The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE. 485
The drop of gall, which the poet describes so natu- without intrusion, and remonstrate without offence.
rally as embittering the cup of the usurper of Scot- To maintain this influence over her husband, Joland, infused, there is no doubt, its full bitterness sephine mnde not only unreluctantly, but eagerly,
into that of Napoleon. the greatest personal sacrifices. In all the rapid
The sterility of the Empress Josephine was now journeys which he performed, she was his comparendered, by the course of nature, an irremediable nion. No obstacle of road or weather was permitted
evil, over which she mourned in hopeless distress; to interfere with her departure. However sudden
and conscious on what precarious circumstances the the call, the empress was ever ready; however uncontinuance of their union seemed now to depend, timely the hour, her carriage was in instant attendshe gave way occasionally to fits of jealousy, less ance. The influence which she maintained by the
excited, according to Napoleon, by personal attach- sacrifice of her personal comforts was used for the
ment, than by suspicion that her influence over her advancement of her husband's best interests,-the
husband's mind might he diminished, in case of his relief of those who were in distress, and the averting
having offspring by some paramour. the consequences of hasty resolutions, tbormed in a
She turned her thoughts to seek a remedy, and moment of violence or irritation.
exerted her influence over her husband, to induce him Besides her considerable talents, and her real beto declare some one his successor, according to the neficence of disposition, Josephine was possessed of
unlintited powers vested in him by the Imperial other ties over the mind ofher husband. The mutual
constitution. In the selection, she naturally en- passion which had subsisted between them for many
deavoured to direct his choice towards his step-son, years, if its warmth had subsided, seems to have
Eugene Beauharnais, her own son by her first mar- left behind affectionate remembrances and mutual
riage; but this did not meet Bonaparte's approba- esteem. The grace and dignity with which Josetion. A child, the son of his brother Louis, by phine played her part in the imperial pageant was
Hortense Beauharnais, appeared, during its brief calculated to gratify the pride of Napoleon, which
existence, more likely to become the destined heir might have been shocked at seeing the character of
of this immense inheritance. Napoleon seemed at- empress discharged with less ease and adroitness;
tached to the boy; and when he manifested any for her temper and manners enabled her, as one
spark of childish spirit, rejoiced in the sound of the early accustomed to the society of persons of podrum, or showed pleasure in looking upon arms and litical influence, to conduct herself with singular
the image of war, he is said to have exclaimed, dexterity in the intrigues of the splendid and busy
-" There is a child fit to succeed, perhaps to sur- court, where she filled so important a character.
pass me." Lastly, it is certain that Bonaparte, who, like many'[he fixing his choice on an heir so intimately con- of those that affiect to despise superstition, had a renected with herself, would have secured the in- serve of itinhis own bosom, believed that his fortunes
fluence of Jos6phine, as much as it could receive were indissolubly connected with those of Josephine;
assurance from anything save bearing her husband and loving her as she deserved to be beloved, he
issue herself; but she was not long permitted to en- held his union with her the more intimate, that there
joy this prospect. The son of Louis and Hortense was attached to it, he thought, a spell affecting his
died of a disorder incident to childhood; and thus own destinies, which had ever seemed most predowas broken, while yet a twig, the shoot, that, grow- minant when they had received the recent influence
ing to maturity, might have been reckoned on as the of Josephine's presence.
stay of an empire. Napoleon showed the deepest Notwithstanding all these mutual ties, it was evigrief, but Jos6phine sorrowed as one who had no dent to the politicians of the Tuileries, that whatever
hope. attachment and veneration for the empress NapoY et, setting aside her having the misfortune to bear leon might profess and feel, it was likely in the longhim no issue, the claims of Josdphine on her husband's run to give way to the eager desire of a lineal sacaffections were as numllerous as could be possessed cession, to which he might bequeath his splendid
by a wife. She had shared his more lowly fortunes, inheritance. As age advanced, everyyear weakened,
and, by her management and address during his ab- though in an imperceptible degree, the influence of
sence in Egypt, had paved the way for the splendid the empress, and must have rendered more eager
success which he had attained on his return. She the desire of her husband to form a new alliance,
had also done much to render his government popular, while he was yet at a period of life enabling him to
by softening the sudden and fierce bursts of passion hope lie night live to train to maturity the expected
to which his temperament induced him to give way. heir.
No one could understand, like Josephine, the pecu- Fotchb, the minister of police, the boldest politiliarities of her husband's temper,-no one dared, cal intriguer of his time, discovered speedily to what
like her, to encounter his displeasure, rather than point the emperor must ultimately arrive, and seems
not advise him for his better interest,-no one could to have meditated the insuring his own power and
possess such opportunities of watching the fit season continuance in favour, by taking the initiative in a
for intercession,-and no one, it is allowed on all measure, in which, perhaps, Napoleon might be
hands, made a more prudent, or a more beneficent ashamed to break the ice in person. Sounding artuse of the opportunities she enjoyed. The character fully his master's disposition, Fouch6 was able to
of Bonaparte, vehement by temper, a soldier by discover that the emperor was struggling betwixt
education, and invested by Fortune with the most the supposed political advantages to be derived from
despotic power, required peculiarly the moderatiog a new matrimonial union on the one hand, and, on
influence of such a mind, which could interfere the other, love for his present consort, habits ofi