaccustomed indifference. At last his affecting appeals

having touched Madame Valevska's heart, she consented to an interview

between ten and eleven o'clock that evening, which took place at the

appointed time. She returned a few days after at the same hour, and her

visits continued until the Emperor's departure.

Two months after the Emperor sent for her; and she joined him at his

headquarters in Finkenstein, where she remained from this time, leaving

at Warsaw her old husband, who, deeply wounded both in his honor and his

affections, wished never to see again the wife who had abandoned him.

Madame Valevska remained with the Emperor until his departure, and then

returned to her family, constantly evincing the most devoted and, at the

same time, disinterested affection. The Emperor seemed to appreciate

perfectly the charms of this angelic woman, whose gentle and

self-abnegating character made a profound impression on me. As they took

their meals together, and I served them alone, I was thus in a position

to enjoy their conversation, which was always amiable, gay, and animated

on the Emperor's part; tender, impassioned, and melancholy on that of

Madame Valevska. When his Majesty was absent, Madame Valevska passed all

her time, either in reading, or viewing through the lattice blinds of the

Emperor's rooms the parades and evolutions which took place in the court

of honor of the chateau, and which he often commanded in person. Such

was her life, like her disposition, ever calm and equable; and this

loveliness of character charmed the Emperor, and made him each day more

and more her slave.

After the battle of Wagram, in 1809, the Emperor took up his residence at

the palace of Schoenbrunn, and sent immediately for Madame Valevska, for

whom a charming house had been rented and furnished in one of the

faubourgs of Vienna, a short distance from Schoenbrunn. I went

mysteriously to bring her every evening in a close carriage, with a

single servant, without livery; she entered by a secret door, and was

introduced into the Emperor's apartments. The road, although very short,

was not without danger, especially in rainy weather, on account of ruts

and holes which were encountered at every step; and the Emperor said to

me almost every day, "Be very careful, Constant, it has rained to-day;

the road will be bad. Are you sure you have a good driver? Is the

carriage in good condition?" and other questions of the same kind, which

evidenced the deep and sincere affection he felt for Madame Valevska.

The Emperor was not wrong, besides, in urging me to be careful; for one

evening, when we had left Madame Valevska's residence a little later than

usual, the coachman upset us, and in trying to avoid a rut, drove the

carriage over the edge of the road. I was on the right of Madame

Valevska and the carriage fell on that side, in such a position that I

alone felt the shock of the fall, since Madame Valevska falling on me,

received no injury. I was glad to be the means of saving her, and when I

said this she expressed her gratitude with a grace peculiarly her own.

My injuries were slight; and I began to laugh the first, in which Madame

Valevska soon joined, and she related our accident to his Majesty

immediately on our arrival.

I could not undertake to describe all the care and attentions which the

Emperor lavished upon her. He had her brought to Paris, accompanied by

her brother, a very distinguished officer, and her maid, and gave the

grand marshal orders to purchase for her a pretty residence in the

Chaussee-d'Antin. Madame Valevska was very happy, and often said to me,

"All my thoughts, all my inspirations, come from him, and return to him;

he is all my happiness, my future, my life!" She never left her house

except to come to the private apartments at the Tuileries, and when this

happiness could not be granted, went neither to the theater, the

promenade, nor in society, but remained at home, seeing only very few

persons, and writing to the Emperor every day. At length she gave birth

to a son, [Count Walewski, born 1810; minister to England, 1852;

minister of foreign affairs, 1855-1860; died 1868.] who bore a striking

resemblance to the Emperor, to whom this event was a source of great joy;

and he hastened to her as soon as it was possible to escape from the

chateau, and taking the child in his arms, and caressing him, as he had

just caressed the mother, said to him, "I make you a count." Later we

shall see this son receiving at Fontainebleau a final proof of affection.

Madame Valevska reared her son at her residence, never leaving him, and

carried him often to the chateau, where I admitted them by the dark

staircase, and when either was sick the Emperor sent to them Monsieur

Corvisart. This skillful physician had on one occasion the happiness of

saving the life of the young count in a dangerous illness.

Madame Valevska had a gold ring made for the Emperor, around which she

twined her beautiful blonde hair, and on the inside of the ring were

engraved these words:

"When you cease to love me, do not forget that I love you."

The Emperor gave her no other name but Marie.

I have perhaps devoted too much space to this liaison of the Emperor: but

Madame Valevska was entirely different from the other women whose favor

his Majesty obtained; and she was worthy to be named the La Valliere of

the Emperor, who, however, did not show himself ungrateful towards her,

as did Louis XIV. towards the only woman by whom he was beloved. Those

who had, like myself, the happiness of knowing and seeing her intimately

must have preserved memories of her which will enable them to comprehend

why in my opinion there exists so great a distance between Madame

Valevska, the tender and modest woman, rearing in retirement the son she

bore to the Emperor, and the favorites of the conqueror of Austerlitz.

CHAPTER II.

The Russians, being incited to this campaign by the remembrance of the

defeat of Austerlitz, and by the fear of seeing Poland snatched from

their grasp, were not deterred by the winter season, and resolved to open

the attack on the Emperor at once; and as the latter was not the man to

allow himself to be forestalled, he consequently abandoned his winter

quarters, and quitted Warsaw at the end of January. On the 8th of

February the two armies met at Eylau; and there took place, as is well

known, a bloody battle, in which both sides showed equal courage, and

nearly fifteen thousand were left dead on the field of battle, equally

divided in number between the French and Russians. The gain, or rather

the loss, was the same to both armies; and a 'Te Deum' was chanted at St.

Petersburg as well as at Paris, instead of the 'De Profundis', which

would have been much more appropriate. His Majesty complained bitterly

on returning to his headquarters that the order he had sent to General

Bernadotte had not been executed, and in consequence of this his corps

had taken no part in the battle, and expressed his firm conviction that

the victory, which remained in doubt between the Emperor and General

Benningsen, would have been decided in favor of the former had a fresh

army-corps arrived during the battle, according to the Emperor's

calculations. Most unfortunately the aide-de-camp bearing the Emperor's

orders to the Prince of Ponte-Corvo had fallen into the hands of a party

of Cossacks; and when the Emperor was informed of this circumstance the

day after the battle, his resentment was appeased, though not his

disappointment. Our troops bivouacked on the field of battle, which his

Majesty visited three times, for the purpose of directing the assistance

of the wounded, and removal of the dead.

Generals d'Hautpoult, Corbineau, and Boursier were mortally wounded at

Eylau; and it seems to me I can still hear the brave d'Hautpoult saying

to his Majesty, just as he dashed off at a gallop to charge the enemy:

"Sire, you will now see my great claws; they will pierce through the

enemy's squares as if they were butter" An hour after he was no more.

One of his regiments, being engaged in the interval with the Russian

army, was mowed down with grape-shot, and hacked to pieces by the

Cossacks, only eighteen men being left. General d'Hautpoult, forced to

fall back three times with his division, led it back twice to the charge;

and as he threw himself against the enemy the third time shouted loudly,

"Forward, cuirassiers, in God's name! forward, my brave cuirassiers?"

But the grapeshot had mowed down too many of these brave fellows; very

few were left to follow their chief, and he soon fell pierced with wounds

in the midst of a square of Russians into which he had rushed almost

alone.

I think it was in this battle also that General Ordenerl killed with his

own hands a general officer of the enemy. The Emperor asked if he could

not have taken him alive. "Sire," replied the general with his strong

German accent, "I gave him only one blow, but I tried to make it a good

one." On the very morning of the battle, General Corbineau, the

Emperor's aide-de-camp, while at breakfast with the officers on duty,

declared to them that he was oppressed by the saddest presentiments; but

these gentlemen, attempting to divert his mind, turned the affair into a

joke. General Corbineau a few moments after received an order from his

Majesty, and not finding some money he wished at Monsieur de Meneval's

quarters, came to me, and I gave it to him from the Emperor's private

purse; at the end of a few hours I met Monsieur de Meneval, to whom I

rendered an account of General Corbineau's request, and the sum I had

lent him. I was still speaking to Monsieur de Meneval, when an officer

passing at a gallop gave us the sad news of the general's death. I have

never forgotten the impression made on me by this sad news, and I still

find no explanation of the strange mental distress which gave warning to

this brave soldier of his approaching end.

Poland was relying upon the Emperor to re-establish her independence, and

consequently the Poles were filled with hope and enthusiasm on witnessing

the arrival of the French army. As for our soldiers, this winter

campaign was most distasteful to them; for cold and wretchedness, bad

weather and bad roads, had inspired them with an extreme aversion to this

country.

In a review at Warsaw, at which the inhabitants crowded around our

troops, a soldier began to swear roundly against the snow and mud, and,

as a consequence, against Poland and the Poles. "You are wrong, Monsieur

soldier," replied a young lady of a good bourgeois family of the town,

"not to love our country, for we love the French very much."--"You are

doubtless very lovable, mademoiselle," replied the soldier; "but if you

wish to persuade me of the truth of what you say, you will prepare us a

good dinner, my comrade and I."--"Come, then, messieurs," said the

parents of the young Pole now advancing, "and we will drink together to

the health of your Emperor." And they really carried off with them the

two soldiers, who partook of the best dinner the country afforded.

The soldiers were accustomed to say that four words formed the basis of

the Polish language,--kleba? niema; "bread? there is none;" voia?

sara; "water? they have gone to draw it."

As the Emperor was one day passing through a column of infantry in the

suburbs of Mysigniez, where the troops endured great privations since the

bad roads prevented the arrival of supplies, "Papa, kleba," cried a

soldier. "Niema," immediately replied the Emperor. The whole column

burst into shouts of laughter, and no further request was made.

During the Emperor's somewhat extended stay at Finkenstein, he received a

visit from the Persian ambassador, and a few grand reviews were held in

his honor. His Majesty sent in return an embassy to the Shah, at the

head of which he placed General Gardanne, who it was then said had an

especial reason for wishing to visit Persia. It was rumored that one of

his relations, after a long residence at Teheran, had been compelled,

having taken part in an insurrection against the Franks, to quit this

capital, and before his flight had buried a considerable treasure in a

certain spot, the description of which he had carried to France. I will

add, as a finale to this story, some facts which I have since learned.

General Gardanne found the capital in a state of confusion; and being

able neither to locate the spot nor discover the treasure, returned from

his embassy with empty hands.

Our stay at Finkenstein became very tiresome; and in order to while

away the time, his Majesty sometimes played with his generals and

aides-de-camp. The game was usually vingt-et-un; and the Great Captain

took much pleasure in cheating, holding through several deals the cards

necessary to complete the required number, and was much amused when he

won the game by this finesse. I furnished the sum necessary for his

game, and as soon as he returned to his quarters received orders to make

out his account. He always gave me half of his gains, and I divided the

remainder between the ordinary valets de chambre.

I have no intention, in this journal, of conforming to a very exact order

of dates; and whenever there recurs to my memory a fact or an anecdote

which seems to me deserving of mention, I shall jot it down, at whatever

point of my narrative I may have then reached, fearing lest, should I

defer it to its proper epoch, it might be forgotten. In pursuance of

this plan I shall here relate, in passing, some souvenirs of Saint-Cloud

or the Tuileries, although we are now in camp at Finkenstein. The

pastimes in which his Majesty and his general officers indulged recalled

these anecdotes to my recollection. These gentlemen often made wagers or

bets among themselves; and I heard the Duke of Vicenza one day bet that

Monsieur Jardin, junior, equerry of his Majesty, mounted backwards on his

horse, could reach the end of the avenue in front of the chateau in the

space of a few moments; which bet the equerry won.

Messieurs Fain, Meneval, and Ivan once played a singular joke on Monsieur

B. d'A----, who, they knew, was subject to frequent attacks of

gallantry. They dressed a young man in woman's clothes, and sent him to

promenade, thus disguised, in an avenue near the chateau. Monsieur

B. d'A---- was very near-sighted, and generally used an eyeglass. These

gentlemen invited him to take a walk; and as soon as he was outside the

door, he perceived the beautiful promenader, and could not restrain an

exclamation of surprise and joy at the sight.

His friends feigned to share his delight, and urged him, as the most

enterprising, to make the first advances, whereupon, in great excitement,

he hastened after the pretended young lady, whom they had taught his role

perfectly. Monsieur d'A---- outdid himself in politeness, in attentions,

in offers of service, insisting eagerly on doing the honors of the

chateau to his new conquest. The other acted his part perfectly; and

after many coquettish airs on his side, and many protestations on the

part of Monsieur d'A, a rendezvous was made for that very evening; and

the lover, radiant with hope, returned to his friends, maintaining much

discretion and reserve as to his good fortune, while he really would have

liked to devour the time which must pass before the day was over. At

last the evening arrived which was to put an end to his impatience, and

bring the time of his interview; and his disappointment and rage may be

imagined when he discovered the deception which had been practiced on

him. Monsieur d'A---- wished at first to challenge the authors and

actors in this hoax, and could with great difficulty be appeased.

It was, I think, on the return from this campaign, that Prince Jerome saw

at Breslau, at the theater of that town, a young and very pretty actress,

who played her part badly, but sang very well. He made advances, which

she received coolly: but kings do not sigh long in vain; they place too

heavy a weight in the balance against discretion. His Majesty, the King

of Westphalia, carried off his conquest to Cassel, and at the end of a

short time she was married to his first valet de chambre, Albertoni,

whose Italian morals were not shocked by this marriage. Some

disagreement, the cause, of which I do not know, having caused Albertoni

to quit the king, he returned to Paris with his wife, and engaged in

speculations, in which he lost all that he had gained, and I have been

told that he returned to Italy. One thing that always appeared to me

extraordinary was the jealousy of Albertoni towards his wife--an exacting

jealousy which kept his eyes open towards all men except the king; for I

am well convinced that the liaison continued after their marriage.

The brothers of the Emperor, although kings, were sometimes kept waiting

in the Emperor's antechamber. King Jerome came one morning by order of

the Emperor, who, having not yet risen, told me to beg the King of

Westphalia to wait. As the Emperor wished to sleep a little longer, I

remained with the other servants in the saloon which was used as an

antechamber, and the king waited with us; I do not say in patience, for

he constantly moved from chair to chair, promenaded back and forth

between the window and the fireplace, manifesting much annoyance, and

speaking now and then to me, whom he always treated with great kindness.

Thus more than half an hour passed; and at last I entered the Emperor's

room, and when he had put on his dressing-gown, informed him that his

Majesty was waiting, and after introducing him, I withdrew. The Emperor

gave him a cool reception, and lectured him severely, and as he spoke

very loud, I heard him against my will; but the king made his excuses in

so low a tone that I could not hear a word of his justification. Such

scenes were often repeated, for the prince was dissipated and prodigal,

which displeased the Emperor above all things else, and for which he

reproved him severely, although he loved him, or rather because he loved

him so much; for it is remarkable, that notwithstanding the frequent

causes of displeasure which his family gave him, the Emperor still felt

for all his relations the warmest affection.

A short time after the taking of Dantzig (May 24, 1807), the Emperor,

wishing to reward Marshal Lefebvre for the recent services which he had

rendered, had him summoned at six o'clock in the morning. His Majesty

was in consultation with the chief-of-staff of the army when the arrival

of the marshal was announced. "Ah!" said he to Berthier, "the duke does

not delay." Then, turning to the officer on duty, "Say to the Duke of

Dantzig that I have summoned him so early in order that he may breakfast

with me." The officer, thinking that the Emperor had misunderstood the

name, remarked to him, that the person who awaited his orders was not the

Duke of Dantzig, but Marshal Lefebvre. "It seems, monsieur, that you

think me more capable of making a count [faire un conte] than a duke."

The officer was somewhat disconcerted by this reply; but the Emperor

reassured him with a smile, and said, "Go, give the duke my invitation,

and say to him that in a quarter of an hour breakfast will be served."

The officer returned to the marshal, who was, of course, very anxious to

know why the Emperor had summoned him. "Monsieur le Due, the Emperor

invites you to breakfast with him, and begs you to wait a quarter of an

hour." The marshal, not having noticed the new title which the officer

gave him, replied by a nod, and seated himself on a folding chair on the

back of which hung the Emperor's sword, which the marshal inspected and

touched with admiration and respect. The quarter of an hour passed, when

another ordnance officer came to summon the marshal to the Emperor, who

was already at table with the chief-of-staff; and as he entered, the

Emperor saluted him with, "Good-day, Monsieur le Due; be seated next to

me."

The marshal, astonished at being addressed by this title, thought at

first that his Majesty was jesting; but seeing that he made a point of

calling him Monsieur le, Due he was overcome with astonishment. The

Emperor, to increase his embarrassment, said to him, "Do you like

chocolate, Monsieur le Duc?"--"But--yes, Sire."--"Well, we have none for

breakfast, but I will give you a pound from the very town of Dantzig; for

since you have conquered it, it is but just that it should make you some

return." Thereupon the Emperor left the table, opened a little casket,

took therefrom a package in the shape of a long square, and handed it to

Marshal Lefebvre, saying to him, "Duke of Dantzig, accept this chocolate;

little gifts preserve friendship." The marshal thanked his Majesty, put

the chocolate in his pocket, and took his seat again at table with the

Emperor and Marshal Berthier. A 'pate' in the shape of the town of

Dantzig was in the midst of the table; and when this was to be served the

Emperor said to the new duke, "They could not have given this dish a form

which would have pleased me more. Make the attack, Monsieur le Duc;

behold your conquest; it is yours to do the honors." The duke obeyed;

and the three guests ate of the pie, which they found much to their

taste. On his return, the marshal, Duke of Dantzig, suspecting a

surprise in the little package which the Emperor had given him, hastened

to open it, and found a hundred thousand crowns in bank-notes. In

imitation of this magnificent present, the custom was established in the

army of calling money, whether in pieces or in bank-notes, Dantzig

chocolate; and when the soldiers wished to be treated by any comrade who

happened to have a little money in his pocket, would say to him, "Come,

now, have you no Dantzig chocolate in your pocket?"

The almost superstitious fancy of his Majesty the Emperor in regard to

coincidences in dates and anniversaries was strengthened still more by

the victory of Friedland, which was gained on June 14, 1807, seven years

to the very day after the battle of Marengo. The severity of the winter,

the difficulty in furnishing supplies (for which the Emperor had however

made every possible provision and arrangement), added to the obstinate

courage of the Russians, had made this a severe campaign, especially to

conquerors whom the incredible rapidity of their successes in Prussia had

accustomed to sudden conquests. The division of glory which he had been

compelled to make with the Russians was a new experience in the Emperor's

military career, but at Friedland he regained his advantage and his

former superiority. His Majesty, by a feigned retreat, in which he let

the enemy see only a part of his forces, drew the Russians into a decoy

on the Elbe, so complete that they found themselves shut in between that

river and our army. This victory was gained by troops of the line and

cavalry; and the Emperor did not even find it necessary to use his

Guards, while those of the Emperor Alexander was almost entirely

destroyed in protecting the retreat, or rather the flight, of the

Russians, who could escape from the pursuit of our soldiers only by the

bridge of Friedland, a few narrow pontoons, and an almost impassable

ford.

The regiments of the line in the French army covered the plain; and the

Emperor, occupying a post of observation on a height whence he could

overlook the whole field of battle, was seated in an armchair near a

mill, surrounded by his staff. I never saw him in a gayer mood, as he

conversed with the generals who awaited his orders, and seemed to enjoy

eating the black Russian bread which was baked in the shape of bricks.

This bread, made from inferior rye flour and full of long straws, was the

food of all the soldiers; and they knew that his Majesty ate it as well

as themselves. The beautiful weather favored the skillful maneuvers of

the army, and they performed prodigies of valor. The cavalry charges

especially were executed with so much precision that the Emperor sent his

congratulations to the regiments.

About four o'clock in the afternoon, when the two armies were pressing

each other on every side, and thousands of cannon caused the earth to

tremble, the Emperor exclaimed, "If this continues two hours longer, the

French army will be left standing on the plain alone." A few moments

after he gave orders to the Count Dorsenne, general of the foot

grenadiers of the Old Guard, to fire on a brick-yard, behind which masses

of Russians and Prussians were intrenched; and in the twinkling of an eye

they were compelled to abandon this position, and a horde of

sharpshooters set out in pursuit of the fugitives.

The Guard made this movement at five o'clock, and at six the battle was

entirely won. The Emperor said to those who were near him, while

admiring the splendid behavior of the Guard, "Look at those brave

fellows, with a good-will they would run over the stone-slingers and

pop-guns of the line, in order to teach them to charge without waiting

for them; but it would have been useless, as the work has been well done

without them."

His Majesty went in person to compliment several regiments which had

fought the whole day. A few words, a smile, a salute of the hand, even a

nod, was sufficient recompense to these brave fellows who had just been

crowned with victory.

The number of the dead and prisoners was enormous; and seventy banners,

with all the equipments of the Russian army, were left in the hands of

the French.

After this decisive day, the Emperor of Russia, who had rejected the

proposals made by his Majesty after the battle of Eylau, found himself

much disposed to make the game on his own account; and General Bennigsen

consequently demanded an armistice in the name of his Emperor, which his

Majesty granted; and a short time after a treaty of peace was signed, and

the famous interview between the two sovereigns held on the banks of the

Niemen. I shall pass over rapidly the details of this meeting, which

have been published and repeated innumerable times. His Majesty and the

young Czar conceived a mutual affection from the first moment of their

meeting, and each gave fetes and amusements in honor of the other. They

were in inseparable in public and private, and passed hours together in

meetings for pleasure only, from which all intruders were carefully

excluded. The town of Tilsit was declared neutral; and French, Russians,

and Prussians followed the example set them by their sovereigns, and

lived together in the most intimate brotherhood.

The King and Queen of Prussia soon after joined their Imperial Majesties

at Tilsit; though this unfortunate monarch, to whom there remained hardly

one town of the whole kingdom he had possessed, was naturally little

disposed to take part in so much festivity. The queen was beautiful and

graceful, though perhaps somewhat haughty and severe, which did not

prevent her being adored by all who surrounded her. The Emperor sought

to please her, and she neglected none of the innocent coquetries of her

sex in order to soften the heart of the conqueror of her husband. The

queen several times dined with the sovereigns, seated between the two

Emperors, who vied with each other in overwhelming her with attentions

and gallantries. It is well known that the Emperor Napoleon offered her

one day a splendid rose, which after some hesitation she accepted, saying

to his Majesty with a most charming smile, "With Magdeburg, at least."

And it is well known also that the Emperor did not accept the condition.

The princess had among her ladies of honor a very old woman, who was most

highly esteemed. One evening as the queen was being escorted into the

dining-hall by the two Emperors, followed by the King of Prussia, Prince

Murat, and the Grand Duke Constantine, this old lady of honor gave way to

the two latter princes. Grand Duke Constantine would not take precedence

of her, but entirely spoiled this act of politeness by exclaiming in a

rude tone, "Pass, madame, pass on!" And turning towards the King of

Naples, added, loud enough to be heard, this disgraceful exclamation,

"The old woodcock!"

One may judge from this that Prince Constantine was far from exhibiting

towards ladies that exquisite politeness and refined gallantry which

distinguished his august brother.

The French Imperial Guard on one occasion gave a dinner to the guard of

the Emperor Alexander. At the end of this exceedingly gay and fraternal

banquet, each French soldier exchanged uniforms with a Russian, and

promenaded thus before the eyes of the Emperors, who were much amused by

this impromptu disguise.

Among the numerous attentions paid by the Russian Emperor to our own,

I would mention a concert by a troop of Baskir musicians, whom their

sovereign brought over the Niemen for this purpose, and never certainly

did more barbarous music resound in the ears of his Majesty; and this

strange harmony, accompanied by gestures equally as savage, furnished one

of the most amusing spectacles that can be imagined. A few days after

this concert, I obtained permission to make the musicians a visit, and

went to their camp, accompanied by Roustan, who was to serve as

interpreter. We enjoyed the pleasure of being present at a repast of the

Baskirs, where around immense wooden tubs were seated groups consisting

of ten men, each holding in his hand a piece of black bread which he

moistened with a ladleful of water, in which had been diluted something

resembling red clay. After the repast, they gave us an exhibition of

shooting with the bow; and Roustan, to whom this exercise recalled the

scenes of his youth, attempted to shoot an arrow, but it fell at a few

paces, and I saw a smile of scorn curl the thick lips of our Baskirs. I

then tried the bow in my turn, and acquitted myself in such a manner as

to do me honor in the eyes of our hosts, who instantly surrounded me,

congratulating me by their gestures on my strength and skill; and one of

them, even more enthusiastic and more amicable than the others, gave me a

pat on the shoulder which I long remembered.

The day succeeding this famous concert, the treaty of peace between the

three sovereigns was signed, and his Majesty made a visit to the Emperor

Alexander, who received him at the head of his guard. The Emperor

Napoleon asked his illustrious ally to show him the bravest grenadier of

this handsome and valiant troop; and when he was presented to his

Majesty, he took from his breast his own cross of the Legion of Honor,

and fastened it on the breast of the Muscovite soldier, amid the

acclamations and hurrahs of all his comrades. The two Emperors embraced

each other a last time on the banks of the Niemen, and his Majesty set

out on the road to Koenigsberg.

At Bautzen the King of Saxony came out to meet him, and their Majesties

entered Dresden together. King Frederick Augustus gave a most

magnificent reception to the sovereign who, not content with giving him a

scepter, had also considerably increased the hereditary estates of the

elector of Saxony. The good people of Dresden, during the week we passed

there, treated the French more as brothers and compatriots than as

allies.

But it was nearly ten months since we had left Paris; and in spite of all

the charms of the simple and cordial hospitality of the Germans, I was

very eager to see again France and my own family.

CHAPTER III.

It was during the glorious campaign of Prussia and Poland that the

imperial family was plunged in the deepest sorrow by the death of the

young Napoleon, eldest son of King Louis of Holland. This child bore a

striking resemblance to his father, and consequently to his uncle. His

hair was blond, but would probably have darkened as he grew older. His

eyes, which were large and blue, shone with extraordinary brilliancy when

a deep impression was made on his young mind. Gentle, lovable, and full

of candor and gayety, he was the delight of the Emperor, especially on

account of the firmness of his character, which was so remarkable that,

notwithstanding his extreme youth, nothing could make him break his word.

The following anecdote which I recall furnishes an instance of this.

He was very fond of strawberries; but they caused him such long and

frequent attacks of vomiting that his mother became alarmed, and

positively forbade his eating them, expressing a wish that every

precaution should be taken to keep out of the young prince's sight a

fruit which was so injurious to him. The little Napoleon, whom the

injurious effects of the strawberries had not disgusted with them, was

surprised to no more see his favorite dish; but bore the deprivation

patiently, until one day he questioned his nurse, and very seriously

demanded an explanation on this subject, which the good woman was unable

to give, for she indulged him even to the point of spoiling him. He knew

her weakness, and often took advantage of it, as in this instance for

example. He became angry, and said to his nurse in a tone which had as

much and even more effect on her than the Emperor or the King of Holland

could have had, "I will have the strawberries. Give them to me at once."

The poor nurse begged him to be quiet, and said that she would give them

to him, but she was afraid that if anything happened he would tell the

queen who had done this. "Is that all?" replied Napoleon eagerly.

"Have no fear; I promise not to tell."

The nurse yielded, and the strawberries had their usual effect.

The queen entered while he was undergoing the punishment for his

self-indulgence; and he could not deny that he had eaten the forbidden

fruit, as the proofs were too evident. The queen was much incensed, and

wished to know who had disobeyed her; she alternately entreated and

threatened the child, who still continued to reply with the greatest

composure, "I promised not to tell." And in spite of the great

influence she had over him, she could not force him to tell her the

name of the guilty person.

Young Napoleon was devoted to his uncle, and manifested in his presence a

patience and self-control very foreign to his usual character. The

Emperor often took him on his knee during breakfast, and amused himself

making him eat lentils one by one. The pretty face of the child became

crimson, his whole countenance manifested disgust and impatience; but his

Majesty could prolong this sport without fearing that his nephew would

become angry, which he would have infallibly done with any one else.

At such a tender age could he have been conscious of his uncle's

superiority to all those who surrounded him? King Louis, his father,

gave him each day a new plaything, chosen exactly to suit his fancy: but

the child preferred those he received from his uncle; and when his father

said to him, "But, see here, Napoleon, those are ugly things; mine are

prettier."--"No," said the young prince, "they are very nice; my uncle

gave them to me."

One morning when he visited his Majesty, he crossed a saloon where amid

many great personages was Prince Murat, at that time, I think, Grand Duke

of Berg. The child passed through without saluting any one, when the

prince stopped him and said, "Will you not tell me goodmorning?"--"No,"

replied Napoleon, disengaging himself from the arms of the Grand Duke;

"not before my uncle the Emperor."

At the end of a review which had taken place in the court of the

Tuileries, and on the Place du Carrousel, the Emperor went up to his

apartments, and threw his hat on one sofa, his sword on another. Little

Napoleon entered, took his uncle's sword, passed the belt round his neck,

put the hat on his head, and then kept step gravely, humming a march

behind the Emperor and Empress. Her Majesty, turning round, saw him, and

caught him in her arms, exclaiming, "What a pretty picture!" Ingenious

in seizing every occasion to please her husband, the Empress summoned M.

Gerard, and ordered a portrait of the young prince in this costume; and

the picture was brought to the palace of Saint-Cloud the very day on

which the Empress heard of the death of this beloved child.

He was hardly three years old when, seeing his shoemaker's bill paid with

five-franc pieces, he screamed loudly, not wishing that they should give

away the picture of his Uncle Bibiche. The name of Bibiche thus given by

the young prince to his Majesty originated in this manner. The Empress

had several gazelles placed in the park of Saint-Cloud, which were very

much afraid of all the inhabitants of the palace except the Emperor, who

allowed them to eat tobacco out of his snuff-box, and thus induced them

to follow him, and took much pleasure in giving them the tobacco by the

hands of the little Napoleon, whom he also put on the back of one of

them. The latter designated these pretty animals by no other name than

that of Bibiche, and amused himself by giving the same name to his uncle.

This charming child, who was adored by both father and mother, used his

almost magical influence over each in order to reconcile them to each

other. He took his father by the hand, who allowed himself to be thus

conducted by this angel of peace to Queen Hortense, and then said to him,

"Kiss her, papa, I beg you;" and was perfectly overjoyed when he had thus

succeeded in reconciling these two beings whom he loved with an equal

affection.

How could such a beautiful character fail to make this angel beloved by

all who knew him? How could the Emperor, who loved all children, fail to

be devoted to him, even had he not been his nephew, and the godson of

that good Josephine whom he never ceased to love for a single instant?

At the age of seven years, when that malady, the croup, so dangerous to

children, snatched him from his heart-broken family, he already gave

evidence of remarkable traits of character, which were the foundation of

most brilliant hopes. His proud and haughty character, while rendering

him susceptible of the noblest impressions, was not incompatible with

obedience and docility. The idea of injustice was revolting to him; but

he readily submitted to reasonable advice and rightful authority.

First-born of the new dynasty, it was fitting he should attract as he did

the deepest tenderness and solicitude of the chief. Malignity and envy,

which ever seek to defame and villify the great, gave slanderous

explanations of this almost paternal attachment; but wise and thoughtful

men saw in this adoptive tenderness only what it plainly evinced,--the

desire and hope of transmitting his immense power, and the grandest name

in the universe, to an heir, indirect it is true, but of imperial blood,

and who, reared under the eyes, and by the direction of the Emperor,

would have been to him all that a son could be. The death of the young

Napoleon appeared as a forerunner of misfortunes in the midst of his

glorious career, disarranging all the plans which the monarch had

conceived, and decided him to concentrate all his hopes on an heir in a

direct line.

It was then that the first thoughts of divorce arose in his mind, though

it did not take place until two years later, and only began to be the

subject of private conversation during the stay at Fontainebleau. The

Empress readily saw the fatal results to her of the death of this godson,

and from that time she dwelt upon the idea of this terrible event which

ruined her life. This premature death was to her an inconsolable grief;

and she shut herself up for three days, weeping bitterly, seeing no one

except her women, and taking almost no nourishment. It even seemed that

she feared to be distracted from her grief, as she surrounded herself

with a sort of avidity with all that could recall her irreparable loss.

She obtained with some difficulty from Queen Hortense some of the young

prince's hair, which his heart-broken mother religiously preserved; and

the Empress had this hair framed on a cushion of black velvet, and kept

it always near her. I often saw it at Malmaison, and never without deep

emotion.

But how can I attempt to describe the despair of Queen Hortense, of that

woman who became as perfect a mother as she had been a daughter. She

never left her son a moment during his illness; and when he expired in

her arms, still wishing to remain near his lifeless body, she fastened

her arms through those of her chair, in order that she might not be torn

from this heartrending scene. At last nature succumbed to such poignant

grief: the unhappy mother fainted; and the opportunity was taken to

remove her to her own apartment, still in the chair which she had not

left, and which her arms clasped convulsively. On awaking, the queen

uttered piercing screams, and her dry and staring eyes and white lips

gave reason to fear that she was near her end. Nothing could bring tears

to her eyes, until at last a chamberlain conceived the idea of bringing

the young prince's body, and placing it on his mother's knees; and this

had such an effect on her that her tears burst forth and saved her life,

while she covered with kisses the cold and adored remains. All France

shared the grief of the Queen of Holland.

CHAPTER IV.

We arrived at Saint-Cloud on the 27th of July; and the Emperor passed the

summer partly in this residence, and partly at Fontainebleau, returning

to Paris only on special occasions, and never remaining longer than

twenty-four hours. During his Majesty's absence, the chateau of

Rambouillet was restored and furnished anew, and the Emperor spent a few

days there. The first time he entered the bathroom, he stopped short at

the door and glanced around with every appearance of surprise and

dissatisfaction; and when I sought the cause of this, following the

direction of his Majesty's eyes, I saw that they rested on various family

portraits which the architect had painted on the walls of the room. They

were those of madame his mother, his sisters, Queen Hortense, etc.; and

the sight of such a gallery, in such a place, excited the extreme

displeasure of the Emperor. "What nonsense!" he cried. "Constant,

summon Marshal Duroc!" And when the grand marshal appeared, his Majesty

inquired, "Who is the idiot that could have conceived such an idea?

Order the painter to come and efface all that. He must have little

respect for women to be guilty of such an indecency."

When the court sojourned at Fontainebleau, the inhabitants indemnified

themselves amply for his Majesty's long absences by the high price at

which they sold all articles of food. Their extortions became scandalous

impositions, and more than one foreigner making an excursion to

Fontainebleau thought himself held for ransom by a troop of Bedouins.

During the stay of the court; a wretched sacking-bed in a miserable inn

cost twelve francs for a single night; the smallest meal cost an

incredible price, and was, notwithstanding, detestable; in fact, it

amounted to a genuine pillage of travelers. Cardinal Caprara,

[Giovanni Battista Caprara, born of a noble family at Bologna,

1733; count and archbishop of Milan; cardinal, 1792; Negotiated the

Concordat, 1801; died 1810]

whose rigid economy was known to all Paris, went one day to Fontainebleau

to pay his court to the Emperor, and at the hotel where he alighted took

only a single cup of bouillon, and the six persons of his suite partook

only of a very light repast, as the cardinal had arranged to return in

three hours; but notwithstanding this, as he was entering his carriage,

the landlord had the audacity to present him with a bill for six hundred

francs! The prince of the church indignantly protested, flew into a

rage, threatened, etc., but all in vain; and the bill was paid.

Such an outrageous imposition could not fail to reach the Emperor's ears,

and excited his anger to such a degree that he at once ordered a fixed

schedule of prices, which it was forbidden the innkeepers to exceed.

This put an end to the exactions of the bloodsuckers of Fontainebleau.

On the 21st of August, there arrived at Paris the Princess Catharine of

Wurtemberg, future wife of Prince Jerome Napoleon, King of Westphalia.

This princess was about twenty-four years of age, and very beautiful,

with a most noble and gracious bearing; and though policy alone had made

this marriage, never could love or voluntary choice have made one that

was happier.

The courageous conduct of her Majesty the Queen of Westphalia in 1814,

her devotion to her dethroned husband, and her admirable letters to her

father, who wished to tear her from the arms of King Jerome, are matters

of history. I have seen it stated that this prince never ceased, even

after this marriage, which was so flattering to his ambition, to

correspond with his first wife, Mademoiselle Patterson, and that he often

sent to America his valet de chambre, Rico, to inquire after this lady

and their child. If this is true, it is no less so that these attentions

to his first wife, which were not only very excusable, but even,

according to my opinion, praiseworthy in Prince Jerome, and of which her

Majesty the Queen of Westphalia was probably well aware, did not

necessarily prevent her being happy with her husband.

No testimony more reliable than that of the queen her self can be given;

and she expresses herself as follows in her second letter to his Majesty,

the King of Wurtemburg:--

"Forced by policy to marry the king, my husband, fate has willed

that I should find myself the happiest woman in the universe. I

feel towards my husband the united sentiments of love, tenderness,

and esteem. In this painful moment can the best of fathers wish to

destroy my domestic happiness, the only kind which now remains to

me? I dare to say that you, my dear father, you and all my family,

do great injustice to the king, my husband; and I trust the time

will come when you will be convinced that you have done him

injustice, and then you will ever find in him, as well as in myself,

the most respectful and affectionate of children."

Her Majesty then spoke of a terrible misfortune to which she had been

exposed. This event, which was indeed terrible, was nothing less than

violence and robbery committed on a fugitive woman defenseless and alone,

by a band at the head of which was the famous Marquis de Maubreuil,

[A French political adventurer, born in Brittany, 1782; died 1855.]

who had been equerry of the King of Westphalia. I will recur in treating

of the events of 1814 to this disgraceful affair, and will give some

particulars, which I think are not generally known, in regard to the

principal authors and participants in this daring act of brigandage.

In the following month of September, a courier from the Russian cabinet

arrived from St. Petersburg, bearing a letter to his Majesty from the

Emperor Alexander; and among other magnificent gifts were two very

handsome fur pelisses of black fox and sable martin.

During their Majesties residence at Fontainebleau, the Emperor often went

out in his carriage with the Empress in the streets of the city with

neither escort nor guards. One day, while passing before the hospital of

Mont Pierreux, her Majesty the Empress saw at a window a very aged

clergyman, who saluted their Majesties. The Empress, having returned the

old man's salutation with her habitual grace, pointed him out to the

Emperor, who himself saluted him, and ordering his coachman to stop, sent

one of the footmen with a request to the old priest to come and speak to

them a moment, if it were not too great an exertion. The old man, who

still walked with ease, hastened to descend; and in order to save him a

few steps the Emperor had his carriage driven very close to the door of

the hospital.

His Majesty conversed for some time with the good ecclesiastic,

manifesting the greatest kindness and respect. He informed their

Majesties that he had been, previous to the Revolution, the regular

priest of one of the parishes of Fontainebleau, and had done everything

possible to avoid emigrating; but that terror had at length forced him to

leave his native land, although he was then more than seventy-five years

old; that he had returned to France at the time of the proclamation of

the Concordat, and now lived on a modest pension hardly sufficient to pay

his board in the hospital. "Monsieur l'Abbe," said his Majesty after

listening to the old priest attentively, "I will order your pension to be

doubled; and if that is not sufficient I hope you will apply to the

Empress or to me." The good ecclesiastic thanked the Emperor with tears

in his eyes. "Unfortunately, Sire," said he among other things, "I am

too old to long enjoy your Majesty's reign or profit by your

kindness."--"YOU?" replied the Emperor, smiling, "why, you are a young

man. Look at M. de Belloy; he is much your senior, and we hope to keep

him with us for a long time yet." Their Majesties then took leave of

the old man, who was much affected, leaving him in the midst of a crowd

of the inhabitants who had collected before the hospital during this

conversation, and who were much impressed by this interesting scene and

the generous kindness of the Emperor.

M. de Belloy, cardinal and archbishop of Paris, whose name the Emperor

mentioned in the conversation I have just related, was then ninety-eight

years of age, though his health was excellent; and I have never seen an

old man who had as venerable an air as this worthy prelate. The Emperor

had the profoundest respect for him, and never failed to give evidence of

it on every occasion. During this same month of September, a large

number of the faithful having assembled according to custom on Mount

Valerien, the archbishop likewise repaired to the spot to hear mass. As

he was about to withdraw, seeing that many pious persons were awaiting

his benediction, he addressed them before bestowing it in a few words

which showed his kindness of heart and his evangelical simplicity: "My

children, I know that I must be very old from the loss of my strength,

but not of my zeal and my tenderness for you. Pray God, my children, for

your old archbishop, who never fails to intercede on your behalf each

day."

During his stay at Fontainebleau, the Emperor enjoyed more frequently

than ever before the pleasures of the chase. The costume necessary was a

French coat of green dragon color, decorated with buttons and gold lace,

white cashmere breeches, and Hessian boots without facings; this was the

costume for the grand hunt which was always a stag hunt; that for a hunt

with guns being a plain, green French coat with no other ornament than

white buttons, on which were cut suitable inscriptions. This costume was

the same for all persons taking part in this hunt, with no distinguishing

marks, even for his Majesty himself.

The princesses set out for the rendezvous in a Spanish carriage with

either or four six horses, and thus followed the chase, their costume

being an elegant riding-habit, and a hat with white or black plumes.

One of the Emperor's sisters (I do not now recall which) never failed to

follow the hunt, accompanied by many charming ladies who were always

invited to breakfast at the rendezvous, as was always the custom on

similar occasions with the persons of the court. One of these ladies,

who was both beautiful and intelligent, attracted the attention of the

Emperor, a short correspondence ensued, and at last the Emperor again

ordered me to carry a letter.

In the palace of Fontainebleau is a private garden called the garden of

Diana, to which their Majesties alone had access. This garden is

surrounded on four sides by buildings; on the left was the chapel with

its gloomy gallery and Gothic architecture; on the right the grand

gallery (as well as I can remember); in the middle the building which

contained their Majesties' apartments; finally, in front of and facing

the square were broad arcades, and behind them the buildings intended for

the various persons attached to household of the princes or the Emperor.

Madame de B----, the lady whom the Emperor had remarked, lodged in an

apartment situated behind these arcades on the ground floor; and his

Majesty informed me that I would find a window open, through which I must

enter cautiously, in the darkness, and give his note to a person who

would ask for it. This darkness was necessary, because this window

opened on the garden, and though behind the arcades, would have been

noticed had there been a light. Not knowing the interior of these

apartments, I entered through the window, thinking I could then walk on a

level, but had a terrible fall over a high step which was in the

embrasure of the window. I heard some one scream as I fell, and a door

was suddenly closed. I had received severe bruises on my knee, elbow,

and head, and rising with difficulty, at once began a search around the

apartment, groping in the dark; but hearing nothing more, and fearing to

make some fresh noise which might be heard by persons who should not know

of my presence there, I decided to return to the Emperor, and report to

him my adventures.

Finding that none of my injuries were serious, the Emperor laughed most

heartily, and then added, "Oh, oh, so there is a step; it is well to know

that. Wait till Madame B---- is over her fright; I will go to her, and

you will accompany me." At the end of an hour, the Emperor emerged with

me from the door of his cabinet which opened on the garden. I conducted

him in silence towards the window which was still open and assisted him

to enter, and having obtained to my cost a correct idea of the spot,

directed him how to avoid a fall.

His Majesty, having entered the chamber without accident, told me to

retire. I was not without some anxiety as I informed the Emperor; but he

replied that I was a child, and there could be no danger. It appeared

that his Majesty succeeded better than I had done,--as he did not return

until daybreak, and then jested about my awkwardness, admitting, however,

that if he had not been warned, a similar accident would have befallen

him.

Although Madame de B---- was worthy of a genuine attachment, her liaison

with the Emperor lasted only a short while, and was only a passing fancy.

I think that the difficulties surrounding his nocturnal visits cooled his

Majesty's ardor greatly; for the Emperor was not enough in love to be

willing to brave everything in order to see his beautiful mistress. His

Majesty informed me of the fright which my fall had caused her, and how

anxious this amiable lady had been on my account, and how he had

reassured her; this did not, however, prevent her sending next day to

know how I was, by a confidential person, who told me again how

interested Madame de B---- had been in my accident.

Often at Fontainebleau there was a court representation, in which the

actors of the first theaters received orders to play before their

Majesties scenes selected from their various repertoires. Mademoiselle

Mars was to play the evening of her arrival; but at Essonne, where she

was obliged to stop a moment on account of the road being filled with

cattle going or returning from Fontainebleau, her trunk had been stolen,

a fact of which she was not aware until she had gone some distance from

the spot. Not only were her costumes missing, but she had no other

clothing except what she wore; and it would be at least twelve hours

before she could get from Paris what she needed. It was then two o'clock

in the afternoon, and that very evening she must appear in the brilliant

role of Celimene. Although much disturbed by this accident, Mademoiselle

Mars did not lose her presence of mind, but visited all the shops of the

town, and in a few hours had cut and made a complete costume in most

excellent taste, and her loss was entirely repaired.

CHAPTER V.

In the month of November of this year I followed their Majesties to

Italy. We knew a few days in advance that the Emperor would make this

journey; but as happened on all other occasions, neither the day nor the

hour was fixed, until we were told on the evening of the 15th that we

would set out early on the morning of the 16th. I passed the night like

all the household of his Majesty; for in order to carry out the

incredible perfection of comfort with which the Emperor surrounded

himself on his journeys, it was necessary that everybody should be on

foot as soon as the hour of departure was known; consequently I passed

the night arranging the service of his Majesty, while my wife packed my

own baggage, and had but just finished when the Emperor asked for me,

which meant that ten minutes after we would be on the road. At four

o'clock in the morning his Majesty entered his carriage.

As we never knew at what hour or in what direction the Emperor would

begin his journey, the grand marshal, the grand equerry, and the grand

chamberlain sent forward a complete service on all the different roads

which they thought his Majesty might take. The bedroom service comprised

a valet de chambre and a wardrobe boy. As for me, I never left his

Majesty's person, and my carriage always followed immediately behind his.

The conveyance belonging to this service contained an iron bed with its

accessories, a dressing-case with linen, coats, etc. I know little of

the service of the stables, but that of the kitchen was organized as

follows: There was a conveyance almost in the shape of the coucous on the

Place Louis XV. at Paris, with a deep bottom and an enormous body. The

bottom contained wines for the Emperor's table and that of the high

officers, the ordinary wine being bought at the places where we stopped.

In the body of the wagon were the kitchen utensils and a portable

furnace, followed by a carriage containing a steward, two cooks, and a

furnace-boy. There was besides this, a baggage-wagon full of provisions

and wine to fill up the other as it was emptied; and all these

conveyances set out a few hours in advance of the Emperor. It was the

duty of the grand marshal to designate the place at which breakfast

should be taken. We alighted sometimes at the archbishop's, sometimes at

the hotel de ville, sometimes at the residence of the sub-prefect, or

even at that of the mayor, in the absence of any other dignitaries.

Having arrived at the designated house, the steward gave orders for the

provisions, the furnaces were lighted, and spits turned; and if the

Emperor alighted and partook of the repast prepared, the provisions which

had been consumed were immediately replaced as far as possible, and the

carriages filled again with poultry, pastry, etc.; before leaving all

expenses were paid by the controller, presents were made to the master of

the house, and everything which was not necessary for the service left

for the use of their servants. It sometimes happened that the Emperor,

finding that it was too soon for breakfast, or wishing to make a longer

journey, gave orders to pass on, and everything was packed up again and

the service continued its route. Sometimes also the Emperor, halting in

the open field, alighted, took his seat under a tree, and ordered his

breakfast, upon which Roustan and the footmen obtained provisions from

his Majesty's carriage, which was furnished with small cooking utensils

with silver covers, holding chickens, partridges, etc., while the other

carriages furnished their proportion. M. Pfister served the Emperor, and

every one ate a hasty morsel. Fires were lighted to heat the coffee; and

in less than half an hour everything had disappeared, and the carriages

rolled on in the same order as before.

The Emperor's steward and cooks had nearly all been trained in the

household of the king and the princes. These were Messieurs Dunau,

Leonard, Rouff, and Gerard. M. Colin was chief in command, and became

steward-controller after the sad affliction of M. Pfister, who became

insane during the campaign of 1809. All were capable and zealous

servants; and, as is the case in the household of all sovereigns, each

department of the domestic affairs had its chief. Messieurs Soupe and

Pierrugues were in charge of the wines, and the sons of these gentleman

continued to hold the same office with the Emperor.

We traveled with great speed as far as Mont-Cenis, but were compelled to

go more slowly after reaching this pass, as the weather had been very bad

for several days, and the road was washed out by the rain, which still

fell in torrents. The Emperor arrived at Milan at noon on the 22d; and,

notwithstanding our delay at Mont-Cenis, the rest of the journey had been

so rapid that no one was expecting the Emperor. The vice-king only

learned of the arrival of his step-father when he was half a league

from the town, but came in haste to meet us escorted only by a few

persons. The Emperor gave orders to halt, and, as soon as the door was

opened, held out his hand to Prince Eugene, saying in the most

affectionate manner: "Come, get up with us, my fine prince; we will enter

together."

Notwithstanding the surprise which this unexpected arrival caused, we had

hardly entered the town before all the houses were illuminated, and the

beautiful palaces, Litta, Casani, Melzi, and many others, shone with a

thousand lights. The magnificent cupola of the cathedral dome was

covered with garlands of colored lights; and in the center of the

Forum-Bonaparte, the walks of which were also illuminated, could be seen

the colossal equestrian statue of the Emperor, on both sides of which

transparencies had been arranged, in the shape of stars, bearing the

initials S M I and R. By eight o'clock all the populace had collected

around the chateau, where superb fireworks were discharged, while

spirited and warlike music was performed. All the town authorities were

admitted to the Emperor's presence.

On the morning of the next day there was held at the chateau a council of

ministers, over which the Emperor presided; and at noon he mounted his

horse to take part in the mass celebrated by the grand chaplain of the

kingdom. The square of the cathedral was covered by an immense crowd,

through which the Emperor advanced on horseback, accompanied by his

imperial Highness, the vice-king, and his staff. The noble countenance

of Prince Eugene expressed the great joy he felt in the presence of his

step-father, for whom he had always so much respect and filial affection,

and in hearing the incessant acclamations of the people, which grew more

vociferous every moment.

After the 'Te Deum', the Emperor held a review of the troops on the

square, and immediately after set out with the viceroy for Monza, the

palace at which the queen resided. For no woman did the Emperor manifest

more sincere regard and respect than for Princess Amelia; but, indeed

there has never been a more beautiful or purer woman. It was impossible

to speak of beauty or virtue in the Emperor's presence without his giving

the vice-queen as an example. Prince Eugene was very worthy of so

accomplished a wife, and justly appreciated her exalted character; and I

was glad to see in the countenance of the excellent prince the reflection

of the happiness he enjoyed. Amidst all the care he took to anticipate

every wish of his step-father, I was much gratified that he found time to

address a few words to me, expressing the great pleasure he felt at my

promotion in the service and esteem of the Emperor. Nothing could have

been more grateful to me than these marks of remembrance from a prince

for whom I had always retained a most sincere, and, I made bold to say,

most tender, attachment.

The Emperor remained a long while with the vicequeen, whose intelligence

equaled her amiability and her beauty, but returned to Milan to dine; and

immediately afterwards the ladies who were received at court were

presented to him. In the evening, I followed his Majesty to the theater

of la Scala. The Emperor did not remain throughout the play, but retired

early to his apartment, and worked the greater part of the night; which

did not, however, prevent our being on the road to Verona before eight

o'clock in the morning.

His Majesty made no stop at Brescia and Verona. I would have been very

glad to have had time on the route to examine the curiosities of Italy;

but that was not an easy thing to do in the Emperor's suite, as he halted

only for the purpose of reviewing troops, and preferred visiting

fortifications to ruins.

At Verona his Majesty dined, or rather supped (for it was very late),

with their Majesties, the King and Queen of Bavaria, who arrived at

almost exactly the same time as ourselves; and very early the next day we

set out for Vicenza.

Although the season was already advanced, I found great pleasure in the

scene which awaits the traveler on' the road from Verona to Vicenza.

Imagine to yourself an immense plain, divided into innumerable fields,

each bordered with different kinds of trees with slender trunks,--mostly

elms and poplars,--which form avenues as far as the eye can reach. Vines

twine around their trunks, climb each tree, and droop from each limb;

while other branches of these vines, loosening their hold on the tree

which serves as their support, droop clear to the ground, and hang in

graceful festoons from tree to tree. Beyond these, lovely natural bowers

could be seen far and wide, splendid fields of wheat; or, at least, this

had been the case on my former journey, but at this time the harvest had

been gathered for several months.

At the end of a day which I passed most delightfully amid these fertile

plains, I entered Vicenza, where the authorities of the town, together

with almost the entire population, awaited the Emperor under a superb

arch of triumph at the entrance of the town. We were exceedingly hungry;

and his Majesty himself said, that evening as he retired, that he felt

very much like sitting down to the table when he entered Vicenza. I

trembled, then, at the idea of those long Italian addresses, which I had

found even longer than those of France, doubtless because I did not

understand a single word; but, fortunately, the magistrates of Vicenza

were sufficiently well-informed not to take advantage of our position,

and their speeches occupied only a few moments.

That evening his Majesty went to the theater; and I was so much fatigued

that I would have gladly profited by the Emperor's absence to take some

repose, had not an acquaintance invited me to accompany him to the

convent of the Servites, in order to witness the effect of the

illumination of the town, which I did, and was repaid by the magnificent

spectacle which met my eyes. The whole town seemed one blaze of light.

On returning to the palace occupied by his Majesty, I learned that he had

given orders that everything should be in readiness for departure two

hours after midnight; consequently I had one hour to sleep, and I enjoyed

it to the utmost.

At the appointed moment, the Emperor entered his carriage; and we were

soon rolling along with the rapidity of lightning over the road to Stra,

where we passed the night. Very early next morning we set out, following

a long causeway raised through marshes. The landscape is almost the

same, and yet not so beautiful, as that we passed before reaching

Vicenza. We still saw groves of mulberry and olive trees, from which the

finest oil is obtained, and fields of maize and hemp, interspersed with

meadows. Beyond Stra the cultivation of rice commences; and, although

the rice-fields must render the country unhealthy, still it has not the

reputation of being more so than any other. On the right and left of the

road are seen elegant houses, and cabins which, though covered with

thatch, are very comfortable, and present a charming appearance. The

vine is little cultivated in this part of the country, where it would

hardly succeed, as the land is too low and damp; but there are,

nevertheless, a few small vineyards on the slopes, and the vegetation in

the whole country is incredibly rich and luxuriant. The late wars have

left traces which only a long peace can efface.

CHAPTER VI.

On his arrival at Fusina the Emperor found the Venetian authorities

awaiting him, embarked on the 'peote' or gondola of the village, and

advanced towards Venice, accompanied by a numerous floating cortege. We

followed, the Emperor in little black gondolas, which looked like

floating coffins, with which the Brenta was covered; and nothing could be

stranger than to hear, proceeding from these coffins of such gloomy

aspect, delicious vocal concerts. The boat which carried his Majesty,

and the gondolas of the principal persons of his suite, were handsomely

ornamented.

When we arrived at the mouth of the river we were obliged to wait nearly

half an hour until the locks were opened, which was done by degrees, and

with every precaution; without which the waters of the Brenta, held in

their canal and raised considerably above the level of the sea, would

have rushed out suddenly, and in their violent descent have driven our

gondolas along before them, or sunk them. Released at last from the

Brenta, we found ourselves in the gulf, and saw at a distance, rising

from the midst of the sea, the wonderful city of Venice. Barks,

gondolas, and vessels of considerable size, filled with all the wealthy

population, and all the boatmen of Venice in gala dress, appeared on

every side, passing, repassing, and crossing each other, in every

direction, with the most remarkable skill and speed.

The Emperor was standing at the back of the peote, and, as each gondola

passed near his own, replied to the acclamations and cries of "Viva

Napoleone imperatore e re!" by one of those profound bows which he made

with so much grace and dignity, taking off his hat without bending his

head, and carrying it along his body almost to his knees.

Escorted by this innumerable flotilla, of which the peote of the city

seemed to be the admirals vessel, his Majesty entered at last the Grand

Canal, which flowed between magnificent palaces, hung with banners and

filled with spectators. The Emperor alighted before the palace of the

procurators, where he was received by a deputation of members of the

Senate and the Venetian nobility. He stopped a moment in the square of

St. Mark, passed through some interior streets, chose the site for a

garden, the plans for which the architect of the city then presented to

him, and which were carried out as if it had been in the midst of the

country. It was a novel sight to the Venetians to see trees planted in

the open air, while hedges and lawns appeared as if by magic. The entire

absence of verdure and vegetation, and the silence which reigns in the

streets of Venice, where is never heard the hoof of a horse nor the

wheels of a carriage, horses and carriages being things entirely unknown

in this truly marine city, must give it usually a sad and abandoned air;

but this gloom entirely disappeared during his Majesty's visit.

The prince viceroy and the grand marshal were present in the evening when

the Emperor retired; and, while undressing him, I heard a part of their

conversation, which turned on the government of Venice before the union

of this republic with the French Empire. His Majesty was almost the only

spokesman, Prince Eugene and Marshal Duroc contenting themselves with

throwing a few words into the conversation, as if to furnish a new text

for the Emperor, and prevent his pausing, and thus ending too soon his

discourse; a genuine discourse, in fact, since his Majesty took the lead,

and left the others but little to say. Such was often his habit; but no

one thought of complaining of this, so interesting were nearly always the

Emperor's ideas, and so original and brilliantly expressed. His Majesty

did not converse, as had been truthfully said in the journal which I have

added to my memoirs, but he spoke with an inexpressible charm; and on

this point it seems to me that the author of the "Journal of

Aix-la-Chapelle" has done the Emperor injustice.

As I said just now, his Majesty spoke of the ancient State of Venice, and

from what he said on this occasion I learned more than I could have done

from the most interesting book. The viceroy having remarked that a few

patricians regretted their former liberty, the Emperor exclaimed,

"Liberty, what nonsense! liberty no longer existed in Venice, and had,

indeed, never existed except for a few families of the nobility, who

oppressed the rest of the population. Liberty, with a Council of Ten!

Liberty, with the inquisitors of state! Liberty, with the very lions as

informers, and Venetian dungeons and bullets!" Marshal Duroc remarked

that towards the end these severe regulations were much modified. "Yes,

no doubt,"--replied the Emperor. "The lion of St. Mark had gotten old;

he had no longer either teeth or nails! Venice was only the shadow of

her former self, and her last doge found that he rose to a higher rank in

becoming a senator of the French Empire." His Majesty, seeing that this

idea made the vice-king smile, added very gravely, "I am not jesting,

gentlemen. A Roman senator prided himself on being more than a king; a

French senator is at least the equal of a doge. I desire that foreigners

shall accustom themselves to show the greatest respect towards the

constituted authorities of the Empire, and to treat with great

consideration even the simple title of French citizen. I will take care

to insure this. Good-night, Eugene. Duroc, take care to have the

reception to-morrow all that it should be. After the ceremony we will

visit the arsenal. Adieu, Messieurs. Constant, come back in ten minutes

to put out my light; I feel sleepy. One is cradled like an infant on

these gondolas."

The next day his Majesty, after receiving the homage of the Venetian

authorities, repaired to the arsenal. This is an immense building,

fortified so carefully that it was practically impregnable. The

appearance of the interior is singular on account of several small

islands which it incloses, joined together by bridges. The magazines and

numerous buildings of the fortress thus appear to be floating on the

surface of the water. The entrance on the land side, by which we were

introduced, is over a very handsome bridge of marble, ornamented with

columns and statues. On the side next the sea, there are numerous rocks

and sandbanks, the presence of which is indicated by long piles. It is

said that in time of war these piles were taken up, which exposed the

foreign vessels, imprudent enough to entangle themselves among these

shoals, to certain destruction. The arsenal could formerly equip eighty

thousand men, both infantry and cavalry, independent of complete

armaments for war vessels.

The arsenal is bordered with raised towers, from which the view extends

in all directions. On the tallest of these towers, which is placed in

the center of the building, as well as all the others, sentinels were

stationed, both day and night, to signal the arrival of vessels, which

they could see at a very great distance. Nothing can be finer than the

dockyards for building vessels, in which ten thousand men can work with

ease. The sails are made by women, over whom other elderly women

exercise an active surveillance.

The Emperor delayed only a short time to look at the 'Bucentaure'; which

is the title of the magnificent vessel in which the Doge of Venice was

accustomed to celebrate his marriage with the sea; and a Venetian never

sees without deep chagrin this old monument of the former glory of his

country. I, in company with some persons of the Emperor's suite, had as

our guide an old mariner, whose eyes filled with tears as he related to

us in bad French that the last time he witnessed the marriage of the Doge

with the Adriatic Sea was in 1796, a year before the capture of Venice.

He also told us that he was at that time in the service of the last Doge

of the republic, Lord Louis Manini, and that the following year (1797),

the French entered Venice at the exact time when the marriage of the Doge

to the sea, which took place on Ascension Day, was usually celebrated,

and ever since the sea had remained a widow. Our good sailor paid a most

touching tribute of praise to his old master, who he said had never

succeeded in forcing himself, to take the oath of allegiance to the

Austrians, and had swooned away while resigning to them the keys of the

city.

The gondoliers are at the same time servants, errand boys, confidants,

and companions in adventures to the person who takes them into his

service; and nothing can equal the courage, fidelity, and gayety of these

brave seamen. They expose themselves fearlessly in their slender

gondolas to tempests; and their skill is so great that they turn with

incredible rapidity in the narrowest canals, cross each other, follow,

and pass each other incessantly, without ever having an accident.

I found myself in a position to judge of the skill of these hardy

mariners the day after our visit to the arsenal. His Majesty was

conducted through the lagoons as far as the fortified gate of Mala-Mocca,

and the gondoliers gave as he returned a boat-race and tournament on the

water. On that day there was also a special representation at the grand

theater, and the whole city was illuminated. In fact, one might think

that there is a continual fete and general illumination in Venice; the

custom being to spend the greater part of the night in business or

pleasure, and the streets are as brilliant and as full of people as in

Paris at four o'clock in the afternoon. The shops, especially those of

the square of Saint Mark, are brilliantly lighted, and crowds fill the

small decorated pavilions where coffee, ices, and refreshments of all

kinds are sold.

The Emperor did not adopt the Venetian mode of life, however, and retired

at the same hour as in Paris; and when he did not pass the day working

with his ministers, rode in a gondola through the lagoons, or visited the

principal establishments and public buildings of Venice; and I thus saw,

in company with his Majesty, the church of Saint Mark, and the ancient

palace of the Doge.

The church of Saint Mark has five entrances, superbly decorated with

marble columns; the gates are of bronze and beautifully carved. Above

the middle door were formerly the four famous bronze horses, which the

Emperor carried to Paris to ornament the Arch of Triumph on the Place du

Carrousel. The tower is separated from the church by a small square,

from the midst of which it rises to a height of more than three hundred

feet. It is ascended by an inclined platform without steps, which is

very convenient; and on arriving at the summit the most magnificent

panorama is spread out before you, Venice with its innumerable islands

covered with palaces, churches, and buildings, and extending at a

distance into the sea; also the immense dike, sixty feet broad, several

fathoms deep, and built of great blocks of stone, which enormous work

surrounds Venice and all its islands, and defends it against the rising

of the sea.

The Venetians have the greatest admiration for the clock placed in the

tower bearing its name, and the mechanism of which shows the progress

of the sun and moon through the twelve signs of the zodiac. In a niche

above the dialplate is an image of the Virgin, which is gilded and

lifesize; and it is said that on certain fete days, each blow of the

pendulum makes two angels appear, trumpet in hand, followed by the Three

Wise Men, who prostrate themselves at the feet of the Virgin Mary. I saw

nothing of all that, but only two large black figures striking the hour

on the clock with iron clubs.

The Doge's palace is a gloomy building; and the prisons, which are

separated from it only by a narrow canal, render the aspect still more

depressing.