Empress Josephine: An Historical Sketch of the Days of Napoleon

Josephine's life, but also as regards all Europe, yea, the whole world, was to be of the highest importance, and who, with the iron step of fatality, was to walk through Europe to subvert th

parte, the son of the advo

others. In Ajaccio the family of the Bonapartes had been settled for more than a century. There also Napoleon had passed the

mother, Letitia Ramolina, was well known throughout the island for her beauty, and the only woman who could have been her rival, for she was

mont, a high French official in Ajaccio. Corsica was then the undisputed property of the kingdom of France, and, however proud the Corsicans wer

nd; how to economize, and yet how to give to each what was needed. As to the father, in the hours of leisure which business, political debates, and amusements allowed him to give to his home and family, his children were an agreeable recreation, an interesting pastime; and when the children, carried away by the sparkling fire of youth, shouted

n the hearts of her children. It was a glorious sight to contemplate this young mother when with her beautiful, rosy countenance glowing with enthusiasm and blessedness, she stood among her children, and in fiery, expressive manner spoke to the listening group of the great and brave of old, of the deeds of a Caesar, of a Hannibal; when she spoke of Brutus, who, though he loved Caesar, yet, greater than Caesar, and a more exalted Roman in his love for the republic, sacrificed his love to the fatherland; or when she, with that

e eyes of the little Napoleon were all aflame, his childish countenance suddenly assumed a grave expres

excitement, gathered from the beautiful lips of his mother, were the highest pleasure of the little Napoleon, and often in future years has the emperor amid h

he corner-stone of their future. As a sower, Letitia scattered the seed from which hero and warrior were to spring forth, and the grain which fell into the heart of her l

dom have great men seen their own greatness survive in their sons. This is a wonder

leave to his people, a successor who resembled him, and who would inherit his sharp-sightedness, his prudence, his courage, and his greatness of soul. His son and successor was Louis XIII., a king whose misfortune it was ever to be overruled, ever to be humbled, ever to stand in the shade of tw

stant the poor little Duke de Reichstadt from his great father! Even over the life of this son of an eminent father weighed a shadow-the shadow of his father's greatness. Under this shadow which the column of Vendom

and sit there with head bent low and eyes closed, half asleep and half dreaming; but when he opened his eyes, what a life in those looks! Wh

o which he was submitted made him turn pale and tremble, not from pain but for shame, filled him with indignation, and was apt to bring on sickness. In Corsica still prevailed the custom of severe discipline for children, and in all the classes of the sch

child of his senses and threw him into convulsions. But though the little Napoleon was gloomy, monosyllabic, and quiet, yet was he from

his little school-companions had made an impression on his heart; he honored her with special favors, sat at her side during the lessons, and when they left school to return home, the little Napoleon never missed, with complete gravity of countenance, to offer his arm to his favorite of five years of age and to accompany her to her home. But the sight of this gallant, with his diminutive, compact, and broad figure, over which the large head, w

opher, but never after did he offer his arm to the little Giacomi

willed a fixed sum of money to this Professor Recco, in gratitude for the instruction given him in his youth.] who taught at the royal college of Ajaccio as professor. A few times every week the worthy professor would gather his pupils in a large hall, to read them lectures upon ancient history, and especially upon the

in the vacant centre of the large hall was the professor's chair, from which the

ive years, had his seat facing him on the Roman side. Though at the commencement of the lectures Napoleon's delight had been great, and though he had listened with enthusiasm to the history of the struggles, and to the martial achievements of the ancient Romans, the little Napoleon soon manifested an un

"Do you take no interest in the Roman h

if the history of heroes did not interest me," said he, "and I understand everything the good Professo

interest in the history of the Romans, w

I cannot," murmur

the reason, Napoleon

ating and undecided; then he threw up his head in a very

endure the shame to sit down under the standard of the conquered

urself about the standard of the old Carthaginians? One

you sit? Do you not consider it as a great honor

t honor, and upon the other as being

for you no great sacrifice, then, I implore you to save me, to make me happy, for you can do it!

me next time to the lecture, Napoleon, with uplifted head and triump

overcast, and with a restless, sad look, he repeatedly turned himself toward

ow, he confessed, with tears in his eyes, that he was a heartless egotist, that he had been unjust and

; it required all the persuasiveness and authority of Letitia to appease the boy, and to preva

the times, and for the capacities of his sons, their father passed over to France with Jose

bic and more reserved than before; and his eyes, full of an indescribable expression of tenderness and admiration, followed all the movements

nds, her forehead, her large black eyes, he sank down before her and kissed her feet, then sprang up, and, after casting upon her whole figure a deep, g

her heart as if to keep it from breaking asunder, from bleeding to death; then she called all her children around her, and, folding t

e influence of his patrons and friends, a place for his daughter Marianne (afterward Elise) in St. Cyr, an institution for the daughters of noblemen, and also a place for Nap

t bitterly, and his sighs and tears choked the tender word

de ashamed of himself and nearly indignant, for he did not wish the Abbe Simon, one of the profess

oseph: "Napoleon has shed but one tear, but that tear proves his deep sorrow a

always something sombre and hidden; his eye seemed turned more inwardly than outwardly; and his fellowship with his books seemed to procure him a more pleasant recreation than the company of hi

dy to protect the young and feeble against the overbearing and the strong, censuring with grave authority every injustice, and with Spartan harshness th

omething akin to fear in presence of the flashing eyes of this little boy of barely fourteen years, whose pale, expressive countenance, when illumined with anger, almost seemed t

hey had lately been guilty of excesses on a similar occasion; and, so as to be sure that the scholar

anger; he considered it as an insult that

laves, who are by main force compelled to submission, then honor claims from us to prove to our oppressors that we are free beings, and that we desire to remain such. We are treated as prisoners of war,

one dared oppose him as he stood in the garden, facing a remote place in the wall, and giving orders to undermine it, so as to make an outlet. All obeyed the given

through the opening, and gain their freedom ou

hout this expedition, now I will be the first to pass out,

a field-marshal who gives the signal for the battle, Napoleon passed through th

very same day informed that the young men had, notwithstanding his strict orders, notwithstanding the closed gate,

hem to so unheard-of a deed, who had misled them into disobedience and insubordination. But all were still; none wished to be a traito

would name him, Napoleon gave

These have done only what I commanded them-they have but followed m

omise, and, forgiving the rest, decided to punish only

nk's penalty." That is to say, the future young soldier, in the coarse woollen garment of a mendicant friar, was on his knees,

y days imprisoned in a cell with bread and water, and he had without a murmur submitted to this

e had been led into the dining-room, where all the scholars were gathered for the noonday meal, when he was

n, M. Patrault, who had just been informed of the execution which was about to be carried out on Napoleon. With tears in his eyes, he hastened to Napoleon, and with trembling hands tore from

es. Whenever these amusements were of a more serious, of a higher nature, Napoleon gladly and willingly took a part in them. Now and then in t

ion, at the different doors of the institution, were posted guards who received the admission cards, and whose strict orders were to let no one pass in without them. These posts,

Napoleon had the post of honor of a first lieutenant for this festi

rose a loud noise and vehement recrimina

known to all the students, for at the gate of the institution she had a little stall of fruits, eggs, milk, and cak

was her astonishment and anger when admission was refused, and she therefore began to clamor loudly, hoping by this means to attract some of the scholars, who would recognize her and procure her admittance. M

tenance, and with severe dignity gave his orders: "Remove that woman, who takes upon herself to introduce licentiousness into the camp." [Footnote: Afterward, when First Consul, Napo