The Emperor had taken, during the whole day of the 26th, only a cup of

chocolate and a little soup; and I had heard him complain of hunger

several times before the Empress arrived. Peace being restored, the

husband and wife embraced each other tenderly, and the Empress passed on

into her apartments in order to make her toilet. During this time the

Emperor received Messieurs Decres and De Montalivet, whom he had

summoned in the morning by a mounted messenger; and about half-past seven

the Empress reappeared, dressed in perfect taste. In spite of the cold,

she had had her hair dressed with silver wheat and blue flowers, and wore

a white satin polonaise, edged with swan's down, which costume was

exceedingly becoming. The Emperor interrupted his work to regard her:

"I did not take long at my toilet, did I?" said she, smiling; whereupon

his Majesty, without replying, showed her the clock, then rose, gave her

his hand, and was about to enter the dining-room, saying to Messieurs De

Montalivet and Decres, "I will be with you in five minutes."--"But," said

the Empress, "these gentlemen have perhaps not yet dined, as they have

come from Paris."--"Ah, that is so!....." and the ministers entered the

dining-room with their Majesties. But hardly had the Emperor taken his

seat, than he rose, threw aside his napkin, and re-entered his cabinet,

where these gentlemen were compelled to follow him, though much against

their inclinations.

The day ended better than it had begun. In the evening there was a

reception, not large, but most agreeable, at which the Emperor was very

gay, and in excellent humor, and acted as if anxious to efface the memory

of the little scene with the Empress. Their Majesties remained at

Fontainebleau till the 14th of November. The King of Saxony had arrived

the evening before at Paris; and the Emperor, who rode on horseback

nearly all the way from Fontainebleau to Paris, repaired on his arrival

to the Palace de l'Elysee. The two monarchs appeared very agreeably

impressed with each other, and went in public together almost every day,

and one morning early left the Tuileries on foot, each accompanied by a

single escort. I was with the Emperor. They directed their steps,

following the course of the stream, towards the bridge of Jena, the work

on which was being rapidly carried to completion, and reached the Place

de la Revolution, where fifty or sixty persons collected with the

intention of accompanying the two sovereigns; but as this seemed to annoy

the Emperor, agents of the police caused them to disperse. When he had

reached the bridge, his Majesty examined the work attentively; and

finding some defects in the construction, had the architect called, who

admitted the correctness of his observations, although, in order to

convince him, the Emperor had to talk for some time, and often repeated

the same explanations. His Majesty, turning then towards the King of

Saxony, said to him, "You see, my cousin, that the master's eye is

necessary everywhere."--"Yes," replied the King of Saxony; "especially an

eye so well trained as your Majesty's."

We had not been long at Fontainebleau, when I noticed that the Emperor in

the presence of his august spouse was preoccupied and ill at ease. The

same uneasiness was visible on the countenance of the Empress; and this

state of constraint and mutual embarrassment soon became sufficiently

evident to be remarked by all, and rendered the stay at Fontainebleau

extremely sad and depressing. At Paris the presence of the King of

Saxony made some diversion; but the Empress appeared more unhappy than

ever, which gave rise to numerous conjectures, but as for me, I knew only

too well the cause of it all. The Emperor's brow became more furrowed

with care each day, until the 30th of November arrived.

On that day the dinner was more silent than ever. The Empress had wept

the whole day; and in order to conceal as far as possible her pallor, and

the redness of her eyes, wore a large white hat tied under her chin, the

brim of which concealed her face entirely. The Emperor sat in silence,

his eyes fastened on his plate, while from time to time convulsive

movements agitated his countenance; and if he happened to raise his eyes,

glanced stealthily at the Empress with unmistakable signs of distress.

The officers of the household, immovable as statues, regarded this

painful and gloomy scene with sad anxiety; while the whole repast was

simply a form, as their Majesties touched nothing, and no sound was heard

but the regular movement of plates placed and carried away, varied sadly

by the monotonous tones of the household officers, and the tinkling sound

made by the Emperor's striking his knife mechanically on the edge of his

glass. Once only his Majesty broke the silence by a deep sigh, followed

by these words addressed to one of the officers: "What time is it?" An

aimless question of the Emperor's, it seemed, for he did not hear, or at

any rate did not seem to hear, the answer; but almost immediately he rose

from the table, and the Empress followed him with slow steps, and her

handkerchief pressed against her lips as if to suppress her sobs. Coffee

was brought, and, according to custom, a page presented the waiter to the

Empress that she might herself pour it out; but the Emperor took it

himself, poured the coffee in the cup, and dissolved the sugar, still

regarding the Empress, who remained standing as if struck with a stupor.

He drank, and returned the cup to the page; then gave a signal that he

wished to be alone, and closed the door of the saloon. I remained

outside seated by the door; and soon no one remained in the dining-room

except one of the prefects of the palace, who walked up and down with

folded arms, foreseeing, as well as I, terrible events. At the end of a

few moments I heard cries, and sprang up; just then the Emperor opened

the door quickly, looked out, and saw there no one but us two. The

Empress lay on the floor, screaming as if her heart were breaking: "No;

you will not do it! You would not kill me!" The usher of the room had

his back turned. I advanced towards him; he understood, and went out.

His Majesty ordered the person who was with me to enter, and the door was

again closed. I have since learned that the Emperor requested him to

assist him in carrying the Empress to her apartment. "She has," he said,

"a violent nervous attack, and her condition requires most prompt

attention." M. de B----- with the Emperor's assistance raised the

Empress in his arms; and the Emperor, taking a lamp from the mantel,

lighted M. de B----- along the passage from which ascended the little

staircase leading to the apartments of the Empress. This staircase was

so narrow, that a man with such a burden could not go down without great

risk of falling; and M. de B-----, having called his Majesty's attention

to this, he summoned the keeper of the portfolio, whose duty it was to be

always at the door of the Emperor's cabinet which opened on this

staircase, and gave him the light, which was no longer needed, as the

lamps had just been lighted. His Majesty passed in front of the keeper,

who still held the light, and carrying the feet of the Empress himself,

descended the staircase safely with M. de B-----; and they thus reached

the bedroom. The Emperor rang for her women, and when they entered,

retired with tears in his eyes and every sign of the deepest emotion.

This scene affected him so deeply that he said to M. de B----- in a

trembling, broken tone, some words which he must never reveal under any

circumstances. The Emperor's agitation must have been very great for him

to have informed M. de B----- of the cause of her Majesty's despair, and

to have told him that the interests of France and of the Imperial Dynasty

had done violence to his heart, and the divorce had become a duty,

deplorable and painful, but none the less a duty.

Queen Hortense and M. Corvisart soon reached the Empress, who passed a

miserable night. The Emperor also did not sleep, and rose many times to

ascertain Josephine's condition. During the whole night her Majesty did

not utter a word. I have never witnessed such grief.

Immediately after this, the King of Naples, the King of Westphalia, the

King of Wurtemberg, and the king and princesses of the Imperial family,

arrived at Paris to be present at the fetes given by the city of Paris to

his Majesty in commemoration of the victories and the pacification of

Germany, and at the same time to celebrate the anniversary of the

coronation. The session of the legislative corps was also about to open.

It was necessary, in the interval between the scene which I have just

described and the day on which the decree of divorce was signed, that the

Empress should be present on all these occasions, and attend all these

fetes, under the eyes of an immense crowd of people, at a time when

solitude alone could have in any degree alleviated her sorrow; it was

also necessary that she should cover up her face with rouge in order to

conceal her pallor and the signs of a month passed in tears. What

tortures she endured, and how much she must have bewailed this elevation,

of which nothing remained to her but the necessity of concealing her

feelings!

On the 3d of December their Majesties repaired to Notre Dame, where a

'Te Deum' was sung; after which the Imperial cortege marched to the

palace of the Corps Legislatif, and the opening of the session was held

with unusual magnificence. The Emperor took his place amidst

inexpressible enthusiasm, and never had his appearance excited such

bursts of applause: even the Empress was more cheerful for an instant,

and seemed to enjoy these proofs of affection for one who was soon to be

no longer her husband; but when he began to speak she relapsed into her

gloomy reflections.

It was almost five o'clock when the cortege returned to the Tuileries,

and the Imperial banquet was to take place at half-past seven. During

this interval, a reception of the ambassadors was held, after which the

guests passed on to the gallery of Diana.

The Emperor held a grand dining in his coronation robes, and wearing his

plumed hat, which he did not remove for an instant. He ate more than was

his custom, notwithstanding the distress under which he seemed to be

laboring, glanced around and behind him every moment, causing the grand

chamberlain continually to bend forward to receive orders which he did

not give. The Empress was seated in front of him, most magnificently

dressed in an embroidered robe blazing with diamonds; but her face

expressed even more suffering than in the morning.

On the right of the Emperor was seated the King of Saxony, in a white

uniform with red facings, and collar richly embroidered in silver,

wearing a false cue of prodigious length.

By the side of the King of Saxony was the King of Westphalia, Jerome

Bonaparte, in a white satin tunic, and girdle ornamented with pearls and

diamonds, which reached almost up to his arms. His neck was bare and

white, and he wore no whiskers and very little beard; a collar of

magnificent lace fell over his shoulders; and a black velvet cap

ornamented with white plumes, which was the most elegant in the assembly,

completed this costume. Next him was the King of Wurtemberg with his

enormous stomach, which forced him to sit some distance from the table;

and the King of Naples, in so magnificent a costume that it might almost

be considered extravagant, covered with crosses and stars, who played

with his fork, without eating or drinking.

On the right of the Empress was Madame Mere, the Queen of Westphalia, the

Princess Borghese, and Queen Hortense, pale as the Empress, but rendered

only more beautiful by her sadness, her face presenting a striking

contrast on this occasion to that of the Princess Pauline, who never

appeared in better spirits. Princess Pauline wore an exceedingly

handsome toilet; but this did not increase the charms of her person

nearly so much as that worn by the Queen of Holland, which, though

simple, was elegant and full of taste.

Next day a magnificent fete was held at the Hotel de Ville, where the

Empress displayed her accustomed grace and kind consideration. This was

the last time she appeared on occasions of ceremony.

A few days after all these rejoicings, the Vice-king of Italy, Eugene de

Beauharnais, arrived, and learned from the lips of the Empress herself

the terrible measure which circumstances were about to render necessary.

This news overcame him: agitated and despairing, he sought his Majesty;

and, as if he could not believe what he had just heard asked the Emperor

if it was true that a divorce was about to take place. The Emperor made

a sign in the affirmative, and, with deep grief depicted on his

countenance, held out his hand to his adopted son. "Sire, allow me to

quit your service."--"What!"--"Yes, Sire; the son of one who is no longer

Empress cannot remain vice-king. I wish to accompany my mother to her

retreat, and console her."--"Do you wish to leave me, Eugene? You? Ah,

you do not know how imperious are the reasons which force me to pursue

such a course. And if I obtain this son, the object of my most cherished

wishes, this son who is so necessary to me, who will take my place with

him when I shall be absent? Who will be a father to him when I die? Who

will rear him, and who will make a man of him?" Tears filled the

Emperor's eyes as he pronounced these words; he again took Eugene's hand,

and drawing him to his arms, embraced him tenderly. I did not hear the

remainder of this interesting conversation.

At last the fatal day arrived; it was the 16th of December. The Imperial

family were assembled in ceremonial costume, when the Empress entered in

a simple white dress, entirely devoid of ornament; she was pale, but

calm, and leaned on the arm of Queen Hortense, who was equally as pale,

and much more agitated than her august mother. The Prince de Beauharnais

stood beside the Emperor, and trembled so violently that it was thought

he would fall every moment. When the Empress entered, Count Regnaud de

Saint-Jean d'Angely read the act of separation.

This was heard in the midst of profound silence, and the deepest concern

was depicted on every face. The Empress appeared calmer than any one

else in the assemblage, although tears incessantly flowed from her eyes.

She was seated in an armchair in the midst of the saloon, resting her

elbow on a table, while Queen Hortense stood sobbing behind her. The

reading of the act ended, the Empress rose, dried her eyes, and in a

voice which was almost firm, pronounced the words of assent, then seated

herself in a chair, took a pen from the hand of M. Regnaud de Saint-Jean

d'Angely, and signed the act. She then withdrew, leaning on the arm of

Queen Hortense; and Prince Eugene endeavored to retire at the same moment

through the cabinet, but his strength failed, and he fell insensible

between the two doors. The cabinet usher immediately raised him up, and

committed him to the care of his aide-de-camp, who lavished on him every

attention which his sad condition demanded.

During this terrible ceremony the Emperor uttered not a word, made not a

gesture, but stood immovable as a statue, his gaze fixed and almost wild,

and remained silent and gloomy all day. In the evening, when he had just

retired, as I was awaiting his last orders, the door opened, and the

Empress entered, her hair in disorder, and her countenance showing great

agitation. This sight terrified me. Josephine (for she was now no more

than Josephine) advanced towards the Emperor with a trembling step, and

when she reached him, paused, and weeping in the most heartrending

manner, threw herself on the bed, placed her arms around the Emperor's

neck, and lavished on him most endearing caresses. I cannot describe my

emotions. The Emperor wept also, sat up and pressed Josephine to his

heart, saying to her, "Come, my good Josephine, be more reasonable!

Come, courage, courage; I will always be your friend." Stifled by her

sobs, the Empress could not reply; and there followed a silent scene, in

which their tears and sobs flowed together, and said more than the

tenderest expressions could have done. At last his Majesty, recovering

from this momentary forgetfulness as from a dream, perceived that I was

there, and said to me in a voice choked with tears, "Withdraw, Constant."

I obeyed, and went into the adjoining saloon; and an hour after Josephine

passed me, still sad and in tears, giving me a kind nod as she passed.

I then returned to the sleeping-room to remove the light as usual; the

Emperor was silent as death, and so covered with the bedclothes that his

face could not be seen.

The next morning when I entered the Emperor's room he did not mention

this visit of the Empress; but I found him suffering and dejected, and

sighs which he could not repress issued from his breast. He did not

speak during the whole time his toilet lasted, and as soon as it was

completed entered his cabinet. This was the day on which Josephine was

to leave the Tuileries for Malmaison, and all persons not engaged in

their duties assembled in the vestibule to see once more this dethroned

empress whom all hearts followed in her exile. They looked at her

without daring to speak, as Josephine appeared, completely veiled, one

hand resting on the shoulder of one of her ladies, and the other holding

a handkerchief to her eyes. A concert of inexpressible lamentations

arose as this adored woman crossed the short space which separated her

from her carriage, and entered it without even a glance at the palace she

was--quitting--quitting forever;--the blinds were immediately lowered,

and the horses set off at full speed.

CHAPTER XXIV.

The marriage of the Emperor to Marie Louise was the first step in a new

career. He flattered himself that it would be as glorious as that he had

just brought to a close, but it was to be far otherwise. Before entering

on a recital of the events of the year 1810, I shall narrate some

recollections, jotted down at random, which, although I can assign them

no precise date, were, nevertheless, anterior to the period we have now

reached.

The Empress Josephine had long been jealous of the beautiful Madame

Gazani, one of her readers, and treated her coldly; and when she

complained to the Emperor, he spoke to Josephine on the subject, and

requested her to show more consideration for her reader, who deserved it

on account of her attachment to the person of the Empress, and added that

she was wrong in supposing that there was between Madame Gazani and

himself the least liaison. The Empress, without being convinced by this

last declaration of the Emperor, had nevertheless become much more

cordial to Madame Gazani, when one morning the Emperor, who apparently

was afraid the beautiful Genoese might obtain some ascendency over her,

suddenly entered the Empress's apartment, and said to her, "I do not wish

to see Madame Gazani here longer; she must return to Italy." This time

it was the good Josephine who defended her reader. There were already

rumors of a divorce; and the Empress remarked to his Majesty, "You know

well, my friend, that the best means of being rid of Madame Gazani's

presence is to allow her to remain with me. Let me keep her, then.

We can weep together; she and I understand each other well."

From this time the Empress was a firm friend of Madame Gazani, who

accompanied her to Malmaison and Navarre. What increased the kind

feelings of the Empress for this lady was that she thought her distressed

by the Emperor's inconstancy. For my part, I have always believed that

Madame Gazani's attachment to the Emperor was sincere, and her pride must

have suffered when she was dismissed; but she had no difficulty in

consoling herself in the midst of the homage and adoration which

naturally surrounded such a pretty woman.

The name of the Empress Josephine recalls two anecdotes which the Emperor

himself related to me. The outrageous extravagance in the Empress's

household was a continual vexation to him, and he had dismissed several

furnishers of whose disposition to abuse Josephine's ready credulity he

had ample proof.

One morning he entered the Empress's apartments unannounced, and found

there assembled several ladies holding a secret toilet council, and a

celebrated milliner making an official report as to all the handsomest

and most elegant novelties. She was one of the very persons whom the

Emperor had expressly forbidden to enter the palace; and he did not

anticipate finding her there. Yet he made no outburst; and Josephine,

who knew him better than any one else, was the only one who understood

the irony of his look as he retired, saying, "Continue ladies; I am sorry

to have disturbed you." The milliner, much astonished that she was not

put rudely out of the door, hastened to retire; but when she reached the

last step of the stairs leading to the apartments of her Majesty the

Empress, she encountered an agent of the police, who requested her as

politely as possible to enter a cab which awaited her in the Court of the

Carrousel. In vain she protested that she much preferred walking; the

agent, who had received precise instructions, seized her arm in such a

manner as to prevent all reply, and she was obliged to obey, and to take

in this unpleasant company the road to Bicetre.

Some one related to the Emperor that this arrest had caused much talk in

Paris, and that he was loudly accused of wishing to restore the Bastile;

that many persons had visited the prisoner, and expressed their sympathy,

and there was a procession of carriages constantly before the prison.

His Majesty took no notice of this, and was much amused by the interest

excited in this seller of topknots, as he called her. "I will," said his

Majesty on this subject, "let the gossips talk, who think it a point of

honor to ruin themselves for gewgaws; but I want this old Jewess to learn

that I put her inside because she had forgotten that I told her to stay

outside."

Another celebrated milliner also excited the surprise and anger of his

Majesty one day by observations which no one in France except this man

would have had the audacity to make. The Emperor, who was accustomed, as

I have said, to examine at the end of every month the accounts of his

household, thought the bill of the milliner in question exorbitant, and

ordered me to summon him. I sent for him; and he came in less than ten

minutes, and was introduced into his Majesty's apartment while he was at

his toilet. "Monsieur," said the Emperor, his eyes fixed on the account,

"your prices are ridiculous, more ridiculous, if possible, than the

silly, foolish people who think they need your goods. Reduce this to a

reasonable amount or I will do it myself." The merchant, who held in his

hand the duplicate of his bill, began to explain article by article the

price of his goods, and concluded the somewhat long narration with a mild

surprise that the sum total was no more. The Emperor, whom I was

dressing during all this harangue, could hardly restrain his impatience;

and I had already foreseen that this singular scene would end

unpleasantly, when the milliner filled up the measure of his assurance by

taking the unparalleled liberty of remarking to his Majesty that the sum

allowed for her Majesty's toilet was insufficient, and that there were

simple citizens' wives who spent more than that. I must confess that at

this last impertinence I trembled for the shoulders of this imprudent

person, and watched the Emperor's movements anxiously. Nevertheless, to

my great astonishment, he contented himself with crumpling in his hand

the bill of the audacious milliner, and, his arms folded on his breast,

made two steps towards him, pronouncing this word only, "Really!" with

such an accent and such a look that the merchant rushed to the door, and

took to his heels without waiting for a settlement.

The Emperor did not like me to leave the chateau, as he wished always to

have me within call, even when my duties were over and he did not need

me; and I think it was with this idea of detaining me that his Majesty

several times gave me copying to do. Sometimes, also, the Emperor wished

notes to be taken while he was in bed or in his bath, and said to me,

"Constant, take a pen and write;" but I always refused, and went to

summon M. de Meneval. I have already stated that the misfortunes of the

Revolution had caused my education to be more imperfect than it should

have been; but even had it been as good as it is defective, I much doubt

whether I would ever have been able to write from the Emperor's

dictation. It was no easy thing to fill this office, and required that

one should be well accustomed to it; for he spoke quickly, all in one

breath, made no pause, and was impatient when obliged to repeat.

In order to have me always at hand, the Emperor gave me permission to

hunt in the Park of Saint-Cloud, and was kind enough to remark that since

I was very fond of hunting, in granting me this privilege he was very

glad to have combined my pleasure with his need of me. I was the only

person to whom permission was given to hunt in the park. At the same

time the Emperor made me a present of a handsome double-barreled gun

which had been presented to him at Liege, and which I have still in my

possession. His Majesty himself did not like double-barreled guns, and

used in preference the simple, small guns which had belonged to Louis

XVI., and on which this monarch, who was an excellent gunsmith, had

worked, it is said, with his own hands.

The sight of these guns often led the Emperor to speak of Louis XVI.,

which he never did except in terms of respect and pity. "That

unfortunate prince," said the Emperor, "was good, wise, and learned. At

another period he would have been an excellent king, but he was worth

nothing in a time of revolution. He was lacking in resolution and

firmness, and could resist neither the foolishness nor the insolence of

the Jacobins. The courtiers delivered him up to the Jacobins, and they

led him to the scaffold. In his place I would have mounted my horse,

and, with a few concessions on one side, and a few cracks of my whip on

the other, I would have reduced things to order."

When the diplomatic corps came to pay their respects to the Emperor at

Saint-Cloud (the same custom was in use at the Tuileries), tea, coffee,

chocolate, or whatever these gentlemen requested, was served in the

saloon of the ambassadors. M. Colin, steward controller, was present at

this collation, which was served by the domestics of the service.

There was at Saint-Cloud an apartment which the Emperor fancied very

much; it opened on a beautiful avenue of chestnut-trees in the private

park, where he could walk at any hour without being seen. This apartment

was surrounded with full-length portraits of all the princesses of the

Imperial family, and was called the family salon. Their Highnesses were

represented standing, surrounded by their children; the Queen of

Westphalia only was seated. She had, as I have said, a very fine bust,

but the rest of her figure was ungraceful. Her Majesty the Queen of

Naples was represented with her four children; Queen Hortense with only

one, the oldest of her living sons; the Queen of Spain with her two

daughters; Princess Eliza with hers, dressed like a boy; the Vice-Queen

alone, having no child at the time this portrait was made; Princess

Pauline was also alone.

The theater and hunting were my chief amusements at Saint-Cloud. During

my stay at this chateau I received a visit from a distant cousin whom I

had not seen for many years. All that he had heard of the luxury which

surrounded the Emperor, and the magnificence of the court, had vividly

excited his curiosity, which I took pleasure in gratifying; and he was

struck with wonder, at every step. One evening when there was a play at

the chateau, I took him into my box, which was near the pit; and the view

which the hall offered when filled so delighted my cousin, that I was

obliged to name each personage in order to satisfy his insatiable

curiosity, which took them all in succession, one by one. It was a short

time before the marriage of the Emperor to the Archduchess of Austria,

and the court was more brilliant than ever. I showed my cousin in

succession their Majesties, the King and Queen of Westphalia, the King

and Queen of Naples, the Queen of Holland, King of Bavaria, their

Highnesses the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Prince and Princess Borghese,

the Princess of Baden, the Grand Duke of Wurzburg, etc., besides the

numerous dignitaries, princes, marshals, ambassadors, etc., by whom the

hall was filled. My cousin was in ecstasy, and thought himself at least

a foot taller from being in the midst of this gilded multitude, and

consequently paid no attention to the play, being much more interested in

the interior of the hall; and when we left the theater could not tell me

what piece had been played. His enthusiasm, however, did not carry him

so far as to make him forget the incredible tales that had been related

to him about the pickpockets of the capital, and the recommendations

which had been made to him on this subject. In the promenades at the

theater, in every assemblage whatever, my cousin watched with anxious

solicitude over his purse, watch, and handkerchief; and this habitual

prudence did not abandon him even at the court theater, for just as we

were leaving our box, to mingle with the brilliant crowd which came out

of the pit and descended from the boxes, he said to me with the utmost

coolness, covering with his hand his chain and the seals of his watch,

"After all, it is well to take precautions; one does not know every one

here."

At the time of his marriage the Emperor was more than ever overwhelmed

with petitions, and granted, as I shall relate farther on, a large number

of pardons and petitions.

All petitions sent to the Emperor were handed by him to the aide-de-camp

on duty, who carried them to his Majesty's cabinet, and received orders

to make a report on them the next day; and not even as many as ten times

did I find any petitions in his Majesty's pockets, though I always

examined them carefully, and even these rare instances were owing to the

fact that the Emperor had no aide-de-camp near him when they were

presented. It is then untrue, as has been so often said and written,

that the Emperor placed in a private pocket, which was called the good

pocket, the petitions he wished to grant, without even examining them.

All petitions which deserved it received an answer, and I remember that I

personally presented a large number to his Majesty; he did not put these

in his pocket, and in almost every instance I had the happiness of seeing

them granted. I must, however, make an exception of some which I

presented for the Cerf-Berr brothers, who claimed payment for supplies

furnished the armies of the republic; for to them the Emperor was always

inexorable. I was told that this was because Messieurs Cerf-Berr had

refused General Bonaparte a certain sum which he needed during the

campaign of Italy.

These gentlemen interested me deeply in their cause; and I several times

presented their petition to his Majesty, and in spite of the care I took

to place it in his Majesty's hands only when he was in good humor,

I received no reply. I nevertheless continued to present the petition,

though I perceived that when the Emperor caught a glimpse of it he always

became angry; and at length one morning, just as his toilet was

completed, I handed him as usual his gloves, handkerchief, and snuff-box,

and attached to it again this unfortunate paper. His Majesty passed on

into his cabinet, and I remained in the room attending to my duties, and

while busied with these saw the Emperor re-enter, a paper in his hand.

He said to me, "Come, Constant, read this; you will see that you are

mistaken, and the government owes nothing to the Cerf-Berr brothers; so

say nothing more to me about it; they are regular Arabs." I threw my

eyes on the paper, and read a few words obediently; and though I

understood almost nothing of it, from that moment I was certain that the

claim of these gentlemen would never be paid. I was grieved at this, and

knowing their disappointment, made them an offer of services which they

refused. The Cerf-Berr brothers, notwithstanding my want of success,

were convinced of the zeal I had manifested in their service, and thanked

me warmly. Each time I addressed a petition to the Emperor, I saw M. de

Meneval, whom I begged to take charge of it. He was very obliging, and

had the kindness to inform me whether my demands could hope for success;

and he told me that as for the Cerf-Berr brothers, he did not think the

Emperor would ever compensate them.

In fact, this family, at one time wealthy, but who had lost an immense

patrimony in advances made to the Directory, never received any

liquidation of these claims, which were confided to a man of great

honesty, but too much disposed to justify the name given him.

Madame Theodore Cerf-Berr on my invitation had presented herself several

times with her children at Rambouillet and Saint-Cloud, to beseech the

Emperor to do her justice. This respectable mother of a family whom

nothing could dismay, again presented herself with the eldest of her

daughters at Compiegne. She awaited the Emperor in the forest, and

throwing herself in the midst of the horses, succeeded in handing him her

petition; but this time what was the result? Madame and Mademoiselle

Cerf-Berr had hardly re-entered the hotel where they were staying, when

an officer of the secret police came and requested them to accompany him.

He made them enter a mean cart filled with straw, and conducted them

under the escort of two gens d'armes to the prefecture of police at

Paris, where they were forced to sign a contract never to present

themselves again before the Emperor, and on this condition were restored

to liberty.

About this time an occasion arose in which I was more successful.

General Lemarrois, one of the oldest of his Majesty's aides-de-camp, a

soldier of well-known courage, who won all hearts by his excellent

qualities, was for some time out of favor with the Emperor, and several

times endeavored to obtain an audience with him; but whether it was that

the request was not made known to his Majesty, or he did not wish to

reply, M. Lemarrois received no answer. In order to settle the matter he

conceived the idea of addressing himself to me, entreating me to present

his petition at an opportune moment. I did this, and had the happiness

to succeed; and in consequence M. Lemarrois obtained an audience with

such gratifying results that a short time after he obtained the

governorship of Magdeburg.

The Emperor was absent-minded, and often forgot where he had put the

petitions which were handed to him, and thus they were sometimes left in

his coats, and when I found them there I carried them to his Majesty's

cabinet and handed them to M. de Meneval or M. Fain; and often, too,

the, papers for which he was hunting were found in the apartments of the

Empress. Sometimes the Emperor gave me papers to put away, and those I

placed in a box of which I alone had the key. One day there was a great

commotion in the private apartments over a paper which could not be

found. These were the circumstances:

Near the Emperor's cabinet was a small room in which the secretaries

stayed, furnished with a desk, on which notes or petitions were--often

placed. This room was usually occupied by the cabinet usher, and the

Emperor was accustomed to enter it if he wished to hold a private

conversation without being overheard by the secretaries. When the

Emperor entered this room the usher withdrew and remained outside the

door; he was responsible for everything in this room, which was never

opened except by express orders from his Majesty.

Marshal Bessieres had several days before presented to the Emperor a

request for promotion from a colonel of the army which he had warmly

supported. One morning the marshal entered the little room of which I

have just spoken, and finding his petition already signed lying on the

desk, he carried it off, without being noticed by my wife's uncle who was

on duty. A few hours after, the Emperor wished to examine this petition

again, and was very sure he had left it in this small room; but it was

not there, and it was thought that the usher must have allowed some one

to enter without his Majesty's orders. Search was made everywhere in

this room and in the Emperor's cabinet, and even in the apartments of the

Empress, and at last it was necessary to announce to his Majesty that the

search had been in vain; whereupon the Emperor gave way to one of those

bursts of anger which were so terrible though fortunately so rare, which

terrified the whole chateau, and the poor usher received orders never to

appear in his sight again. At last Marshal Bessieres, having been told

of this terrible commotion, came to accuse himself. The Emperor was

appeased, the usher restored to favor, and everything forgotten; though

each one was more careful than ever that nothing should be disturbed, and

that the Emperor should find at his finger's end whatever papers he

needed.

The Emperor would not allow any one to be introduced without his

permission, either into the Empress's apartments or his own; and this was

the one fault for which the people of the household could not expect

pardon. Once, I do not exactly remember when, the wife of one of the

Swiss Guard allowed one of her lovers to enter the apartments of the

Empress; and this unfortunate woman, without the knowledge of her

imprudent mistress, took in soft wax an impression of the key of the

jewel-box which I have already mentioned as having belonged to Queen

Marie Antoinette, and, by means of a false key made from this impression,

succeeded in stealing several articles of jewelry. The police soon

discovered the author of the robbery who was punished as he deserved,

though another person was also punished who did not deserve it, for the

poor husband lost his place.

CHAPTER XXV

After his divorce from the Empress Josephine, the Emperor appeared much

preoccupied; and as it was known that he thought of marrying again, all

persons at the chateau and in his Majesty's service were greatly

concerned about this marriage, though all our conjectures concerning the

princess destined to share the Imperial crown proved to be wrong. Some

spoke of a Russian princess, while others said the Emperor would marry

none but a French woman; but no one thought of an Austrian archduchess.

When the marriage had been decided, nothing was spoken of at the court

but the youth, grace, and native goodness of the new Empress. The

Emperor was very gay, and paid more attention to his toilet, giving me

orders to renew his wardrobe, and to order better fitting coats, made in

a more modern style. The Emperor also sat for his portrait, which the

Prince de Neuchatel carried to Marie Louise; and the Emperor received at

the same time that of his young wife, with which he appeared delighted.

The Emperor, in order to win Marie Louise's affection, did more

undignified things than he had ever done for any woman. For instance,

one day when he was alone with Queen Hortense and the Princess Stephanie,

the latter mischievously asked him if he knew how to waltz; and his

Majesty replied that he had never been able to go beyond the first

lesson, because after two or three turns he became so dizzy that he was

compelled to stop. "When I was at l'ecole militaire," added the Emperor,

"I tried again and again to overcome dizziness which waltzing produced,

but I could not succeed. Our dancing-master having advised us, in

learning to waltz, to take a chair in our arms instead of a lady, I never

failed to fall with the chair, which I pressed so lovingly that it broke;

and thus the chairs in my room, and that of two or three of my

companions, were destroyed, one after the other." This tale told in the

most animated and amusing manner by his Majesty excited bursts of

laughter from the two princesses.

When this hilarity had somewhat subsided, Princess Stephanie returned to

the charge, saying, "It really is a pity that your Majesty does not know

how to waltz, for the Germans are wild over waltzing, and the Empress

will naturally share the taste of her compatriots; she can have no

partner but the Emperor, and thus she will be deprived of a great

pleasure through your Majesty's fault."--"You are right!" replied the

Emperor; "well, give me a lesson, and you will have a specimen of my

skill." Whereupon he rose, took a few turns with Princess Stephanie,

humming the air of the Queen of Prussia; but he could not take more than

two or three turns, and even this he did so awkwardly that it increased

the amusement of these ladies. Then the Princess of Baden stopped,

saying, "Sire, that is quite enough to convince me that you will never be

anything but a poor pupil. You were made to give lessons, not to take

them."

Early in March the Prince de Neuchatel set out for Vienna commissioned to

officially request the hand of the Empress in marriage. The Archduke

Charles, as proxy of the Emperor, married the Archduchess Marie Louise,

and she set out at once for France, the little town of Brannan, on the

frontier between Austria and Bavaria, having been designated as the place

at which her Majesty was to pass into the care of a French suite. The

road from Strasburg was soon filled with carriages conveying to Brannan.

the household of the new Empress. Most of these ladies had passed from

the household of the Empress Josephine into that of Marie Louise.

The Emperor wished to see for himself if the trousseau and wedding

presents intended for his new wife were worthy of him and of her,

consequently all the clothing and linen were brought to the Tuileries,

spread out before him, and packed under his own eyes. The good taste and

elegance of each article were equaled only by the richness of the

materials. The furnishers and modistes of Paris had worked according to

models sent from Vienna; and when these models were presented to the

Emperor he took one of the shoes, which were remarkably small, and with

it gave me a blow on the cheek in the form of a caress. "See, Constant,"

said his Majesty, "that is a shoe of good augury. Have you ever seen a

foot like that? This is made to be held in the hand."

Her Majesty the Queen of Naples had been sent to Brannan, by the Emperor

to receive the Empress. Queen Caroline, of whom the Emperor once said

that she was a man among her sisters, as Prince Joseph was a woman among

his brothers, mistook, it is said, the timidity of Marie Louise for

weakness, and thought that she would only have to speak and her young

sister-in-law would hasten to obey. On her arrival at Brannan the formal

transfer was solemnly made; and the Empress bade farewell to all her

Austrian household, retaining in her service only her first lady of

honor, Madame de Lajanski, who had reared her and never been absent from

her. Etiquette required that the household of the Empress should be

entirely French, and the orders of the Emperor were very precise in this

regard; but I do not know whether it is true, as has been stated, that

the Empress had demanded and obtained from the Emperor permission to

retain for a year this lady of honor. However that may be, the Queen of

Naples thought it to her interest to remove a person whose influence over

the mind of the Empress she so much feared; and as the ladies of the

household of her Imperial Majesty were themselves eager to be rid of the

rivalry of Madame de Lajanski, and endeavored to excite still more the

jealousy of her Imperial highness, a positive order was demanded from the

Emperor, and Madame de Lajanski was sent back from Munich to Vienna.

The Empress obeyed without complaint, but knowing who had instigated the

blow, cherished a profound resentment against her Majesty the Queen of

Naples. The Empress traveled only by short stages, and was welcomed by

fetes in each town through which she passed. Each day the Emperor sent

her a letter from his own hand, and she replied regularly. The first

letters of the Empress were very short, and probably cold, for the

Emperor said nothing about them; but afterwards they grew longer and

gradually more affectionate, and the Emperor read them in transports of

delight, awaiting the arrival of these letters with the impatience of a

lover twenty years of age, and always saying the couriers traveled

slowly, although they broke down their horses.

The Emperor returned from the chase one day holding in his hands two

pheasants which he had himself killed, and followed by footmen bearing in

their hands the rarest flowers from the conservatory of Saint-Cloud. He

wrote a note, and immediately said to his first page, "In ten minutes be

ready to enter your carriage. You will find there this package which you

will give with your own hand to her Majesty the Empress, with the

accompanying letter. Above all do not spare the horses; go as fast as

possible, and fear nothing. The Duke of Vicenza shall say nothing to

you." The young man asked nothing better than to obey his Majesty; and

strong in this authority, which gave him perfect liberty, he did not

grudge drink money to the postilions, and in twenty-four hours had

reached Strasburg and delivered his message.

I do not know whether he received a reprimand from the grand equerry on

his return; but if there was any cause for this, the latter would not

have failed to bestow it, in spite of the Emperor's assurance to the

first page. The Duke of Vicenza had organized and kept in admirable

order the service of the stables, where nothing was done except by his

will, which was most absolute; and it was only with the greatest

difficulty that the Emperor himself could change an order which the grand

equerry had given. For instance, his Majesty was one day en route to

Fontainebleau, and being very anxious to arrive quickly, gave orders to

the outrider who regulated the gait of the horses, to go faster. This

order he transmitted to the Duke of Vicenza whose carriage preceded that

of the Emperor; and finding that the grand equerry paid no attention to

this order, the Emperor began to swear, and cried to the outrider through

the door, "Let my carriage pass in front, since those in front will not

go on." The outriders and postilions were about to execute this maneuver

when the grand equerry also put his head out of the door and exclaimed,

"Keep to a trot, the first man who gallops I will dismiss on arriving."

It was well known that he would keep his word, so no one dared to pass,

and his carriage continued to regulate the pace of the others. On

reaching Fontainebleau the Emperor demanded of the Duke of Vicenza an

explanation of his conduct. "Sire," replied the duke to his Majesty,

"when you allow me a larger sum for the expenses of the stables, you can

kill your horses at your pleasure."

The Emperor cursed every moment the ceremonials and fetes which delayed

the arrival of his young wife. A camp had been formed near Soissons for

the reception of the Empress. The Emperor was now at Compiegne, where he

made a decree containing several clauses of benefits and indulgences on

the occasion of his marriage, setting at liberty many condemned, giving

Imperial marriage dowries to six thousand soldiers, amnesties,

promotions, etc. At length his Majesty learned that the Empress was not

more than ten leagues from Soissons, and no longer able to restrain his

impatience, called me with all his might, "Ohe ho, Constant! order a

carriage without livery, and come and dress me." The Emperor wished to

surprise the Empress, and present himself to her without being announced;

and laughed immoderately at the effect this would produce. He attended

to his toilet with even more exquisite care than usual, if that were

possible, and with the coquetry of glory dressed himself in the gray

redingote he had worn at Wagram; and thus arrayed, the Emperor entered a

carriage with the King of Naples. The circumstances of this first

meeting of their Imperial Majesties are well known.

In the little village of Courcelles, the Emperor met the last courier,

who preceded by only a few moments the carriages of the Empress; and as

it was raining in torrents, his Majesty took shelter on the porch of the

village church. As the carriage of the Empress was passing, the Emperor

made signs to the postilions to stop; and the equerry, who was at the

Empress's door, perceiving the Emperor, hastily lowered the step, and

announced his Majesty, who, somewhat vexed by this, exclaimed, "Could you

not see that I made signs to you to be silent?" This slight ill-humor,

however, passed away in an instant; and the Emperor threw himself on the

neck of Marie Louise, who, holding in her hand the picture of her

husband, and looking attentively first at it, then at him, remarked with

a charming smile, "It is not flattered." A magnificent supper had been

prepared at Soissons for the Empress and her cortege; but the Emperor

gave orders to pass on, and drove as far as Compiegne, without regard to

the appetites of the officers and ladies in the suite of the Empress.

CHAPTER XXVI.

On their Majesties' arrival at Compiegne, the Emperor presented his hand

to the Empress, and conducted her to her apartment. He wished that no

one should approach or touch his young wife before himself; and his

jealousy was so extreme on this point that he himself forbade the senator

de Beauharnais, the Empress's chevalier of honor, to present his hand to

her Imperial Majesty, although this was one of the requirements of his

position. According to the programme, the Emperor should have occupied a

different residence from the Empress, and have slept at the hotel of the

Chancellerie; but he did nothing of the sort, since after a long

conversation with the Empress, he returned to his room, undressed,

perfumed himself with cologne, and wearing only a nightdress returned

secretly to the Empress.

The next morning the Emperor asked me at his toilet if any one noticed

the change he had made in the programme; and I replied that I thought

not, though at the risk of falsehood. Just then one of his Majesty's

intimate friends entered who was unmarried, to whom his Majesty, pulling

his ears, said, "My dear fellow, marry a German. They are the best wives

in the world; gentle, good, artless, and fresh as roses." From the air

of satisfaction with which the Emperor said this, it was easy to see that

he was painting a portrait, and it was only a short while since the

painter had left the model. After making his toilet, the Emperor

returned to the Empress, and towards noon had breakfast sent up for her

and him, and served near the bed by her Majesty's women. Throughout the

day he was in a state of charming gayety, and contrary to his usual

custom, having made a second toilet for dinner, wore the coat made by the

tailor of the King of Naples; but next day he would not allow it to be

put on again, saying it was much too uncomfortable.

The Emperor, as may be seen from the preceding details, loved his new

wife most tenderly. He paid her constant attentions, and his whole

conduct was that of a lover deeply enamoured. Nevertheless, it is not

true, as some one has said, that he remained three months almost without

working, to the great astonishment of his ministers; for work was not

only a duty with the Emperor, it was both a necessity and an enjoyment,

from which no other pleasure, however great, could distract him; and on

this occasion, as on every other, he knew perfectly well how to combine

the duties he owed to his empire and his army with those due to his

charming wife.

The Empress Marie Louise was only nineteen years old at the period of her

marriage. Her hair was blond, her eyes blue and expressive, her carriage

noble, and her figure striking, while her hand and foot might have served

as models; in fact, her whole person breathed youth, health, and

freshness. She was diffident, and maintained a haughty reserve towards

the court; but she was said to be affectionate and friendly in private

life, and one fact I can assert positively is that she was very

affectionate toward the Emperor, and submissive to his will. In their

first interview the Emperor asked her what recommendations were made to

her on her departure from Vienna. "To be entirely devoted to you, and to

obey you in all things," which instructions she seemed to find no

difficulty in obeying.

No one could resemble the first Empress less than the second, and except

in the two points of similarity of temperament, and an extreme regard for

the Emperor, the one was exactly the opposite of the other; and it must

be confessed the Emperor congratulated himself on this difference, in

which he found both novelty and charm. He himself drew a parallel

between his two wives in these terms: "The one [Josephine] was all art

and grace; the other [Marie Louise] innocence and natural simplicity. At

no moment of her life were the manners or habits of the former other than

agreeable and attractive, and it would have been impossible to take her

at a disadvantage on these points; for it was her special object in life

to produce only advantageous impressions, and she gained her end without

allowing this effort to be seen. All that art can furnish to supplement

attractions was practiced by her, but so skillfully that the existence of

this deception could only be suspected at most. On the contrary, it

never occurred to the mind of the second that she could gain anything by

innocent artifices. The one was always tempted to infringe upon the

truth, and her first emotion was a negative one. The other was ignorant

of dissimulation, and every deception was foreign to her. The first

never asked for anything, but she owed everywhere. The second did not

hesitate to ask if she needed anything, which was very rarely, and never

purchased anything without feeling herself obliged to pay for it

immediately. To sum it all up, both were good, gentle wives, and much

attached to their husband." Such, or very nearly these, were the terms

in which the Emperor spoke of his Empresses. It can be seen that he drew

the comparison in favor of the second; and with this idea he gave her

credit for qualities which she did not possess, or at least exaggerated

greatly those really belonging to her.

The Emperor granted Marie Louise 500,000 francs for her toilet, but she

never spent the entire amount. She had little taste in dress, and would

have made a very inelegant appearance had she not been well advised.

The Emperor was present at her toilet those days on which he wished her

to appear especially well, and himself tried the effect of different

ornaments on the head, neck, and arms of the Empress, always selecting

something very handsome. The Emperor was an excellent husband, of which

he gave proof in the case of both his wives. He adored his son, and both

as father and husband might have served as a model for all his subjects;

yet in spite of whatever he may have said on the subject himself, I do

not think he loved Marie Louise with the same devoted affection as

Josephine. The latter had a charming grace, a kindness, an intelligence,

and a devotion to her husband which the Emperor knew and appreciated at

its full value; and though Marie Louise was younger, she was colder, and

had far less grace of manner. I think she was much attached to her

husband; but she was reserved and reticent, and by no means took the

place of Josephine with those who had enjoyed the happiness of being near

the latter.

Notwithstanding the apparent submission with which she had bidden

farewell to her Austrian household, it is certain that she had strong

prejudices, not only against her own household, but also against that of

the Emperor, and never addressed a gracious word to the persons in the

Emperor's personal service. I saw her frequently, but not a smile, a

look, a sign, on the part of the Empress showed me that I was in her eyes

anything more than a stranger. On my return from Russia, whence I did

not arrive until after the Emperor, I lost no time in entering his room,

knowing that he had already asked for me, and found there his Majesty

with the Empress and Queen Hortense. The Emperor condoled with me on the

sufferings I had recently undergone, and said many flattering things

which proved his high opinion of me; and the queen, with that charming

grace of which she is the only model since the death of her august

mother, conversed with me for some time in the kindest manner. The

Empress alone kept silence; and noticing this the Emperor said to her,

"Louise, have you nothing to say to poor Constant?"--"I had not

perceived him," said the Empress. This reply was most unkind, as it was

impossible for her Majesty not to have "perceived" me, there being at

that moment present in the room only the Emperor, Queen Hortense, and I.

The Emperor from the first took the severest precautions that no one, and

especially no man, should approach the Empress, except in the presence of

witnesses.

During the time of the Empress Josephine, there were four ladies whose

only duty was to announce the persons received by her Majesty. The

excessive indulgence of Josephine prevented her repressing the jealous

pretensions of some persons of her household, which gave rise to endless

debates and rivalries between the ladies of the palace and those of

announcement. The Emperor had been much annoyed by all these bickerings,

and, in order to avoid them in future, chose, from the ladies charged

with the education of the daughters of the Legion of Honor in the school

at Rouen, four new ladies of announcement for the Empress Marie Louise.

Preference was at first given to the daughters or widows of generals; and

the Emperor decided that the places becoming vacant belonged by right to

the best pupils of the Imperial school of Rouen, and should be given as a

reward for good conduct. A short time after, the number of these ladies

now being as many as six, two pupils of Madame de Campan were named, and

these ladies changed their titles to that of first ladies of the Empress.

This change, however, excited the displeasure of the ladies of the

palace, and again aroused their clamors around the Emperor; and he

consequently decided that the ladies of announcement should take the

title of first ladies of the chamber. Great clamor among the ladies of

announcement in their turn, who came in person to plead their cause

before the Emperor; and he at last ended the matter by giving them the

title of readers to the Empress, in order to reconcile the requirements

of the two belligerent parties.

These ladies of announcement, or first ladies of the chamber, or readers,

as the reader may please to call them, had under their orders six femmes

de chambre, who entered the Empress's rooms only when summoned there by a

bell. These latter arranged her Majesty's toilet and hair in the

morning; and the six first ladies took no part in her toilet except the

care of the diamonds, of which they had special charge. Their chief and

almost only employment was to follow the steps of the Empress, whom they

left no more than her shadow, entering her room before she arose, and

leaving her no more till she was in bed. Then all the doors opening into

her room were closed, except that leading into an adjoining room, in

which was the bed of the lady on duty, and through which, in order to

enter his wife's room, the Emperor himself must pass.

With the exception of M. de Meneval, secretary of orders of the Empress,

and M. Ballouhai, superintendent of expenses, no man was admitted into

the private apartments of the Empress without an order from the Emperor;

and the ladies even, except the lady of honor and the lady of attire,

were received only after making an appointment with the Empress. The

ladies of the private apartments were required to observe these rules,

and were responsible for their execution; and one of them was required to

be present at the music, painting, and embroidery lessons of the Empress,

and wrote letters by her dictation or under her orders.

The Emperor did not wish that any man in the world should boast of having

been alone with the Empress for two minutes; and he reprimanded very

severely the lady on duty because she one day remained at the end of the

saloon while M. Biennais, court watchmaker, showed her Majesty a secret

drawer in a portfolio he had made for her. Another time the Emperor was

much displeased because the lady on duty was not seated by the side of

the Empress while she took her music-lesson with M. Pier.

These facts prove conclusively the falsity of the statement that the

milliner Leroy was excluded from the palace for taking the liberty of

saying to her Majesty that she had beautiful shoulders. M. Leroy had the

dresses of the Empress made at his shop by a model which was sent him;

and they were never tried on her Majesty, either by him, or any person of

her Majesty's household, and necessary alterations were indicated by her

femmes de chambre. It was the same with the other merchants and

furnishers, makers of corsets, the shoemaker, glovemaker, etc.; not one

of whom ever saw the Empress or spoke to her in her private apartments.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Their Majesties' civil marriage was celebrated at Saint-Cloud on Sunday,

the 1st of April, at two o'clock in the afternoon. The religious

ceremony was solemnized the next day in the grand gallery of the Louvre.

A very singular circumstance in this connection was the fact that Sunday

afternoon at Saint-Cloud the weather was beautiful, while the streets of

Paris were flooded with a heavy shower lasting some time, and on Monday

there was rain at Saint-Cloud, while the weather was magnificent in

Paris, as if the fates had decreed that nothing should lessen the

splendor of the cortege, or the brilliancy of the wonderful illuminations

of that evening. "The star of the Emperor," said some one in the

language of that period, "has borne him twice over equinoctial winds."

On Monday evening the city of Paris presented a scene that might have

been taken from the realms of enchantment: the illuminations were the

most brilliant I have ever witnessed, forming a succession of magic

panorama in which houses, hotels, palaces, and churches, shone with

dazzling splendor, the glittering towers of the churches appeared like

stars and comets suspended in the air. The hotels of the grand

dignitaries of the empire, the ministers, the ambassadors of Austria and

Russia, and the Duke d'Abrantes, rivaled each other in taste and beauty.

The Place Louis XV. was like a scene from fairyland; from the midst of

this Place, surrounded with orange-trees on fire, the eye was attracted

in succession by the magnificent decorations of the Champs-Elysees, the

Garde Meuble, the Temple of Glory, the Tuileries, and the Corps

Legislatif. The palace of the latter represented the Temple of Hymen,

the transparencies on the front representing Peace uniting the august

spouses. Beside them stood two figures bearing shields, on which were

represented the arms of the two empires; and behind this group came

magistrates, warriors, and the people presenting crowns. At the two

extremities of the transparencies were represented the Seine and the

Danube, surrounded by children-image of fecundity. The twelve columns of

the peristyle and the staircase were illuminated; and the columns were

united by garlands of colored lights, the statues on the peristyle and

the steps also bearing lights. The bridge Louis XV., by which this

Temple of Hymen was reached, formed in itself an avenue, whose double

rows of lamps, and obelisks and more than a hundred columns, each

surmounted by a star and connected by spiral festoons of colored lights,

produced an effect so brilliant that it was almost unendurable to the

naked eye. The cupola of the dome of Saint Genevieve was also

magnificently lighted, and each side outlined by a double row of lamps.

At each corner were eagles, ciphers in colored glass, and garlands of

fire suspended between torches of Hymen. The peristyle of the dome was

lighted by lamps placed between each column, and as the columns were not

lighted they seemed as if suspended in the air. The lantern tower was a

blaze of light; and all this mass of brilliancy was surmounted by a

tripod representing the altar of Hymen, from which shot tongues of flame,

produced by bituminous materials. At a great elevation above the

platform of the observatory, an immense star, isolated from the platform,

and which from the variety of many-colored glasses composing it sparkled

like a vast diamond, under the dome of night. The palace of the senate

also attracted a large number of the curious; but I have already extended

too far the description of this wonderful scene which unfolded itself at

every step before us.

The city of Paris did homage to her Majesty the Empress by presenting her

with a toilet set even more magnificent than that formerly presented to

the Empress Josephine. Everything was in silver gilt, even the arm chair

and the cheval glass. The paintings on the exquisite furniture had been

made by the first artists, and the elegance and finish of the ornaments

surpassed even the rich ness of the materials.

About the end of April their Majesties set out together to visit the

departments of the North; and the journey was an almost exact repetition

of the one I made in 1804 with the Emperor, only the Empress was no

longer the good, kind Josephine. While passing again through all these

towns, where I had seen her welcomed with so much enthusiasm, and who now

addressed the same adoration and homage to a new sovereign, and while

seeing again the chateaux of Lacken, Brussels, Antwerp, Boulogne, and

many other places where I had seen Josephine pass in triumph, as at

present Marie Louise passed, I thought with chagrin of the isolation of

the first wife from her husband, and the suffering which must penetrate

even into her retreat, as she was told of the honors rendered to the one

who had succeeded her in the Emperor's heart and on the Imperial throne.

The King and Queen of Westphalia and Prince Eugene accompanied their

Majesties. We saw a vessel with eighty cannon launched at Antwerp, which

received, before leaving the docks, the benediction of M. de Pradt,

Archbishop of Malines. The King of Holland, who joined the Emperor at

Antwerp, felt most unkindly towards his Majesty, who had recently

required of him the cession of a part of his states, and soon after

seized the remainder. He was, however, present in Paris at the marriage

fetes of the Emperor, who had even sent him to meet Marie Louise; but the

two brothers had not ceased their mutual distrust of each other, and it

must be admitted that that of King Louis had only too good foundation.

What struck me as very singular in their altercations was that the

Emperor, in the absence of his brother, gave vent to the most terrible

bursts of rage, and to violent threats against him, while if they had an

interview they treated each other in the most amicable and familiar and

brotherly manner. Apart they were, the one, Emperor of the French, the

other, King of Holland, with opposite interests and views; together they

were no more than, if I may be permitted to so express myself, Napoleon

and Louis, companions and friends from childhood.

Prince Louis was habitually sad and melancholy. The annoyances he

experienced on the throne, where he had been placed against his will,

added to his domestic troubles, made him evidently very unhappy, and all

who knew him pitied him sincerely; for King Louis was an excellent

master, and an honest man of much merit. It has been said that when the

Emperor had decided on the union of Holland and France, King Louis

resolved to defend himself in the town of Amsterdam to the last

extremity, and to break the dikes and inundate the whole country if

necessary, in order to arrest the invasion of the French troops. I do

not know whether this is true; but from what I have seen of this prince's

character, I am very sure that, while having enough personal courage to

expose his own person to all the chances of this desperate alternative,

his naturally kind heart and his humanity would have prevented the

execution of this project.

At Middleburg the Emperor embarked on board the Charlemagne to visit the

mouth of the Scheldt and the port and island of Flushing. During this

excursion we were assailed by a terrible tempest, three anchors were

broken in succession; we met with other accidents, and encountered great

dangers.

The Emperor was made very sick, and every few moments threw himself on

his bed, making violent but unsuccessful efforts to vomit, which rendered

his sickness more distressing. I was fortunate enough not to be at all

inconvenienced, and was thus in a position to give him all the attention

he required; though all the persons of his suite were sick, and my uncle,

who was usher on duty, and obliged to remain standing at the door of his

Majesty's cabin, fell over continually, and suffered agony. During this

time of torment, which lasted for three days, the Emperor was bursting

with impatience. "I think," said he, "that I would have made a pretty

admiral."

A short time after our return from this voyage, the Emperor wished her

Majesty the Empress to learn to ride on horseback; and for this purpose

she went to the riding-hall of Saint-Cloud. Several persons of the

household were in the gallery to see her take her first lesson, I among

the number; and I noticed the tender solicitude of the Emperor for his

young wife, who was mounted on a gentle, well-broken horse, while the

Emperor held her hand and walked by her side, M. Jardin, Sr., holding the

horse's bridle. At the first step the horse made, the Empress screamed

with fright, whereupon the Emperor said to her, "Come, Louise, be brave.

What have you to fear? Am I not here?" And thus the lesson passed, in

encouragement on one side and fright on the other. The next day the

Emperor ordered the persons in the gallery to leave, as they embarrassed

the Empress; but she soon overcame her timidity, and ended by becoming a

very good horsewoman, often racing in the park with her ladies of honor

and Madame the Duchess of Montebello, who also rode with much grace. A

coach with some ladies followed the Empress, and Prince Aldobrandini, her

equerry, never left her in her rides.

The Empress was at an age in which one enjoys balls and fetes; but the

Emperor feared above all things her becoming tired, and consequently

rejoicings and amusements were given up at the court and in the city.

A fete given in honor of their Majesties by the Prince of Schwartzenberg,

ambassador from Austria, ended in a frightful accident.

The prince occupied the former Hotel de la Montesson in the rue de la

Chaussee d'Antin; and in order to give this ball had added to this

residence a broad hall and wooden gallery, decorated with quantities of

flowers, banners, candelabra, etc. Just as the Emperor, who had been

present at the fete for two or three hours, was about to retire, one of

the curtains, blown by the breeze, took fire from the lights, which had

been placed too near the windows, and was instantly in flames. Some

persons made ineffectual efforts to extinguish the fire by tearing down

the drapery and smothering the flames with their hands; but in the

twinkling of an eye the curtains, papers, and garlands caught, and the

wood-work began to burn.

The Emperor was one of the first to perceive the rapid progress of the

fire, and foresee the results. He approached the Empress, who had

already risen to join him, and got out with her, not without some

difficulty, on account of the crowd which rushed towards the doors; the

Queens of Holland, Naples, Westphalia, the Princess Borghese, etc.,

following their Majesties, while the Vice-queen of Italy, who was

pregnant, remained in the hall, on the platform containing the Imperial

boxes. The vice-king, fearing the crowd as much as the fire for his

wife, took her out through a little door that had been cut in the

platform in order to serve refreshments to their Majesties. No one had

thought of this opening before Prince Eugene, and only a few persons went

out with him. Her Majesty the Queen of Westphalia did not think herself

safe, even when she had reached the terrace, and in her fright rushed

into the rue Taitbout, where she was found by a passer-by.

The Emperor accompanied the Empress as far as the entrance of the

Champs-Elysees, where he left her to return to the fire, and did not

re-enter Saint-Cloud until four o'clock in the morning. From the time

of the arrival of the Empress we were in a state of terrible

apprehension, and every one in the chateau was a prey to the greatest

anxiety in regard to the Emperor. At last he arrived unharmed, but very

tired, his clothing all in disorder, and his face blackened with smoke,

his shoes and stockings scorched and burned by the fire. He went

directly to the chamber of the Empress to assure himself if she had

recovered from the fright she had experienced; and then returned to his

room, and throwing his hat on the bed, dropped on a sofa, exclaiming,

"Mon Dieu! What a fete!" I remarked that the Emperor's hands were all

blackened, and he had lost his gloves at the fire. He was much

dejected, and while I was undressing him, asked if I had attended the

prince's fete, and when I replied in the negative, deigned to give me

some details of this deplorable event. The Emperor spoke with an

emotion which I saw him manifest only two or three times in his life,

and which he never showed in regard to his own misfortunes. "The fire,"

said his Majesty, "has to-night devoured a heroic woman. The

sister-in-law of the Prince of Schwartzenberg, hearing from the burning

hall cries which she thought were uttered by her eldest daughter, threw

herself into the midst of the flames, and the floor, already nearly

burned through, broke under her feet, and she disappeared. After all

the poor mother was mistaken, and all her children were out of danger.

Incredible efforts were made, and at last she was recovered from the

flames; but she was entirely dead, and all the attentions of the

physicians have been unsuccessful in restoring her to life." The

emotion of the Emperor increased at the end of this recital. I had

taken care to have his bath in readiness, foreseeing he would need it on

his return; and his Majesty now took it, and after his customary

rubbing, found himself in much better condition. Nevertheless, I

remember his expressing fear that the terrible accident of this night

was the precursor of some fatal event, and he long retained these

apprehensions. Three years after, during the deplorable campaign of

Russia, it was announced to the Emperor one day, that the army-corps

commanded by the Prince of Schwartzenberg had been destroyed, and that

the prince himself had perished; afterwards he found fortunately that

these tidings were false, but when they were brought to his Majesty, he

exclaimed as if replying to an idea that had long preoccupied him, "Then

it was he whom the bad omen threatened."

Towards morning the Emperor sent pages to the houses of all those who had

suffered from the catastrophe with his compliments, and inquiries as to

their condition. Sad answers were brought to his Majesty. Madame the

Princess de la Layen, niece of the Prince Primate, had died from her

wounds; and the lives of General Touzart, his wife, and daughter were

despaired of,--in fact, they died that same day. There were other

victims of this disaster; and among a number of persons who recovered

after long-continued sufferings were Prince Kourakin and Madame Durosnel,

wife of the general of that name.

Prince Kourakin, always remarkable for the magnificence as well as the

singular taste of his toilet, wore at the ball a coat of gold cloth, and

it was this which saved his life, as sparks and cinders slipped off his

coat and the decorations with which he was covered like a helmet; yet,

notwithstanding this, the prince was confined to his bed for several

months. In the confusion he fell on his back, was for some time,

trampled under foot and much injured, and owed his life only to the

presence of mind and strength of a musician, who raised him in his arms

and carried him out of the crowd.

General Durosnel, whose wife fainted in the ball-room, threw himself in

the midst of the flames, and reappeared immediately, bearing in his arms

his precious burden. He bore Madame Durosnel into a house on the

boulevard, where he placed her until he could find a carriage in which to

convey her to his hotel. The Countess Durosnel was painfully burned, and

was ill more than two years. In going from the ambassador's hotel to the

boulevard he saw by the light of the fire a robber steal the comb from

the head of his wife who had fainted in his arms. This comb was set with

diamonds, and very valuable.

Madame Durosnel's affection for her husband was equal to that he felt for

her; and when at the end of a bloody combat, in the second campaign of

Poland, General Durosnel was lost for several days, and news was sent to

France that he was thought to be dead, the countess in despair fell ill

of grief, and was at the point of death. A short time after it was

learned that the general was badly but not mortally wounded, and that he

had been found, and his wounds would quickly heal. When Madame Durosnel

received this happy news her joy amounted almost to delirium; and in the

court of her hotel she made a pile of her mourning clothes and those of

her people, set fire to them, and saw this gloomy pile turn to ashes amid

wild transports of joy and delight.

Two days after the burning of the hotel of the Prince of Schwartzenberg,

the Emperor received the news of the abdication of his brother Louis, by

which event his Majesty seemed at first much chagrined, and said to some

one who entered his room just as he had been informed of it, "I foresaw

this madness of Louis, but I did not think he would be in such haste."

Nevertheless, the Emperor soon decided what course to take; and a few

days afterwards his Majesty, who during the toilet had not opened his

mouth, came suddenly out of his preoccupation just as I handed him his

coat, and gave me two or three of his familiar taps. "Monsieur

Constant," said he, "do you know what are the three capitals of the

French Empire?" and without giving me time to answer, the Emperor

continued, "Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam. That sounds well, does it not?"

CHAPTER XXVIII.

In the latter part of July large crowds visited the Church of the Hotel

des Invalides, in which were placed the remains of General Saint-Hilaire

and the Duke de Montebello, the remains of the marshal being placed near

the tomb of Turenne. The mornings were spent in the celebration of

several masses, at a double altar which was raised between the nave and

the dome; and for four days there floated from the spire of the dome a

long black banner or flag edged with white.

The day the remains of the marshal were removed from the Invalides to the

Pantheon, I was sent from Saint-Cloud to Paris with a special message for

the Emperor. After this duty was attended to, I still had a short time

of leisure, of which I availed myself to witness the sad ceremony and bid

a last adieu to the brave warrior whose death I had witnessed. At noon

all the civil and military authorities assembled at the Invalides; and

the body was transferred from the dome into the church, and placed on a

catafalque in the shape of a great Egyptian pyramid, raised on an

elevated platform, and approached through four large arches, the posts of

which were entwined with garlands of laurels interlaced with cypress.

At the corners were statues in the attitude of grief, representing Force,

Justice, Prudence, and Temperance, virtues characteristic of the hero.

This pyramid ended in a funeral urn surmounted by a crown of fire. On

the front of the pyramid were placed the arms of the duke, and medallions

commemorating the most remarkable events of his life borne by genii.

Under the obelisk was placed the sarcophagus containing the remains of

the marshal, at the corners of which were trophies composed of banners

taken from his enemies, and innumerable silver candelabra were placed on

the steps by which the platform was reached. The oaken altar, in the

position it occupied before the Revolution, was double, and had a double

tabernacle, on the doors of which were the commandments, the whole

surmounted by a large cross, from the intersection of which was suspended

a shroud. At the corners of the altar were the statues of St. Louis and

St. Napoleon. Four large candelabra were placed on pedestals at the

corners of the steps, and the pavement of the choir and that of the nave

were covered with a black carpet. The pulpit, also draped in black and

decorated with the Imperial eagle, and from which was pronounced the

funeral oration over the marshal, was situated on the left in front of

the bier; on the right was a seat of ebony decorated with Imperial arms,

bees, stars, lace, fringes, and other ornaments in silver, which was

intended for the prince arch-chancellor of the Empire, who presided at

the ceremony. Steps were erected in the arches of the aisles, and

corresponded to the tribunes which were above; and in front of these

steps were seats and benches for the civil and military authorities, the

cardinals, archbishops, bishops, etc. The arms, decorations, baton, and

laurel crown of the marshal were placed on the bier.

All the nave and the bottom of the aisles were covered with black with a

white bordering, as were the windows also, and the draperies displayed

the marshal's arms, baton, and cipher.

The organ was entirely concealed by voluminous hangings which in no wise

lessened the effect of its mournful tones. Eighteen sepulchral silver

lamps were suspended by chains from lances, bearing on their points flags

taken from the enemy. On the pilasters of the nave were fastened

trophies of arms, composed of banners captured in the numerous

engagements which had made the marshal's life illustrious. The railing

of the altar on the side of the esplanade was draped in black, and above

this were the arms of the duke borne by two figures of Fame holding palms

of victory; above was written: "Napoleon to the Memory of the Duke of

Montebello, who died gloriously on the field of Essling, 22d. May, 1809."

The conservatory of music executed a mass composed of selections from the

best of Mozart's sacred pieces. After the ceremony the body was carried

as far as the door of the church and placed on the funeral car, which was

ornamented with laurel and four groups of the banners captured from the

enemy by his army-corps in the numerous battles in which the marshal had

taken part, and was preceded by a military and religious procession,

followed by one of mourning and honor. The military cortege was composed

of detachments from all branches of the army, cavalry, and light

infantry, and the line, and artillery both horse and foot; followed by

cannon, caissons, sappers, and miners, all preceded by drums, trumpets,

bands, etc.; and the general staff, with the marshal, Prince of Wagram,

at its head, formed of all the general officers, with the staff of the

division and of the place.

The religious procession was composed of children and old men from the

hospitals, clergy from all the parishes and from the metropolitan church

of Paris, bearing crosses and banners, with singers and sacred music, and

his Majesty's chaplain with his assistants. The car on which was placed

the marshal's body followed immediately after. The marshals, Duke of

Conegliano, Count Serrurier, Duke of Istria, and Prince of Eckmuhl, bore

the corners of the pall. On each side of the car two of the marshal's

aides-de-camp bore a standard, and on the bier were fastened the baton of

the marshal and the decorations of the Duke of Montebello.

After the car came the cortege of mourning and of honor; the marshal's

empty carriage, with two of his aides-de-camp on horseback at the door,

four mourning carriages for the marshal's family, the carriages of the

princes, grand dignitaries, marshals, ministers, colonel-generals, and

chief inspectors. Then came a detachment of cavalry preceded by

trumpets, and bands on horseback followed the carriages and ended the

procession. Music accompanied the chants, all the bells of the churches

tolled, and thirteen cannon thundered at intervals.

On arriving at the subterranean entrance of the church of

Saint-Genevieve, the body was removed from the car by grenadiers who had

been decorated and wounded in the same battles as the marshal. His

Majesty's chaplain delivered the body to the arch-priest. The Prince of

Eckmuhl addressed to the new Duke of Montebello the condolences of the

army, and the prince arch-chancellor deposited on the bier the medal

destined to perpetuate the memory of these funeral honors of the warrior

to whom they were paid, and of the services which so well merited them.

Then all the crowd passed away, and there remained in the church only a

few old servants of the marshal, who honored his memory as much and even

more by the tears which they shed in silence than did all this public

mourning and imposing ceremony. They recognized me, for we had been

together on the campaign. I remained some time with them, and we left

the Pantheon together.

During my short excursion to Paris, their Majesties had left Saint-Cloud

for Rambouillet, so I set out to rejoin them with the equipages of the

marshal, Prince de Neuchatel, who had left court temporarily to be

present at the obsequies of the brave Duke of Montebello.

It was, if I am not mistaken, on arriving at Rambouillet that I learned

the particulars of a duel which had taken place that day between two

gentlemen, pages of his Majesty. I do not recall the subject of the

quarrel; but, though very trivial in its origin, it became very serious

from the course of conduct to which it led. It was a dispute between

schoolboys; but these school-boys wore swords, and regarded each other,

not without reason, as more than three-fourths soldiers, so they had

decided to fight. But for this fight, two things were necessary,--time

and secrecy; as to their time, it was employed from four or five in the

morning till nine in the evening, almost constantly, and secrecy was not

maintained.

M. d'Assigny, a man of rare merit and fine character, was then

sub-governor of the pages, by whom his faithfulness, kindness, and

justice had caused him to be much beloved. Wishing to prevent a

calamity, he called before him the two adversaries; but these young men,

destined for army service, would hear of no other reparation than the

duel. M. d'Assigny had too much tact to attempt to argue with them,

knowing that he would not have been obeyed; but he offered himself as

second, was accepted by the young men, and being given the selection of

arms, chose the pistol, and appointed as the time of meeting an early

hour next morning, and everything was conducted in the order usual to

such affairs. One of the pages shot first, and missed his adversary; the

other discharged his weapon in the air, upon which they immediately

rushed into each other's arms, and M. d'Assigny took this opportunity of

giving them a truly paternal lecture. Moreover, the worthy sub-governor

not only kept their secret, but he kept his own also; for the pistols

loaded by M. d'Assigny contained only cork balls; a fact of which the

young men are still ignorant.

Some persons saw the 25th of August, which was the fete day of the

Empress, arrive with feelings of curiosity. They thought that from a

fear of exciting the memories of the royalists, the Emperor would

postpone this solemnity to another period of the year, which he could

easily have done by feting his august spouse under the name of Marie.

But the Emperor was not deterred by such fears, and it is also very

probable that he was the only one in the chateau to whom no such idea

occurred. Secure in his power, and the hopes that the French nation then

built upon him, he knew well that he had nothing to dread from exiled

princes, or from a party which appeared dead without the least chance of

resurrection. I have heard it asserted since, and very seriously too,

that his Majesty was wrong to fete Saint Louis, which had brought him

misfortune, etc.; but these prognostications, made afterwards, did not

then occupy the thoughts of any one, and Saint Louis was celebrated in

honor of the Empress Marie Louise with almost unparalleled pomp and

brilliancy.

A few days after these rejoicings, their Majesties held in the Bois de

Boulogne a review of the regiments of the Imperial Guard of Holland,

which the Emperor had recently ordered to Paris. In honor of their

arrival his Majesty had placed here and there in the walks of the Bois

casks of wine with the heads knocked in, so that each soldier could drink

at will; but this imperial munificence had serious results which might

have become fatal. The Holland soldiery more accustomed to strong beer

than to wine, nevertheless found the latter much to their taste, and

imbibed it in such great quantities, that in consequence their heads were

turned to an alarming extent. They began at first with some encounters,

either among themselves or with the curious crowd who observed them too

closely. Just then a storm arose suddenly, and the promenaders of

Saint-Cloud and its environs hastened to return to Paris, passing

hurriedly through the Bois de Boulogne; and these Hollanders, now in an

almost complete state of intoxication, began fighting with each other in

the woods, stopping all the women who passed, and threatening very,

rudely the men by whom, most of them were accompanied. In a flash the

Bois resounded with cries of terror, shouts, oaths, and innumerable

combats. Some frightened persons ran as far as Saint-Cloud, where the

Emperor then was; and he was no sooner informed of this commotion, than

he ordered squad after squad of police to march on the Hollanders and

bring them to reason. His Majesty was very angry, and said, "Has any

one ever seen anything equal to these big heads? See them turned

topsy-turvy by two glasses of wine!" but in spite of this jesting, the

Emperor was not without some anxiety and placed himself at the grating

of the park, opposite the bridge, and in person gave directions to the

officers and soldiers sent to restore order. Unfortunately the darkness

was too far advanced for the soldiers to see in what direction to march;

and there is no knowing how it would have ended if an officer of one of

the patrol guards had not conceived the happy idea of calling out, "The

Emperor! there is the Emperor!" And the sentinels repeated after him,

"There is the Emperor," while charging the most mutinous Hollanders. And

such was the terror inspired in these soldiers by the simple name of his

Majesty, that thousands of armed men, drunken and furious, dispersed

before this name alone, and regained their quarters as quickly and

secretly as they could. A few were arrested and severely punished.

I have already said that the Emperor often superintended the toilet of

the Empress, and even that of her ladies. In fact, he liked all the

persons surrounding him to be well and even richly dressed.

But about this time he gave an order the wisdom of which I much admired.

Having often to hold at the baptismal font the children of his grand

officers, and foreseeing that the parents would not fail to dress their

new-born babes in magnificent toilets, the Emperor ordered that children

presented for baptism should wear only a simple long linen robe.

This prudent measure spared at the same time the purse and the vanity of

the parents. I remarked during this ceremony that the Emperor had some

trouble in paying the necessary attention to the questions of the

officiating priest. The Emperor was usually very absentminded during the

services at church, which were not long, as they never lasted more than

ten or fifteen minutes; and yet I have been told that his Majesty asked

if it were not possible to perform them in less time.--He bit his nails,

took snuff oftener than usual, and looked about him constantly, while a

prince of the church uselessly took the trouble to turn the leaves of his

Majesty's book, in order to follow the service.

CHAPTER XXIX.

The pregnancy of Marie Louise had been free from accident, and promised a

happy deliverance, which was awaited by the Emperor with an impatience in

which France had joined for a long while. It was a curious thing to

observe the state of the public mind, while the people formed all sorts

of conjectures, and made unanimous and ardent prayers that the child

should be a son, who might receive the vast inheritance of Imperial

glory. The 19th of March, at seven o'clock in the evening, the Empress

was taken ill; and from that moment the whole palace was in commotion.

The Emperor was informed, and sent immediately for M. Dubois, who had

been staying constantly at the chateau for some time past, and whose

attentions were so valued at such a time.

All the private household of the Empress, as well as Madame de

Montesquieu, were gathered in the apartment, the Emperor, his mother,

sisters, Messieurs Corvisart, Bourdier, and Yvan in an adjoining room.

The Emperor came in frequently, and encouraged his young wife. In the

interior of the palace, the attention was eager, impassioned, clamorous;

and each vied with the other as to who should first have the news of the

birth of the child. At five o'clock in the morning, as the situation of

the Empress continued the same, the Emperor ordered every one to retire,

and himself withdrew in order to take his bath; for the anxiety he had

undergone made a moment of repose very necessary to him in his great

agitation. After fifteen minutes spent in the bath he was hastily

summoned, as the condition of the Empress had become both critical and

dangerous. Hastily throwing on his dressing-gown, he returned to the

apartment of the Empress, and tenderly encouraged her, holding her hand.

The physician, M. Dubois, informed him that it was improbable both mother

and child could be saved; whereupon he cried, "Come, M. Dubois, keep your

wits about you! Save the mother, think only of the mother, I order you."

As the intense suffering continued, it became necessary to use

instruments; and Marie Louise, perceiving this, exclaimed with

bitterness, "Is it necessary to sacrifice me because I am an Empress?"

The Emperor overcome by his emotions had retired to the dressing-room,

pale as death, and almost beside himself. At last the child came into

the world; and the Emperor immediately rushed into the apartment,

embracing the Empress with extreme tenderness, without glancing at the

child, which was thought to be dead; and in fact, it was seven minutes

before he gave any signs of life, though a few drops of brandy were blown

into his mouth and many efforts made to revive him. At last he uttered a

cry.

The Emperor rushed from the Empress's arms to embrace this child, whose

birth was for him the last and highest favor of fortune, and seemed

almost beside himself with joy, rushing from the son to the mother, from

the mother to the son, as if he could not sufficiently feast his eyes on

either. When he entered his room to make his toilet, his face beamed

with joy; and, seeing me, he exclaimed, "Well, Constant, we have a big

boy! He is well made to pinch ears for example;" announcing it thus to

every one he met. It was in these effusions of domestic bliss that I

could appreciate how deeply this great soul, which was thought

impressible only to glory, felt the joys of family life.

From the moment the great bell of Notre Dame and the bells of the

different churches of Paris sounded in the middle of the night, until the

hour when the cannon announced the happy delivery of the Empress, an

extreme agitation was felt throughout Paris. At break of day the crowd

rushed towards the Tuileries, and filled the streets and quays, all

awaiting in anxious suspense the first discharge of the cannon. But this

curious sight was not only seen in the Tuileries and neighboring

districts, but at half-past nine in streets far removed from the chateau,

and in all parts of Paris, people could be seen stopping to count with

emotion the discharges of the cannon.

The twenty-second discharge which announced the birth of a boy was hailed

with general acclamations. To the silence of expectation, which had

arrested as if by enchantment the steps of all persons scattered over all

parts of the city, succeeded a burst of enthusiasm almost indescribable.

In this twenty-second [It had been announced in the papers that if it,

was a girl a salute of twenty-one guns would be fired; if a boy, one

hundred guns.] boom of the cannon was a whole dynasty, a whole future,

and simultaneously hats went up in the air; people ran over each other,

and embraced those to whom they were strangers amid shouts of "Vive

l'Empereur!" Old soldiers shed tears of joy, thinking that they had

contributed by their labors and their fatigues to prepare the heritage of

the King of Rome, and that their laurels would wave over the cradle of a

dynasty.

Napoleon, concealed behind a curtain at one of the windows of the

Empress's room, enjoyed the sight of the popular joy, and seemed deeply

touched. Great tears rolled from his eyes, and overcome by emotion he

came again to embrace his son. Never had glory made him shed a tear; but

the happiness of being a father had softened this heart on which the most

brilliant victories and the most sincere testimonials of public

admiration seemed hardly to make an impression. And in truth Napoleon

had a right to believe in his good fortune, which had reached its height

on the day when an archduchess of Austria made him the father of a king,

who had begun as a cadet in a Corsican family. At the end of a few hours

the event which was awaited with equal impatience by France and Europe

had become the personal joy of every household.

At half-past ten Madame Blanchard set out from L'Ecole Militaire in a

balloon for the purpose of carrying into all the towns and villages

through which she passed, the news of the birth of the King of Rome.

The telegraph carried the happy news in every direction; and at two

o'clock in the afternoon replies had already been received from Lyons,

Lille, Brussels, Antwerp, Brest, and many other large towns of the

Empire, which replies, as may well be imagined were in perfect accord

with the sentiments entertained at the capital.

In order to respond to the eagerness of the crowd which pressed

continually around the doors of the palace to learn of the welfare of the

Empress and her august child, it was decided that one of the chamberlains

should stand from morning till evening in the first saloon of the state

apartments, to receive those who came, and inform them of the bulletins

which her Majesty's physicians issued twice a day. At the end of a few

hours, special couriers were sent on all roads leading to foreign courts,

bearing the news of the delivery of the Empress; the Emperor's pages

being charged with this mission to the Senate of Italy, and the municipal

bodies of Milan and Rome. Orders were given in the fortified towns and

ports that the same salutes should be fired as at Paris, and that the

fleets should be decorated. A beautiful evening favored the special

rejoicings at the capital where the houses were voluntarily illuminated.

Those who seek to ascertain by external appearances the real feelings of

a people amid events of this kind, remarked that the topmost stories of

houses in the faubourgs were as well lighted as the most magnificent

hotels and finest houses of the capital. Public buildings, which under

other circumstances are remarkable from the darkness of the surrounding

houses, were scarcely seen amid this profusion of lights with which

public gratitude had lighted every window. The boatmen gave an impromptu

fete which lasted part of the night, and to witness which an immense

crowd covered the shore, testifying the most ardent joy. This people,

who for thirty years had passed through so many different emotions, and

who had celebrated so many victories, showed as much enthusiasm as if it

had been their first fete, or a happy change in their destiny. Verses

were sung or recited at all the theaters; and there was no poetic

formula, from the ode to the fable, which was not made use of to

celebrate the event of the 20th of March, 1811. I learned from a

well-informed person that the sum of one hundred thousand francs from the

private funds of the Emperor was distributed by M. Dequevauvilliers,

secretary of the treasury of the chamber, among the authors of the poetry

sent to the Tuileries; and finally, fashion, which makes use of the least

events, invented stuffs called roi-de-Rome, as in the old regime they had

been called dauphin. On the evening of the 20th of March at nine o'clock

the King of Rome was anointed in the chapel of the Tuileries. This was a

most magnificent ceremony. The Emperor Napoleon, surrounded by the

princes and princesses of his whole court, placed him in the center of

the chapel on a sofa surmounted by a canopy with a Prie-Dieu. Between

the altar and the balustrade had been placed on a carpet of white velvet

a pedestal of granite surmounted by a hand some silver gilt vase to be

used as a baptismal font. The Emperor was grave; but paternal tenderness

diffused over his face an expression of happiness, and it might have been

said that he felt himself half relieved of the burdens of the Empire on

seeing the august child who seemed destined to receive it one day from

the hands of his father. When he approached the baptismal font to

present the child to be anointed there was a moment of silence and

religious contemplation, which formed a touching contrast to the

vociferous gayety which at the same moment animated the crowd outside,

whom the spectacle of the brilliant fireworks had drawn from all parts of

Paris to the Tuileries.

Madame Blanchard, who as I have said had set out in her balloon an hour

after the birth of the King of Rome, to carry the news into all places

she passed, first descended at Saint-Tiebault near Lagny, and from there,

as the wind had subsided, returned to Paris. Her balloon rose after her

departure, and fell at a place six leagues farther on, and the

inhabitants, finding in this balloon only clothing and provisions, did

not doubt that the intrepid aeronaut had been killed; but fortunately

just as her death was announced at Paris, Madame Blanchard herself

arrived and dispelled all anxiety.

Many persons had doubted Marie Louise's pregnancy. Some believed it

assumed, and I never could comprehend the foolish reasons given by these

persons on this subject which malevolence tried to 'gular' fact which

carries its great number of these evil-thinking, suspicious persons, one

part accused the Emperor of being a libertine, supposing him the father

of many natural children, and the other thought him incapable of

obtaining children even by a young princess only nineteen years of age,

their hatred thus blinding their judgment. If Napoleon had natural

children, why could he not have legitimate ones, especially with a young

wife who was known to be in most flourishing health. Besides, it was not

the first, as it was not the last, shaft of malice aimed at Napoleon; for

his position was too high, his glory too brilliant, not to inspire

exaggerated sentiments whether of joy or hatred.

There were also some ill-wishers who took pleasure in saying that

Napoleon was incapable of tender sentiments, and that the happiness of

being a father could not penetrate this heart so filled with ambition as

to exclude all else. I can cite, among many others in my knowledge, a

little anecdote which touched me exceedingly, and which I take much

pleasure in relating, since, while it triumphantly answers the calumnies

of which I have spoken, it also proves the special consideration with

which his Majesty honored me, and consequently, both as a father and a

faithful servant, I experience a mild satisfaction in placing it in these

Memoirs. Napoleon was very fond of children; and having one day asked me

to bring mine to him, I went to seek him. Meanwhile Talleyrand was

announced to the Emperor; and as the interview lasted a long time, my

child grew weary of waiting, and I carried him back to his mother. A

short time after he was taken with croup, which cruel disease, concerning

which his Majesty had made a special appeal to the faculty of Paris, [on

the occasion of the death from croup in 1807 of his heir presumptive, the

young son of the King of Holland]. It snatched many children from their

families. Mine died at Paris. We were then at the chateau of Compiegne,

and I received the sad news just as I was preparing to go to the toilet.

I was too much overcome by my loss to perform my duties; and when the

Emperor asked what prevented my coming, and was told that I had just

heard of the death of my son, said kindly, "Poor Constant! what a

terrible sorrow! We fathers alone can know what it is!"

A short time after, my wife went to see the Empress Josephine at

Malmaison; and this lovely princess deigned to receive her alone in the

little room in front of her bedroom. There she seated herself beside

her, and tried in touching words of sympathy to console her, saying that

this stroke did not reach us alone, and that her grandson, too, had died

of the same disease. As she said this she began to weep; for this

remembrance reopened in her soul recent griefs, and my wife bathed with

tears the hands of this excellent princess. Josephine added many

touching remarks, trying to alleviate her sorrow by sharing it, and thus

restore resignation to the heart of the poor mother. The remembrance of

this kindness helped to calm our grief, and I confess that it is at once

both an honor and a consolation to recall the august sympathy which the

loss of this dear child excited in the hearts of Napoleon and Josephine.

The world will never know how much sensibility and compassion Josephine

felt for the sorrows of others, and all the treasures of goodness

contained in her beautiful soul.

CHAPTER XXX.

Napoleon was accustomed to compare Marie Louise with Josephine,

attributing to the latter all the advantages of art and grace, and to the

former all the charms of simplicity, modesty, and innocence. Sometimes,

however, this simplicity had in it something childish, an instance of

which I received from good authority. The young Empress, thinking

herself sick, consulted M. Corvisart, who, finding that her imagination

alone was at fault, and that she was suffering simply from the

nervousness natural to a young woman, ordered, as his only prescription,

a box of pills composed of bread and sugar, which the Empress was to take

regularly; after doing which Marie Louise found herself better, and

thanked M. Corvisart, who did not think proper, as may well be believed,

to enlighten her as to his little deception. Having been educated in a

German court, and having learned French only from masters, Marie Louise

spoke the language with the difficulty usually found in expressing one's

self in a foreign tongue. Among the awkward expressions she often used,

but which in her graceful mouth were not without a certain charm, the one

which struck me especially, because it often recurred, was this:

"Napoleon qu'est ce que veux-to?" The Emperor showed the deepest

affection for his young wife, and at the same time made her conform to

all the rules of etiquette, to which the Empress submitted with the

utmost grace. In the month of May, 1811, their Majesties made a journey

into the departments of Calvados and La Manche, where they were received

with enthusiasm by all the towns; and the Emperor made his stay at Caen

memorable by his gifts, favors, and acts of benevolence. Many young men

belonging to good families received sub-lieutenancies, and one hundred

and thirty thousand francs were devoted to various charities. From Caen

their Majesties went to Cherbourg. The day after their arrival the

Emperor set out on horseback early in the morning, visited the heights of

the town, and embarked on several vessels, while the populace pressed

around him crying "Vive l'Empereur!" The following day his Majesty held

several Councils, and in the evening visited all the marine buildings,

and descended to the bottom of the basin which is cut out of the solid

rock in order to allow the passage of vessels of the line, and which was

to be covered with fifty-five feet of water. On this brilliant journey

the Empress received her share of the enthusiasm of the inhabitants, and

in return, at the different receptions which took place, gave a graceful

welcome to the authorities of the country. I dwell purposely on these

details, as they prove that joy over the birth of the King of Rome was

not confined to Paris alone, but, on the contrary, the provinces were in

perfect sympathy with the capital.

The return of their Majesties to Paris brought with them a return of

rejoicings and fetes on the occasion of the baptismal ceremony of the

King of Rome, and the fetes by which it was accompanied were celebrated

at Paris with a pomp worthy of their object. They had as spectators the

entire population of Paris, increased by a prodigious crowd of strangers

of every class.

At four o'clock the Senate left its palace; the Council of State, the

Tuileries; the Corps Legislatif, its palace; the Court of Cassation, the

Court of Accounts, the Council of the University, and the Imperial Court,

the ordinary places of their sittings; the municipal corps of Paris and

the deputations from the forty-nine good towns, the Hotel de Ville. On

their arrival at the Metropolitan Church these bodies were placed by the

master of ceremonies with his aides, according to their rank, on the

right and left of the throne, reaching from the choir to the middle of

the nave. The diplomatic corps at five o'clock took their place on the

platform erected for this purpose.

At half-past five cannon announced the departure of their Majesties from

the Tuileries. The Imperial procession was dazzlingly magnificent; the

fine bearing of the troops, the richness and elegance of the carriages,

the brilliant costumes, made up a ravishing spectacle. The acclamations

of the people which resounded on their Majesties' route, the houses hung

with garlands and drapery, the banners streaming from the windows, the

long line of carriages, the trappings and accouterments of which

progressively increased in magnificence, following each other as in the

order of a hierarchy, this immense paraphernalia of a fete which inspired

true feeling and hopes for the future-all this is profoundly engraved on

my memory, and often occupies the long leisure hours of the old servitor

of a family which has disappeared. The baptismal ceremony took place

with unusual pomp and solemnity. After the baptism the Emperor took his

august son in his arms, and presented him to the clergy present.

Immediately the acclamations, which had been repressed till then from

respect to the ceremony and the sanctity of the place, burst forth on all

sides. The prayers being ended, their Majesties, at eight o'clock in the

evening, went to the Hotel de Ville, and were there received by the

municipal corps. A brilliant concert and a sumptuous banquet had been

tendered them by the city of Paris. The decorations of the banquet hall

showed the, arms of the forty-nine good cities, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam,

being placed first, and the forty-six others in alphabetical order.

After the banquet their Majesties took their places in the concert hall;

and at the conclusion of the concert they repaired to the throne room,

where all invited persons formed a circle. The Emperor passed round this

circle, speaking affably, sometimes even familiarly, to most of the

persons who composed it, each of whom responded in the most cordial

manner.

At last, before retiring, their Majesties were invited to pass into the

artificial garden which had been made in the court of the Hotel de Ville,

the decorations of which were very elegant. At the bottom of the garden,

the Tiber was represented by flowing water, the course of which was

directed most artistically, and diffused a refreshing coolness. Their

Majesties left the Hotel de Ville about half-past eleven, and returned to

the Tuileries by the light of most beautiful illuminations and luminous

emblems, designed in most exquisite taste. Perfect weather and a

delightful temperature favored this memorable day.

The aeronaut Garnerin left Paris at half-past six in the evening, and

descended the morning of the next day at Maule, in the department of

Seine-et-Oise. After resting there a short while, he re-entered his

balloon and continued his journey.

The provinces vied in magnificence with the capital in celebrating the

fetes of the birth and baptism of the King of Rome. Every imaginable

device, both in emblems and illuminations, had been made use of in order

to add still more pomp to these fetes; and each town had been governed in

the form of homage it rendered to the new king, either by its

geographical position or by its especial industry. For instance, at

Clermont-Ferrand an immense fire had been lighted at ten o'clock in the

evening on the summit of the Puy-de-Dome, at a height of more than five

thousand feet; and several departments could enjoy during the whole night

this grand and singular sight. In the port of Flushing the vessels were

covered with flags and banners of all colors. In the evening the whole

squadron was illuminated; thousands of lanterns hung from the masts,

yards, and rigging, forming a beautiful scene. Suddenly, at the signal

of a gun fired from the admiral's vessel, all the vessels sent forth at

once tongues of flame, and it seemed as if the most brilliant day

succeeded to the darkest night, outlining magnificently those imposing

masses reflected in the water of the sea as in a glass.

We passed so continually from one fete to another it was almost

confusing. The rejoicings over the baptism were followed by a fete given

by the Emperor in the private park of Saint-Cloud, and from early in the

morning the road from Paris to Saint-Cloud was covered with carriages and

men on foot. The fete took place in the inclosed park and the orangery,

all the boxes of which and the front of the chateau were decorated with

rich hangings, while temples and kiosks rose in the groves, and the whole

avenue of chestnut-trees was hung with garlands of colored glass.

Fountains of barley water and currant wine had been distributed so that

all persons attending the fete might refresh themselves, and tables,

elegantly arranged, had been placed in the walks. The whole park was

illuminated by pots-a-feu concealed among the shrubbery and groups of

trees.

Madame Blanchard had received orders to hold herself in readiness to set

out at half-past nine at a given signal.

At nine o'clock, the balloon being filled, she entered the basket, and

was carried to the end of the basin of the swans, in front of the

chateau; and until the moment of departure she remained in this position,

above the height of the tallest trees, and thus for more than half an

hour could be seen by all the spectators present at the fete. At

half-past nine, a gun fired from the chateau having given the expected

signal, the cords which held the balloon were cut; and immediately the

intrepid aeronaut could be seen rising majestically into the air before

the eyes of the crowd assembled in the throne room. Having arrived at a

certain height, she set off an immense star constructed around the

basket, the center of which she thus occupied; and this star for seven

or eight moments threw from its points and angles numerous other small

stars, producing a most extraordinary effect. It was the first time a

woman had been seen to rise boldly into the air surrounded by fireworks,

and she appeared as if sailing in a chariot of fire at an immense

height. I imagined myself in fairyland.

The whole of the garden which their Majesties traversed presented a view

of which it is impossible to give an idea. The illuminations were

designed in perfect taste; there were a variety of amusements, and

numerous orchestras concealed amid the trees added yet more to the

enchantment. At a given signal three doves flew from the top of a column

surmounted with a vase of flowers, and offered to their Majesties

numerous and most ingenious devices. Farther on German peasants danced

waltzes on a charming lawn, and crowned with flowers the bust of her

Majesty the Empress, and shepherds and nymphs from the opera executed

dances, Finally, a theater had been erected in the midst of the trees, on

which was represented a village fete, a comedy composed by M. Ittienne,

and set to music by Nicolo. The Emperor and Empress were seated under a

dais during this play, when suddenly a heavy shower fell, throwing all

the spectators into commotion. Their Majesties did not notice the rain

at first, protected as they were by the dais, and the Emperor being

engaged in conversation with the mayor of the town of Lyons. The latter

was complaining of the sales of the cloths of that town, when Napoleon,

noticing the frightful rain which was falling, said to this functionary,

"I answer for it that to-morrow you will have large orders."

The Emperor kept his position during most of the storm, while the

courtiers, dressed in silk and velvet, with uncovered heads, received the

rain with a smiling face. The poor musicians, wet to the skin, at last

could no longer draw any sound from their instruments, of which the rain

had snapped or stretched the cords, and it was time to put an end to this

state of affairs. The Emperor gave the signal for departure, and they

retired.

On that day Prince Aldobrandini, who in his quality of first equerry of

Marie Louise accompanied the Empress, was very happy to find and borrow

an umbrella in order to shelter Marie Louise; but there was much

dissatisfaction in the group where this borrowing was done because the

umbrella was not returned. That evening the Prince Borghese and Princess

Pauline nearly fell into the Seine in their carriage while returning to

their country house at Neuilly. Those persons who took pleasure in

finding omens, and those especially (a very small number) who saw with

chagrin the rejoicings of the Empire, did not fail to remark that every

fete given to Marie Louise had been attended by some accident. They

spoke affectedly of the ball given by the Prince of Schwartzenberg on the

occasion of the espousals, and of the fire which consumed the

dancing-hall, and the tragic death of several persons, notably of the

sister of the prince. They drew from this coincidence bad auguries;

some from ill-will, and in order to undermine the enthusiasm inspired by

the high fortunes of Napoleon; others from a superstitious credulity, as

if there could have been any serious connection between a fire which cost

the lives of several persons, and the very usual accident of a storm in

June, which ruined the toilets, and wet to the skin thousands of

spectators.

It was a very amusing scene for those who had no finery to spoil, and who

ran only the risk of taking cold, to see these poor women drenched with

the rain, running in every direction, with or without a cavalier, and

hunting for shelter which could not be found.

A few were fortunate enough to find modest umbrellas; but most of them

saw the flowers fall from their heads, beaten down by the rain, or their

finery dripping with water, dragging on the ground, in a pitiable state.

When it was time to return to Paris the carriages were missing, as the

coachmen, thinking that the fete would last till daylight, had prudently

thought that they would not take the trouble to wait all night. Those

persons with carriages could not use them, as the press was so great that

it was almost impossible to move. Several ladies got lost, and returned

to Paris on foot; others lost their shoes, and it was a pitiable sight to

see the pretty feet in the mud. Happily there were few or no accidents,

and the physician and the bed repaired everything. But the Emperor

laughed heartily at this adventure, and said that the merchants would

gain by it.

M. de Remusat, so good and ready to render a service, always forgetting

himself for others, had succeeded in procuring an umbrella, when he met

my wife and mother-in-law, who were escaping like the others, took them

on his arm, and conducted them to the palace without their having

received the least injury. For an hour he traveled back and forth from

the palace to the park, and from the park to the garden, and had the

happiness to be useful to a great number of ladies whose toilets he saved

from entire ruin. It was an act of gallantry which inspired infinite

gratitude, because it was performed in a manner evincing such kindness of

heart.

CHAPTER XXXI.