  "Josephine, my excellent Josephine, thou knowest if I have loved thee! To thee, to thee alone do I owe the only moments of happiness which I have enjoyed in this world. Josephine, my destiny overmasters my will. My dearest affections must be silent before the interests of France."—Bourrienne's Napoleon.[35] SERIES M(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 295-304.)
LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE AFTER THE DIVORCE AND BEFORE HIS MARRIAGE WITH MARIE LOUISE.December, 1809, to April 2, 1810. No. 1. To the Empress, at Malmaison. December 1809, 8 P.M. My Dear,—I found you to-day weaker than you ought to be. You have shown courage; it is necessary that you should maintain it and not give way to a doleful melancholy. You must be contented and take special care of your health, which is so precious to me. If you are attached to me and if you love me, you should show strength of mind and force yourself to be happy. You cannot question my constant and tender friendship, and you would know very imperfectly all the affection I have for you if you imagined that I can be happy if you are unhappy, and contented if you are ill at ease. Adieu, dear. Sleep well; dream that I wish it. Napoleon. No. 2. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Tuesday, 6 o'clock. The Queen of Naples, whom I saw at the hunt in the Bois de Boulogne, where I rode down a stag, told me that she left you yesterday at 1 P.M. in the best of health. Please tell me what you are doing to-day. As for me, I am very well. Yesterday, when I saw you, I was ill. I expect you will have been for a drive. Adieu, dear. Napoleon. No. 3. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Trianon, 7 P.M. My Dear,—I have just received your letter. Savary tells me that you are always crying; that is not well. I trust that you have been for a drive to-day. I sent you my quarry. I shall come to see you when you tell me you are reasonable, and that your courage has the upper hand. To-morrow, the whole day, I am receiving Ministers. Adieu, dear. I also am sad to-day; I need to know that you are satisfied and to learn that your equilibrium (aplomb) is restored. Sleep well. Napoleon. No. 4. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Thursday, Noon, 1809. My Dear,—I wished to come and see you to-day, but I was very busy and rather unwell. Still, I am just off to the Council. Please tell me how you are. This weather is very damp, and not at all healthy. Napoleon. No. 5. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Trianon. I should have come to see you to-day if I had not been obliged to come to see the King of Bavaria, who has just arrived in Paris. I shall come to see you to-night at eight o'clock, and return at ten. I hope to see you to-morrow, and to see you cheerful and placid. Adieu, dear. Napoleon. No. 6. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Trianon, Tuesday. My Dear,—I lay down after you left me yesterday;[36] I am going to Paris. I wish to hear that you are cheerful. I shall come to see you during the week. I have received your letters, which I am going to read in the carriage. Napoleon. No. 7. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Paris, Wednesday, Noon, 27th December 1809. EugÈne told me that you were very miserable all yesterday. That is not well, my dear; it is contrary to what you promised me. I have been thoroughly tired in revisiting the Tuileries; that great palace seemed empty to me, and I felt lost in it. Adieu, dear. Keep well. Napoleon. No. 8. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Paris, Sunday, December 31, 10 A.M., 1809. My Dear,—To-day I have a grand parade; I shall see all my Old Guard and more than sixty artillery trains. The King of Westphalia is returning home, which will leave a house vacant in Paris. I am sad not to see you. If the parade finishes before 3 o'clock, I will come; otherwise, to-morrow. Adieu, dear. Napoleon. No. 9. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Thursday Evening, 1810. My Dear,—Hortense, whom I saw this afternoon, has given me news of you. I trust that you will have been able to see your plants to-day, the weather having been fine. I have only been out for a few minutes at three o'clock to shoot some hares. Adieu, dear; sleep well. Napoleon. No. 10. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Friday, 8 P.M., 1810. I wished to come and see you to-day, but I cannot; it will be, I hope, in the morning. It is a long time since I heard from you. I learnt with pleasure that you take walks in your garden these cold days. Adieu, dear; keep well, and never doubt my affection. Napoleon. No. 11. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Sunday, 8 P.M., 1810. I was very glad to see you yesterday; I feel what charms your society has for me. To-day I walked with EstÈve.[37] I have allowed £4000 for 1810, for the extraordinary expenses at Malmaison. You can therefore do as much planting as you like; you will distribute that sum as you may require. I have instructed EstÈve to send £8000 the moment the contract for the Maison Julien shall be made. I have ordered them to pay for your parure of rubies, which will be valued by the Department, for I do not wish to be robbed by jewellers. So, there goes the £16,000 that this may cost me. I have ordered them to hold the million which the Civil List owes you for 1810 at the disposal of your man of business, in order to pay your debts. You should find in the coffers of Malmaison twenty to twenty-five thousand pounds; you can take them to buy your plate and linen. I have instructed them to make you a very fine porcelain service; they will take your commands in order that it may be a very fine one. Napoleon. No. 12. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Wednesday, 6 P.M., 1810. My Dear,—I see no objection to your receiving the King of Westphalia whenever you wish. The King and Queen of Bavaria will probably come to see you on Friday. I long to come to Malmaison, but you must really show fortitude I am going to dine quite alone. Adieu, dear. Never doubt the depth of my feelings for you; you would be unjust and unfair if you did. Napoleon. No. 13. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Saturday, 1 P.M., 1810. My Dear,—Yesterday I saw EugÈne, who told me that you gave a reception to the kings. I was at the concert till eight o'clock, and only dined, quite alone, at that hour. I long to see you. If I do not come to-day, I will come after mass. Adieu, dear. I hope to find you sensible and in good health. This weather should indeed make you put on flesh. Napoleon. January 9.—The clergy of Paris annul the religious marriage of Napoleon with Josephine (so Biographie Universelle, Michaud; Montgaillard gives January 18). Confirmed by the Metropolitan OfficialitÉ, January 12 (Pasquier). No. 14. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Trianon, January 17, 1810. My Dear,—D'Audenarde, whom I sent to you this morning, tells me that since you have been at Malmaison you have no longer any courage. Yet that place is full of our happy memories, which can and ought never to change, at least on my side. I want badly to see you, but I must have some assurance that Adieu, Josephine; good-night. If you doubted me, you would be very ungrateful. Napoleon. No. 15. To the Empress, at Malmaison. January 20, 1810. My Dear,—I send you the box that I promised you the day before yesterday—representing the Island of Lobau. I was rather tired yesterday. I work much, and do not go out. Adieu, dear. Napoleon. No. 16. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Noon, Tuesday, 1810. I hear that you are making yourself miserable; this is too bad. You have no confidence in me, and all the rumours that are being spread strike you; this is not knowing me, Josephine. I am much annoyed, and if I do not find you cheerful and contented, I shall scold you right well. Adieu, dear. Napoleon. No. 17. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Sunday, 9 P.M., 1810. My Dear,—I was very glad to see you the day before yesterday. I hope to go to Malmaison during the week. I have had all your affairs looked after here, and ordered that everything be brought to the ElysÉe-NapolÉon. Please take care of yourself. Adieu, dear. Napoleon. No. 18. To the Empress, at Malmaison. January 30, 1810. My Dear,—Your letter to hand. I hope the walk you had yesterday, in order to show people your conservatories, has done you good. I will gladly see you at the ElysÉe, and shall be very glad to see you oftener, for you know how I love you. Napoleon. No. 19. To the Empress, at Malmaison. Saturday, 6 P.M., 1810. I told EugÈne that you would rather give ear to the vulgar gossip of a great city than to what I told you; yet people should not be allowed to invent fictions to make you miserable. I have had all your effects moved to the ElysÉe. You shall come to Paris at once; but be at ease and contented, and have full confidence in me. Napoleon. February 2.—Soult occupies Seville. The Junta takes refuge at Cadiz. February 6.—Guadeloupe surrenders to the English. February 7.—Convention of marriage between the Emperor Napoleon and the Archduchess Marie Louise. No. 20. To the Empress, at the ElysÉe-Napoleon. February 19, 1810. My Dear,—I have received your letter. I long to see you, but the reflections that you make may be true. It is, perhaps, Adieu, dear. Napoleon. No. 21. To the Empress, at the ElysÉe-Napoleon. Friday, 6 P.M., 1810. Savary, as soon as he arrived, brought me your letter; I am sorry to see you are unhappy. I am very glad that you saw nothing of the fire. I had fine weather at Rambouillet. Hortense told me that you had some idea of coming to a dinner at BessiÈres, and of returning to Paris to sleep. I am sorry that you have not been able to manage it. Adieu, dear. Be cheerful, and consider how much you please me thereby. Napoleon. No. 22. To the Empress, at Malmaison. March 12, 1810. My Dear,—I trust that you will be pleased with what I have done for Navarre. You must see from that how anxious I am to make myself agreeable to you. Get ready to take possession of Navarre; you will go there on March 25, to pass the month of April. Adieu, dear. Napoleon. April 1.—Civil marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise. (Religious marriage, April 2.) |
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