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ficers of his party, with the exception of Augereau. Josephine gave the chiefs of the conspiracy a grand dinner at Malmaison, and played her part so well, by the help of brilliant promises to each, that they solemnly pledged themselves to unite their efforts, and gain over others to the conspiracy. Rumours of an approaching change in affairs now became prevalent-the Directors trembled in their seats: but, learning from whom the danger was to be apprehended, they resolved to make a vigorous effort, and prevent it by the arrest of Bonaparte. Josephine says, that as soon as she had a hint of their intention, she got into her carriage, drove to Paris, completely deceived Barras as to her husband's designs, drove back, encouraged Bonaparte, arrayed the forces, and became the animating soul of the conspiracy! She says, "it seemed to me that a protecting deity was at my side, redoubling my strength and courage. All around were struck down by fear and stupor; and without listening to any other voice than that of my own heart, having come to a determination by my own reflections, I instantly set out for Paris," &c. We shall not follow her in the detail of her dangerous exploits, as we have great doubts of her truth in this particular: but we are disposed to believe her assertion, that she stipulated with her husband, that if he was successful, he would spare his first benefactor, Barras, whom she had just duped for his salvation.

Josephine confirms the account of Bonaparte's panic before the Council of five hundred. The result is well known-the consular government became established with Bonaparte at its head, and the residence of Malmaison was exchanged for that of St. Cloud. Poor Josephine now experienced a sensation of grief when she was installed in the apartments of the late queen. Tears filled her eyes; "I had rather live in Malmaison," said she to her husband-"this palace displeases me-I tremble for the stability of an immense power which is held out to the most enterprising! What will the soldiers say?"-"That I do not walk in the steps of a Fabricius, Madame; the little French corporal, surpassing the Roman general, wishes to gather the fruits of a victory where boldness alone was necessary to success. played my part at St. Cloud; you must now enter into the spirit of yours. You shall embellish these places so fertile in regrets; you shall make the sad 10th of August forgotten, and we shall both perform miracles."

I have

One of the first objects whom he designed to punish, was Barras; but Josephine plead his cause with so much energy, that she touched the heart of the First Consul, and he remained in safety. A change now came over the spirit of Josephine's life. Her husband aimed at regal state, and it was with pain

she was compelled to cease to frequent the society in which she had lived. She must now shake off her early friends, and, as the wife of the First Consul, appear in all the pomp of power. She became surrounded by courtiers, whose characters she easily penetrated, and whom she despised for their abject servility. But her heart required employment which more courtly luxury could not yield, and she devoted herself to the cultivation of the duties of benevolence. She warmly solicited favours for the wretched emigrants-she influenced her husband to obtain the repeal of some unjust and sanguinary laws-she pressed him to raise the temples of the Most High from their ruins; to recall their ministers, and endeavour to appease the anger of the true God. Bonaparte's policy was the opposite of that of the Directory. He proclaimed liberty of conscience; put a stop to proscriptions, and permitted the return of the exiles. Paris resumed her ancient splendour; talents, arts, genius, far from being obliged to hide themselves in obscurity, were brought out and favoured: men of letters dared to show themselves in the public libraries, and artists in the museums. Every where manufactories were recommenced; and in all the cities of France, the workshops became the resort of the poor, and the grave of mendicity. Tranquillity was gradually restored, and prosperity with abundance again visited the Republic.

Bonaparte having thus mounted the ladder of ambition, now beheld opening above him much higher and richer prospects. The sovereign power hung temptingly in his sight, and he resolved to grasp it. His wife urgently endeavoured to dissuade him from the design, and exhibited to him his danger in the strongest light. She says she advised him to imitate the example of Monk, and restore the Bourbons to France-advice to which he turned a deaf ear, and which he does not appear to have relished at any time. He now disbanded the army of La Vendee, and placing himself at the head of the army of reserve, he prepared to cross the mountain of St. Bernard, and reconquer Italy. His victory over this giant of the Alps, and his sudden conquest of the country beyond, are familiar to all-suffice it to say, he soon returned to Paris, covered with glory.

Josephine began to perceive that her advice and frequent remonstrance were becoming troublesome to her husband; and it is not to be wondered at. The habit of undisputed command acting on a character naturally stern and inflexible, rendered him intolerant of the slightest censure or advice. Bonaparte, by degrees, grew into a despot in the bosom of his family, and then wished to be so in his government. His favourite passion VOL. VI.-No. 12.

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was to be obeyed in the smallest matter, and Josephine herself had at length to submit to this law. Very often he would wake her in the night to read to him-sometimes he would question her minutely on the number of visits she had received. He required of Marshal Duroc an exact account of all that passed at the palace. He loved to be told every thing, and the chronicles of the chateau were as familiar to him as to his wife. He became very particular on the subject of those who surrounded him, and had his household under the most rigorous supervision. Josephine's women dared not absent themselves without his knowledge, and no strange lady could be admitted to his wife before he had questioned her. After he became Emperor he continued the same system, and carried it to such an excess, that one day meeting in the palace Mademoiselle Lespand, the marchande de modes of Josephine, with all her girls, bringing home dresses for the Empress and her daughter, the Queen of Holland, he flew into a rage, and issued an order for her arrest, which was executed by Duroc, and the lady lodged in the guard-house.

The night before the explosion of the infernal machine, Josephine, the ready subject of superstition, had, as she tells us, a frightful dream, in which her former husband appeared before her in his coffin, brandishing a dagger. She awoke in terror, and again falling asleep, the vision reappeared. She uttered piercing cries, and aroused her husband-she imparted her dream, and warned him of approaching danger. He laughed at her fears; but she took the precaution to have the guards doubled the next night, and gave orders that the carriage of the First Consul should not be impeded by the slightest obstruction. The machine exploded two seconds only too late to injure him; so accurately had the time been calculated. He continued on to the opera, and she followed and threw herself breathless and in tears into his arms, and tenderly reproached him for disbelieving her warnings.

For some time after this the matrimonial car rolled smoothly on; but Josephine was, we are constrained to admit, conceited; and she thought her influence much greater than it really was. She was, by her own account, always intermeddling and giving advice, and not unfrequently, she received a severe check. One day Bonaparte said, at Malmaison, to Redon de Belleville, formerly consul at Leghorn, "Redon, you have come from Spain, what do they say of me at the court of Madrid?" "They say," replied he with his usual frankness, "that you are preparing a throne, and are about decorating yourself with the ornaments of royalty." "Ah! what do you think of such a pro

ject?" "I think that Washington had no need to resort to the vain illusions of a crown; and that the first of citizens may degrade himself by becoming the last of monarchs!" Bonaparte smiled, and did not appear offended. That same evening he said to Josephine, "I love the character of Redon-he is an honest patriot-he is worthy to be born a citizen of an ancient republic." "Ah! you, my love, you are, without doubt, destined to be the restorer of an ancient monarchy! In the name of your glory, restore the sceptre to the house of Bourbon." He flew into a rage. "Still giving your advice! I have told you, Madame, that your emigrants shall gain nothing by me. I do not doubt but the Marquis de Beauharnais has again written in favour of the pretender. Each one here below plays his part, and mine is to circumvent, and not to listen to the reveries of a woman! I hate the secret influence they try to exercise over you! Think of it well; you shall either become Empress, by the grace of Napoleon I. or you shall be divorced by his will alone!" This was the first time he had spoken of divorce, and Josephine was wonderfully surprised, and profoundly affected. The angry pair pouted at each other for several days.*

Bonaparte's marital despotism increased with his elevated prospects, and his wife had, at length, to retire for a period from public affairs. She fled to the charms of Malmaison, but she found them blasted by the presence of spies, and the orders of her husband to receive no persons but such as he named! What pangs this cost her, may be well conceived when it is recollected that she had really an affectionate and benevolent heart. In order to obey, she was forced to break with her old friends and acquaintances, and among them Madame de Tall-, and Madame de Chat-- Ren-, to whom her obligations were so great. Her husband said he feared both of these women, and they must not be received. In a conversation Josephine had sometime after with Tallien, she explained to him, that Napoleon had expressed his dissatisfaction at the facility with which she, who was now Empress, received her ancient acquaintances. "When one is on the throne, Madame,” said he, with some temper, "ail should be forgotten"-" save gratitude," said she to him; "and inasmuch as I have done nothing for Tallien, I am far from thinking myself acquitted of the debt." "Have you then forgotten the conduct he adopted towards your husband in Egypt? I am a Corsican, and, consesequently, I cannot pardon him!"—" and I—I am a Creole, and a French woman in heart," said she with animation-"I know the nature of the obligations I have received from this courage

* Vol. ii. p. 95.

ous deputy, and it is to you, my dear, I commit the charge of paying the debt. Had it not been for his day's work on the 9th Thermidor, neither you nor I would be here." Napoleon was surprised at this language, but he acknowledged she was right, and gave her leave to devise the means of proving to Tallien her good will, which she did.

After some time, when Josephine found her husband in better temper, she continued to plead the cause of the emigrants, and she finally prevailed on him to ameliorate their condition. Bonaparte now employed all his influence to obtain the consulate for life; which having accomplished, he enjoyed a gleam of tranquillity. He now was often at Malmaison, preferring it to his palace. Whilst he was engaged with his associate-consuls on business, his wife was entertaining the generals, and their wives and children. To the latter she made beautiful, little presents, and this was done so adroitly, as to appear, in every instance, a mark of particular attention, whilst it was, in fact, the result of political contrivance between her husband and herself. Her opinion of her own sagacity and penetration, was profound; and her ingenuity in discovering an excuse, flattering to her self-love, for her husband's want of confidence in her, very amusing. She says, "I gave the same reception to the foreign ministers, and exerted myself to prove to them that the First Consul had no other object in view than the happiness of France. I read their very souls, and the slightest smile that I saw on their lips, taught me more than the most studied address. A word, a look, were instantly seized; I interpreted them; and often Bonaparte, who would believe nobody, was forced to acknowledge, that I had such just notions that he was afraid to admit me into the slightest confidence, lest I should deter him from his gigantic enterprizes!" And she further observes, that he was right, for she would have blamed him for disturbing the repose of peaceful nations!

We have no room to follow Josephine and her husband, step by step, through their brilliant but unhappy course, and shall, therefore, merely seize in their progress those remarkable events which will illustrate the life of our heroine. When Bonaparte caused Moreau to be arrested for imprudent conversations, Josephine wrote the prisoner a letter, advising him how to act to insure his safety: her treacherous messenger delivered it into the hands of her husband. He became excessively angry at what he termed her silly undertaking. At a later period, when Moreau was about being tried, Bonaparte thus expressed himself to her, "as long as Moreau lives, he will Vol. ii. p. 113.

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