LETTERS
OF
MADAME
DE REMUSAT
1804-1813.
12
DC
198
.R4
A423
B 829,077
SAMPSON LOW & (

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LIBRARY
183371
VERITAS
SCIENTIA
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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BOUGHT
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LETTERS OF
MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
"
DC
198
.R4
A42:
[IN THE PRESS.]
MEMOIRS
OF
COUNT MIOT DE MELITO,
MINISTER, AMBASSADOR, COUNCILLOR OF STATE,
AND MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, BETWEEN THE YEARS
1788 AND 1815.
EDITED BY
GENERAL FLEISCHMANN.
From the French by
MRS. CASHEL HOEY AND MR. JOHN LILLIE.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
THIS is a work of extraordinary historical and biographical
interest. The author's life-long friendship with Joseph Bona-
parte, whom he accompanied to Naples and also to Spain, where
he was with the king throughout the Peninsular War, and
his intimate acquaintance with the political and personal
history of the Bonapartes, render his Memoirs exceptionally
full and valuable. He takes up the history of the Empire
at the point at which Madame de Rémusat drops it, and
reveals the true story of the Spanish fiasco as it has never
hitherto been exposed. His presence at Blois when the news
of the Emperor's abdication reached the Empress Marie Louise,
and the Members of the Imperial family, who had fled thither
from Paris, enables him to describe in minute detail one of the
suggestive episodes of a history which lacks nothing in the way
of contrast that the irony of fate could inflict. This work
supplements and completes the historical narrative for which
we are indebted to the Memoirs and Letters of Madame de
Rémusat.

Solange d'apres Teuber
Imp. A Salmon
Rémusat, Clairs Elecabeth Jeanne
Gravier de
du Ve
Vergenned
A SELECTION
FROM THE
18111
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT
TO HER HUSBAND AND SON,
FROM 1804 To 1813.
GENERAL LIBRARY

Unive
ity of
FROM THE FRENCH BY
MRS. CASHEL HOEY AND MR. JOHN LILLIE.
LONDON:
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, SEARLE & RIVINGTON,
CROWN BUILDINGS, 188, FLEET STREET.
1881.
(All rights reserved.)
LONDON:
PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED,
STAMFORD STREET AND CHARING CROSS.
PREFACE.
FIFTEEN years ago, my father wrote, on the cover
of the first packet of his mother's letters which he
had collected, the following words:
"I had always promised myself that I would
write a 'Life' of my mother; but I now think it
will be enough that I should leave all her writings
in a condition to be published. I have just re-read
her letters. Only once, and that thirty years ago,
had I perused the entire series. Occasionally I
read a few of them, but I always adjourned the
task to which I am now setting myself.
By
fulfilling this task, by arranging this rich corre-
spondence, and throwing new light on it with the
aid of other documents, I am preparing a col-
lection for publication, and raising to my mother's
memory the monument most worthy of her. I
am not sure that her Letters will not do her even
more honour, in certain respects, than her
vi
PREFACE.
Memoirs, which have been so highly appreciated
by all who have read them."
My father's death, or rather, I should say, his
life, his cares, his labours, and the noble efforts
which distinguished his later years, prevented him
from carrying out his purpose, and I am under the
necessity of terminating singly the work which
we commenced jointly. The classification of the
Letters was, however, finished during my father's
lifetime, and this necessary detail was a difficult
one, for, in most instances, the date of the month
or year is missing.
In the introduction to the Memoirs of my
grandmother I have related all that was known to
me of her life and her feelings. Without recapitu-
lating what has been already given to the public
on those subjects, I think it well, in order to avoid
encumbering the text with over-numerous notes,
that I should set down here a few details, and
certain dates, that are necessary to enable the
reader to understand the references made to
persons and events in the Letters which follow.
Claire Elisabeth Jeanne Gravier de Vergennes
was born on the 6th of January, 1780. Her father,
who had been Intendant, was Master of Requests
when the Revolution broke out. He was the son
of the Marquis de Vergennes, Swedish ambassador,
and brother of the Minister. His mother, Adélaïde
PREFACE.
vii
de Bastard, was the daughter of a Councillor of
State, formerly President of the Parliament of
Toulouse, and Chancellor to the Comte d'Artois.
M. de Vergennes, his father, beheld the Revolution
without enthusiasm, but without displeasure. He
was chef de bataillon in the National Guard, and a
member of the Council of the Commune in 1789.
He died on the scaffold with his father, a few
days before the 9th Thermidor. At the beginning of
the Revolution, he had bought the estate of St.
Gratien, in the Valley of Montmorency. Thither
Madame de Vergennes retired, and there she
conducted the education of her daughters: Claire,
who became Madame de Rémusat, and Alix, who,
somewhat later, married M. de Nansouty.
Augustine Laurent de Rémusat, born in 1762,
was, prior to 1789, Advocate-General at the Cour
des Comptes, and to the "aides" of Provence.
After the abolition of the sovereign courts, he was
delegated to Paris by his company, to treat for
them in matters affecting their interests. He
remained there when the times became seriously
troubled. He was more secure in that great city,
where he was unknown, than at Aix. There he
had known M. de Vergennes, he had been received
at his house, and the ties which bound him to the
family were but strengthened by the death of
M. de Vergennes, when his widow, with two young
viii
PREFACE.
daughters, and charged with difficult business
matters, stood in great need of his advice and
society. He was constantly at St. Gratien, and
he soon became attached to the eldest girl, Claire
or Clary, who returned his affection, and whom
he married when she was sixteen years old, in
Pluviôse, year IV., or February, 1796.
The two children born of this marriage were
Charles François Marie de Rémusat, born the 24th
Ventôse, year V. (March 14, 1797), and Albert
Dominique de Rémusat, born the 11th Frimaire,
year X. (December 2, 1801). We know what
the eldest was. The second, four years younger,
was what is called "rickety;" in his infancy
he was puny, and his development was very
slow; and yet in his childhood he showed no
positive deficiency, beyond a general tardiness of
development. He was a little deaf, but he could
hear; he articulated badly, but he could speak;
he was slower than other children, but he used to
do almost all that any child two or three years
younger would have done. He continued to
progress in this degree for a long time; but his
infirmities increased little by little, and he remained
always a child. The devotion of his mother never
flagged, and she made it her special task to give
him help towards all the development he was
capable of. It is well known that a mother is
PREFACE.
ix
equally fond of the sou who from his birth is her
joy and pride, and of the one who can inspire only
a melancholy pity. By untiring attention she
cherished and kept alive the flickering flame in the
fragile vessel; she taught him to read, to write, to
count, and even to draw a little; but she could
never lead his intelligence beyond the stage of
childhood, though he seemed to understand clearly
that he had fellow-creatures better endowed than
he by nature, especially his brother, whom he
loved, or rather whom he revered, and who con-
tinued his tender care of him until 1830, when this
poor young man, this poor child, died.
Jeanne Françoise Adélaïde Gravier de Vergennes,
the second daughter of Madame de Vergennes,
born the 30th of March, 1781, married, when very
young, M. de Nansouty, general of cavalry. He
served with distinction under the Empire, and died
in 1815, at the age of forty-seven, leaving one
son, Stephen de Nansouty, who was born the 27th
Messidor, year XI. (July 16, 1803), and died in
1865. Madame de Nansouty died in 1850, out-
living her sister by nearly thirty years, so that it
was possible for me to know her. She was a clever
woman, energetic and brusque, and reminded my
father strongly of his grandmother, Madame de
Vergennes.
M. de Rémusat became Prefect and Madame de
X
PREFACE.
Rémusat Lady of the Palace respectively in 1802;
the former was afterwards Chamberlain and Super-
intendent of Plays. He remained at Court until
1814, alternately in favour and disfavour, much the
same as M. de Talleyrand. My grandmother
accompanied the Empress Joséphine in her retire-
ment, and rarely saw the Emperor after the divorce.
Under the Restoration, her husband was made
Prefect, and she was with him while he served at
Toulouse and Lille. She died in December, 1821.
Her life may be divided into three periods. Of
the first, previous to her marriage and up to the
time of her appearance at the Court of Bonaparte,
there remain but slight traces-a few stray notes
and some youthful compositions not worth publish-
ing; they afford indications of quickness and culti-
vation rather than talent. Her Memoirs give an
account of the early years of her life, as well as
those of the second period, after her entrance at
Court. I have no letters of this period in my
possession; they were not preserved in the family.
Madame de Vergennes was in the habit of burn-
ing those she received, and Madame de Rémusat
was at that time seldom away from her husband.
She went with him to Belgium, and the same year
followed him to Boulogne, as she has related in
her Memoirs. The earliest letters now collected
date from the summer of 1804. The Empire was
PREFACE.
xi
then decided upon, the Duc d'Enghien had been
shot, and they were only waiting for the Pope and
the coronation. Between the months of August
and October the Emperor and Empress paid a visit
to the Rhine; and it was at that time the letters
found at the beginning of the following collection
were written.
I must not abuse the privileges of an editor, nor
overpass the liberties of a writer of prefaces, by
describing this journey, and one made the following
year in Italy, where the Emperor went to possess
himself of another crown, taking with him all the
pomp of a Court, all the attributes of royal state
and conquest. It was, in fact, a real Court, with its
wearing routine, its cares, and all the false reports,
inevitable imprudences, and demands for caution of
Court life. If the reader remembers the descrip-
tion in the Memoirs, he will readily picture to
himself the situation of the First Chamberlain, an
odd enough sort of courtier; for he was a man par-
ticularly fond of peace and quietness, of books, and
of the gentle ties of home life, but obliged to
devote endless labour to the preparation of novel
and splendid fêtes, keeping up with all the demands
of an imperious Court, and the rivalries of vanity
and ambition. His wife, one of the Ladies of the
Palace, a woman of sterling principle, of elevated
and romantic sentiment, looking upon the re-
xii
PREFACE.
straints of Court life as sad inflictions when they
came into conflict with her affections, putting
everything to the test, and expressing her opinions
with earnest zeal and sincerity, was condemned to
strive for peace and happiness amidst all the dis-
tractions of a career of frivolous dignity.
It would need a Sainte-Beuve to describe these
contrasts and develop their consequences. To in-
telligently appreciate this correspondence one must
enter thoroughly into it, and not place one's self
in the elevated sphere of pure philosophy, which
permits the sacrifice of all to the reason and the
heart, nor in the region of mere actual interests,
where everything tends to the egotism of self-
love or cupidity.
At this second period of her life, she was for a
long time separated from her husband, who had to
accompany the Emperor. A little later, she was
herself obliged to travel with the Empress, and for
her own health. This book is made up from the
letters she wrote to her beloved husband at this
time. Such a correspondence is necessarily
monotonous; in spite of a great diversity of
travelling and of ideas, the same expressions
frequently recur. Possibly the tender effusions
may appear a little too frequent and detailed, and
the domestic affection may not possess the flavour
of a romance, but it is necessary to preserve the
PREFACE.
xiii
true character of the letters, and the repetition, and
even reiteration of sentiment, have a charm of
their own. In no way could the warmth of heart,
the intelligence, and the resources of the writer
be better displayed than by her expression, so
earnest, so constant, so deliberate, so ingenuous,
of a passion which seemed to have nothing
romantic about it.
The third period of my grandmother's life
extends from 1815 to 1821, from the close of the
Empire to her death. A new Government had
come in; new ideas, or rather old ones resuscitated
from 1789, fired the nation, and particularly the
leading spirits. Liberal opinions, scarcely dreamt
of under the Empire, suddenly came into being
under the force of circumstances, and the author
of the Memoirs was fitted by nature to understand
them. Moreover, a new influence sprung up close
beside her, an element that was zealous,
impassioned, all-powerful with her-her son, whose
youth fulfilled all the promise of his childhood.
So a new correspondence was begun, which proved
even richer than the first one. Her husband
received, after the Restoration, a position better
suited to his tastes. She was no longer separated
from him; but with her son, now a student at
Paris, she opened a correspondence upon politics
and society, which gives the most original and
xiv
PREFACE.
truthful picture of the time--a time about which
France has not yet lost interest, and to which the
liberal party, still in shadow, has always referred
its origin.
We shall concern ourselves here only with the
first part of this correspondence, and with the
letters of the wife to her husband during the glorious
but ill-omened days of absolute power. It is pos-
sible, and indeed probable, that the reader will not
find here what he is looking for a new volume of
the Memoirs, with bolder expression of political
opinions, or piquant revelations. Some, perhaps,
will be disappointed to find only the loving utter-
ances of a good and true woman about her husband
and children. Her opinion of the Emperor and
the Empire, which we have seen expressed in the
Memoirs, were formed after the passing of time.
Like all other French people, she was carried away
by the splendid achievements of the First Consul
and by his genius. She was grateful for the great
calm which followed the excitement of the French
Revolution. She had no prejudices or ill-will
against the Empire; her principles were neither
Royalist nor Republican; but it is only fair to add
that even if her innermost feelings had protested
against this dearly bought glory, she would never
have put the thought into words. Her letters
were written with the greatest reserve as to what
PREFACE.
XV
went on at the Court and in politics. Under
the Empire, letters were tacitly considered to be
sent open, and subject to the Emperor's personal
inspection. We shall observe more than one proof
of this further on, and it is well known that this
abuse, "this cowardly abuse," as Beranger calls
it, was handed down by the uncle to his nephew,
for there was found on the 4th of September, 1870,
in the cabinet of the Emperor Napoleon III., the
copy of a letter written by my mother to my
father a few days before.* Care was therefore
taken to avoid offending so powerful and irritable
a personage. Hence the reticence and the omis-
sions of this correspondence, the occasional reflec-
tions made on purpose, and in reality addressed
to him under whose stern and severe observation
those lines, written in the intimate confidence
of two persons between whom there were no
concealments, might fall. Passages of this kind
are, however, few, and it would not be just to
commend the foresight of the writer at the
expense of her sincerity.
The political interest of this correspondence is
not its strongest point, and the sentiments of
the Lady-in-Waiting are not exactly those of the
author of the Memoirs written in 1818, and yet,
* "Papiers Trouvés aux Tuileries," etc., première livraison
in 8vo. Paris, Imprimerie Nationale, 1870.
xvi
PREFACE.
will the effect of those Memoirs be weakened to
any extent by this new publication? I do not
think so; and, however strong my wish might be
to augment the intellectual fame of those so near
to myself, I would not sacrifice to that desire
the cause which we have all tried to serve. But
these letters will have just the contrary effect.
The life of the Court or the capital, as described
in them, cannot inspire any regret for the régime
that rendered that life so troubled, precarious, and
unhappy. Never has sounder proof been afforded
that the epoch was profoundly agitated, that
absolute government is the most unstable of all,
that its greatness was only in appearance, while
every one believed while it lasted that France
was a mere gambler's stake, at the mercy of the
hazard of the die. Never did good patriots suffer
more painful apprehensions for the destinies of
their country, for the very existence of France;
never were wives and mothers so racked with fear
for their husbands or their sons, as while the fate
of all the men in France depended on the most
terrible consumer of human lives that the world
has ever known. What are the troubles of parlia-
mentary government, debates in the Chambers,
electoral contests, and changes of ministry in
comparison with perils and emotions such as those
of that period!
PREFACE.
xvii
It is needless to say that the text of the letters
and the opinions of the writer have been scrupulously
respected. Certain omissions have been thought
advisable, but the passages left out refer only to
money troubles, which would not interest the reader,
to details of health, the shortcomings of the post,
and the badness of the roads, or they contain repe-
titions of the feeling that pervades the whole, which
are suppressed, lest they should prove wearisome.
Enough has been left to show that communica-
tions were difficult, that the much-envied position
of the great functionaries of the Empire included
many trials, and that the health of this active
and passionate woman was always uncertain, so
that her life in the world and in her own heart
was a chequered one, and those who loved her
were kept in constant anxiety about her. Lastly,
I have thought it well to suppress the greater part
of the passages that relate to her younger son,
Albert, her care of him, and her efforts to develop
and instruct him. This topic also would not
possess interest for the public, although it is
right that they should know that her afflicted
child was the object of her unremitting attention.
I shall be forgiven for having retained all that
concerned her eldest son, Charles, with its testi-
mony to the lavish and exquisite tenderness of her
affection for him. May I venture to add that it
b
xviii
PREFACE.
has been very sweet to me thus to unite, by a
common admiration, a common passion, the first
and the last affection of my father; the mother
who rejoiced in his first smile, the son who received
his last look.
PAUL DE RÉMUSAT.
INTRODUCTORY NOTE BY THE
TRANSLATORS.
In his preface to the Letters of Madame de Rémusat,
her grandson, M. Paul de Rémusat, addressing
French readers, has explained his reasons for pub-
lishing in their entirety a number of letters con-
taining only repetitions of the writer's sentiments
of conjugal affection, and complaints of the pain.
inflicted upon her by the frequent separation from
her husband that inevitably resulted from the
position of M. de Rémusat in the household of
the Emperor Napoleon I.
In preparing a translation of the Letters of
Madame de Rémusat, for English readers, it has
been thought advisable to select from among the
whole those that possess interest of a more general
kind.
The letters chosen with this view depict the
social aspects of the time (from 1804 to 1813),
XX
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
give an idea of the condition of the capital during
the frequently recurring periods of the absence
of the Court, and narrate the incidents of the
writer's attendance, at different periods subsequent
to the divorce, upon the Empress Joséphine.
It will be remembered that the Memoirs of
Madame de Rémusat came to an abrupt conclu-
sion with a deeply interesting account of the noble
conduct of the Empress Joséphine on the occasion
of the divorce, and a sketch of the proceedings of
the Emperor Napoleon I. with regard to Spain, in
which the fatality that attended his action is
already foreshadowed. The Letters do not deal
with the political and military events which
ensued; they are essentially intimes; their interest
is of a different order. That interest is, however,
of a striking and novel kind, and cannot fail to be
appreciated by those readers who have followed
with avidity the marvellous history of that glory
of the French arms abroad, which was destined
to be so evanescent, but who have hitherto had
little opportunity of obtaining an insight into the
history of the interior of France. These letters
will show them Paris at home, in low spirits and
financial difficulties, pervaded by the dull dis-
content of a people in a state of constant suspense,
and the Court, no longer brightened by the presence
of the sweet and gentle Joséphine, oppressed with
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
xxi
gloom, and daunted by the morose temper of a
harsh master, whose luck had begun to turn.
In selecting from among the Letters of Madame
de Rémusat those which they believe likely to
have the greatest interest for English readers,
the translators have been careful to retain a
number of passages which strikingly illustrate the
characteristic qualities of the writer; qualities on
which M. Charles de Rémusat has dwelt, in his
preface to his mother's Memoirs, with profound
filial affection, and which M. Paul de Rémusat
commemorates, in his preface to his grandmother's
Letters, with just pride.
CONTENTS.
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LETTER
I. To M. de Rémusat at Aix-la-Chapelle
II. To M. de Rémusat at Aix-la-Chapelle
III. To M. de Rémusat at Aix-la-Chapelle
IV.
To M. de Rémusat at Aix-la-Chapelle
V. To M. de Rémusat at Aix-la-Chapelle
...
VI. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
VII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
VIII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
IX. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
X. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XI. To M. de Rémusat at Vesoul
XII. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XIII. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XIV. To M. de Rémusat at Milan ...
XV. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XVI. To M. de Rémusat at Milan ...
XVII. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XIX. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XX. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XXI. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XXIX. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XXX. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XXXIII. To M. de Rémusat at Milan ...
XXXIV. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
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XXXV. To M. de Rémusat at Milan ...
XXXVII. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XXXVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Milan ...
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LETTER
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XL. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XLI. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XLII. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XLIII. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XLIV. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XLV. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XLVI. To M. de Rémusat at Milan
XLVII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
XLVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
XLIX. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
L. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LI. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LIII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LIV. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LV. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LVI. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LVII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LIX. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LX. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXI. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXIII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXIV. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXV. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXVI. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXVII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXIX. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXX. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXXI. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXXII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXXIII. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXXIV. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXXV. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXXVI. To M. de Rémusat at Strasburg
LXXVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Vienna
LXXIX. To M. de Rémusat at Vienna
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LETTER
CONTENTS.
LXXX. To M. de Rémusat at Vienna
LXXXI. To M. de Rémusat at Vienna
LXXXII. To M. de Rémusat at Vienna
LXXXIII. To M. de Rémusat at Vienna
LXXXIV. To M. de Rémusat at Vienna
LXXXV. To M. de Rémusat at Vienna
LXXXVI. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
LXXXVII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
LXXXVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XC. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XCI. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XCII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XCIII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XCIV. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XCV. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XCVI. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XCVII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XCVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
XCIX. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
C. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CI. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CIII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CIV. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CV. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CVI. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CVII. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CIX. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CX. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CXI. To M. de Rémusat at Mayence
CXXIX. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CXXX. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CXXXIV.
To M. de Rémusat at St. Cloud
CXXXV. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CXXXVI. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CXXXIX.
To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CXL. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CXLI. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CXLII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
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xxvi
CONTENTS.
LETTER
CXLIII. To M. de Rémusat at Erfürth
CXLIV. To M. de Rémusat at Erfürth
CXLV. To M. de Rémusat at Erfürth
CXLVI. To M. de Rémusat at Erfürth
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·CXLVII. To M. de Rémusat at Erfürth
CXLVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Fontainebleau...
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CXLIX. To M. de Rémusat at Trianon
CL. To M. de Rémusat at Trianon
CLI. To M. de Rémusat at Trianon
CLII. To M. de Rémusat at Compiègne
CLIII. To M. de Rémusat at Compiègne
CLIV. To M. de Rémusat at Compiègne
CLV. To M. de Rémusat at Compiègne
CLVI. To M. de Rémusat at Compiègne
CLVII. To M. de Rémusat at Compiègne
CLVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLX. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXI. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXIII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXIV. To M. de Remusat at Paris
CLXV. To M. de Remusat at Paris
CLXVI. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXVII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXIX. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXX. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXIII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXIV. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
...
CLXXV. To M. de Rémusat at Rambouillet
CLXXVI. To M. de Rémusat at Fontainebleau
CLXXVII. To M. de Rémusat at Fontainebleau
CLXXVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Fontainebleau
CLXXIX. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXX. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXXI. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXXII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXXIII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
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LETTER
CONTENTS.
CLXXXIV. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXXV. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXXVI. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXXVII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXXVIII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CLXXXIX. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
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PAGE
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CXC. To Madame de Rémusat's son Charles at Paris
CXCI. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CXCII. To Madame de Rémusat's son Charles at Paris ... 416
CXCIII. To Madame de Rémusat's son Charles at Paris
CXCV. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
CXCVI.
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Charles de Rémusat to Madame de Rémusat at
Vichy...
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CXCVII. To M. de Rémusat at Paris
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LETTERS OF
MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.
Paris, 10 Fructidor, Year XII.
(Tuesday, August 28, 1804.)
We are
Thanks for your little note from Pont St.
Maxence.* It was an agreeable surprise, for I
had not hoped to hear from you so soon.
rejoicing over your splendid weather; I wish
from my heart that this journey might be all
enjoyment for you, and that I could take as my
share the annoyances and the ennui you must
needs experience. Take care of your health, avoid
over-fatigue, and try to amuse yourself; I want
* M. de Rémusat was on his way to join the Empress at Aix-
la-Chapelle, in order to accompany the Emperor on his progress
through the Rhine Provinces. The Empire had been established,
but the Imperial household was not yet formed. The corona-
tion was not to take place until December. The Emperor did
not return to St. Cloud until October 12, 1804 (20 Vendémiaire,
Year XIII.). Pont St. Maxence is the chief place of a canton
in the department of the Oise, and was formerly a post-town.
B
2
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
to think that you are happy. Write whenever
you are able, and tell me how you are received.
I saw Corvisart* yesterday, on his return from
Aix-la-Chapelle; he wondered he had not come
across you on his journey; it is true that he
travelled post haste night and day. He told me
that the roads are bad the other side of Liége;
you will be travelling over them to-morrow, and
I shall be jolted all day long. Pray be very
prudent; remember to how many persons you are
necessary, and that to me life would be nothing
without you.
On Sunday I went to a fête at M. de Valence',†
where I met Madame de Montesson; Lavalette
was there too, and I questioned him closely about
the state of the roads. I cannot say he relieved
my mind, and those wretched Rhine roads are
always before me. By-the-by, although I felt
bored and out of spirits at this fête, I could not
help smiling a moment at the thought of your
expression of countenance, if in the midst of the
verses addressed by the actors of the Comédie
Française to Madame de Valence, and to Madame
de Montesson and all her family, you could have
heard Mademoiselle Émilie Contat § singing the
* Corvisart was a friend of Madame de Rémusat, and her
physician.
† General de Valence had married the daughter of Madame
de Genlis. He was distantly related to Madame de Montesson,
the widow of the Duke of Orleans, who was grandfather to
Louis Philippe.
‡ M. de Lavalette, Director-General of the Post.
§ The name of Contat has been borne by three actresses of
A TRIBUTE IN VERSE.
3
CO
praises of the Prefect, and informing you in very
second-rate metre that one must not be surprised
at meeting with a Mecœnas in the reign of an
Augustus. All the company present were very
gracious towards us and applauded warmly. Tears
came to my eyes, and I embraced Mademoiselle
Contat. The verses might be poor stuff, but they
were about you and harmonized with my secret
thoughts. I dined yesterday at Madame de
Souza's,* to meet the Corps Diplomatique. The
poor ambassadress was anxious and distressed.
She implored me to tell you what occurred; you
will notice it or not, as you think fit. She
invited Madame and M. de Talleyrand to dinner.
The former declined at once. He made no reply
unequal celebrity. The first, Louise Contat, who was born in
1760, and died in 1813, took the roles of the grandes Coquettes,
and in 1784 created the part of Susan in the "Mariage de
Figaro." Her sister, Émilie Contat, mentioned above, was
born in 1784, and died in 1846. For thirty years she played
the soubrettes at the Théâtre Français with the greatest success.
Her niece, Amalrie Contat, acted the same parts, but made
no mark. The Prefect alluded to is, of course, M. de Rémusat,
Prefect of the Palace.
* Madame de Souza, previously Madame de Flahault, is
known as the author of some successful novels. She was pretty,
clever, and rather scheming. Her father was an official, and
she had been married, first, to M. de Labillarderie de Flahault,
and afterwards to M. de Souza, a distinguished and honourable
Portuguese, who represented his country as ambassador to
France. Her intimacy with Madame de Rémusat was increased
by the fact that both ladies resided very near each other in the
Rue du Marché d'Aguesseau. She survived her husband and
passed her old age in penury, partly occasioned by her passion
for lotteries.
4
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
until Monday morning, when he sent word that
having some guests dining at his own house, he
could not accept her invitation. Madame de
Souza knows as a fact that he specially invited
his company. This throwing down of the gaunt-
let, as it were, is the first incivility he has
ventured on in public, and she is consequently
excessively annoyed.
annoyed. When I parted from her
she was bent on writing to the Emperor. She
probably hopes that you will mention the affair
do as you like about this. I have just heard that
your minister is to join you at Aix. Everything
indicates that this Court journey will be a long
one. General Murat thinks that the Empress
will not be allowed to accompany the Emperor,
and that the latter will only return here a short
time before the coronation. But surely your
services will be required at the same time, and
could you not point this out?
I enclose a letter for the Empress, and one for
you from Charles,* who shed tears on reading
your message to him. He is tenderly attached
to you, and I love him the more for it. He
prefers you to every one; and he is right, for
you are very lovable, and my happiness is great
when by your side. Our little Albert † is better.
* My father, Charles François Marie de Rémusat, was born
on March 14th, 1797. He was at this time seven years old.
† Albert de Rémusat, Madame de Rémusat's second son, was
born in 1802. Neither mind nor body ever attained a full
development. He died in 1830, at the age of eight and twenty,
but with the appearance of a sickly child of ten or twelve. As
I have stated in the Preface to this work, I have suppressed
ALBERT.
5
You may be sure that he knows where you are,
and says "Papa is gone away." Alas! yes, he is
gone, and I must not look as yet for his return;
it seems so far off that I cannot think of it
without tears. How hard it is to be separated,
when we are so happy together! But since it
must be so, let us try to arrange matters in such
a way that we need not part again. I feel a
sweet conviction that, after this period of storms
and agitation, our remaining years will pass
calmly away, and that our life will be peaceful
and happy. I picture to myself a pretty place in
the country, where we could educate our children;
a kind and beloved friend, whose side I should
scarcely ever leave; and la cara libertà. How
delicious! Let us labour for so sweet a future,
and I possess already the surest guarantee of the
happiness I anticipate, if you will only take good
care of yourself. Adieu. My mother and Alix *
embrace you.
Wednesday, 11 Fructidor.
Don't forget poor Madame de Grasse † and little
most of those passages in the Letters in which his mother refers
to him and speaks of her anxiety on account of his weak state of
health. She was as much engrossed by his unfortunate condition
as by the brilliant promise of her elder son. But it seems to
me that public attention should rather be called to the latter.
* Alix de Vergennes, the sister of Madame de Rémusat, had
married General de Nansouty.
† Madame de Grasse, whose maiden name was also De Grasse,
was the wife of an émigré. She had only recently come to Paris
with an introduction to my grandmother, who received her
kindly, and afterwards became her friend. She was petitioning
6
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
D'Houdetôt.*
Give me
me an answer also about
Latouche - Tréville's letter, for M. de Ville-
blanche's mother wants to take the opportunity
of writing directly to the Emperor which their
misfortune affords.
II.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT, AT AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.
Paris, 14 Fructidor, Year XII.
(Saturday, September 1, 1804.)
Mon ami, to-day is Saturday. I awoke sad,
remembering that it is a week since you left me,
and that I must not count the days if I wish to
bear the remainder of your absence patiently.
My grief is increased by just a little anxiety,
for the restoration of some property confiscated during the
Revolution. Although a strong Royalist, she wished for an
appointment as Page for her eldest son. He did not, however,
obtain it, and entered the army through the school of St. Cyr.
He was lieutenant-colonel of dragoons in 1830, and sent in his
resignation. He and my father were comrades throughout all
their youth, and more especially in childhood, and their friend-
ship only ceased at my father's death in 1860.
* This little d'Houdetot is Henri d'Houdetot, a grandson of
Madame d'Houdetot. He wished to be a Page, and died in the
army.
†The mother of our cousin, the ruined émigré, M. de Ville-
blanche, had married Latouche-Tréville. The admiral of that
name had just died at Toulon, where he was in command of the
fleet, which was afterwards put under the orders of Villeneuve
and beaten at Trafalgar.
M. DE SOUZA.
7
which will, I hope, have been removed by the
time you receive this letter, as I shall then have
had one from you. I am expecting to hear from
you to-morrow about that wretched road from
Liége to Aix-la-Chapelle, that Corvisart says is so
dreadfully bad. He told me you would have to
get out of the carriage and walk, and I fear that
perhaps you did not do so. Perhaps you have
forgotten the journey that engrosses my thoughts
and are ready for another. For my sake and your
own, pray be careful. You will see M. de Souza
to-day, the 14th; he is to present his letters of
credit; gloomily enough, I fancy. Between our-
selves, he dislikes M. de Talleyrand, and is quite
inclined to take leave of us. His wife is very
anxious, and begs you will not mention what
I wrote to you at her request, because she
She
has changed her mind on the subject.
begs only that you will let me know what sort
of reception M. de Souza has met with, and
whether any gracious expressions have been be-
stowed on him, or all have been reserved for M.
de Lima.*
You will also tell me, for my own information,
whether you were satisfied with your reception,
whether the Empress spoke of me, whether she still
likes me, and was glad to see you; and I will tell
you that Charles is well, and Albert much as usual.
This is all my news, for I have not been out for a
* Madame de Souza feared that M. de Talleyrand's enmity
might cause her husband to lose his post as Portuguese ambas-
sador to Paris; and in fact this occurred.
8 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
week; I have been rather unwell and have nursed
myself. To-day, however, I mean to throw off
my laziness, and pay a visit to Cambacérès; then
I shall return to a home which is dull to me now,
and go to bed early. My mother says I am very
tiresome, and she is right; at the beginning of a
separation one feels acutely how easy it is to
become accustomed to happiness. When we are
happy, we enjoy our blessings as a matter of course;
our days slip by and we do not appreciate them;
we are spendthrifts, and set no value on our pos-
sessions. But when happiness departs, then we
discover its height and depth by the weariness
and sorrow to which it leaves us. This is
my experience; and I reproach myself when I
have lost you for not having oftener remem-
bered what happiness it was to pass my life at
your side.
What else can I tell you? I know nothing, and
there is no news except that there is some grum-
bling at the alteration of the coinage. As I have
just finished reading Daniel,* I shuddered at the
repetition of a measure which occasioned so many
troubles to Philippe le Bel, but we have progressed
in our education since those days. There will be
some clamour and nothing more.
I have seen Madame de Grasse, who, on her
knees, asks for your good offices, and Madame
* Father Daniel, a Jesuit, born in 1649, was the author of a
History of France in seventeen volumes. He published an
abridged edition in nine small volumes. The work is little read
at the present day.
PETITIONS TO THE “ PREFECT.”
9
Parseval-Deschènes,* who begs you to mention her
son to the successor of Latouche-Tréville as soon
as he is appointed, if you have an opportunity,
direct or indirect, of doing so. Give me an
answer about M. de Villeblanche. Every one in
Paris considers M. de Cercey the only suitable
person for the place. Meanwhile he has gone to
Nantes to join his ship.
You will let me know if you are soon about
to start off again, and whether I am to send my
letters through the post, or to Maret's. I saw
M. de yesterday. His daughter-in-law has
arrived in a pitiable state; she has constant con-
vulsions, and causes great anxiety to her family.
Alas! what is life to her now, and why do they
wish her to retain it?
Adieu. I am ashamed of the pétoffes † I have
written, but I am too melancholy to be pleasant; I
can think of nothing but that horrid road, and
I am longing for a letter to set me at ease.
I am
writing to Deschamps, because I want him to
write to me about you. Adieu; I love you, now
and always. M. Bertrand§ desires to be remem-
bered to you.
* Madame Parseval-Deschènes, widow of a farmer-general
of taxes, was through her husband first cousin of Madame de
Bastard. Her son, Ferdinand Parseval, was in the navy and
died an admiral.
† Pétoffes, an expression commonly used in the family,
signifying gossip, scandal, etc. It is a Provençal word, and is
met with in Madame de Sévigné's letters.
Deschamps, secretary to the Empress.
§ M. Bertrand (Dominique), formerly a merchant, secretary
10
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Pray ask M. de Talleyrand if he ever regrets his
former travelling companions, and remind him that
he promised accounts of his journeys to Madame
Devaines* and Madame de Talhouet,† and that I
claim my share.
III.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.
Paris, Monday, 16 Fructidor, Year XII.
(September 3, 1804).
I
A thousand thanks for the kind exactitude
which has relieved me from deep anxiety!
received your letter yesterday, Sunday, at six
o'clock; I had been expecting it all day, and I
needed it, for my imagination was busy with the
bad roads from Aix-la-Chapelle, and I could not
repress tears of joy when I saw your handwriting.
Pray continue to let me have a line now and then
of the Council of Commerce, was an intimate friend of my
grandfather. He was a clever, well-informed, and thoughtful
man, and very intimate with M. de Talleyrand, at whose house
he afterwards took up his abode. He died about 1818.
* Madame Devaines (Mademoiselle Racine) was the widow of
the Academician, philosopher, and Councillor of State, and mother
of M. Devaines who died a peer of France. The latter and M.
Guizot married two sisters, Pauline and Henriette Dillon. The
mother was considered a clever woman, kept a good table, and
was surrounded by a circle of distinguished men.
† Madame de Talhouet was a Creole and very intimate with
Madame Bonaparte, who had appointed her Lady-in-Waiting.
THE “TRIPOT" OF THE “PREFECT.”
11
to set my mind at ease. I really require it, for my
health is not good enough to bear up against
anxiety, and your absence has tried me very much.
I heard through the Archchancellor that the
Emperor is only to arrive at Aix* to-day, and that
you will set out again on Thursday, at latest. Do
try, if possible, to obtain the nominations for young
De Grasse and D'Houdetot, and to wind up Madame
de Grasse's business-the poor woman is in a
pitiable condition.
I am delighted that the Empress received you
so well. I should like you to have nothing but
pleasure on your journey, and would willingly
keep all the disagreeables for myself.
I have no news for you. There are some miser-
able rumours of war, and of conspiracies on the
eve of explosion. As for your tripot,† it con-
tinues to be rather stupid, and I have not
been there since your departure, but I have
seen Mahérault.j He told me that Mademoi-
selle Georges had asked for leave of absence
in order to go to her dying father, but it seems
that he must have recovered rapidly, for she is
* The Emperor joined the Empress at Aix-la-Chapelle on
15 Fructidor, Year XII., that is, on September 2, 1804.
† Voltaire's name for the Comédie Française.
Mahérault, brother-in-law to Legouvé, the author of "Le
Mérite des Femmes," had a place in the department of Public
Education, and was Government Commissioner at the Théâtre
Français. He was prematurely struck with paralysis, but lived
to a fairly advanced age. His son was a Councillor of State,
and the present Academician, M. Ernest Legouvé, has written
a charming sketch of him.
12 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
acting at Amiens. I was not aware that the
ladies of the company would be permitted to
absent themselves thus. I went to Le Vacher
yesterday about your Court suit, and from all I
saw I think the new costume will be very ex-
pensive. Try, at any rate, to obtain the Presidency
of your Electoral College,* that we may contrive
to make our way a little. I saw the Minister of
Finance about your nephew. He has no director-
ship to give away because he has made up his
mind henceforth to choose the directors from
among the inspectors. But by taking a place
as inspector, a directorship may be had afterwards.
I am going to tell your sister† this, and she shall
dictate my reply.
I have told you of all Madame de Souza's
troubles; she has suddenly warmed again towards
me. She is anxious and dissatisfied, and has good
reason for believing that M. de Lima will remain
* My family owned an estate in the Haute-Saône. My
grandfather wished to be, and in fact became, President of the
Electoral College of Vesoul. The Presidents were appointed,
both under the Empire and under the Government of the
Restoration, by the Emperor and the King. Their duties were
to superintend and direct electoral operations, and they were
sometimes proposed by the Government as candidates for the
votes of the electors.
† Madame de Foresta, the sister of M. de Rémusat, died in
Provence in 1825. Her eldest son, for whom she sought a
financial directorship, was, at his death, a Councillor of the
Court at Aix. A brother of his, the Marquis de Foresta, who died.
in 1858, played a considerable part in the Legitimist party. I
give numerous family details in these early pages, in order to
show the tone of the correspondence, and restrict myself,
further on, to subjects of more general interest.
MADAME DUROC.
13
here, while M. de Souza has a great desire to
leave Paris. She wished, at first, that you should
interfere, but has happily changed her mind, and
is now waiting for the Emperor's return. Say
nothing, therefore, about her vexation, and write
to me in such a way about the audience given
to the Portuguese, that I may repeat what you
say.
The affection she shows for me has made
Gallois my friend again;* he is once more quite
attentive.
Adieu; I must leave you for Charles's lessons.
He is very well and loves you as much as ever.
Albert knows your handwriting. When I show
him a letter from you, he says, "Papa!" and kisses
it. I hope soon to give him a fresh letter to kiss.
I don't know whether General Duroc is to be
told of an accident that happened to his wife.†
Do not speak to him on the subject unless he has
already heard of it. Yesterday, Sunday, she was
driving in a buggy with her brother, and was
thrown out, hurting her head a little. I have just
sent to inquire. She has been bled and feels well
this morning. There is not the slightest cause for
anxiety. For Heaven's sake, don't get yourself
* M. Gallois was a former Girondist, who had remained a
Liberal. His enlightened mind and an intimate acquaintance
with England had attached him to Lord Lansdowne and his
friends. He was very fond of Madame de Souza, and remained
intimate with her to the end. He was Maitre des Comptes, and
died in 1828.
† Madame Duroc, Duchess of Friuli, was by birth Mademoi-
selle Hervas. After the death of Duroc, she became Madame
Fabvier.
14
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
thrown out on those wretched roads. Come back
well and strong, for my health, my happiness, and
my life depend on yours. My mother sends you
her love, and says we are a tiresome pair.
Do not forget Halma.*
I enclose a letter from
Rustant that I opened without looking at the
address.
IV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.
Paris, Sunday, 22 Fructidor, Year XII.
(September 9, 1804.)
""
Your orders have been attended to at once.
They arrived to-day, and the actors will set out
to-morrow, Monday. I will myself go with Mahé-
rault to M. de Lavalette's, and you shall have all
the tragedies you ask for at Mayence by the 28th,
except the "Cid," because we do not possess a
"noble father," but we have substituted "Horace
for the "Cid." I hope the Emperor will be pleased
with your promptitude in carrying out his wishes,
and that you will therefore remain at the head of
the department of his amusements, in spite of all
M. de la Tourette's speeches here. He is trying
to make out that all the Chamberlains are on the
* The Abbé Halma, librarian to the Empress, was tutor to
my father, who was not sent to school until the following year.
†The Emperor's Mamelouk.
PAINS OF ABSENCE.
15
same level as the First, and that he shares with
you the direction of the theatres.
You are very good to have written to me. I
was rather disappointed at having no letter from
you, because it seemed to me there was time for
you to have written between your own arrival and
that of the Emperor; but I have heard from you.
now and am relieved. Tell Auguste to send me
a line now and then. I do not ask for details, but
only, "We are well." Absence is always pain to
the one who remains behind; it is great pain
to me, who am far from you, while my heart
tells me that I would never willingly be parted
from you.
You must, I am sure, have been very glad to
see the Emperor. We are wishing for him here,
but cannot hope to see him very soon. It is said
that he means to visit Boulogne again, and the
good-natured Parisians suggest numberless evil
motives for his absence. May it be brief! May
we soon welcome back our good Empress and
friend! Speak of me to her, I beg of you; tell
her how much I wish to be assured that she does
not forget me.
Madame de Vaudemont has, at last, bought a
house. She seems quite resolved on leaving her
present abode before winter. I had a note from
her to-day, promising me, within a week, a definite
answer as to the date of her departure. I went
over her house; it is very convenient, with good
offices; we should all, and you especially, be very
* M. de Rémusat's secretary.
16
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
comfortable there. Mamma and I have contrived
a capital way of managing, and with due regard to
the strictest economy. I attend all the sales that
are going on, and have seen some very good bar-
gains. If I could hope, however, that you would
soon be back, I would rather wait for you to decide
upon everything. It is curious that I, who look
such a determined person, can never make up my
mind, and am always afraid, unless you are with
me, of doing something foolish.
In order to have as little to reproach myself with
as possible, can you guess what I am doing during
your absence? I am becoming pious. I go to
Mass, I pray to God, and as one must love some-
thing, I turn to Him, while waiting for your return
some fine morning. I have found that this is
the only way of bearing the trials of life. I
worked myself up to a sort of enthusiasm, and—you
will smile perhaps I am calmer since I have had
recourse to Divine Providence; besides, I pray for
you, and that is another way of thinking of you.
In short, I am in such a state of fervour that I
believe I shall even go so far as confession, and if
you stay away much longer, I will not answer
for myself on that point. Do not imagine, how-
ever, that I have any heavy sin on my con-
science. My greatest fault is, in truth, that I
do not remind myself often enough that you are
the best of husbands, and that I neglect opportu-
nities of giving you pleasure. Is not the humility
of this avowal due to my new sentiments? I
intend to remain in this frame of mind.
REMINISCENCES.
17
Can you guess what I am doing as I write to
you? I have surrounded myself with your letters,
and I kiss them all, one after the other; those I
received long ago, as well as that of this morning.
I have one in my hand written to me when I was
as yet only Clary. It contains nothing at all re-
markable, only a commission you give me from
Paris, yet my heart beats when I look at it. Ah!
what happy recollections I retain of those early
days, notwithstanding the grief they sometimes
brought me!
How greatly were my sorrows
assuaged by the feelings with which you inspired
me! You made them endurable. What sweet
emotions are recalled by those days! My thoughts
were of you only; to see you for a moment alone,
to read your love for me in your eyes, were my sole
pleasures. I remember what I felt when I saw
you at the end of one of our lonely paths at St.
Gratien. But those days are already far away.
How many cares and anxieties have succeeded to
that peaceful time! How many quiet delights
were showered by Heaven on our youth!
I have come to the end of my paper, and I have
still much I could say to you, but adieu. Send
me word how you are. Tell General Duroc his
wife is quite well. I have seen her; there is not
the least cause for anxiety. It was a terrible acci-
dent, from no fault of hers, and we must thank
Heaven for her escape. But she is now perfectly
well, and would write herself only that her right
hand is a little sprained.
C
18
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
V.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.
Paris, Wednesday, 25 Fructidor, Year XII.
(September 12, 1804.)
Mon ami, this is a happy day for me; I have
had news of you twice over, once from you and
once from Deschamps. I feel quite weary with the
bare account of all your work! I fear that amid
all the hubbub you will not have time to take care
of yourself. I know how you can exert yourself
when necessary, and I feel anxious about you. But
remember, your health is the first need of my life.
While you are rushing about, I am here in the
most perfect repose; I bestirred myself, however, in
order to send off your actors. Make your mind
easy on that point; all will be well. So soon as your
letter for Mahérault arrived, I went with him to
M. de Lavalette; who gave orders for relays of
post horses for the actors. He told them not to
travel too closely, one carriage upon the other, for
fear of not finding horses ready. He fears, never-
theless, that they may have some trouble, notwith-
standing this precaution, in getting from Strasburg
to Mayence, and may be delayed for a day. I
asked M. de Lavalette for an intelligent courier to
precede them on the road. Afterwards (it was on
Monday morning) I went to Beckwelt's to fetch
* Beckwelt, chef de bureau at the Finance Office, had been
under M. de Vergennes when the latter was Director of Taxes
A VICE-CHAMBERLAIN.
19
the twelve thousand francs, a sum, which, by-the-
by, I had some trouble to get, for it had been in-
vested. I secured it at last, and then proceeded
to the green-room of the Comédie, where I found
your subjects assembled, and quarrelling over their
various conveyances. I acted as Vice-Chamberlain,
and I gave instructions about all to Saint-Prix,
because he seemed the most business-like, and we
arranged that he should start on Tuesday in the
first carriage, followed by a second, which was to
be five hours in advance of the others. This was
accordingly carried out. Mademoiselle Raucourt,*
only, had not returned from the country yesterday
morning. I am waiting to see Mahérault before
closing my letter, to hear news from him of the
fifth carriage, which she and her people are to
occupy. But even if she does not arrive until
four and twenty hours after the others, you would
still be able to have "Phèdre," "Bajazet,"
Ariane," or "Mithridate" played; "Cima" and
"Horace" would come afterwards.
The greater
part of their luggage is going by the diligence,
which will arrive on the 29th.
(6
I am now going to see Mahérault, and to read
your letter, which has this instant reached me, to
at the General Receipts Office in the Rue Ste. Avoye. He
continued to the end of his life to be the man of business of the
family.
* Mademoiselle Raucourt, who was born in 1756, had long
been first tragic actress at the Théâtre Français. She had now
been relegated to the second or third rank, in consequence of
the success of Mesdemoiselles Georges and Duchesnois. She
died in 1815.
20
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
him. I shall advise him to go, if possible. The
actors reckon on receiving money from you on
their arrival. Those who are left behind complain
very much of the Emperor's neglect of the Comédie
Française. I held out hopes that it would be
made up to them, and I objected to their closing
the theatre entirely, as they wished to do. They
will play twice or thrice a week, but they are so
few in number, and the season is so fine, that
they will really need help. You see that Mahérault
and I have done our best. I have just come back
to my room after seeing Mahérault, who tells me
that Mademoiselle Raucourt can start to-day,
Wednesday, and, since you wish it, Mahérault
will go with her. His health allows of this.
I have many messages for you from your son.
You will wonder that he does not send them
himself, but he has gone on a party of pleasure to
the Jardin des Plantes, and was obliged to give
up the pleasure of writing to you. I have made
a discovery about him: he is a very nice boy.
You see the result of my hours of meditation!
He is working very fairly, because life being a
little hard for me just now, I spend my time in
making it hard for him too! He reads and writes
with me for three hours every morning, and works
again a little in the evening, for I found it did not
do for him to have so many unoccupied hours.
He agreed very willingly to the evening lessons,
which consist of ten lines of verse learned by
heart, and a few written phrases of his own com-
position, to teach him to spell. He had a funny
A JUVENILE ARTIST.
21
idea a few days ago. He made a droll little
sketch representing the Emperor at his toilet,
and the Sovereigns of Europe each handing him
one of his garments. My mother and I were
greatly amused.
People say here that the Emperor will return
to Boulogne after this Rhine journey. In that
case you would come home, I hope, or would
you be going into Franche Comté? Try not to
lose sight of the Presidency of the Department.
To obtain that, I would patiently bear a little
delay. But what will the Empress do? Shall
we soon have her among us again? I begin
to think her absence very long. It is pleasant to
live with her, and I wish she were returning to
St. Cloud.
I have just read, in Deschamps' letter, his
account of the Emperor's reception at Aix-la-
Chapelle. You are going to make a triumphant
progress, and I must own to a secret regret that
I cannot be of the party, since you are one of it.
My only fear is lest the Court, so well received
everywhere, and so justly disgusted with our
horrid Parisians, may take a dislike to this gloomy
capital and remove from it altogether. To give
you some idea of our amiability, only imagine,
everybody is grumbling at the absence of the
actors of the Français, though the house was
invariably empty! You see that I take advantage
of your permission to write at length, although
I have nothing to tell you, and am perhaps weari-
some. But what can a humdrum woman like me
22
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
hear in the way of news? I seldom go out, I
see no one but a few old greybeards, and I cannot
be happy with my husband away. My greatest
amusement is the shower-bath which I take every
morning, and enjoy very much. My health is
good; I even think I am growing stout. Every
one says so.
VI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
29 Fructidor, Year XII.
(Sunday, September 16, 1804.)
I am surprised that you do not mention M. de
Souza in any of your letters. I saw his wife this
morning; she had heard from him the bad news
of his recall, and of his new mission to one
of the Northern Courts. You can imagine the
effect on her and the excess of her grief. She
fears, moreover, that matters may become still
worse for her, and that some false report may
be made to the Emperor, of things she will
be accused of having said on the subject; she
begs you will prevent this additional misfortune,
by assuring the Emperor of her regret, but, at
the same time, of the resolution she has taken
not to manifest even the slightest vexation, and
to comfort herself by the recollection of his
Majesty's kindness, which she will never forget.
M. de Souza, who for some time past has had
M. DE SOUZA IS RECALLED.
23
many reasons for expecting his removal, left Paris,
nevertheless, in a more tranquil state of mind,
because, two days before his departure, he had
had a frank explanation with M. de Lima, who
gave him his word of honour that he had no
pretensions to the Embassy in France. It would
seem, however, that he changed his mind at
Aix-la-Chapelle. But if anything can console
Madame de Souza, it is the tender affection of
her good husband. Nothing can be more touching
than the letter in which he gives her all the
particulars. I should like you to see it; it is
impossible to have purer, tenderer, or more esti-
mable sentiments than his. However sad it may
be to part with her country, her friends, her old
habits, and perhaps even her son,* there can be
no unhappiness in accompanying a husband like
hers or mine.
It is especially on account of her son that
Madame de Souza fears to be injured with the
Emperor. She begs you to tell this to the Em-
press, and to say that, though greatly distressed,
she is quite resigned. If possible, write me a few
words to prove that you have exerted yourself in
this affair and that our good protectress is in-
terested in the poor lady. In truth, she needs
such a consolatory proof of your friendship.† I
* Charles de Flahault, Madame de Souza's son by her first
marriage, became a general at the end of the First Empire, at
a very early age. He was a senator and Grand Chancellor of
the Legion of Honour under the Second Empire. He died
September 1, 1870.
†This letter is one of those (the reader must remember)
24
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
think you must now be at Cologne. Every one
tells me that you are making the most delightful
journey in the world, and that I ought to be very
glad you are travelling through such a lovely
country. All the better, if you are enjoying your-
self. I am not so selfish as to wish you to be
dull; I will take all the dulness for my share, and
shall be amply rewarded by the joy of meeting you
again.
I am longing too to be once more with the
Empress I would almost say with the Emperor
also, only that it might seem disrespectful. You
say nothing about his return; true, you may know
very little about it. It is rumoured here that the
coronation is to be deferred. I cannot believe
this, and if I might venture, I would say that delay
would have an ill effect. On the other hand, we
are told that the Pope is coming, and that the
Grand Master of Ceremonies is to be sent forward
to meet him. Do you know whether this is
true? You are really unbearably discreet; there
is nothing to be got out of you.
I saw Portalis about your nephew. He promised
to put down his name on the list for a Prefecture,
and to speak strongly in his favour. I will not let
written when my grandparents were in constant fear that their
correspondence was, or might be, seen by the Emperor. This
will be still more apparent in succeeding letters. Yet it would
not be just to say that all their expressions and remarks were
dictated by calculation. There was a certain mixture of sincerity
and caution in the sentiments they expressed, which it would
be difficult to sift, but which is intelligible to the reader of the
Letters and the Memoirs.
HUMBOLDT.
25
him forget his promise; while you are away I
like to exert myself actively in your service, or
in that of any one belonging to you.
I dined a few days ago with M. Humboldt, and
passed the whole evening in delightedly listening to
him. He is simple and modest, like Merit itself;
he has observed with judgment, has a fine memory,
and his narratives are admirably written. I can
use no other word, for he speaks both carefully
and fluently, and one seems to be listening to an
interesting book read aloud.
VII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, Tuesday, 1st Complementary, Year XII.
(September 18, 1804.)
I have not heard from you since Thursday, and
though not greatly surprised at your silence, still
it makes me just a little anxious, and I shall remain
so until you can find a leisure moment in which
to tell me that you are well. Anxiety about your
health pursues me everywhere, and any one to
hear me talking about the heat and the cold would
imagine you were a gouty old invalid. In spite
of your infirmities, however, I hope you are getting
on well.
You will see in the newspapers a capital letter
from the Minister of Police to the clergy; we
are all delighted with it here. He wrote to me
26
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
that his wife receives on Wednesdays; I intend
calling on her to-morrow. If you wish for news,
for you are capable of knowing nothing about it,
although on the very spot whence it emanates, let
me tell you that Madame Bonaparte mère, who has
also her brevet as Princess, has been sent for; that
M. Clary is her Chamberlain and Madame Clary
her Lady of Honour; that Madame Borghèse
has quarrelled with her husband, and is returning
to Paris; that private proposals have, it is said,
been made to Lucien; that M. de Jaucourt is First
Chamberlain to Prince Joseph; that the marriage
contract between Mademoiselle Tascher and M.
de Fuentes is signed, also those between Eugène
and Mademoiselle de Rohan, and M. Tascher
and Mademoiselle de Valence. This is what we
amuse ourselves by hearing and repeating in Paris,
during your absence. Much of it seems probable,
but I do not believe it all.† About once a week I
emerge from my shell to pay a few visits, and gather
in all the gossip. The rest of my time I remain at
home, and my days are all so alike that you may
always guess what I am doing at whatever hour
you may think of me. In the morning my bath;
on returning home Charles's lessons. Afterwards
I write a few lines to you, and read Pascal, whom
I have seized upon to keep up my piety. In the
* Madame Borghèse, or Princess Pauline, was sister to the
Emperor.
† Most of these previsions were not realized. Everybody
knows that Prince Eugène de Beauharnais married Princess
Augusta of Bavaria, and not Mademoiselle de Rohan.
ROUTINE.
27
course of the evening a little discussion with the
Abbé Morellet,* Bertrand, and Gallois, who is very
friendly again; and by ten o'clock every one in the
house is in bed. This, you see, is a very salubrious
sort of life, and my health consequently is good.
With a few little exceptions-you will guess them
-I could be very happy, spending my life in this
way; but I feel that I should sometimes want to
see my good and kind protectress, and the Emperor
also. Adieu. Mamma pretends that she no longer
thinks about you, but she speaks of you con-
tinually.
Wednesday Evening.
I had closed my letter, but I open it again,
because I have received one that has raised my
spirits. Your want of occupation wearies you, but
you have no vexations as I feared. I shall send
you my little sermon all the same, however,
because I have not time to write my letter over
again. Besides, in the vortex in which we are
plunged, we shall find good use for it. I can
understand the dulness of your present life. You
are not accustomed to keep your mind in such a
state of inactivity, and really and truly I pity you,
for I know what it is. I hope you are often con-
soled by smiles from the master; you rejoice in
them, I know, and I congratulate you, if you
* The Abbé Morellet, who wrote his Memoirs, is he whom
Voltaire nicknamed Abbé Mord-les (the Biter). He died, over
ninety years of age, on January 12, 1819. He was a member
of the French Academy.
28
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
obtain them sometimes. You are very good to
give me an account of your day, and your narrative
is most spirited. But will no Chamberlains be
appointed to do the no-work which now fills up all
your time? You ought to have brought such
labours to an end.
I see Madame de Souza every day. She is out
of spirits and unhappy, and all this business is
not a consequence of her indiscretion only; she
certainly helped, but she is not the only cause.
Her husband's behaviour is most noble and digni-
fied.
He shows her and Charles the greatest
affection. Wherever she may be, with such a
husband, it will only depend upon herself to be
happy. You do not say a word about Madame
Devaines,† and she is quite put out by it. She
is not a woman to offend, and you are wrong to
be negligent of this. If I receive another letter
with no mention of her, I must invent some sort
of satisfactory message.
I heard here that M. de Ségurt was to be sent
forward to meet the Pope, and as the happiness
of seeing you, especially after so long an absence,
comes before everything with me, I was delighted.
They say now that the coronation is deferred,
but I think I told you this before. There is
nothing new in Paris, but profound dulness and
idleness reign. Your poor theatre gives an oc-
casional performance to an empty house, and, by
* Charles de Flahault.
† Madame Devaines wished to be Lady-in-Waiting.
‡ M. de Ségur was Grand Master of the Ceremonies.
DULNESS REIGNS AT PARIS.
29
the way, you must give them a good raking on
your return; they are so lazy! All the newspapers
are down on your actors with well-deserved blame.
Before they left Paris, they were always acting the
same pieces, and they want a sound scolding.
Picard's theatre is carried on with great spirit.
He has brought out a new piece, which is a
success; but I have not seen it, as I scarcely ever
go to the play. Yesterday, however, although
depressed by your letter, I went to the Opera. I
saw "Panurge," which was very good, and the great
Duport, who, in spite of poor M. de Luçay's pro-
hibitions, introduced ever so many new steps. I
saw M. de Luçay a few days ago; he is melan-
choly and discontented, and confided some of his
sorrows to me. Oh, mon ami, what human being
is happy?
*
But enough of pétoffes. You will have no
occasion to complain of the brevity of this letter ;
I am spinning it out as much as I can, as when
it is finished I must return to solitude. You are
now at Mayence, whence you will write to me;
but it will be four or five days before I can hear
from you. Adieu, my beloved. Charles is climb-
ing on my shoulder, to ask if I have sent a message
from him; he is an affectionate child. I think
* M. de Luçay was Prefect of the Palace and responsible for
the Opera and the Opéra Comique. Duport was an opera
dancer and composer of ballets. He was an excellent dancer in
the serious style. "Panurge" is an opera of Grétrys, the libretto
by Morel. It was represented for the first time in 1785.
Picard had been appointed director of the Italian Opera, on its
removal to the Salle Louvois in 1803.
30 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
you will see that he has made some progress.
Adieu. Oh I was forgetting. Send me a line
authorizing me to take Madame Lavoisier's
apartment, which she agrees to let to us.
*
VIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, Wednesday, 2nd Complementary, Year XII.
(September 19, 1804.)
I wrote to you under the melancholy influence
of your last letter, and I regret now that I did
so, because I do not wish to cause you the
slightest pain of any kind. But you will for-
give me, if you recollect that your tone of gloom
was accompanied by no particulars, and that you
left all details to my imagination. I still feel
* Madame Lavoisier, the widow of the illustrious Lavoisier,
who was executed under the Reign of Terror, had been Made-
moiselle Paulze. She died in 1834, after a second marriage
with Count Rumford. She was, all through her life, very inti-
mate with our family. My father felt a real regard for her.
She was rather blunt, but sincere, faithful, and energetic. She
was living at that time on the ground floor of a large house on
the Boulevard de la Madeleine, at the corner of the Rue Duphot.
This was the apartment my grandparents were anxious to take,
and where, in fact, my. father passed the greater part of his
childhood. The whole building has since been pulled down, and
replaced by the houses of the Cité Vindé. Madame Rumford,
on vacating it, took Madame de Vaudémont's house in the Rue
d'Anjou. Afterwards the Rues Rumford and Lavoisier, and
part of the Boulevard Malesherbes, were built on this ground.
A COURTIER'S TROUBLES.
31
rather anxious, in a vague way, and constrained
to write to you again to-day, although a letter for
you has already been despatched this morning.
Assuredly you cannot accuse me of neglect. I
write to you almost every day; in fact, I believe
I write every day; it is my delight and my only
consolation, and while thus holding intercourse
with you, I cherish the delusion that we are once
more together. I enjoy this happiness all the
more, because you tell me that my letters give
you the same feeling, and I believe it, for I love
to believe all you say. What renders my life so
happy, and beautifies both present happiness and
that which I look forward to in the future, is my
entire confidence in you-a confidence which, I
will confess, I sometimes abuse. I am so sure of
your feelings; it is so delightful to be able to say,
when reading my husband's affectionate words,
"All this is true." But to return to your letter.
It grieved me; but I do think your extreme
sensitiveness is the cause of your being so easily
upset. What has happened? Some slight mark
of dissatisfaction on the part of the Emperor,
which hurt you at the moment, but which can
have no serious results, because your zeal for him
is as active as your admiration is sincere. He is
not ignorant of this; he has more than once done
justice to you, and you are too right-minded to
misjudge the occasional violence of temper that
belongs to his character, and which is surely suffi-
ciently accounted for by the multitude of affairs
that occupy and agitate him. Moreover, it appears
32
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
to me that at this very moment he is giving you
a proof of confidence in appointing you President
of an Electoral College. There is no alteration,
therefore, in the interest he kindly takes in us, and
you must not forget that the life of Courts is not
so calm and peaceful that one can dispense with
strong armour to guard one's feelings from the
little vexations that meet one at every turn. Is
it from your companions that you have received
some annoyance? Has your self-respect been
wounded? Has some
some prerogative been con-
tested and taken away? After all, what does it
matter? Trust to time, to the justice of the
Emperor, to your own merit, for the reward due
to every honourable man who does his duty. Mon
ami, one thought is constantly before me, which
prevents my feeling very deeply the little con-
tradictions we may meet with at Court. It is
this. What have we done for the Revolution?
What pledges, to use the current expression, have
we given it? What claim have we to distinc-
tions from the new authorities it has brought
forth? We have suffered and sighed, which is
interesting to nobody; and after that terrible
upheaving, your position is one to be envied
and coveted by all who have been toiling to get
on these last fifteen years. Such reflections
make me earnestly wish that you could obtain
some place in the Government, as well as your
place at Court, and belong to some official depart-
ment. They also moderate my feelings of ambi-
tion, which would be excessive, if I could forget
CONSOLATORY CONSIDERATIONS.
33
that, after such political crises, modest merit and
delicate probity have no claims to favours of the
first rank.
You will think my tone very serious to-day, but
it harmonizes with my thoughts, which in conse-
quence of your letter are rather grave. Yet, when
I look around me, I see many reasons for content-
ment: our mutual affection, our children, our
happy home! Who could complain, with so many
blessings?
The Emperor, I suppose, is at Mayence by this
time? I hope the actors have arrived. I see by
your letter that when you wrote you had received
none of mine on the subject; I trust you have
them all now. I should not like them to be lost.
Adieu, once more, my beloved. Your children and
my mother are well. My health is tolerably good;
Corvisart is more satisfied with it, and if my mind
were quite at ease, I should be well. Tell the
Empress how much I long to see her. I do not
send the same message to the Emperor, and yet,
believe me, I wish he were back at St. Cloud.
IX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, Friday, 4th Complementary, Year XII.
(September 21, 1804.)
I called on Madame de Talleyrand yester-
day morning. She was very civil, and said she
should tell her husband to tell you she had seen
D
34
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
me.
She asserted so strenuously and so often that
her husband was delighted, happy, and on the best
terms with the Emperor, that I was half tempted
to doubt it.
Poor Madame de Souza is far from this state
of triumphant delight, although she has sufficient
self-command to speak very little of her departure.
The Imperial family show her the greatest friend-
ship. Madame Louis* shed tears on seeing her,
and Prince Louis promised to write to the Emperor
that there was some intrigue at the bottom of all
this, which ought to be looked into. M. and
Madame Murat also are interesting themselves.
I do not think anything is to be gained, however,
and the best thing our poor ambassadress can do,
is to love her husband and go with him to Russia,
where she may enjoy the honours paid to him and
the sensation she herself will create. Bertrand is
heart-broken, and Gallois in a state of repressed
fury; Abbé Morellet no longer knows how to
spend his Thursdays. In the midst of all this
M. de Souza remains admirably calm and dignified.
He has behaved nobly throughout; he is a very
high-minded man.
You will not tell me whether the coronation is
to be deferred, and I do not know whether I
ought to go on with my preparations. Meanwhile
I would much rather spend the money on installing
ourselves comfortably than on unnecessary clothes.
I have no answer as yet about the price of the
furniture which I agreed on with Fallanquin.
* Madame Louis Bonaparte, afterwards Queen Hortense.
THEATRICAL REFORM.
35
I have just seen Picard, who praises you and
the Empress alternately. He tells me your health
is very good. Pray take care of it. I am well.
Adieu.
X.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, Sunday, 1 Vendémiaire, Year XIII.
(September 23, 1804.)
:
I suppose you are now in the midst of
your theatrical performances, and that they are
going off well. It is just the contrary here; our
actors play only twice a week to empty houses.
The public grumbles at them, and they at the
public. I enclose you a newspaper which speaks
of them fairly enough. They certainly require
reform; because, after all, in former times, when
they were only half their present number, the
removal of the Court never prevented them from
playing at the Français. Picard's theatre, with
smaller resources, is better managed; it has been
open without intermission, and he has brought out
two new pieces that have both succeeded. I was
inclined to send for Dazincourt,* but I reflected
* Dazincourt, who was born in 1747 and died in 1809, created
the part of Figaro, and had great influence at the Comédie
Française. His acting was considered to be correct, refined,
and somewhat cold. Préville said of him," He is a good comic
actor,-joking apart."
36
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT
that it would not do for me to set myself up as
regent, that you would not approve, and that it
must not be. People hope that on your return
you will regulate the administration of the theatre
differently.
I went this morning to the Salon, where I saw
some fine paintings. The best is undoubtedly
the picture by Gros of the Emperor's visit to
the sufferers from the plague, in Egypt. Draw-
ing, composition, and colour, all are excellent.
David at once awarded it the crown of honour,
and it was well deserved. There is a most pain-
ful picture, by Hennequin, only moderately well
executed. It represents the dreadful events at
Quibéron.* One shudders at the sight of French-
men slaughtering each other, and I own that it
was an effort to me to explain this melancholy
subject to our son. It is said to have been painted
by order, but not only is it ill executed, but I fail
to see that it can have any good effect. I remarked
also a beautiful flower piece by Vandaël, belonging
to the Empress, and Isabey's picture, which is
charming, every face being a perfect likeness.
Lastly, a very beautiful little painting by Richard,
who painted the Valentine of Milan. It represents
Francis I., and is pronounced by connoisseurs to
be equal to a Gerard Dow. You should advise
the Empress to buy it.
* Every one knows that painful incident of the civil war, of
which the Emperor wished to perpetuate the memory. In
1725 the émigrés and the English landed at Quibéron. They
were defeated by General Hoche.
M. CHÉRON.
37
Will you be so kind as to mention M. Chéron
to Maret?* This is the reason.
This is the reason. The Presidency
of his Electoral College is vacant. I wrote to
Montalivet, and, at my request, he very kindly
put Chéron's name at the head of the list pre-
sented to Portalis. The latter promised to put
it on the list that will be shown to the Emperor,
and then will come the opportunity for M. Maret
to help us; do not forget this.
XI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT VESOUL.
Paris, Friday, 6 Vendémiaire, Year XIII.
(September 28, 1804.)
Thanks for your two letters, which arrived
together and gave me great pleasure. I needed
these two companions of my solitude, for I have
been alone since last Monday. My mother is at
Auvers, and has taken Charles, leaving me alone
with my thoughts. I should be very dull were it
not for the sweet reveries caused by your letters,
and for the knowledge that Charles is enjoying
himself. Thus maternal love, the least selfish of
all love, delights in the sacrifice of self. But I do
not so patiently endure a certain person's absence,
and time seems to lag wearily until the happy
moment of your return. It is said that the
* Maret, afterwards Duc de Bassano. He was at this time
Secretary of State.
38
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT
Empress will come back here next week; I shall
take my turn of waiting the following week, so
as to be free from the 20th to the 25th. Then,
with nothing to disturb me from the anticipation
of the close of this weary separation, with what
impatience shall I not await the blessed day that
will reunite us!
I have just received letters from my mother;
she says that Charles is in good spirits, and is all
day long in the vineyards. I am glad he has
taken advantage of these last fine days. While
he is playing, I am thinking of him and you; I
make plans for the future, and place you both in
a prosperous position, as you deserve. I picture
that dear child rewarding us for all we have
done for him, and enjoying the good things of life
that you have amassed for his sake, while you
enjoy calm repose with me after all your trials and
labours. Oh, my dearest, may these hopes be
realized and not disappointed! Where are those
days in which I should have had no doubt?
What sad progress I have made!
It seems we are not to see the Emperor just
yet; he intends returning to Boulogne. Here we
are all excited about the invasion, and politics are
the order of the day. You may imagine that we
don't let the affairs of Turkey pass without plenty
of comment and much dissertation. But I have
little to say on the subject. The older I
grow the
less I care for what is not myself, that is, you
and all I love. Whatever the future may have in
store for us, if we are left together, we shall always
PHILOSOPHY.
39
be happy; otherwise, all will be over. Do not
scold me for a shade of melancholy; you know
who will make me gay again. While on the
subject of the finality of all things, did you see
in the papers the almost sudden death of poor
Fargues,* and that of Madame Macdonald? Thus
do youth and riches vanish in a single moment.
I remember what you told me once of Fargues'
discontent, and of his unsatisfied ambition; if he
had known then how soon he was to reach the
term of all human passions, how greatly he would
have despised his own state of mind!
Is not this a grand subject for moralizing, and
in my present humour I have but to let myself
run on and I shall be making the liveliest and
most original remarks. But I spare you, and in
order to enliven you a little more, I must tell you
of the sums our new house † is costing us. I
send you an estimate I got from Fallampin,‡ be-
I
fore beginning, that you may see the amount.
exclaimed when I saw it, and asked for exact par-
ticulars of each article, and I see plainly that the
present generation is foolish to throw away such
sums of money on all these superfluities.
M. Fargues was in the Administration. His son was
Auditor under the Empire and Prefect in 1830.
† She is still speaking of the house on the Boulevard de la
Madeleine, or rather of the ground-floor of that house. The rent
was seven thousand francs (£280). The house was bought
successively by M. Ouvrard, and M. Pourtalès, who lived in it.
It was used afterwards as an hotel, and then passed into the
hands of Morel de Vindé.
An upholsterer.
40
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
However, I shall conclude none of my purchases
until your return; there is no hurry, nor will
there be any difficulty in finding what we require.
You must own that I am right in saying we are all
foolish. Our good old forefathers, wiser than we,
passed their days in armchairs where their fathers
had sat before them, and they amused themselves
quite as much as we do. Nowadays, if one would
have a few friends in one's house, one must begin
by decorating it like a shop, and it is too true that
many people have no means of amusing their
guests except by feasting their eyes on the elegance
of their furniture.
I hope your actors have given satisfaction; I
don't see why they should not act as well at
Mayence as here. When you have amused your-
selves sufficiently, send them back, for those who
remain are really pitiable; the theatre is nearly
always closed, and when open, is empty. Picard,
on the contrary, is delighted, and proud of his
success. The Opéra Comique have done well
also; they brought out the night before last a
most charming little opera.
Adieu; I think this is enough gossip. You will
read it before going to bed the day you arrive at
Vesoul; it will put you asleep. You are quite
right to have made up your mind to be amused
with my long rambling letters-for, if you had not,
what would become of you?
PAIN OF PARTING.
XII.
TO M. DE RÉMUS
A MILAN.
41
St. Cloud, Saturday 9 Germinal, Year XIII.
(March 30, 1805.)
In one of Madame de Sévigné's letters she says,
"What a day is that on which separation com-
mences!" Alas! I have experienced the pain of
such a day, and I do not think there can be many
moments more painful than those which follow on
the departure of a person we love. The solitude
that succeeds to the bustle of departure, the
* The coronation had taken place in Paris in December, 1804.
A few months later, on 11 Germinal, Year XIII. (April 1,
1805), the Emperor left for Milan, to be crowned King of
Italy. His First Chamberlain had to start a few days earlier,
to make the necessary preparations, taking with him the
Imperial insignia and the crown diamonds. It was during
this journey to Italy that the following letters were written.
My father retained a keen recollection of the emotions of this
leave-taking, and wrote the following memorandum on the
subject, towards the close of his life :-" A journey to Italy, the
passage of Mont Cenis, and indeed any kind of travelling, was
at that time, by reason of the badness and insecurity of the
roads, a much greater affair than at the present day. My
mother, who took everything seriously and was an enthusiastic
and romantic woman, and who, moreover, had never considered
the positive side of life, greatly exaggerated it besides; and as
her imagination gave the key-note to us all, I looked upon a
leave-taking, or an absence, or a journey, as a catastrophe, or
almost as a family mourning. At that time there prevailed a
tone of sentiment or affection on all subjects, which at the
present day would appear affected, but which was, never-
theless, perfectly sincere, and perhaps indicated finer moral
qualities than the cynical irony of our generation."
42
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
silence, the tears that stand in the eyes of all,
but that one dares not acknowledge lest they turn
into sobs, and for all the rest of the day the usual
order of the house neglected! In short, every
little circumstance that one dwells on although
it only adds to one's grief! For myself, my
dearest, I am not strong enough to bear such
emotions frequently. I have taught myself to
believe that we should always be together; I
cannot exist alone and far from you. Do believe
me, there can be no happiness for me away from
you. Poor little Charles wept so bitterly, his
unrestrained grief cut me to the soul. All the
evening he kept telling me that he could not
believe he should not see you in the morning. At
last he was so distressed that I was obliged to try
and amuse him, and only succeeded by taking him
to the theatre.
I came here to St. Cloud, yesterday morning,
and found everybody preparing for departure; this
made me think of yours. They start to-morrow,
and I return to Paris this evening. I do not want
to stay here, or to see anybody; it would only
make me weep, and make people think I am sorry
because they are going away. The Empress is in
a state of perturbation which prevents me from
seeing much of her. However, she seemed pleased
to have me here these last two days. No one
could form an idea of the confusion that prevails.
Every place is encumbered; no one knows to
whom to apply for orders, and yet everybody is
giving them.
AT ST. CLOUD.
43
Amid this tumult Caulaincourt is loudly ordering
that the men servants and the maids are to be
seized by main force and packed off. The journey
to Fontainebleau is to be made to-morrow, and on
to Troyes on Tuesday. General Duroc thinks that
the Emperor will be at Turin on the 22nd. You
will then be much farther away, but you will be
resting yourself, and I shall be more at ease; for
your journey disquiets me—the roads are so unsafe,
and then the cold is so intense! To-day we are
in mid-winter. When I opened my shutters, in
order to write to you, I found everything covered
with snow, and I sorrowfully reflected that you
were travelling. I cannot, alas! ask you to be
careful of yourself, for this letter will only reach
you after you have, I hope, escaped all the dangers
that I dread. I am entering on ten days of terrible
anxiety; the grief of separation is not the only
trouble absence brings with it.
I did not see the Emperor yesterday; he was at
work all the morning, and retired at eight o'clock.
Before closing my letter I will tell you if I do
see him, and to-morrow I will just wish you good
morning before I seal.
Saturday Evening.
I have passed a dreadful day, listening to people
talking of the difficulties of your journey, of the
want of horses, and consequently the diminution
of your escort, and of the wretched Savoy roads
and their ignorant postilions. I cried all day, and
I spend my time in prayers for your safety, but
I cannot beg you to be careful, for this letter will
44
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
not reach you for a long time. How soon shall
I hear from you after that fatal Mont Cenis?
How I must suffer until I do! It is in these
times of anxiety especially that I feel how dear
you are, how necessary is your existence to mine.
Oh, my dearest, be careful; without you I feel
I cannot live.
I spent the day at St. Cloud, without, however,
seeing the Emperor, who has been continually at
work, and did not make his appearance. The
Empress has been all kindness, but I was in a
very unfit state to enjoy it.
XIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, 13 Germinal, Year XIII.
(Wednesday, April 3, 1805.)
. . M. Salembini * wrote to me from Avallon;
I am most grateful for his kindness, and rely on him
to make up for your laziness by his punctuality. If
you have been properly supplied with post-horses,
you must have slept at Lyons on Sunday night;
but where are you now? It was thought at St.
Cloud that you would reach Turin on Friday; but,
for my part, I do not hope it; post-horses must be
* M. Salembini was a retired officer, whom my grandfather
had taken with him as travelling companion and secretary.
This gave rise to some difficulties, as will be seen, and as has
been mentioned in the Memoirs. He had a sister and two little
girls, of whom more hereafter.
MISGIVINGS.
45
scarce and the roads bad. I cannot think you will
reach Turin before Sunday, and only then if no
accident has occurred to detain you. You see by
all I write that I have but one idea, and I would
therefore deny myself the happiness of writing to
you and remain silent until I am more at ease
only that you will want to hear some news of us.
But I must try to speak of other things, and will
avoid, if I can, making you a sharer in my trouble.
But you must be indulgent until I know you are
at Turin; until then I have but one subject of
thought.
The next thing will be to regard my fears as
presentiments! But hitherto I know to what to
attribute them, and when I am calmer, I will tell
you why your absence is more painful to me this
time than ever before, and why I am absolutely
unhappy without you.
The Emperor left Fontainebleau this morning;
the Archchancellor, whom I met at Madame.
Devaines', told me he believed the Emperor's
absence would last three months, although his
Majesty had told him he should be back at the
end of two, that he had no intention of visiting
the departments of the south, and that the
Empress expected to return on June 15th. If
no special accident happens to you, through your
mode of travelling, I shall be very glad that you
have gone on first. You can have no idea of the
confusion and disorder this journey is entailing;
yours was nothing at all in comparison. Every-
body is grumbling and already tired out, and they
46
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
must thank God if they all come back safe. He
knows what I ask of Him. You first, and then
the master of us all. But I need not make myself
anxious on his account; there are plenty of per-
sons devoted to him, and eager to bring him back
safe to us. It is for your health and your enjoy-
ment that all my prayers are offered: first, that
you may meet with no accident, and then that
you may enjoy yourself. Yes, my dearest, enjoy
yourself; I love you enough to wish that you may
be amused. Let me bear all the pain of separation,
so that your share be the pleasure of the journey.
I shall be quite satisfied with this division.
I enclose a letter from Mademoiselle Mars; *
Corvisart asks your attention to it. He is to start
in about three weeks, and will tell you how he
leaves me. If my mind were at ease, I should
be pretty well.
Adieu. I will write no more, because I can
but repeat myself. I will chatter away when my
anxiety is relieved; until then, I will only write
in order to say that I love you and am well in
health. I may say the same for Charles; Albert
is getting on wonderfully; my mother scolds me,
sends you her love, and says she ought to have
been an old maid.
* It is scarcely necessary to say that Mademoiselle Mars was
the well-known tragic actress, then at the zenith of her beauty
and talents.
REGRETS.
47
XIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Saturday, 16 Germinal, Year XIII.
(April 6, 1805.)
I had need of your letter. I was widowed and
lonely, and my days hung heavily. I feel better
now; your letter will keep me company. You
know that I shall put it quite near me at night,
that I may fall asleep thinking of you, and awake
with the same thought in the morning. Oh, how
sad a thing is absence! and to what end? Men
throw away their happiness as they do their
money; they squander both on an uncertain
future, to which they sacrifice the present, which
only is their own. They lose three or four
months in a year living far away from those they
love; they take change for their gold without
looking at it; and life and fortune alike pass away
from them unnoticed.
This is my third letter to you since you left
me; but I do not feel great pleasure in writing,
because my thoughts are always fixed on the
dangers of your journey. In ten or twelve days'
time, when I know you are safe at Milan, and
can rest from all your bad nights, your joltings,
and your shakings, if not the worse accidents of
which I tremble to think, then I can chat with
you unrestrainedly; I shall have no other pleasure
but that of writing to you, of telling you about
48 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
our children, about myself,. the happiness I owe
you, my most tender love, and, above all, of the
confidence I feel in your affection for me, which
is the foundation of all my joy.
*
The Emperor is on the road since Tuesday, and
was to sleep last night at Sémur; he travels
slowly, although people say he is pressed for time.
The want of occupation to which I am reduced
by his absence and yours, is something new. I
should be lazy enough to like it, if you were here
with me. I have thrown myself into the society
of the Faubourg,† without, however, neglecting
that other faubourgt to which I owe a duty.
To-morrow and the next day, I shall take leave
of the Princesses; then I shall spend a week
making a round of visits, after which I shall pay
no more until you are with me. On May 1st, I
go to Sannois, whence I shall, once a week, bring
Charles to M. Halma. Madame d'Houdetôt §
insists on having the whole family with her. I
intend returning to Paris in June, and you, I hope,
will decide what we are to do in July.
* Sémur, chief place of a district in the department of Côte
d'Or, on the road to Italy.
†The Faubourg St. Germain.
The Faubourg St. Honoré, where most of the Government
officials resided.
§ Madame de Houdetôt, the same mentioned by J. J. Rousseau
in his “Confessions," although already aged and in very moderate
circumstances, had a country-house according to the old style
at Sannois, where she entertained a numerous and distinguished
company. It was one of the places where the scholarly society
of the eighteenth century still survived and lived again. She is
spoken of at great length in the Memoirs.
A MOTHER-IN-LAW.
49
I have now given you an accurate account of
my actions. If you wish for news of my thoughts,
I may say that they will be entirely of you, for
Charles is my principal occupation, and naturally
leads me to think of his father. Once more let
me repeat that, when my anxiety is relieved, I will
write to you about him, the progress he makes,
and his little brother's health. Until then I feel
stifled, and my heart tortured by anxiety; I get
through the days, not in order to reach the happy
one of your return-it is too far off, I dare not
think of it but to reach that one when you will
write, "My dear one, I have arrived and am
well." Picture to yourself, if you can, how these
words will be received, and then say, if you dare,
that you are not loved as you deserve.
My mother embraces you. She makes charming
complaints of her misfortune in having daughters;
she says that she is no sooner easy about the ruts
on your road, than her sympathy is claimed for
the inundations on M. de Nansouty's.* She writes
to her friends, begging them not to leave her a
prey to our dismal lamentations, but is so kind-
hearted in reality, that she always ends by sharing
our anxiety. Morning and evening we look through
the "Post Guide," and alarm ourselves at any sign
of the "fourth horse;"† we make inquiries in
every direction as to the dangers of the route;
* General Nansouty was then on his way home from Hanover.
+ In those days an extra horse used to be charged for by the
postmasters, and called the third or the fourth horse, when the
road was heavy or fatiguing. This horse was paid for, but was
never harnessed or seen.
E
50
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
there is, I know, between Chambéry and Mont
Cenis, a bad road, with snow and steep descents,
and no wall on the outer edge. Did you leave the
carriage at all those bad places? Did you think
of your wife, whose life depends upon your health,
and who could not bear up against any addition to
her troubles? I expect you will find all this very
tiresome reading, these dangers being already
in the past. But what can I do? It would be
easy to prove to each of us that we are really
happy and really understand each other, only
when we are not parted.
XV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Wednesday, 20 Germinal, Year XIII.
(April 10, 1805.)
After thoroughly enjoying your letter from
Lyons, I have fallen back into a state of nervous
anxiety, which will only cease, as I have already
told you, when I get a letter from you from Turin.
You must be there, I think, now.
The weather here is splendid; you must be
enjoying the beautiful Italian spring, and I hope
such a lovely climate will reward you for all your
trouble in getting to it. Enjoy it all, my dearest,
the beautiful scenery and the pure sky; I love
you sufficiently to wish you may have pleasure,
although far from me. I know so well in what
you place your happiness, that I do not desire
A FRIENDLY CAUTION.
51
any proof of your regrets that would interfere with
your enjoyment of the journey. There is one kind
of amusement only that I cannot, in conscience,
allow you, and I trust you will know how to resist
any whispers of mio bene that may be offered to
you, emphasized by sweet voices and bright eyes.
I hope your first care was to write to me from
Turin. Indeed, it is necessary to me; for to be
ignorant of the fate of him I love best in the world
is a very heavy burden. But I am again com-
plaining! I do wish to spare you my lamenta-
tions; I strive against them as much as possible,
but I cannot command my feelings. How truly
I feel that you are my life and my all, and that
if sometimes the hours fly past without my ap-
preciating your beloved presence as I ought, it
is because our poor human nature uses happiness
as it uses health; we learn its full value only
when some accident deprives us of it.
I must tell you, by way of diverting my thoughts,
that M. Guys* has gone at last, that the Emperor
left the affair in the hands of the Archchancellor,
and that it was settled on the spot. They are a
fortunate family, and your sister shares in their
happiness. By the way, she is sorry that you did
not take Josephin† with you, and so am I. He
would have been one more man, and the dangers
you have been exposed to, owing to the treasure
* M. Guys belonged to a Marseilles family, many members
of which have distinguished themselves as consuls in the
Levant.
† Josephin de Foresta, his nephew.
52
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
in your charge,* have not been the least of my
anxieties, especially as the newspapers very stupidly
announced your departure. Everybody thought
this very imprudent.
If you would like news of your tripot, I can
tell you that M. Chéron's piece was a great
success; † that it is in excellent verse, that two
acts are extremely clever, that everybody speaks
well of it, that Geoffroy praises it highly, and that
we hope you will call the proper attention to it at
the right opportunity. I have no further infor-
mation respecting the comedy; my door has been
closed against all actors and actresses since your
departure, and I begged Mahérault to say that I
was not in Paris.
I send you some memoranda on the unfortu-
nate affair of M. de Villeblanche. When you see
Maret, tell him I was much obliged by his letter,
but that in informing me that Madame de Latouche
had obtained a pension of three thousand francs,
he does not fulfil his engagements with me, because
that lady is stepmother to the admiral, being the
second wife of his father, and I am petitioning
for Madame de Tréville, his aunt. I see that
Maret, and consequently the Emperor, has con-
founded the two, and thus I have unintentionally
obtained a favour for a lady whom I do not know.
* The crown diamonds and the regalia.
† M. Chéron, a great friend of my parents, wrote a piece in
imitation of "The School for Scandal," called "Le Tartuffe des
Moeurs." The play was so good, that the Emperor appointed
the author to the Prefecture of La Vienne. He and Picard
were joint authors of the comedy of " Duhautcours."
CONCERNING COURT DRESS.
53
XVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Saturday, 22 Germinal, Year XIII.
(April 12, 1805.)
I saw Isabey* this morning. Your mantles
will be sent off next Saturday. He has lost no
time, and seemed to me rather annoyed at having
to go; he no longer cares about it. The Princess
Elisa† will start on Thursday. I went to see her
the day before yesterday; she was alone and had
given orders that I should be admitted. I remained
with her an hour and a half; she was most kind.
When you see her you can say that I told you;
she is really very amiable.
I must tell you, in confidence, something that
happened to Carrion-Nisas and Regnault de Saint-
Jean d'Angely, which is just now amusing all
Paris. The day before the Emperor's departure,
they each received an autograph letter from the
Chamberlains on duty, requesting their attendance
that same evening at Fontainebleau. The Em-
peror had sent for them. You may imagine their
state of excitement, each rushing to M. de Lava-
* Isabey, the artist, was designing the embroidery for the
Court dresses.
† Elisa Bacciochi, the Emperor's sister.
Regnault de Saint-Jean d'Angely was President of the Council
of State. Carrion-Nisas, first an officer, then a Tribune, and
then again in the army, was born in 1767. He died at Mont-
pellier in 1841.
54
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
lette, asking for horses, and making as much fuss
as you please. They set off at about nine in the
evening. Carrion was the first to reach Fontaine-
bleau; no Chamberlain to be seen, but Duroc
comes forward, and, after inspecting the proferred
letter, goes to the Emperor to announce him.
"I did not send for him," says his Majesty; "it
is some mistake; I have not time to see him.
Put him up somewhere, and he can go back in
the morning." Carrion laughs over his nocturnal
drive, and retires very good-humouredly. At mid-
night a second carriage dashes up, Regnault
springs out, asks for M. Duroc, to whom he
hands his letter, and is announced to the Emperor.
"Depend upon it, it's a poisson d'Avril," * says
the latter. M. Duroc emerges from the cabinet.
"It is a poisson d'Avril," he says. Regnault
dashes headlong into his carriage, and drives full
speed back to Paris, to find out who has played
this trick. The postilions, who had not had an
easy time of it coming to Fontainebleau, so great
had been his eagerness to get on, repeat, as they
crack their whips, "It's a poisson d'Avril !" The
Minister of Police says the same thing, and it
is very soon echoed by all Paris. I say so too;
but you must not mention it at Milan, for the
Emperor was, very justly, displeased with this
stupid joke.
I enclose a poetical petition from a young man
who has called on me a few times since you left
*
April fool.
A POETICAL PETITION.
55
-M. Morel de Clinchamp. He tells me you re-
ceived him kindly, and promised him your patro-
nage, and he wants his petition to be presented
to the Emperor by the Empress, together with
the little poem that I send you. He has written
me some verses too; he seems to possess facility
and some talent, if I may judge by an epistle he
showed me, addressed to Mademoiselle Duchesnois.
Do as you think fit about the petition; but I
promised to commend it to you.
XVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Tuesday, 26 Germinal, Year XIII.
(April 16, 1805.)
At last I have news from Turin; yesterday I
received a packet from M. Salembini, which has
made me very happy. You have crossed those
dreadful mountains, and that terrible Mont Cenis
that caused me so much anxiety, and for the last
six days you have been quietly at Milan. I hope
you will now be thinking of writing to me, for
since you left home, nineteen days ago, I have
had only one little letter; you rely too much on
the zeal of your secretary.
I must tell you that in my next parcel I in-
tend to enclose a letter to the Empress, in which
I shall repeat part of what I said in the one I
wrote to her some time ago, and which I did not
56
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
send. You will read it, and then seal it up, because
I don't want you to seem to know anything about
it. If you approve, you will give the sealed parcel
to Deschamps, at any time you think fit.
XVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, 29 Germinal, Year XIII.
Friday, April 19, 1805.)
When this letter reaches you, you will be with
the Emperor. The newspapers say that he is to
arrive at Milan on 1 Prairial.* It would appear,
therefore, that his progress is more rapid than was
intended at first. People are wondering here what
can be the cause of such haste, and as they are
never at a loss, the Parisians are saying that pre-
parations for war will bring you all back sooner
than was expected. To see the delight which
some persons take in confirming these rumours of
war, one would never think that no Frenchmen
were to be engaged in it. Thus it is that party
spirit destroys every generous sentiment. Talking
of sentiment, we had a little dispute yesterday
morning with mamma and a few other persons;
one must quarrel sometimes, you know. We were
speaking of the love of country, and my mother
contended, half in jest, that there was no such
* The Emperor reached Milan some days earlier than this, on
18 Floréal (May 8), instead of 1 Prairial (May 21, 1805).
PATRIOTISM.
57
thing as love of country; that it was simply a fine
theoretical sentiment, and that, for her part, she
should always prefer the country in which she was
happiest, to any other. Madame de Vintimille
and I argued, like good Frenchwomen, on behalf
of love of one's country, and declared that we had
our share, although it was but a small one, in the
glory of the nation. My mother was amusing
herself by displaying the greatest indifference to
our fine sentiments, when all at once Charles,
who had been playing in a corner, got up, and
approaching his grandmother, said to her in a
tone that I cannot describe to you, "Oh, Gaga,
don't you love your country?" and then he burst
into tears. I cannot explain why he was so much
moved, but the saying gave me pleasure, and I
pass it on to you.
I took him to the theatre yesterday evening,
and was quite pleased with his behaviour during
the performance of "La Caverne," in which there
is much noise of firearms, and a very exciting
combat in the last scene. The boy did not show
the least fear of the firing; his little face turned
rather red, because of the restraint he put upon
himself, but he came well out of the ordeal.
While on the subject of plays, I wrote to you,
did I not, about M. Chéron's. It is most suc-
cessful; at the fourth performance the author was
still called for; try to make the most of this.
Only two days ago, Regnault de Saint-Jean d'Angely
said that the play was by a man not only talented
but good; that M. Chéron was a most estimable
58 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
character, and had acted an upright part all
through the Revolution.
I have seen Mahérault; your actors are con-
stantly asking him for leave of absence. They
would like to come to me, but I have declined to
receive them, thinking you would prefer my taking
this course.
I only saw Madame Suin,* whose
benefit night was very brilliant, and who came to
thank me. I found her a really clever woman;
she told me a great deal about the Comédie
Française, and of the advantages belonging to
such a post as yours.
"In fact," said she,
pointedly, "since I have lived in Paris, I have
seen many ministers and many courtiers fall into
disgrace, but the gentlemen of the Chamber have
always been in favour, and the post of purveyor
of amusement, held by M. de Rémusat, is almost
always a road to fortune." I got out of Madame
Suin's benefit very well; I did not go; and I found
some people to fill my box and pay my share of
the benefit.
In twelve days from this, I am to take up my
abode at Sannois.† I intend to see Lavalette to-
morrow to try and obtain an exemption for my
letters; I shall tell him that you often receive
letters on the affairs of the Emperor, and that
you require me to answer yours at once.
If I can
* Madame Suin had come out at the Comédie Française in
1775, as a leading actress; at the end of her career she
undertook the noble mothers and the tragedy confidants. The
performance in question was her farewell to the stage.
was an intelligent and estimable woman.
† Madame d'Houdetôt's well-known country place.
She
GRATITUDE.
59
obtain nothing from him, I shall ask Madame de
Ségur to take charge of my letters. I intend to
pass the month of May, with the children, at
Sannois; the country will do us all good.
XIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Sad.
Paris, Tuesday, 3 Floreal, Year XIII.
(April 24, 1805.)
Before replying to all the interesting details you
give me, with an account of the dull trifles that
fill up my life, I must tell you how grateful I am
for the affection of which you so tenderly assure
me, and how happy I am to be so greatly beloved.
Every word that you write prints itself on my
heart with all the force with which it emanates
from yours. However strong your expressions, I
believe them to be true. I say to myself that
happiness exists for us only when we are together,
that we need each other's presence, and that,
though now separated, we are so continually to-
gether in spirit, that we shall meet again in a few
months' time without a moment's interruption of
that feeling which make the happiness of my
existence. My dearest, put the same faith in my
tender affection that I put in yours. Your absence
and my loneliness make me feel how limitless it
is. The long days, the sad nights that I pass
without you, the solitude of my room, the study
60 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
where you are not, the big empty rooms, the
entire liberty which I know not how to employ
-all these things continually draw my thoughts
towards you, while numberless circumstances must
turn yours away from me. I speak and think and
feel like Lafontaine's pigeon, "L'absence est le plus
grand des maux," and especially for the one who
is left behind.
You are good to give me so many details; I quite
appreciate them. I am surprised at what you say
of the weather; I fancied you were in mid-spring,
and the accounts of the snow and the cold at
Turin upset all our calculations. We had some
splendid weather here, and during Holy Week a
taste of perfect summer, but for the last week it
has been cold again. Thus it is with life; a little
sunshine and then the cold returns, to last much
longer than the warmth. Everything changes and
passes away, except your affection and conse-
quently my happiness.
If you care for pétoffes, as Madame de Sévigné
would say, I must tell you that Madame de Souza
has at length taken her departure, but in great
distress because M. de Souza refused to take
Charles de Flahault with him. As a foreigner,
and also as an ambassador, he thought that would
not have been a prudent step. Our friends are all
in confusion, and don't know where to settle down.
Gallois has not yet appeared; M. Leroi is going
away; Bertrand is half crying, half laughing over
the departure of Count Rumford, who has re-
turned to Munich to preside over some academy
ANOTHER PETITIONER.
61
or other, and so has left the field free to others.
The Abbé Morellet is, I fancy, rather struck with
Princess Elisa.* She was uncommonly gracious
to him, and even told him to write to her. Do not
forget to remember me to the princess.
Our friends the Chérons have gone; don't forget
them. M. Chéron's play is more popular than
ever; try to get a place for him. Now that the
Forests are being established, and the Imperial
Hunts and Capitaineries,† there must be some
opening. Do not be vexed with me for adding
my importunities to those with which you are
already overwhelmed.
I do not know whether you see any French
newspapers. If you do, you will have read a
circumstantial account of the Emperor's extreme
graciousness at Brienne. Madame de Brienne
was beside herself with delight. It is true that
it would be impossible to be more gracious than
was the Emperor on that occasion. I saw some
letters to M. de Damas, full of charming little
speeches made by him; he laid himself out to be
agreeable, and the effect has been excellent in our
critical society. Our severest lady critics owned
the amiability of our sovereign, and they are
willing now to admit that he can make himself
* Princess Elisa Bacciochi, Grand-Duchess of Lucca, was of a
literary turn, and associated with very distinguished people.
† "Autrefois charge de capitaine des chasses."-LITTRÉ.
‡ Madame de Brienne, niece to the Archbishop of Sens, was
related to the Damas family. The Emperor, wishing to revisit
his old military school, had spent some hours at the Château de
Brienne.
62
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
pleasant when he likes, but they add that he does
not always like. What a treatise I could write
on human vanity! What examples I could find
in the very society that values itself so highly!
There is not one woman of our acquaintance who
would not have been as much enchanted as
Madame de Brienne, yet they are all laughing at
her enthusiasm.
Salembini writes to me about the shells and
mosaics of Milan. With regard to the latter,
General Caffarelli* suggested, after you had gone,
that I should allow him to order a set for me
at Rome, saying that those he had brought to
his wife are very handsome, and had only cost
twenty-five louis. I agreed, and asked him to
mention it to you. Please ask him for the little
memorandum I gave him, and if you find that
the set will come to too high a price, you might
leave out the tiara and the bracelets. When we
were at St. Cloud, I told the Empress that General
Caffarelli had undertaken to bring home mosaics
for Alix and myself; thereupon she very kindly
said she would take that on herself, so you may
consult her on the selection.
Adieu, since one must always end with that sad
word. I was reading to-day one of Massillon's
sermons, a favourite of mine, on the best way
to bear the afflictions of this life, and on the
* General Augustus Caffarelli, aide-de-camp to the Emperor,
died a peer of France, later than 1830. He was the youngest
of five brothers. The eldest died a few years ago, Councillor-
General of the Haute-Garonne.
THE "BED OF JUSTICE."
63
thanks we should return to God when He vouch-
safes to try our faith by the sorrows He sends us.
After that I cannot but endeavour to submit to
the grief of separation, but I am far from having
arrived at perfection.
XX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Sunday, 8 Floréal, Year XIII.
(April 28, 1805.)
I have just been reading Marmontel's
Memoirs of the Regency. You may perhaps have
the work at Milan; it seems to me well written,
but ill conceived. I am quite shocked at the
judgment he passes on Louis XIV. He speaks of
him with severity, that contrasts with his in-
dulgence towards the Regent. If you read the
work, remark the passage he quotes from Saint-
Simon, concerning the "Bed of Justice" that was
held, to remove the education of Louis XV. out
of the hands of the Duc du Maine, and to restore
precedence to the peers over the legitimized
children of the king. The malignant joy felt by
the Duke, not only at this victory, but at the grief
and depression of the vanquished party, the in-
toxication of vanity which he owns to having
experienced-all those disgraceful passions, en-
gendered by the pride of man, disgusted me so
much, that I felt quite sick of ambition and its
64
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
aims. Far from us be all enjoyment procured at
the expense of others! We can be happy, I hope,
at a less cost, and without causing a single tear to
flow on our account.
M. de Salembini writes that you are suffering
slightly from gout; this, added to your silence,
makes me uneasy. At such a distance everything
becomes magnified, and I feel that, against my
reason, I am needlessly anxious. Madame De-
vaines, who came to see me yesterday, says con-
jugal affection makes me very tiresome; but adds
that you must be very amiable to be so much
beloved. She introduced her daughter-in-law into
society yesterday, and seemed rather proud of
being so beautiful herself and the chaperon of so
plain a young woman.* Her son often comes to
see me; he is sensible and kind-hearted. One
must overlook a few little oddities that do no
harm to anybody, and then one sees he is a
reasonable man. I like him. He seems also to
be pleased to be with me; and, moreover, he
loves you with his whole heart. This last is a
recommendation I cannot resist; any one who
appreciates you has a claim on my affection.
Adieu. I am going to pay some visits, because
I leave Paris in a week, and must bid farewell to
all my friends. I intend to remain all May at
Sannois, and I shall find there, if I choose to seek
them, many sweet recollections, and perhaps some
legitimate regrets.
* M. Devaines' first wife, Mademoiselle Malherbe, was con-
sidered plain.
THE TOULON FLEET.
65
I enclose a letter for the Empress, which I should
like you to hand to her at once, and some days
before that which Corvisart will take to you. As
for the latter, it is undated, and you can give it
when you like.
XXI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Wednesday, 11 Floréal, Year XIII.
(May 1, 1805.)
There is much talk now of the Toulon
fleet, of the wonderful success of all the Emperor's
designs, and the extraordinary incapacity of the
English, in always letting us slip between their
fingers. There are different views on the subject.
It is hoped, generally speaking, that our two sorties
will have an effect on the English Government,
and give some chance of peace. On the other
hand, the gloomy and discontented politicians
assert that the English are only allowing us to
assemble our naval forces in order to attack us
at sea; but, on the whole, there is a hopeful
feeling. For my own part, you may imagine,
from my love of our country and my hatred of
England, that I am delighted at this promising
beginning; and I must admit that I assumed an
air of superiority towards certain Anglo-maniacs
whom you know.
I have very little social news for you. There
F
66
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
is hardly anything going on this season, and every-
body is on the eve of departure. I can only tell
you of a few marriages, and of some interesting
events that are expected to come off. Alexandre
Laborde is engaged to Madame Gilbert.* She is
a very pretty woman, the widow of that M. Gilbert
whom we saw with Madame de Vannoise. Then,
Madame Juste is in an interesting condition, and
(which has caused more sensation in the neigh-
bourhood) Madame de Lamoignon is in the same
state.§ M. Molé is much depressed, people say,
because Providence has left him out, as regards
this particular blessing. M. de Ségur, the Grand
Master's brother, is absolutely dying, and it is
* Madame de Laborde, who died in 1855, was Mademoiselle
Sabathier de Cabre. She was tall, handsome, amiable, and an
agreeable woman. Her son, Léon de Laborde, has been a
deputy, a Member of the Institute, and Keeper of Archives.
† Madame de Vannoise, née Parseval-Deschênes, was a cousin
of ours.
She was considered an attractive woman. She had
been married to a disagreeable provincial husband, from whom
she was divorced, and she was rather liked than otherwise in
the family. Her daughter, Constance, was married, at a sub-
sequent period, to M. de Villeblanche. The two sons of
Madame de Vannoise entered the army. One of them perished
in the Russian campaign.
Madame Juste de Noailles was the daughter of Archambauld
de Périgord, the brother of M. de Talleyrand.
§ Madame Christian de Lamoignon was sister to M. Molé,
who at that time was childless. She retired into private life
at an early age, on account of bad health. She had but one
daughter, who married M. Adolphe de Ségur, second son of
Octave de Ségur.
|| The brother of the Grand Master of Ceremonies was the
Vicomte de Ségur, a man of talent, who wrote some pretty
vaudevilles.
A TRITE REMARK.
67
probable that the Grand Master will not find him
alive on his return. Is not life compassed in these
few lines-its commencement and its end? This
would be a fine opportunity for a little moral
essay; but I will spare you, because, to quote our
friend La Bruyère, everything has already been
said.
*
Tell Madame Savary that I often speak of her
two little girls to Bigot, and that they are quite
well. He is anxious about Madame Davoust's
daughter,† who is very delicate, and over whom he
watches carefully.
Adieu. I must leave you, or rather I must leave
this letter, which will soon be speeding towards
you. What more shall I say? No, I will say
nothing, not another word, for fear of garrulous-
ness; it is too soon, as yet, for that.
XXIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Sannois, Friday, 27 Floréal, Year XIII.
(May 17, 1805.)
I have just finished giving Charles his lessons,
and can now have a chat with you, by way of
recreation. Next to seeing you and hearing you
speak, there is no greater pleasure for me than
that of writing to you, so I give you leave not to
* Madame Savary, Duchess de Rovigo, née Fandous.
† Madame Davoust was the first wife of Marshal Davoust,
Prince d'Eckmüth.
68
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
be more grateful than the occasion demands, pro-
vided you appreciate the reason why it is so
delightful an occupation to me.
The children and I are extremely well. A
country life suits us so perfectly that I regret we
cannot pass the whole summer here-less on my
own account, although my health has improved,
than for the sake of our two darlings, who are in
splendid condition. I must tell you, too, that I
went to St. Leu* yesterday morning. The im-
provements in the grounds are making it a most
delightful place. Prince Louis has purchased a
large part of the forest. He has eight hundred
acres of wood, through which he is opening the
prettiest roads, and a broad stream runs through
the middle. I repeated to the princess all you told
me about her brother. She was much affected,
and the more so that she had been distressed
by receiving quite different accounts. She is
devoid of all ambition, but feels and suffers from
the dangers and stumbling-blocks to which her
brother is exposed, in the high position to which
he has attained. She conversed with me, with
great good sense, on the drawbacks and advantages
of her own position. Although at an age when
illusions are natural, she seems to me to be abso-
lutely free from them, and to weigh, too wisely
perhaps, the enjoyments we meet with on life's
somewhat thorny road. I was speaking to her of
an ill-natured and certainly unfounded rumour,
which has been ridiculously exaggerated in Paris,
* Princess Louis Bonaparte's country-house.
AN UNFOUNDED RUMOUR.
69
and which I heard from persons who profess to be
well informed. I must repeat it to you, although
I think it most absurd. It is this:
There are proofs, it is said, that the Polignacs
and others imprisoned in the fortress at Ham were
planning an escape, that they carried on a corre-
spondence with the princes, that they had the
command of money and endeavoured to bribe the
soldiers, and that Prince Murat has had them
removed to the Temple. It is likewise asserted
that the Empress has continued to evince great
interest in them; and that there are letters from
her which would be compromising.
I am ignorant whether MM. de Polignac could
be capable of such dishonourable conduct. In
times such as these, when Revolution has left
demoralization behind it, one cannot, unfortu-
nately, rely on the principles of any; but besides
the absurdity of the complicity attributed to the
Empress, you and I know how very little she is
in the habit of writing at all. I have been present
occasionally when she has received Madame de
Polignac with the kindness inherent in her, and
which is always doubled by the sight of any kind
of misfortune. I hardly think this tenderness of
heart is to be imputed to her as a crime, nor
can I conceive, if the rest be true, how any one
can have invented so absurd a calumny. I have
not the means of clearing it up at present; I will
* The Duc de Polignac and his brother, whose lives had been
granted them by the Emperor, were at first imprisoned at Ham,
but were soon removed to the gentler durance of a maison de santé.
70 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
even admit that I am so happy in this quiet
country life, only occupied with you and our
children, that I shrink from anything that might
disturb my tranquillity. I cannot help trembling
at the thought of soon returning to the vortex,
where I am often so oppressed and agitated, that
I have barely time to give a thought to the beloved
occupations for which I am so well suited. The
latter part of my stay at Court was so disturbed,
so gloomy! It was then I began to lose that
happy confidence with which one first enters
society, and with which one parts so regretfully.
It seems to me that the troubles of which I was
a spectator, the quarrels, the intrigues, some-
times affected even the uprightnes of my own
intentions and conduct, and have rent asunder the
delusive veil through which I used to love to look
on human nature. It was to you, to my mother,
to kind and loving friends, that I owed the unsus-
pecting disposition of which the Court is depriving
me. From childhood I breathed an atmosphere
of affection and indulgence. I was happy later,
in your tenderness and in the tranquil existence
which was passed at your side. I was ignorant of
evil; above all, I believed it could never reach my-
self. I suffered, therefore, and suffered acutely,
when I saw that malice did not spare me. I walk
in fear, so to speak; I prepare beforehand to ward
off future attacks; I form plans for the future, first
of which is to lead the most retired life possible,
so as to give the smallest opportunity for the
accusations of envy.
"LES TEMPLIERS."
71
But I perceive that I have written myself into
a vein of sadness, which has led me far from
my subject. Try to do what you can about the
wicked gossip of which I have told you; unfor-
tunately I heard it from persons on whom I can
depend, and whoever may be its author, it is of a
mischievous tendency.
There is much talk in Paris of the tragedy of
"Les Templiers," and consequently of the Templars
themselves. People dispute about their innocence
and the justice or injustice of their trial and
sentence. M. Raynouard is also attacked, but
the general feeling is in his favour. I send you a
feuilleton of the Publiciste which seems to me
impartially written. Every one whom I have seen
admires the tragedy; M. Chéron, Alix, Madame
de Vintimille, and M. Molé admit, however, that
it is wanting in movement. But at last we have
a well-written play, and in French! It is said
that the author has written several others, all
on French historical subjects; this is delightful.
He is also writing an epic on the Maccabees; we
can hear some of it if you like, because Chaptal *
is determined to introduce the author to me.
Alix arrived here yesterday. Our four boys,
for I include Henri,† are enjoying themselves
* Chaptal, a distinguished man of science, was born in 1756.
He was first Professor of Chemistry at Montpellier, then
Member of the Institute, and finally Minister of the Interior.
He died in 1832.
†The four boys were Charles and Albert de Rémusat,
Etienne, or according to the English fashion, Stephen de
Nansouty, their first cousin, and Henri Chéron.
72 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
thoroughly; when I see them so unconscious of
misfortune, so careless as to the future, so gay
and happy, I feel my heart beat with pleasure and
pain at once. What will be their fate? What
future lies hidden in this stormy present? Shall
we have exhausted both their share and our own
of anxiety and trouble?
You see I am in a rather melancholy mood. I
own it. You only could disperse the little cloud
which, as Madame de Sévigné says, makes my
reflections of a grayish-brown. But whatever my
mood, you are never a loser; my heart never
changes. Perhaps melancholy even adds another
degree to tenderness, either because the latter is
an effect of the former, or that it consoles and
brightens the gloomy reflections caused by a some-
what lengthy contemplation of the afflictions of
this life.
:
XXX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Sannois, Monday, 30 Floréal, Year XIII.
(May 20, 1805.)
Mon ami, I have this instant received a letter of
the 23rd, announcing the sudden return of Salem-
bini. I am grieved and alarmed at the few words
you write me, because I seem to read between the
lines that he has been in fault, and gravely so, to
incur so prompt a punishment. I will not, however,
SALEMBINI.
73
judge him too severely, without further information,
and it would pain me to have to doubt the prin-
ciples or the attachment of a man to whom you
have done so many services. I think he is much
given to vanity, and I will own to you that I
have observed, in the few letters that I received
from him, some indications of want of balance
that surprised me, and also of a disposition to
take offence at trifles. I had quite expected that
this might prove a source of annoyance to you,
but I was far from anticipating what you now
tell me.
At any rate, I will see him when he
reaches Paris; I cannot be hard upon him now
that he is in trouble. I will ask him some ques-
tions, and, if he has sinned against ourselves.
only, I feel I cannot condemn him altogether.
From your habitual gentleness towards myself, I
have earned indulgence for others that I hope to
retain all my life long. Although
Although I look upon
ingratitude as the most odious of vices, yet it
fills me rather with pity than with anger, and
on this occasion, when Salembini perhaps is not
wholly exempt from it, I will not allow myself
to reproach him, if he seems sorry; and this
especially on account of his sister, whom I like
much. I have had frequent opportunities of
seeing her, because her brother used to send me
all his letters for her; and very long they were, if
I may judge by their thickness. They were very
frequent too. Perhaps these letters have been
opened? Perhaps their contents were indiscreet?
I cannot tell. Mademoiselle Salembini never'
74
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
opened them in my presence; she contented her-
self with saying that her brother spoke highly of
you and appreciated your friendship, and I believed
her, because that was but natural and right, be-
cause every one who knows you ought to love
and esteem you.
I regret this event very much, and I regret it
for my own sake also. He was very attentive in
giving me news of you, and you are too much
occupied for me to hope to hear very often directly
from you. Under present circumstances you are
far less to be pitied than I; first, because, what-
ever you may say, you do not want to write to me
so much as I want to receive your letters, and
secondly, because your time is occupied in the ser-
vice of the Emperor, whom you love, and who, I
fancy, is a very potent solace to the pain of absence.
Nevertheless, my dear one, notwithstanding the
agreeable necessity of proving your zeal by your
assiduity, think of your poor wife who is very
lonely away from you, and whose one solitary
pleasure is that of receiving your letters.
From what you tell me, I see that the Emperor
has arrived at Milan as you predicted, that his
presence has produced its customary effect, and
that the Italians, in their turn, have been compelled
to admire the hero who is going to protect them.
While on this subject I must tell you that you
wrote me two very eloquent pages; your theme
inspired you. I would almost wager that you are
not aware of this; they were dashed off so quickly,
because your heart as well as your head guided
PRAISE OF THE EMPEROR.
75
the pen. Mon ami, what I have just said would,
if uttered aloud, seem like flattery, and yet, between
us, it is but truth. Here, in the solitude of the
fields, I often reflect on all the sorrows we have
experienced. This neighbourhood reminds me of
our misfortunes, and painful though they were,
you know by what feelings their recollection has
been sweetened for me; but when, after sadly
counting them over, my thoughts revert to the
peaceful times we are now enjoying, to the well-
regulated liberty that I find all-sufficient, to the
glory with which my country is covered, even to
the pomp and magnificence that I like, because
they are proofs that all is an accomplished fact-
in short, when I remember that this prosperity is
the work of a single man, I am aroused to admira-
tion and gratitude. Cher ami, this is quite between
ourselves, for some persons would impute to these
sentiments a very different motive from the real
one, and, besides, it seems to me that praise from
the heart is less anxious for publicity than that
which proceeds from the intellect.
Tuesday, 1 Prairial.
(May 21, 1805.)
"Les Templiers" continues to be a great success.
Every one says that nothing better has been
written for twenty years. Opinions differ a little
as to the choice of subject and the truth of the
characters. Parisian critics get warm, it is said,
over Jacques de Molay and Philippe le Bel, and
their greater or less guilt; but the fact remains
76
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
that the tragedy draws immense houses, and is
incessantly applauded.
To return to poor Salembini. Can he have
written some piece of foolery? But, then, how
comes it that his letters were opened, since they
were brought by the Emperor's couriers? I am
inclined to think it is some wicked calumny; in
fact, I am sure he must have been imprudent
rather than guilty. He always seemed to me such
an honourable man.*
*
XXXIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Sannois, Saturday, 5 Prairial, Year XIII.
(May 25, 1805.)
I saw Salembini yesterday. He was quiet
enough, relying on your friendship and his own
innocence. He regrets most having occasioned
vexation to you, and I was touched by the tone in
which he said that he could never forgive himself
for having caused you trouble and annoyance in
* As M. de Salembini and the trouble he caused are described
in the Memoirs, I give this in full, although it is of no interest at
present, except as affording an additional proof of the distrust-
fulness and meddlesomeness of the Imperial system of police.
Salembini had written imprudently, not on politics, but on the
scandals of the Court. His letters were opened, and he received
orders to leave. In reading the present correspondence, it is
necessary to remember that the writers had always to bear in
mind the possibility of a similar treatment of their own letters.
SALEMBINI.
77
return for all the kindness you have shown him.
I endeavoured to console him; and, in truth, he
appeared so confident, so calm, so entirely ignorant
of any misconduct deserving of the severity with
which he was banished, that I cannot believe him
to have been anything worse than a little im-
prudent.
I am now very anxious to hear from you, and
whether this unfortunate affair has had any un-
pleasant consequences. You do not mention the
Emperor, and this makes me uneasy. Ah! how
many vexations and troubles are caused by absence!
I can only endure it when I know you are well
and happy; but, alas! my lamentations are un-
availing. I must wait, I must watch the hours
pass by, before I can again be with you, and able
to speak to you at every moment of my life.
I am dining at St. Leu to-day, in order to take
leave of the princess, for I return to Paris on
Thursday. We shall be talking of our kind
protectress, to whom I beg you will frequently
speak of me, if she is still at Milan.
I hope you
have given her all my letters.
them through you, because I
otherwise get lost. Tell her how greatly I am
attached to her; how I wish her a long-lasting
happiness, and that since Thursday I have sym-
pathized in all the emotions that she must have
experienced.
I preferred sending
feared they might
Salembini has described the beautiful presents
you are bringing me, and for which I am half
inclined to scold you. Mon ami, you have been
78 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
extravagant in spending money on a wife whose
reasonableness you are good enough to praise.
I was far from wishing for so much, and there
was no need thus to glorify your return home.
On my side, all I can offer you in exchange are
my two little jewels, Charles and Albert, and, like
the Roman lady, I shall say, as I show you their
fresh and smiling faces, "Here are my treasures,
and with them the happiness that you have
bestowed on me."
I have just been reading an excellent article on
the "Templiers." It is in the Mercure, and is an
answer to the censure showered on M. Raynouard
by Geoffroy.* That wretched journalist took into
his head to discover his dreaded philosophers
among the defenders of the order of Knights
Templars, and to attribute the wildest projects to
the author of the tragedy, who endeavours, he said,
to move people to compassion for their fate. You
will have to take part in all the dissertations on
your return; for you know it is not allowable to
remain neuter on any subject, and at present
disputes rage almost as fiercely on Philippe le Bel
and the Templars as on Glück and Piccini. It
must be admitted that we are a singular nation in
the importance we attach to little things, while we
often let great ones slip by with scarcely a glance.
One need only cut off one's dog's tail to turn off
* Geoffroy, who was born at Rennes, in 1743, had succeeded
Fréron, as editor of the Année Lettéraire, and also to his hatred
of Voltaire. He was at this period editor of the Journal des
Débats. He died in 1814.
GEOFFROY.
79
the attention of the Parisians. But to return to
the Templars: Le Mercure quotes two phrases of
Pascal's and Bossuet's in their defence, and surely
the authority of those great writers is sufficient to
justify a poet in making them interesting. "The
Templars," says Bossuet, "confessed under tor-
tures, and denied when brought out to die; there
was perhaps more of avarice and revenge than of
justice in their execution." These words occur in
an abridged History of France, composed for the
Dauphin by the Bishop of Meaux, and notwith-
standing the restrictions that he said he had to
impose on himself in a work produced under such
circumstances.
Geoffroy can scarcely call these two witnesses
philosophers, according, at least, to his own inter-
pretation of the term.
XXXIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Sannois, Tuesday, 8 Prairial, Year XIII.
(May 28, 1805.)
You are severe, I think, in your judgment
of Raynouard; the piece is much more successful
than you fancy. Every box was taken, last night,
for the sixth performance, and people were fighting
for admittance at the doors. The play is far from
being as spiritless as you think. All whom I
have seen tell me they shed tears over it, and that
they were moved by the same emotions that Cor-
80
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
neille habitually arouses. It is written in simple
and touching verse; the sentiments are generous
without being bombastic, and such as are inspired
by religion; the character of the king is cleverly
drawn; in short, the interest is sustained for five
acts without love-making, extraordinary events, or
machinery. Surely the author's success is justified.
You will judge for yourself when you return, and,.
for my part, I intend to see the piece when I get
back to Paris.
While on the subject of the theatre, I find
myself suddenly struck by that phrase of Mazarin's
that you quote to me. What does it mean? How
does it affect you? This and other words in your
letter go to my heart. The depression in which
you write does not proceed only from the grief of
separation from those you love; I fear that you
are hiding some secret sorrow from me. Mon
ami, I have a right to share all things with you,
and you must not deny me my half of your
troubles.* Perhaps, however, they exist only in
my imagination, which in your absence is gloomy,
and would be still more so without the assurance
in which I find all my comfort.
Mon ami, I really think I am becoming religious ;
our new separation is developing the feelings
caused by that of last year. Do not let this alarm
you, for, if my character be at all changed by it, it
* These feelings are explained further on, in a letter en-
trusted to Corvisart. The quotation from Mazarin is as follows:
"When any one was recommended to him for employment,
the cardinal always asked, 'Is he lucky?""
A PLEA FOR PIETY.
81
must be for the better and to the advantage of us
both. I already feel that my study of religion and
the meditations I make, after reading pure and
devout books, are rendering me more gentle
and good. The habitual recollection of God makes
me wish as much as possible to avoid offending
Him. My thoughts revert naturally to Him and
to you, and at such times, in presence, as it were,
of the Divinity, I renew my vows to love you and
make you happy. Adieu. Do not smile over these
few last lines; let me enjoy the comforts of
religion.
XXXV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Sunday, 20 Prairial, Year XIII.
(June 9, 1805.)
Prince Eugène's appointment* did not sur-
prise me. It was spoken of here for some days
past, and Madame d'Houdetôt sent me the news
yesterday. She had seen the Princess Louis, who
told her of it with tears, and confessed that after
her first feeling of gratitude to the Emperor, the
next had been grief at the separation from her
brother. If he is still at Milan, pray offer him my
good wishes and my homage. From my heart I
trust that his happiness will be equal to his glory.
* Prince Eugène de Beauharnais had been made Viceroy of
Italy on 18 Prairial.
G
82
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I shall write to the Empress, whose mother's heart
must be alternately glad and sorrowful. Poor
mothers and wives often pay with tears for the
prosperity of their sons and husbands. My sister
is now doing this. M. de Nansouty has just been
appointed to the command of the Reserve Cavalry,
and is to accompany Prince Louis. Although it
is a most honourable mission, and he is delighted,
Alix only sees the separation and possible danger,
and she is in tears. The expedition to England
is more than ever talked of. It is said to be certain,
and that on his return the Emperor will go to
Boulogne. There are reports, on the contrary, of
a Congress to be held at Brussels; in fact, each
day brings forth some fresh rumour which is sure
to be succeeded by another on the following.
I have been to the "Templiers." I was de-
lighted, and cried a great deal. There are grave
defects in the work, but greater beauties, which
are so striking that the former are only perceived
on reflection. It attracts great crowds; the
Français is as full as in the height of the winter
season, and the eleventh performance produced
four or five thousand francs. "Madame de
Sévigné "* was performed at your theatre the
night before last, with only moderate success.
It is an ill-conceived work, in which, by making
* "Madame de Sévigné" is a play in three acts, by Bouilly,
the author of "Contes à ma fille" and "L'Abbé de l'Epée."
The principal character was one of the last undertaken by
Mademoiselle Contat. Michot and Mademoiselle Mars had
comparative success.
“M. DE SÉVIGNÉ.”
83
Madame de Sévigné declaim in three quarters of
an hour all that she wrote in twenty years, the
author has contrived to represent her as the most
affected and stilted person in the world. I saw
also Duport's ballet of "Acis et Galatée," which
is very pretty. I have now concluded my course
of theatres, for the weather is beginning to be too
hot to shut one's self up in a box. I am going
to stay at home and get through my time as best
I can.
Do not forget that all the emotions and
regrets you describe so well are experienced by
me also, and that, although I endeavour to resign
myself to your absence, I can never become ac-
customed to it.
XXXVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Thursday, 24 Prairial, Year XIII.
(June 13, 1805.)
The
I passed a pleasant day yesterday, conversing,
about you principally, with real friends.
Abbé Morellet, Gallois, and Bertrand dined with
us, and afterwards M. Devaines made his appear-
ance; he takes compassion on our solitude and
improves on acquaintance. We talked till mid-
night. Paris is so empty that they do not know
what to do. Gallois feels quite lost, and is going
to take himself and his reveries to Switzerland.
84
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Madame de Souza (the mention of her is purely
accidental, believe me) has arrived at Berlin, where
she is fêted and caressed by the Queen and all the
best society. Her literary reputation had preceded
her, and procured her a most gracious reception.
It is no longer quite certain that her husband goes
to Russia; he is said to be inclined to give up
diplomacy and retire into private life. As you may
imagine, the conversation yesterday turned for a
time on our friend the ambassadress; the "Dic-
tionnaire de l'Académie " was the immediate cause.
Abbé Morellet declares that the writings of women
are what embarrass him most as to the meaning
and employment of words. Our favourite Madame
de Sévigné reduces him to despair, and as he
has no high opinion of the sentimental trifles
which are the greatest charm of feminine composi-
tions, he would willingly burn them all and forbid
us ever to attempt the art again. Gallois, as a
chivalrous knight, took our part. He argued that
literature would be deprived of an important branch,
if women were forbidden to write, and asserted
that their so-called negligences of style are but a
more graceful way of expressing their thoughts.
During the discussion I kept saying to myself that
I would willingly submit to such a prohibition, if
I were allowed to tell my dearest one that I love
him with my whole soul; and that if I were to
make a dictionary, I would multiply in every pos-
sible way the modes of expressing that affection,
which I never succeed in describing as strongly as
I feel it in my heart.
PRECAUTIONS.
85
XXXVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Saturday, 26 Prairial, Year XIII.
(June 15, 1805.)
Mon ami, I received two letters from you to-day :
one that Corvisart sent me in the morning, and
another that I have this instant read. You can
understand my surprise at the first. I keep my
reflections on the subject to myself; you were
my first thought and my first anxiety, Heaven
knows. I will follow your advice and see the
person you mention.* As to the lady of whom
you speak, I have paid her but three visits since
your departure: one on the occasion of her
daughter's confinement, which then occupied her
thoughts exclusively; another, one evening in the
midst of preparations for a little party that she
was giving in honour of her daughter's recovery,
and for which I did not remain because it would
have bored me; and a third time, when I went to
take leave of her, as she was going into the
* In a note to the Memoirs, I have published the letter that
my grandfather sent by Corvisart. It is a striking instance
of the worry and wearisomeness of the Emperor's service.
An accusation of too great an intimacy between my grand-
mother and Madame de Damas had been brought, and they
had allowed themselves to criticize the Italian journey and the
Emperor's brothers. As the letter in reply had to go through
the post, it throws little light on the circumstances. The
person whom my grandfather advised his wife to consult on the
subject was the Minister of Police.
86 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
country. This is all. You can imagine my feel-
ings, therefore, and I hasten to leave so unpleasant
a subject.
*
We were struck, as you were, with the Emperor's
speech at Genoa; it was very remarkable, and in
all respects worthy of him. The union of the
States seems to give general satisfaction, and all
the Provençaux whom I know say it can do no
harm at Marseilles. What an Empire it is that
extends from those countries to Antwerp! And
what a man must he be who holds it all in his
hand! How few do we find in history like him!
These reflections are suggested to me by the
study of history, which I have taken up in order
to occupy my leisure time. Such a study is of
special interest and use after a Revolution like
ours, which throws a new light on many brilliant
deeds, by which we had at first been dazzled,
and at the same time makes us appreciate others
that we had hitherto hardly noticed. How many
circumstances and characters are explained by it!
How many actions justified! It is a kind of
labyrinth, in fact, of which the plan has at last
been found out. I believe it would be most useful
to recur in this way when one's reason is matured
to the histories read during youth. We should
thus escape the danger of retaining the impres-
sions received at a period when our judgments are
dictated by our feelings, and we only esteem that
which we happen to like. Oh, happy, happy time
of our youth, that flies so fast and that we waste
* The union of the Genoese States to the French Empire.
"LES TEMPLIERS."
87
so recklessly! How sweet are its illusions and
how far from me already! Mon ami, what thanks
do I not owe you! Without you, without the
happiness I derive from you, I think I could not
resist the gloom and melancholy of life's disap-
pointments.
You must try to put up with the extreme dul-
ness of my letters just now. I know nothing,
I see nobody, my life is as monotonous as possible,
and yet in this dearth of all news you wish me to
write to you every day. I must therefore write
my thoughts, and you must be patient with their
occasional sadness. I am not always able to
control it, and I give way to feelings of melancholy,
especially when unexpected trials are added to
those of my everyday life. Your return only can
dispel them; they cannot then master me, for
their place will be taken by the sweetest emotions
of joy.
I do not know whether I told you that the
success of the "Templiers" had aroused all our
tragic geniuses, excepting only Lemercier, whose
line is decidedly epic poetry. He is writing on the
most extraordinary subject. The scene is laid in
the infernal regions, and the devils, by way of
amusement, are acting plays in which they repre-
sent the various scenes of life. There will, no
doubt, be something diabolic in the style, and I
fear the whole will not be as clever as the devil.*
* "La Panhypocrisiade," a poem by Lemercier, which was
not published until 1817, entirely justifies Madame de Rémusat
in the opinion given in the above letter. Lemercier, it is well
88
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
(6
Sunday.
I finished my evening, yesterday, with the
Templiers," which my mother had not yet seen.
She was delighted, and we both shed tears, not of
tenderness, but those that are excited by greatness
of soul. The interest aroused by the piece is so
great that its defects are not noticed until after
the performance is over. Meanwhile one admires,
one is moved, and any fault is overlooked. It is
now going to be published, and will consequently
have to pass a severe ordeal. It still attracts
great crowds; the house was full last night, and
the applause continual. There is one line which
is always seized upon. Philip is speaking of the
King of England, and says—
"La terreur de mon nom le poursuit dans sons île.”
Saint-Prix is splendid in the part of the Grand
Master, the principal and best-written character in
the play; Talma* also does well, but his acting
is somewhat injured by his state of health. He
is ill and suffers from frequent nervous attacks.
"Madame de Sévigné" has improved a little, but it
will never be anything more than an indifferent
play, proving, however, that the author has the
ability for writing another on a better subject.
known, was succeeded at the French Academy by M. Victor
Hugo, whom he had preceded on the path of literary reform,
and whom he afterwards opposed as a greater reformer than
himself.
* Talma took the part of Marigny. At a subsequent period,
after the death or retirement of Saint-Prix, he acted the part of
the Grand Master with the greatest success.
MR. CRAWFURD.
89
I have seen a most beautiful house this morn-
ing, belonging to Mr. Crawfurd.* He has bought
the Hotel de Monaco, and furnished it superbly--
the most splendid carpets and hangings, a quantity
of china, and, more than all, the finest collection
of portraits of celebrities, both men and women,
from the time of Henry II. to our own days.
All Louis XIV.'s century by Mignard! You can
imagine my mother's delight with pictures of
Madame de Sévigné and Madame de Grignan,
Madame de Montespan and Madame de la Val-
lière. I spent nearly two hours in admiring all
these fine things, though I felt sorry to think they
will eventually find their way to the heirs of this
wealthy individual in England; I was annoyed,
too, I must confess, to see such a collection in the
possession of an Englishman. However, we wan-
dered about as if in an enchanted palace, without
meeting a soul. The former owner has given it
up to strangers; his wife, Madame Sullivan,† the
mother of Madame d'Orsay, keeps herself out of
the way.
Visitors come and go and examine
everything, and nobody interferes. Mr. Crawfurd
is one of the richest of rich Englishmen. He has
lost over here a hundred thousand francs of income
(£4000) and does not even feel it. He spent a
million on this new house in a period of two years,
* Mr. Crawfurd, a friend of Talleyrand's, was a clever man,
who published several works in French for private circulation.
† Madame Sullivan was, as stated above, the mother of
Madame d'Orsay, whose son, Count d'Orsay, was famous, thirty
years ago, for the elegance of his dress. He married the
daughter of the Earl of Blessington.
90
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
without the slightest difficulty. He likes living in
Paris, is hospitable, spends his money liberally,
and enjoys life. I do not require so large a fortune
to be happy, and I think we could lead a pleasant
life at less cost. Here is an opportunity for a fine
panegyric of moderation in fortune, but I could
say nothing new, and although the older I grow
the more I lean to a simple and quiet life, I
could amuse you by telling you what I have felt in
scenes of dazzling splendour and magnificence.
On the whole, I think I dread such splendour as
much as life in a hut.
You tell me that the Empress is good enough to
say that I do not write to her sufficiently often.
It is because I fear to be intrusive. I picture her
to myself so occupied, so agitated, and so over-
whelmed, that I fear my letters might arrive at
some inconvenient moment. I will write to her,
however, in a few days, and will send my letter
through you, as I am uncertain as to where she
may be.
XL.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Friday, 9 Messidor, Year XIII.
(June 28, 1805.)
We have been greatly shocked by the almost
sudden death of poor Neny. He was struck with
apoplexy on Sunday evening; in two hours he
REVERIES.
91
completely lost the power of speech and move-
ment, and after lingering for thirty-six hours, he
expired, quite unconscious of everything. The
suddenness with which death strikes us suggests
many reflections to a dreamer like me. What
trouble, what anxiety we give ourselves, in order
to reach death at last! A little pleasure, more or
less, and all is over! Where now are all the
trifling vanities, which yet had such power to
wound us? I do not include the feelings of the
heart which adorn our life, and afford us comfort
at its end. If in eternity we retain any remem-
brance of this life, it must surely be of our love for
a tender, dear, and faithful friend to whom we have
been indebted for all our happiness. And then per-
haps, if we are permitted to make a prayer, it is that
we may continue to enjoy that same happiness.
Poor Madame Dupuis is in great grief. Her
son has just died of malignant fever, after a long
and painful illness. On her return from Plombières,
whither she had accompanied Princess Joseph,t
she found the child dangerously ill. He seemed
to have waited for her in order to die, for she lost
him a very few days afterwards. But I have
written enough about death; I will try, if I can,
to throw off the melancholy into which these sad
events have cast me. A letter from you just now
would do me great good, for I find it difficult to
bear up against depression.
* She was a Creole, from Bourbon, and wife of the Intendant
of Finance.
† Joseph Bonaparte.
92
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Paris is duller than ever. Nobody is here;
the theatres, not being attractive in hot weather,
are empty; nor can we enjoy the season, for it rains
unceasingly, and we have the fire lighted every
day. My mother and I are much together; we
read or converse, and the order and regularity with
which my days are passed, makes them glide by so
quickly as to convince me that the right way to
get through one's time is to spend it according to
a fixed rule. I am sorrowful at being so far from
you, but, strictly speaking, I am not dull; I read
and think and muse, and the latter occupation
affords me pleasure. You would laugh could you
know with what plans, what wishes, and even with
what delusions, my imagination fills up the void
around me. Sometimes I build castles in the air
of every kind: at others I hold conversations with
interesting people; I imagine speeches for my
interlocutors, which I answer; I narrate and de-
scant, and all this with my arms folded, in an easy-
chair, or in my bed, waiting for sleep, which does
not come so easily as of yore. Do not think,
however, that I amuse myself with mere empty
dreaming. There is something serious and reason-
able in my reveries. I moralize, I argue, I
strengthen within myself the principles in which
I was brought up, and which have been confirmed
by the happiness that you have bestowed on me.
I replace the fond illusions of my youth with
truths from which I endeavour to get all the con-
solation possible. Although I have learnt, by an
experience I did not seek, to distrust human
REVERIES.
93
nature, I nevertheless try not to mistake my true
friends. To conclude: I tell myself that real
wisdom is not to be found in heart-breaking
suspicion, but that to preserve one's own heart
pure, and to allow one's self to be deceived with a
certain facility, is perhaps the best way of obtain-
ing all the happiness this world affords.
XLI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Monday, 12 Messidor, Year XIII.
(July 1, 1805.)
I am writing to you in the midst of constant
interruption. Since early this morning I have a
stream of visitors to console me in my solitude.*
I dare not close my door against them, for friends
and kinsfolk, knowing that my mother has left me,
seem to have agreed to meet each other here; and
yet the real way to make myself forget the
slow lapse of time is to spend it in conversing
with you. When writing to you, I regret nothing
but your absence. I am thinking therefore, by
way of consolation in my retirement, of always
keeping on my desk a letter to you partly written,
to which I can add a few words when I feel
more sorrowful than usual. You may be sure, too,
* Madame de Vergennes and her grandson were at Auvers,
Seine-et-Oise, staying with Madame Chéron.
94
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
that my book of sermons will not be neglected.
The grand answer to unbelievers is the need of
religion which we are always brought to feel by
sorrow and trials. For my own part, I know that
religion has given me comfort that I could have
found in no other way; and yet I am but little
advanced on the path, and I even feel that I
should never wish to advance so far as to prefer
anything to the dear and beloved friend of my
heart.
What are you now doing? How I dread that
you may be suffering from heat and fatigue! How
your migratory life must tire you; mind and body
in constant movement, only the heart in repose!
For, notwithstanding all that our returned travel-
lers have told me of the beauty of Italian eyes, I
cannot for one moment doubt that you have always
turned away at once from their glances, rather
than fail in those vows of fidelity to me, from
which I will, on no pretext whatever, relieve you.
I must not, however, include Corvisart among the
admirers of the ladies of Milan. He took with
him the ennui with which his life is everywhere
burdened, and he came back dissatisfied with all
he had seen. M. de Tournon appeared to me
better pleased,* and I suspect he employed his
time better than our Esculapius. He rather
amused me by his account of the busily idle life
* M. Camille de Tournon-Simiane, Chamberlain to the
Emperor, Prefect of Rome, and subsequently Prefect of
Bordeaux, was born in 1778. He published some statistical
works on Rome (2 vols. in 8vo, Paris, 1831), and died in 1833.
M. MOLLIEN.
95
you are leading just now. He declares that he is
quite convinced pleasure does not abide in palaces.
I believe it, alas! but I feel how easily it might
dwell with us, if we could abandon ourselves to
the delicious sentiments on which you, as it were,
nourished my youth. Were those golden and
swiftly passing days the happiest that I shall ever
know? I greatly fear so. I know not whether it
is that our years, as they accumulate, bringing
with them an involuntary knowledge of the truth,
fill us also with dread of the future, or whether
I possess a secret presentiment of the fate that
awaits us, but in any case I own to a fear that
we shall never again enjoy a peaceful existence.
Far from being prodigal of my time and my hap-
piness, as I used to be five or six years ago, I am
becoming miserly over them. I grieve for the
loss of either; I begin to perceive that if we suffer
the present to escape us, it is irretrievably lost,
and I suffer acutely, for instance, at the thought
that I am perhaps destined often to be deprived of
your dear presence.
I saw yesterday two of our friends who are far
more fortunate than we, Mollien* and his wife.
They have bought a small country house in which
they reside. Every morning the husband goes to
* M. Mollien was not as yet at the head of the Treasury; he
directed the Caisse d'Amortissement. He was born in 1758,
and died in 1850. His wife, who was an amiable and superior
woman, died, aged more than ninety, in 1880. To the last she
clung to the memory of her husband and of those early times, so
peaceful for her, while for others they were so disturbed. She
was Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Marie Amélie.
96
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
the Caisse d'Amortissement, where he is employed,
and labours honourably for his master and his
country. At five o'clock he comes home to dinner,
and passes the evening with his family. He has
invested all his money in this little property; there
are seventeen acres of land, which he amuses him-
self in laying out, and on which he counts every
bit of timber. He is contented with his lot;
talked at length with me on the subject, and he
wishes for nothing beyond. His salary is suffi-
cient for his wants, the Emperor trusts him, he is
respected by worthy people, and he smiles in private
at the fear of him which certain ambitious enemies
feel, and at the dislike they choose to cultivate,
whereas had they taken the trouble to know him,
they would see he is too moderate a man to be
in any way a dangerous rival. I listened to his
account of his position, of his devotion to the
Emperor, of his simple, quiet tastes, with the more
pleasure that I discerned some likeness to you
in his description of himself, and this similarity,
flattering to both, lent a great charm to his con-
versation. Both he and his wife seemed pleased
at my visit, and I promised to go there again with
you.
MME. DE MONTESSON.
97
XLII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Tuesday, 13 Messidor, Year XIII.
(July 2, 1805.)
I went yesterday to Romainville. I had given
offence by my neglect; it was my first visit there
since you left me, and Madame de Montesson*
scolded me for not taking advantage of my liberty
to go a little more into society. This is a very
general reproach, and I feel it is deserved, yet I
have no wish to correct my failings in that respect.
What I like most, when you are away, is to divide
my time between my mother and my son.
To return to Madame de Montesson. I found
her looking ill and trying to amuse herself by
superintending improvements in her house. She
is so changed, and the contrast is so great
between her appearance and the elegance and
luxury surrounding her, I could not help being
struck by it. It was as if she were adorning her
grave. You see that I am still somewhat inclined
to melancholy thoughts caused by solitude and
separation from you; and I do not reject them,
for they are not really saddening except when the
effect of a sorrow for which there is no remedy;
when they have hope for a companion there is a
* Madame de Montesson died a few months later, on
February 6, 1806. She was half-sister to Madame de Genlis.
H
98 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
charm about them, to which I willingly abandon
myself.
I have already told you, I think, that I have
taken up Roman history, which I had not looked
at since I was a girl of fifteen. It used to delight
my youthful imagination, and I like it still but in
a different way. Alas! mon ami, I have grown
old.* I feel no enthusiasm, as formerly, for those
austere republicans; our own troubles have opened
my eyes to their ostentatious virtues. I admire
something I read by Saint-Evremond on this sub-
ject. He gives an excellent explanation of the
rustic simplicity of the early inhabitants of Rome,
which he contends was not virtue, but simply ignor-
ance of any other mode of life. "In spite of
what posterity has tried to make us believe," he
says, "their valour was nothing but ferocity, and
obstinacy, with them, took the place of knowledge.
Far from being urged on by a sense of superiority,
the Romans, in the early days of their Republic,
were but dishonest neighbours, who by main force
cultivated the fields of others." However, I do
not expect that you will find in the Italy of to-day
any trace of those early Roman manners, whether
they were the outcome of virtue or of ignorance,
and nothing less than the presence of a great man
like our master would suffice, I believe, to rouse
She was then twenty-five years of age.
†The above quotation contains the matter, but not the exact
words of Saint-Evremond in his "Réflexions sur les Divers Génies
du Peuple Romain dans les Divers Temps de la République,"
p. 176. His work is very little read at present, which is to be
regretted.

THE EMPEROR IN ITALY.
GENERAL LIBRARY
University of
MICHIGAN
gy
the nation from the lethargy in which she is
steeped, and which made Duclos always say, the
Italians of Rome. To such a mind as yours it
must be a curious and interesting study to watch
the point to which his glory will succeed in
arousing them. While he creates new peoples,
so to speak, during his triumphant progress,
France herself must be a striking spectacle to all
beholders. Her navy, formed in two years, after
a destructive revolution, and at the present moment
taking the offensive against an enemy that has
long carelessly despised it; her tranquillity in the
absence of her ruler; and, lastly, her government
that has not suffered in any part of its administra-
tion during this long absence! All these things
are sufficient to excite surprise and admiration,
and to kindle the imagination of the ardent.
own that I am not yet too old for enthusiasm of
this kind.
I
XLIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Wednesday Morning, 14 Messidor, Year XIII.
(July 3, 1805.)
Pray tell the Empress that I saw at Guérin's
a portrait of her that only requires two sittings
more, and is an admirable likeness and paint-
ing. It is really charming. It gives all the
delicacy of her features and the expression of her
Uor M
100
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
eyes; in fact, it is perfection, and I wish it were
mine. Thank her also for the kindness with which
she receives my letters. Of course I should like
to have a few lines from her, but I do not presume
to expect it. Herbaut,* whom I have just seen,
tells me she is going direct to Plombières. Shall
we join her there? Would you be free?
I saw Mademoiselle Contat yesterday; she had
written so often and pressed me so much to receive
her, that I thought I could not continue to refuse.
She told me that Talma's illness is taking the
form of such violent nervous attacks that some-
times he is not quite himself. If this be true, the
poor Comédie Française will be in a bad way. At
the present time there is absolutely no money
taken; the best pieces fail to attract. It is not
the fault of the actors, for their repertory is good,
and they all act; but the weather is warm and
the small theatres are crowded. The latter con-
stantly give pieces which excite curiosity, either
by their extravagance or, what is worse, their
indecency, and Racine and Molière are forsaken
for the coarse farces of the Boulevards. I saw
some of them last week with mamma, and we had
great difficulty in obtaining places for "Le Re-
venant de Bérézule," and "La Guerrière des Sept
Montagnes." Poor Mahérault is quite paralyzed,
* Herbaut, valet and hairdresser to the Empress, made his
fortune as a fashionable mercer.
†The melodrama, "Le Revenant de Bérézule," was brought
out at the Ambigu, on 7 Messidor, Year XIII. (June 26, 1806).
The ostensible author was M. François, and the real author,
Madame de Bawr, narrates in her Memoirs that the piece failed
Maou
THE COMÉDIE FRANÇAIS.
""
101
because your actors all complain that they are
not earning anything. "Les Templiers would
bring in some money, but Talma's illness has
put a stop to it. Thus, you are longed for
and expected; they come every day to inquire
about your return, and perhaps when they have
seen you and given you no end of trouble they
will be no better pleased, for such are comedians—
I was going to say, such are men.
XLIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Friday, 16 Messidor, Year XIII.
(July 5, 1805.)
I resume my journal, cher ami. I was unable
to continue writing it yesterday, although I was for
the greater part of the day at home. After begin-
ning the morning as usual by thinking of you, I
next went out to buy the chairs for your room.
I have now arranged them and your books also,
so all is ready to receive you. I made haste to
prepare the room, as if by so doing I could hasten
your return. At any rate, it made me think of it,
and thus almost enjoy it beforehand. Afterwards
I amused myself by putting my papers, as I call
so utterly, that, having made her escape at the end of the first
act, she could still, from the Boulevards, hear the hisses. No
doubt it was improved afterwards. "La Guerrière des Sept Mon-
tagnes," or "La Laitière des Bords du Rhin," is also a melodrama.
102
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
them, in order, and by reading over the effusions
of my childhood, to which in early days I at-
tached so much importance, and which have
acquired it since, from the happiness of the time
to which they carry me back. This interesting
reading and my sweet reveries whiled away the
time for me until two o'clock, and then Madame
de Ganay arrived, with whom I had a pleasant
talk. She is nice and seems friendly; I like her
extremely. Afterwards I saw Corvisart, who
annoyed me about my health, and pleased me
by the good opinion of you which he is always
ready to express.
I dined alone; but did not pass a solitary
evening, for Madame Devaines, M. Siméon, Abbé
Morellet, Gallois, my sister, MM. de Lacretelle,
Desfaucherets,* and Raynouard came in rather
early. The latter, to whom I had written a note
of thanks for the two copies of his play that he
had sent me, had asked my permission to be intro-
duced to me. His slight Provençal accent delights
me; he is simple in manner and well bred. He
speaks modestly of his success, and gratefully of
the kindness of the public. He is not blind to the
faults of his piece, and desires very much to obtain
for it the approbation of the Emperor,† to whom
* M. de Lacretelle, junior, the friend of Madame d'Houdetôt,
was a member of the French Academy. M. Desfaucherets,
author of the comedy called "Le Mariage Secret."
† He did not obtain this approbation, if we may believe the
“Memoirs de M. de Beausset." "It is probable," said the
Emperor, "that if M. Geoffroy's paper had not said so much
against the piece, others would have said less for it."
M. RAYNOUARD.
103
he says he is indebted for valuable criticism on
the occasion when it was read to his Majesty by
Fontanes.
He recited some beautiful lines from his "États
de Blois," which, however, he is in no hurry to
produce, fearing that after his recent triumph very
much will be expected of him. He is quite ready
to cede his rights to other authors; for instance,
to Legouvé, who has just finished his tragedy,
"La Mort de Henri Quatre," to which he
attaches great importance. On the whole, I am
pleased with M. Raynouard. We read together
Geoffroy's last attack on him and M. de Lalande.
He says he is under an obligation to Geoffroy's
paper for censure, which has given him celebrity,
and he is determined never to reply to it, because
Fontenelle was greatly admired for his silence
under similar provocation; his enemies being
driven at last to entitle their pamphlets "Ré-
ponse au Silence de M. de Fontenelle."
I have finished "Saint-Evremond," which I like
very much. I am now reading "La Décadence des
Romains," and I think with M. Bertrand, that
Montesquieu has made great use of this early
author, who is not now sufficiently read. Their
opinions are often the same, and expressed some-
times in identical language. What I like least,
as the result of these studies of mine, are
the Romans themselves-the turbulent, irritable
Romans. Notwithstanding the courage and tena-
city of their Senate, whose conduct through whole
centuries I cannot help admiring, my opinion is—
104
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
and it is shared fortunately by many others-that
a monarchy is the best form of government for
a nation, and I have a womanly inclination even
for a little despotism. When I have finished
Montesquieu I shall take up Tacitus, if you give
me enough time. Had I leisure I would try it in
Latin, in which I beg to inform you that I am
improving. Charles's Latin lessons are of great
use to me, and I am present at them as much for
my own sake as for his. I feel that it would be
my favourite study, perhaps because of the beauty
of the language in itself, or because I have a
natural turn for that kind of work, or—and this is
the most likely because it recalls a time when
you first taught me, and there was a charm in
every pursuit that brought us together.
I have just been interrupted by M. Dudemaine,*
who came to take leave; he goes into Provence
on Monday, and hopes to see the Emperor there,
because he has been told that a petition was to
be addressed to his Majesty, praying him to visit.
that part of the country. I dare not hope that he
may be disappointed, for I am half a Provençale
myself, and it seems that our province needs.
sorely a visit from its master. People say he is
displeased with the Prefect; but does mankind
ever speak well of those in authority over them?
and does not their pride almost always lead them
to revenge themselves on those who rule them by
censure?
* M. Dudemaine was son-in-law to Madame de Foresta, my
grandfather's half-sister.
BRIGHTER THOUGHTS.
105
XLV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Saturday, 17 Messidor, Year XIII.
(July 6, 1805.)
I am beginning to care less for my desk, and
the anticipation of a far higher pleasure rather
spoils that of writing. Is it possible that I shall
soon see you again? The very thought is a
delight to my poor heart, so saddened by your
long absence. I rejoice over it more than I can
express. Time no longer hangs heavily, the house
no longer is gloomy; it will soon be your abode,
and I begin to take pleasure in it once more.
After this little outpouring, I take up my journal
again, which cannot be very lively reading for you,
but amuses me to write. Yesterday, after finish-
ing my letter, I gave a very nice little dinner to
Mesdames de Ganay, Sannoise, Nansouty, and M.
Bertrand. After dinner they went to the Opera,
and I stayed at home with the Abbé Morellet, who
had come in to see me, and with M. Pasquier. I
took a little walk with these two gentlemen, and
so ended the day. I went to breakfast this morn-
ing with Mesdames de Sainte-Aldegonde, who are
no others than Mesdemoiselles d'Aumont; * they
* Mesdemoiselles d'Aumont were two sisters, who had a
great friendship for my grandmother. She had succeeded in
obtaining the restoration of their property as émigrés, as has
been told in the Memoirs. They were married on the same
day, to two brothers. One of these was a deputy under the
Restoration.
106
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
were both married a few days ago. I enclose a
letter which they beg you to present to the
Empress. They do not forget what they owe to her
Majesty, and they are both happy and grateful.
This is very nice and also very rare. There was
nothing very noteworthy in the remainder of the
day. I dined alone, and then showed myself at
the Archchancellor's; he has resumed his re-
ceptions after a serious illness. The crowd was
immense; people just came for a moment and
then disappeared. I met Madame de Lucchesini;
she told me she had frequently seen you, that the
Empress looked lovely at the coronation, and that
the Emperor has grown stout. She also told me
about the fêtes, which, she said, were splendid. I
finished my evening at the Français. "Le Philo-
sophe sans le savoir" was admirably acted, but
nobody there to see it. Your actors are in despair
at this desertion of their theatre, and Talma's
illness is a crowning misfortune. He is a little
better, but in a state of depression and melancholy
that requires attention, and his comrades want
him, ill or well, to act with them. I was greatly
pleased at seeing "Le Philosophe " again, though
it made me cry.
You will find us all here together on your return,
but when are you coming? The Archchancellor
told me the Emperor had said nothing on the
subject. On the other hand, M. de Fleurien* has
gone to Fontainebleau. Are you going to Mar-
* M. de Fleurien, formerly a naval officer, was Intendant of
the Emperor's household.
A LETTER FROM THE EMPRESS.
107
I
seilles ? Will our master take that additional
journey? What activity! what strength!
think Boileau's line might be applied to him:
"Le ciel met sur le trône un prince infatigable."
Sunday Evening.
I will begin my letter while waiting for your
Bouffons, who are to be presented to me this
morning by Picard, and to sing something for me.
Their public performances will begin soon, but
they wished me to see them first, and I very
willingly consented.
I received this morning a letter from Deschamps,
which the Empress was so good as to direct him.
to write to me. She kindly says that she would
write herself but for her grief at this painful sepa-
ration from her son. I can sympathize with her.
There is no heartfelt sorrow that I cannot com-
passionate. Poor mothers and wives too often
pay for your vanities with their tears, but, if I
may say so without offence, those acute feelings
procure them a joy of which you can form no idea;
and this seems to me so precious an advantage,
that in spite of all the drawbacks of a woman's
position, in spite even of the delicacy of my
health, which I owe probably to my sex, I would
not exchange it for yours. What is the reason of
this preference, mon cher ami? I leave it for you
to guess. Ask your own heart, and you will soon
be answered.
I am going to dine with the elder Madame De-
vaines, and afterwards to pay a few visits. I am
108 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
taking advantage of my liberty, for on Wednesday
my little schoolboy comes back to me, and then
I shall have but very few leisure moments. My
mother writes to me that his improved health
convinces her more than ever that he ought to
spend a part of every year in the country, to
strengthen his constitution. I have several ideas
on the subject which I will confide to you. I
don't think they will be difficult to carry out.
But I hear our musicians arriving; so adieu, until
after the concert.
Sunday Evening.
I am quite tired out with listening and talk-
ing to so many persons, whom I could barely
understand. Your Bouffons, however, met with
approval from the amateurs who came here to
listen to them. However, we made some criticisms;
none, however, on their appearance. The ladies
are all pretty, very pretty. La Crespy-for I must
call her as she calls herself-is very nice-looking,
and her voice is, I think, very fine. Madame
Megliorruchi's is worn, and she sings out of tune.
Mademoiselle Salucchi has a beautiful voice, but
does not know how to use it. The bouffon, I
think, will make us regret Martinelli, but you
know that particular style is not adapted for a
room. There is one superb bass, and another
rather the worse for wear, but good nevertheless.
Nozzari is best of all, but he complains of being
the only tenor.* We hear there will be another
* The Italian Opera had been opened in Paris, at the Olympic
Theatre, Rue de la Victoire, in 1801, under the management of
THE BOUFFONS.
109
beautiful female voice. I have now given you my
opinion, which perhaps you did not want. You
are a judge of beauty, monsieur, and will be con-
gratulated, when you arrive, on the pretty faces
you have picked up on your travels. Whereupon
I kiss you and say adieu. I am now going to
Madame Devaines'. All the morning I have been
talking the most wretched Italian, which, how-
ever, delighted the poor foreigners, who do not
know a word of French.
XLVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MILAN.
Paris, Monday Morning, 19 Messidor, Year XIII.
(July 8, 1805.)
I must tell you that I am delighted with
Montesquieu. I had never read the "Décadence"
Mademoiselle Montansier, who in 1802 removed it to the Salle
Favart. In 1804 Picard was appointed manager of the Opera,
under the direction of the First Chamberlain, and established it
at the Salle Louvois, where his company acted together with the
Comédiens Français. It was there that the tenor Garcia,
father of Mesdames Malibran and Viardot, made his first
appearance in 1808. It is not easy to find in the annals of the
theatre, or old almanacks, the names of the singers mentioned
above. I find, however, in the Revue des Comédiens, 1808, a
grand panegyric of La Crespy, commencing thus: "Is this
Venus, or Minerva, or Madame Crespy advancing towards us?
What a beautiful head! What fine arms! What grace! What
elegance! What a noble deportment! . . How can any one
say, after this, that this adorable Italian has not a good method,
etc., etc." Mademoiselle Salucchi was a graceful and intelligent
singer.
110 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
steadily before, but this time I read it at leisure
and with profit. I wished for you, however, first
because I like you to share in all my pleasures
and pursuits, and next because you could have
explained certain things to me, and set me right
on others; it would have been a help. Only that
I know your time is fully occupied, I would tell
you all that struck me most in the book. It
must be an excellent guide for those who want
to write or make a history. The author seems
to have been in the secret of every political move-
ment, he points out so accurately the hidden
springs of each. One thing struck me very much;
on several occasions he seems to have foreseen
and explained our Revolution. If we read him
attentively, we can understand all our misfortunes
and all our triumphs as well.
"There can be no
State," he says, "so threatening to others as the
State involved in the horrors of a civil war. Every
man becomes a soldier, and when peace is made
within it, such a State has great advantages over
others whose subjects are mostly mere citizens.” *
What think you of this? But I should copy the
whole book, if I were to write you all that struck
me. I am so pleased with the "Décadence," that
I feel inclined to try the "Esprit des Lois;" but
would it be too difficult? I shall wait for you to
decide.
I went to Suresnes this morning to breakfast
with Madame de Vaudémont. She has a charming
* "Considerations sur les Causes de la Grandeur des Romains
et de leur Décadence," chapter xi.
MME. DE GANAY.
111
place there; one would never think the village
was near. Everything is very simple and in good
taste; the garden is full of flowers, the air is
scented, there is a lawn, and a lovely view; in
fact, I was charmed and envious. It would suit
us exactly! It is but a mile from St. Cloud, and
quite near Paris, and then it is a tiny place, and
just fit for us. I should never wish for anything
better.
On returning I called to take leave of Madame
de Ganay, who goes away to-morrow. I shall miss
her very much.
much. Both my mother and I like her.
During her stay here, she had become intimate, I
don't know how, with Madame de Fontanes, who
often spoke to her of you. Among other things,
she told her that Fontanes thought very highly
of your keen and sound judgment, and that you
were highly informed and yet agreeable. Only
that I fear to offend your modesty, I should say
that he estimates you rightly, and that, for my
own part, I must admit (and this without laying
myself open to a charge of partiality) that the
more I see of society, and the more I listen to
others, the more also do I appreciate you. By-
the-by, somebody asked me yesterday if you were
ambitious? The question surprised me at first;
not that I should have found any difficulty in
replying, but because experience, which I am
gaining in spite of myself, warns me always to
seek for the motive of questions before answering
them. Alas! the time is past when I believed
them all to proceed from good-natured interest!
112
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
XLVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.*
Paris, Saturday, 26 Fructidor, Year XIII.
(September 13, 1805.)
I intended writing to you yesterday, but I was
tired out, and lay down all day. To-day I am per-
fectly well. You may believe me, for in an hour's
time I shall be starting for St. Cloud, and you
know I never stir unless my health allows of it.
I received a short letter from you on Thursday,
which would have deeply grieved me, only that by
the time it reached me, I hoped your mind was
set at ease. It is true that I was ill after you
left me, but not so ill as you imagine, and I
should not now say a word about it but for your
affectionate inquiries. I am quite well; pray do
not be anxious and add unnecessary pain to the
grief of separation.
I spent Thursday evening at St. Cloud. There
was a performance in the theatre of two pieces by
the Opéra Comique. It was a little languid, but in
* The Emperor, who had returned to Paris from Genoa, in
July, 1805, went again at the beginning of August, to Boulogne,
in order to be present at the departure of the army. War
had just been declared. He returned shortly afterwards to
Malmaison, and prepared to set out for Germany (where he
gained the victory of Austerlitz), and his First Chamberlain
received orders to proceed to Strasburg and prepare for the
arrival of the Emperor and Empress. The latter was to remain
at Strasburg during the war, while the Emperor and part of
his household went to the front.
MME. DE CANISY.
113
other respects amusing, and the Emperor seemed
pleased. After the play he went to his own apart-
ments, and I remained for nearly an hour with
the Empress and a few other persons, among whom
was our new companion, Madame de Canisy,* who
had been appointed that morning. She is ex-
tremely pretty.
Her Majesty told me that the "Femmes Sa-
vantes" would probably be performed in a short
time. The actors have been warned, so the piece
is ready. Mahérault, who called on me this morn-
ing, is my informant. He is taking the Tivoli baths,
and this prevents him from writing to you as
often as he would like. He asked me to tell you
that he had proposed to punish Mademoiselle
Georges, but that the committee opposed it, as
she is not altogether in the wrong, and that they
had decided on a fine, with the proviso that, if you
thought fit, severer measures should be resorted
to. Mahérault says the word prison struck terror
into them all. He is always wishing for you, for
he feels too unwell to rule with a strong hand.
The actors are complaining of Mademoiselle Rau-
court, who is still in the country and never acts.
Your commissioner will write you particulars of
all this in a few days. But as delay is the darling
sin of the majority of mankind, Desfaucherets has
* Madame de Canisy had shortly before become the wife of
her cousin, Equerry to the Emperor. She was remarkably
lovely, and retained traces of beauty to the end of her life.
Under the Restoration, she married M. de Calaincourt, Duc de
Vicenza. She died in 1876.
I
114
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
not yet drawn up his statement; he sends me con-
tinual excuses and completes nothing. I scolded
him both on your account and my own, and he
assures me that you shall soon have it.
We are in very low spirits here. Alice spends
her time crying because Nansouty has joined the
army, and my own regrets are silenced by her grief.
Moreover, our friends the Chérons leave Paris to-
morrow, and my mother will miss them greatly.
Our winter will be a dull one; the future is so
misty that we dare rely on nothing, and we are
again in the state of uncertainty from which we
were just beginning to emerge. It is a curious
fact, but the uneasiness and anxiety I cannot help
feeling under the circumstances, disappear when
I find myself in the presence of him who never-
theless is their cause. On Thursday night, at the
St. Cloud theatre, when I beheld the calm counte-
nance of the Emperor, I felt tranquillized and
assured of peace and of our future. When he first
entered his box, he looked grave but not anxious.
Towards the end he often laughed, and I felt
tempted to thank him for his gaiety, and to augur
well from the hopes it permitted me to entertain.
If you care for a piece of news, I may tell you
that Count Rumford has come back, and all the
members of Madame Lavoisier's* circle have fled
at his approach. As they know not where to go,
I have taken pity on them without one reproach
for their assiduity elsewhere. A coquette com-
* Count Rumford, a German, born in America, was paying
his addresses to Madame Lavoisier, whom he afterwards married.
"NOUS AUTRES FEMMES."
115
plains; a lover suffers; a friend alone can always
enjoy without a drawback the pleasures of the
present moment.
Did I give you the names of the Ladies-in-
Waiting who go to Strasburg? I cannot recollect.
Writing so frequently, I fear to repeat myself;
there is so little for me to tell! I seldom
I seldom go out
I see few persons, and always the same few, and
they always say just the same things. When
alone, I read; that is my great resource. During
your stay in Italy, I used to write to you on
Roman history; now the history of France,
which I have just taken up, will be my subject.
It is not an edifying one. Our proud and boastful
nation has always been as inconsistent, and fre-
quently as unjust and as cruel as others. The
following reflection occurred to me: judging from
the excesses into which she has plunged, France
is less adapted than other nations for liberal self-
government. I ventured on airing this opinion
before our old friend, but you should have heard
him lecture me on my hankering after despotism!
"He was not surprised, however—all women have
a leaning that way." This reminds me that one
evening, when with two other ladies I was play-
ing at cards with the Emperor, and he had been
amusing himself with some of the small gossip of
which feminine conversations usually consist, he
said laughingly, "Nous autres femmes," and I was
greatly inclined to answer, "Nous autres rois."
But how I am gossiping! Adieu. I am now
*
* This old friend must be the Abbé Morellet.
116
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
going to St. Cloud, and will resume my letter
when I get back.
Sunday Morning.
Bon jour, mon ami. I begin my day, as usual,
by thinking of you, and I allow myself the pleasure,
besides, of telling you so directly I wake. I went
to St. Cloud yesterday. The Empress, who as
usual was kindness itself, expressed a wish to see
me oftener. I asked her permission to stay a few
days with her, to which she consented with a
readiness that went straight to my heart. To-
morrow, therefore, I shall take up my abode in that
royal palace, which, between ourselves, seems to
me gloomier than ever. I know not how it is, but
each day seems to increase the general reserve and
suspicion. People seem half afraid of conversing
even on the most trivial subjects; there seems to
be a prevailing want of harmony, and yet, could
all hearts be opened, I feel sure that the senti-
ments of each would be extraordinarily alike. For
my own part, I glide quietly on my way, without
pretensions of any kind, and as I stand in no one's
path, I am treated with great civility, and I think
I am not disliked. Only that I have a real affec-
tion for the Empress, I confess I should have
found it hard to leave my mother and children
while you are away, but I owe her so much love
and gratitude, and I have no opportunity of show-
ing them except by attending on her. I must not
complain, therefore, since my actions are nearly
always regulated by my affections.
AT ST. CLOUD.
117
XLVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
St. Cloud, Tuesday, 30 Fructidor, Year XIII.
(September 17, 1805.)
;
I am writing to you from St. Cloud. I arrived
here yesterday evening, and now I am far from
all those I love best. My mother was rather de-
pressed at my leaving her, for she will be quite
alone. Our friends the Chérons are on their way
to Poitiers. You can imagine how she will miss
them and what a deprivation it is for Charles
they were both quite sorrowful at losing me. But
the Empress is so kind to me; and then, as she
herself is on the point of departure, I was anxious
to spend a few days with her. She is delighted at
the return of Princess Louis.* Both mother and
daughter wept with joy on meeting; they have
been truly happy together, which is rare in their
high station, and perhaps not very frequent in a
lower rank of life.
Prince Louis strikes me as being thinner and
feeble; his little son is a fine child. They left
us at eight o'clock, and we remained, a party of
ladies only, until it was time to retire. As you
may imagine, the conversation was not very lively.
It turned partly on the neglect with which we are
* Princess Louis Bonaparte, or Queen Hortense.
†This was the eldest son of Queen Hortense. He died of
croup in Holland.
118 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
treated by you gentlemen of the Emperor's house-
hold, and we asked ourselves, but of course with-
out obtaining any satisfactory answer, why you
are not more attentive to us. Afterwards the
Emperor sent for the Empress and we withdrew.
I saw M. de Caulaincourt for a moment and gave
him your message. He thinks the Court will
depart on the 1st or 2nd of the month, so you
will soon see their Majesties, and we shall be
reduced to solitude again.
Immediately on waking this morning I threw
open my shutters, and the first person I saw was
the Emperor walking in the park. He is the first
to rise and the last to retire, always ready and
active. May Heaven protect and watch over him!
You may be sure that this will be the subject of
my morning prayer.
You are very good to tell me about your
Alsatian family; I quite love the kind people who
know how to appreciate you. Your assurances of
affection give me such pleasure! I rely with entire
confidence on their sincerity! Oh, mon ami, how
sweet it is to have such a feeling! Our mutual
affection seems like a haven of rest amid the
storms of life; it will soothe all the sorrows that
we are perhaps destined to endure, and will add to
all our joys.
My mother begs you to thank Madame Dietrich
for her remembrance; she says she found her a
* Madame Dietrich was the widow, I believe, of the Mayor
of Strasburg, who had perished in the Revolution, and the
mother of Madame Scipion Périer and Madame de Sahune.
AN INJUDICIOUS BOAST.
119
charming woman, and retains a great regard for
her. Adieu for the present. I must dress and go
down to the Empress; I shall return to my letter
afterwards.
Wednesday.
I was unable to resume my letter yesterday; not
that I had much other occupation, but you know
how the time slips by here, and although it is not
actually employed in any way, still it is not at
one's own disposal. In the morning the Empress
received a great number of persons as usual, and
while she was giving audiences and hearing peti-
tions and complaints of all kinds, I sat at work in
a corner of the room, thinking of you, my dearest,
and of the devoted affection that makes my life
happy and dear to me. Madame de S―― was by
my side, and, without malice, I could perhaps tell
of what or of whom she was thinking; for, between
ourselves, she makes no attempt to conceal the
object of her thoughts nor the pleasure they give
her. She is very often here, and says openly that
their Majesties take great pleasure in her society
and in her conversation. This I can easily believe ;
but by proclaiming the fact she excites a good deal
of jealousy. She forgets that the world seldom
forgives, especially in a woman, any triumph of
which she appears in the least conscious.
Everything is being got ready here for immediate
departure, and you will soon be in the midst
of bustle, and I in profound quiet. How dull
and sad I shall be until the day of your return!
120 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
How uninteresting everything is when you are
away!
I have been acting as First Chamberlain this
morning. The Emperor has commanded the
"Menteur" for to-morrow at St. Cloud. I wrote
immediately to Mahérault; I gave orders about
the scenery; in fact, you would be pleased with
all the pains I have taken with the performance.
I should like his Majesty to recognize your zeal
in the perfection of the piece, and to feel that
you and I are in partnership in our desire to
please him.
My mother writes that her little favourite is
perfectly well. I saw her for a moment last night
at the Opéra, whither I accompanied the Empress.
"Don Giovanni" was performed, but, notwith-
standing the beauty of the music, was not a great
success. Parisians follow the fashion in affecting
to admire Mozart, but they are not sufficient
musicians to appreciate his genius. I must admit
also that the opera was not particularly well
rendered. The Emperor was not present-he
waited to hear the verdict; perhaps he will go on
Friday to take leave of the Parisians.
Adieu. I must now rise and find my way down-
stairs. I am expecting my poor Alix, who is full
of all sorts of anxiety; you can understand why.
What vexations and crosses there are in life! On
the other hand, what blessings and delights when
the journey is made with you!
THE COMÉDIE AGAIN.
121
XLIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
St. Cloud, Tuesday, 1st Complementary, Year XIII.
(September 18, 1805.)
Since yesterday I have been most anxious to
tell you of several things that I have heard, but
was afraid of trusting to the post; Hébert,*
however, is just starting, and I shall send my
letter by him. Again it is the Comédie that is in
question. Yesterday, Monday, before coming to
St. Cloud, I had Desfaucherets to dine with me,
and he gave me the following history :-Last
Friday Mesdemoiselles Duchesnois, Volnais, and
Bourgoin betook themselves to St. Cloud, where
the Empress received them. The first lady asked
for her holiday, the second for a more important
rôle, and the third for I know not what. They
complained also of you. The Empress listened to
everything with her usual kindness, and protested
against injustice. She sent for Auguste de Talley-
rand,† and ordered him to give the young ladies
a holiday and a rôle. Auguste, who was quite
taken aback, said he had no power to do this, and
that he could only venture on it if her Majesty
* The Emperor's valet.
† M. Auguste de Talleyrand, cousin to M. de Talleyrand,
was one of the Chamberlains and had the care of the Opéra
Comique. He also undertook the First Chamberlain's duties in
the absence of the latter. Under the Restoration he was
minister in Switzerland.
122 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
would give express commands to that effect. As
she did not think proper to commit herself so far,
she dismissed the young ladies with many promises.
You may imagine the bad effect of this at the
theatre. Auguste de Talleyrand, on his way up
to his own quarters, told the whole story to Cam-
penon,* adding that he did not know what offence
you had given at the theatre, but that the Emperor
had said things were getting on very badly there.
Desfaucherets also told me that Campenon receives
threatening anonymous letters every day; he is
warned to expect a thrashing, and is told that your
intentions are well known (I do not know how),
and that it is not to be endured that a man like
himself, who thinks poorly of actors, should be
allowed to govern them. Lastly, Dazincourt paid
him a visit of congratulation and abused Mahérault.
I considered that you ought to be informed of all
this. You would do well to come to some arrange-
ment, for everything is greatly disorganized here.
As for me, I will do my best to shield you during
the short remaining stay of their Majesties, and if
I hear anything further, I shall contrive some way
of letting you know.
Mon ami, I wish also to speak to you about
M. de Nansouty. Caulaincourt told me that the
Emperor had stated publicly that he had received
* M. Campenon, a literary man and subsequently a member
of the French Academy, was, either then or shortly afterwards,
Imperial Commissioner of the Opéra Comique. He filled
Mahérault's place at the Théâtre Français during his illness,
and there was some intention of keeping him there permanently.
M. DE NANSOUTY.
123
his resignation. I mentioned this to Prince Louis,
who seemed to take a great interest in the matter.
He blames Nansouty, however, for taking such a
step, but will try to smooth matters over.
I may
not hear anything more of it here, but you will
probably know, being on the spot, and will keep
me informed.*
I am so hurried, as Hébert is starting,
that I
must conclude my letter. Moreover, these vexa-
tious incidents are depressing, and I feel almost
unable to write on other subjects. You in your
wisdom will act as you think fit, while I, in my
love for you, can only distress myself. Adieu. I
have been here at St. Cloud since yesterday even-
ing. They talk to me of you there, but I would
rather talk of you with Charles.
L.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Thursday, 2nd Complementary, Year XIII.
(September 19, 1805.)
I am in a state of nervousness such as you
have often experienced on days of performance at
the Comédie. I hope all will go well this evening,
and please the Emperor; if not, I shall be terribly
* M. de Nansouty had been appointed Chamberlain to the
Empress, a very insignificant post, which he resigned, without,
however, falling into disgrace with the Emperor, who made
him his First Equerry.
124
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
disappointed. A circumstance has happened at
the Comédie, with regard to this performance, for
which I am partly to blame. About a year ago
I saw Fleury act the Menteur, and Dugazon the
Valet, so I wrote to Mahérault asking him for
those two actors. Dazincourt* flew into a violent
passion, and wrote to me, saying that you had
divided the part of the Valet into two, and that the
Menteur was one of his parts. He said that if the
Emperor commanded it he would obey, but that
he should at the same time send in his resigna-
tion. As his Majesty had said nothing about the
actors, I wrote to Mahérault that I did not claim
the slightest right to alter the distribution of the
parts, and that therefore M. Dazincourt must
act. This is my most serious misadventure at
present.
Since I am on the subject of the tripot, I must
tell you that the three actresses who were received
by the Empress have since made a great boast of
their visit to her. I mentioned this to her Majesty,
who commanded me to tell you that what she said
to them has been greatly exaggerated; that, far
from promising leave of absence to Mademoiselle
Duchesnois, she had replied that since you, who
are her director, had refused her application, there
must be good reasons for not granting it. But all
the additions made to her words by these young
ladies have convinced her that she will do well
not to admit them in future. When she arrives
* Dazincourt's reputation as an actor was inferior to that of
Dugazon, his colleague.
PRINCESS LOUIS.
125
at Strasburg you will be able, much better than
I, to explain your reasons for refusing leave of
absence. Believe me, it is of pressing importance
that you should contrive a favourable opportunity
of discussing all that I wrote to you by Hébert.
My mind has been set quite at ease on the
subject about which I wrote the other day. My
brother-in-law's affair seems to be arranged. What
Caulaincourt told me was merely a hearsay. Nan-
souty was told, on the contrary, that fighting was
at hand, and that he must remain, and that on
his return matters should be settled differently.
Alix came here yesterday morning. The Empress
kept her to dinner and treated her with the
greatest kindness. At five o'clock we walked out
with the Emperor. It was the first time I had
spoken with him since my arrival. He inquired
very kindly after you, and asked Alix after her
husband in a way that quite reassured her. After
our walk came dinner, and in the evening we sang
and danced with Princess Louis. The Empress
was in a state of enchantment with her grandson,
who had been behaving very prettily to his uncle.
He is really a sweet child, prattling all sorts of
pretty little speeches without appearing to have
learned them. He has the kind heart of his
mother, whom I can never praise too much. She
seems to me to grow every day in wisdom and in
grace; she combines great simplicity of manner
with perfect dignity, and an enlightened judgment
with an unfailing indulgence. Princess Borghèse
is here, rather better in health, but still extremely
126
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
weak. She looks lovely in her deep mourning;
her abiding grief, and the sorrowful thoughts
it occasions her, have given a certain melancholy
grace to her demeanour which is not unattractive.
She is very affable, and I, in particular, can only
congratulate myself on her behaviour towards me.
I had news of our children yesterday; they are
perfectly well. I am going to write to Charles;
if you have any message for him send it me
quickly. Adieu for to-day. I will not close my
letter until to-morrow, so as to give you an account
of the play to-night. Auguste de Talleyrand is
in the country; M. de Viry* and I are managing
everything.
Friday Morning.
The play went off well; the Emperor was
pleased, and the Menteur was acted to perfection.
Until seven o'clock I was on thorns, as you used
to be. When dinner was over I went to the
theatre to give a Chamberlain's eye to everything.
All the actors had arrived, except Madame Talma.†
Six o'clock came, then seven, and no Madame
* M. de Viry was a Piedmontese and one of the Emperor's
Chamberlains. He was made a senator shortly afterwards.
† This was Talma's second wife, Mademoiselle Vanhove, a
daughter of Monvel's. She had been divorced from her first
husband, M. Petit. She appeared first in tragedy, and, it seems,
acted very effectively. Afterwards she acted the principal
parts in comedy, and succeeded equally well. She was even
thought to surpass Mademoiselle Contat in parts requiring
simplicity, truth, and modesty, rather than coquetry and
display. After Talma's death, she married the Vicomte de
Chalot.
TALMA.
127
Talma. I was as distressed as a certain friend of
mine on similar occasions, especially as the
Emperor wanted the play early in order to hold
a council afterwards. At last, at half-past seven,
she made her appearance, accompanied by her
husband, whom I had to quiet down. They
had come in a hackney coach, the horses walk-
ing, and Talma exciting himself to such a degree
that he was ill on arriving, and could not have
acted if wanted. But all went well, and you
would have been satisfied. Talma told me that
the Minister of Police had spoken to the Emperor
on his behalf, and that his Majesty had replied
that he had intended speaking to you on the
subject of the theatre and of Talma, but that you
were gone, and that he would do so later. I
believe this will be the last performance, and that
the departure of the Court is close at hand. My
heart aches when I think of it; there will be sad
leave-takings. Five of your Chamberlains will join
you. The Empress does not know whom she is
to take with her. She wishes to start with the
Emperor, but no preparations are being made in
her household. I am beginning to make mine for
my quiet retreat. By the way, would you believe
that our ten thousand francs are not yet paid?
I am beginning to despair, and I don't know how
I shall pay my debts. If all our endeavours are
vain, you must make a last effort at Strasburg.
I had the pleasure of presenting your son to
the Empress yesterday. She thought him greatly
improved, and predicted that he will be a very
128
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
handsome man. I felt a little proud, I must con-
fess, of my fine boy, as I was leading him about
from room to room. He kissed her Majesty's hand
very prettily; you know how graceful he is;
and the rest of the day he rambled about in the
gardens and park. Both he and I grumbled at
having no letters from you for the last five days.
You cannot say the same of me, for you must have
received several.
LI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Saturday, 4th Complementary, Year XIII.
(September 21, 1805.)
I come to you, mon ami, quite tired out with
my morning; I feel the need of communion
with a heart that can understand mine, and of
mingling a little affection with the day's work.
From ten o'clock this morning the Empress has
been receiving such a number of people that I
have not been able to see her for one moment.
I have passed the whole time among strange faces.
that interested me but little. Among others, I
saw Madame de Coigny* for the first time. She
* The Marquise de Coigny (Mademoiselle de Conflans) the
mother of Madame Sebastiani, was a clever woman of the old-
fashioned type. My father had met her in his youth and
remembered her rather affected and sharp sayings. She had a
great reputation for wit, but a coarse voice, which made people
say that there was only one against her-her own.
MME. DE COIGNY.
129
completely bewildered me by her flow of words
and screeching voice. She did me the honour of
addressing most of her conversation to me, but
can have no high idea of my intelligence, for I
was so astonished at her style of behaviour that
I felt no inclination to reply. I do not know how
the Empress can listen patiently to so many
persons. It would be quite beyond my power, and
I am always filled with admiration at the un-
wearied kindness with which she receives the
petitions of the last as well as of the first comers.
Meanwhile the Emperor is working with super-
human assiduity. Sometimes, when overtired, he
goes to bed at seven or eight o'clock and is up
again at eleven. It is reported here that on
Monday he goes to the Senate, and will start im-
mediately afterwards. Mon ami, what a journey!
How anxious it makes me! I feel as if with him
all the repose and happiness we were beginning
to enjoy will depart. May Heaven watch over
him! You know that when I am in trouble I
have recourse to religion, which alone comforts
me. Whatever you may, all of you, say against
it, this inclination to turn towards God when our
soul is sorrowful, is one of the best gifts of His
goodness, and a strong proof of His existence in
a world that is full of troubles. To return to mine:
when I question the depths of my heart, I find
they are caused first by my separation from you,
and by my position, which is so contrary to all my
feelings and inclinations and individuality. Think-
ing thus, I am disposed to look at the dark side
K
130 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
of everything, and I should not be surprised at
any additional sorrow, nor even a fresh calamity.
Mon ami, your presence would banish all these
feelings, and your words of love and affection
would sustain me under the misfortunes with
which perhaps we are threatened. To us women,
the tender emotions of the heart are all that is
of importance in our lives, while to most men
they are only an occasional solace. This remark,
however, which has slipped somehow from my
pen, is far from being applicable to you, and in
whatever position we may be placed in the future,
our mutual affection will sustain us in affliction,
or double all our joy. .
I have just been receiving Mademoiselle Volnais.*
The Empress is overwhelmed with her visits. The
young lady informed me that you had advised her
to obtain a powerful patron or patroness, and that
if I were to write to you that she was befriended
by her Majesty, you would accede to her request
with respect to the Comédie. I could not under-
stand her long rigmarole; she says that Mademoi-
selle Bourgoin is extremely insolent, and makes
* Mademoiselle Volnais was a descendant of Placide, the
tight-rope dancer. She came out at the Comédie Française in
1800, and retired from the stage in 1822. She was celebrated
for her beauty, and was considered a superior actress in quiet
or tender characters, both of tragedy and comedy. She
returned to the stage in 1833, undertaking successfully the part
of la Mère coupable. Mademoiselle Bourgoin, her especial rival,
acted also a great variety of parts, or, as it used to be called at
the time, wore with equal ease the sock or the buskin—we
should express it at the present day, "She
She wore either
mask."
NAPOLEON'S INDUSTRY.
131
her life wretched. I promised, as I always do, to
write to you, and I have kept my word.
I have received a letter from you; it is very
sweet and a little sad; it just suits my mood.
How well you describe what I have been feeling
for the last month, and how true it is that it will
alternately brighten and dim the recollections of
the past! You say you are dull too? Although
my affection is gratified by the regrets you do not
hide from me, I yet feel ill at ease when I think
that you are melancholy. I have long wished
that when we are perforce separated, I could keep
all the suffering for my own share. The Emperor
was asking after you the day before yesterday, and
whether you had mentioned the pretty Alsatian
women to me?
We see very little of his Majesty. Ever since
I came here on Monday he has been unceasingly
at work; I have only seen him twice. One might
well say of him, as of the King of Prussia: "Here
is a king who does not spare himself!"
LII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, Sunday, 5 Complémentaire, Year XIII.
(September 22, 1805.)
M. de Caulaincourt is good enough to take
charge of this letter. He will see you in a very
few days. Just now, at the moment of the
132
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Emperor's departure, I feel more sorrowful than
ever that I may not join you, for it is no use
deceiving one's self, and I think it will be long
before we meet again.
I hope at least that you will not be seized with
M. de Luçay's martial ardour; it made me tremble
yesterday. You must know that in order to satisfy
a large number of the nobility who wish to serve,
but whom there would be a difficulty in placing in
the army, the Emperor has invented a guard of
honour, to which any one with a certain amount of
fortune will be eligible. This corps, which is com-
manded by M. de Ségur, will escort his Majesty.
M. de Bouillé has joined it, and so has César de
Choiseul.* M. de Luçay came yesterday to ask
me whether I did not think it was the Emperor's
intention that all his household should enter this
corps, and what I was going to advise you to do?
I cannot describe to you my feelings when he
asked me this question; I really believe my hair
stood on end, and I felt a sharp pain at my heart.
I replied, however, that had you been under thirty
years of age, whatever might have been my own
feelings, I certainly should have advised you to
join, but that, although you were still young, I did
not think you sufficiently so to change your calling
in life, especially being a married man and the
* This M. de Bouillé died blind, leaving a son, the Marquis
Réné de Bouillé, who was ambassador in Spain under M. Thiers'
Government. César de Choiseul-Beaupré was aide-de-camp to
M. de Nansouty, to whom he was distantly related. His widow
married the Prince de Polignac.
MAHÉRAULT.
133
father of a family. On this I left him and wept
in solitude, quite unable to restrain myself; I was
so upset, that I found myself speaking aloud to
you as if you could hear me. I regret now what
I wrote to you yesterday. Do not, my beloved,
add fresh troubles to the sorrow of separation. I
suffer, but I will not murmur at your absence since
you are doing your duty. Follow your Emperor;
serve him at the post to which he has appointed
you; but think of me also, for for further anxieties
courage fails me.
Monday Morning.
The Emperor is going to the Senate, and has
asked for his gala coat and his diamonds. You
have taken away the keys, so the locks had to be
forced. He will take his departure to-morrow, it
seems. There is a gloom over everything here,
and I have no courage to speak to any one except
Caulaincourt. To him and to his friendship I
have confided my fears and anxieties, and he pro-
mised to watch over you with a kindliness that
touched me to the heart. In the name of all the
happiness of my life, I implore you to take care
of your health, and be certain of one thing-if you
were ill, no matter in what part of the world, or
what might be my own state of health, I should
instantly go to you.
•
If you mention the Comédie Française to the
Empress, be sure to tell her that it was not I, but
Mahérault, who wrote to you about the conse-
quences of her good nature to those actresses, and
134 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
speak only of the message he sent you through
me. She has been extremely kind; I lament her
absence too. Life is pleasant in her company and
one's heart feels satisfied. I am now going to
rejoin my poor mother, who has to spend a winter
with two very sorrowful and tiresome daughters.
She says, in one of her letters, that she will never
forgive herself for having brought up two such
devoted wives.
I enclose the memorandum on the theatres.*
It seems to me to be well drawn up. Read it, mon
ami, and use it as soon as possible, for it is im-
portant to put a stop to the daily increasing con-
fusion. Adieu; in a few hours the Emperor's
departure will have taken place, and I shall be on
my way to Paris. I hope you will write to me
on the Emperor's arrival, and tell me how he
receives you. I am going to embrace your children
and find comfort in their society.
LIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, Tuesday, 2 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(September 2, 1805.)
I am at home once more with the dear children.
I feel better here; everything recalls your presence
* This was a memorandum which my grandfather had
requested Desfaucherets to send him, with the intention of
laying before the Emperor his views of the reforms required
in that department.
MME. DE VANNOISE.
135
and seems to draw us nearer together. I left St.
Cloud yesterday with a heavy heart, and I could
see my own feelings reflected in every counte
nance. I could not restrain my tears on taking
leave of the Empress. I told her how ardently I
desired every blessing for the Emperor, and then
I had to come away in tears. Oh, what a
moment! and what will it bring forth in the
future!
Paris seems to me rather disturbed just now.
The Parisians are depressed by the war and by
the absence of those who keep up luxury and
expenditure. The conscription, the levying of
troops, the guard of honour, and the National
Guard occupy every one's thoughts, as you may
imagine. I saw Louis de Vergennes this morning;
he is delighted with the decree,* because he gets
into uniform again. Only for his children, I think
he would apply to re-enter the army; for he is
greatly inclined to do so, I assure you. He is a
patriotic Frenchman, and has a thoroughly grateful
disposition.
Madame de Vannoise thanks you for your kind-
ness to her son, and makes the following request
on his behalf:-M. de Vannoise wrote to Constance,
and told her to say to her brother that he should
ask you to present him to the Emperor as the son
of a man who, by virtue of his military rank, had
a seat in the King's carriages. His mother
* This first trial of a guard of honour came to nothing.
Louis de Vergennes was the second son of the Minister of that
name.
136 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
rightly thinks this an insufficient reason, and
that he is not yet of rank sufficient to claim
such an honour. But that she may not seem to
be acting in opposition to her husband, you must
speak to the young man on the subject, and then
write to me, and I will tell Constance.
forget.
Do not
I saw a courier this morning who told me you
were in good health. May you remain so; for
you will need health for your travels. I think that
perhaps you may find it necessary to make a
circuit in this direction, unless you can find time
to make up your accounts while at Strasburg.
We are now at the end of the year, and Osmont
says that M. de Talleyrand is quite at sea about
the accounts, and that you only can give him the
information he requires.
While on the subject of money, I must tell you
that I have not received my ten thousand francs.
I mentioned it to the Empress, telling her how
straitened were my means, and what a deluge of
bills was pouring in on me; she promised she
would mention it, but has not done so. Madame
de la Rochefoucauld * has written to M. de Talley-
rand, in her own name and ours, and the Grand
Chamberlain answered that he would speedily settle
the matter. Nevertheless, it is not settled; we all
of us beg that you will attend to it, and, for my
own part, I am so worried that, if it altogether
* Madame Alexandre de la Rochefoucauld was Lady of
Honour to the Empress.
REAL FRIENDS.
137
fails, I must sell my shawls and other belongings
to pay for my Court dresses.*
We are going to lead a very quiet life with two
or three friends that you know of. I feel that far
from wishing to increase my circle, I shall rather
narrow it, so as to avoid hearing all the false
rumours that will be circulated, and which,
although against reason, one tries in vain to dis-
believe. I have already been kindly informed
that the Russians had already passed through
Vienna, and have left that city. I imposed silence
on all, and then I stated positively that I should
only believe what I read in the Moniteur. How
I should love that paper if it would give me some
news of the First Chamberlain! While speaking
of the First Chamberlain, I must tell him that I
believe he has some real friends at the palace, who
gladly speak well of him; among others, M. de
Viry, General Caffarelli, M. de Canisy, who is an ex-
cellent creature for all his madcap ways, and some
more besides. They have all established a right to
my affection, and M. de Caulaincourt, to whom I
was saying this, assured me that in that case he
ought to be in the front rank of my friends; and I
believe him. Our service is all arranged for the
next two months. The Empress settled it herself.
* The salaries of the Court officials were paid with an
irregularity and delay that are almost unintelligible at the
present day. The alternations between splendour and poverty
in which people then passed their lives, are worthy of note, and
although I have suppressed many details of family or monetary
affairs, I have thought it advisable to retain a few instances of
this curious state of things.
138
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I shall be in waiting in December and January,
the same weeks, I believe, as Madame de Brignolé,*
and Mesdames Ney† and Marescot are down for
the same months as I. By that time I think her
Majesty will have returned to Paris, where she
will be less lonely than at Strasburg after the
Emperor has left her. If not, I shall be obliged
to give up my turn of service, since I could not
travel so far. In that case, you know beforehand
what will be my occupations, and you will pro-
bably find a very learned wife and son on your
return, for we shall study very hard. I shall try
to find time between Greek and Latin to read
a little history with Charles. If you approve, he
shall take fencing lessons once or twice a week, so
as to learn to hold himself well. I could afford
this the more easily, because, being under no
obligation as to dress, I could save the money to
pay for them. Yet, notwithstanding my intended
economy, I see plainly that our necessary expenses
will reach a high amount, and that we are living
beyond our means. The war is raising the price
of everything. Tradesmen make use of any pre-
text for raising their prices, but since I have
taken to housekeeping I have never known them
find a reason for lowering them.
•
* Madame de Brignolé was a Genoese. She is the mother of
that Brignolé who was Sardinian ambassador in France, and of
the Duchesse de Dalberg.
† Madame Ney was Mademoiselle Auguié, daughter of one of
Marie Antoinette's dressers.
HOUSEHOLD DETAILS.
139
on.
LIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 4 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(September 26, 1805.)
I received a letter from you yesterday, by which
I see how busy you are, for it is very short. I
imagine you must have become more and more
pressed with work, until the arrival of their
Majesties brought it to a climax. I presume they
are now at Strasburg, and that M. de Caulaincourt
has given you my little packet of letters. You
will tell me if they have been of any use to you,
and tell me especially how you yourself are getting
I am really in a state of suspense about you
which is distressing. M. de Talleyrand told me
yesterday that he thought you would have orders
to accompany the Emperor, and that I must send
you plenty of flannel. But, seriously, are you in
want of any winter outfit, and what shall I send
you? I hope you have been rewarded for all the
trouble you have had at Strasburg, by their
Majesties' approval of your arrangements. The
Empress was told beforehand that her apartments
could not be made very comfortable, but she was
so anxious to accompany the Emperor that she
would not be baulked by any personal inconveni-
ence. Alas! I can sympathize with her! The
greatest of evils is to be separated from those we
love.
140
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Paris is profoundly gloomy. Everybody remains
at home in a state of anxiety and suspense; the
theatres are deserted; people groan and await in
silence the beginning of great events. The mode-
ration of the Emperor's speech is greatly praised;
people desire his success, some sincerely, others
from interested motives; for he bears the proud
title, as Abbé Morellet used to say, of the Neces-
sary Man.
As for me, I am going to live in great solitude.
My poor sister comes to see me every day; she is
full of anxiety and weeps continually. Why are
you both such good husbands, and are not we
very foolish that we cannot exist without you?
Alix fancies you will have greater facilities than
herself for forwarding her letters to M. de Nan-
souty, because there is no post to Pirmasenz.*
Answer me about this.
Your Grand Chamberlain wants you to amuse
him with a play at Strasburg, and intends to speak
to you on the subject. I was quite gratified at
his reception of me. I had occasion to speak with
him about something that he will tell you and
that I wrote to you by M. de Caulaincourt. It
relates to Sobek's mistress.† I wanted him to
quiet her; he had already done so. He said he
should tell you that I am very fond of you, and
I replied that on that head you had nothing
further to learn. He spoke in his usual style
* A town in Bavaria.
† Sobek's mistress was Madame Devaines, and Sobek was a
little dog.
THE CHÉRONS.
141
about the inner life at Court; saying that we were
prudes, and that when we emancipated ourselves,
we should, from not knowing how to be coquettes,
be something worse. I thought it a clever remark,
for it is true that our utter want of occupation and
a little pedantry are more dangerous than might
be expected. But you may feel quite easy about
me, for I am never unoccupied, and my boy leaves
me little leisure for thinking of anything but him-
self, or, in other words, of you.
We have heard from our friends the Chérons.*
They are delighted with their journey, and not
dissatisfied with their new residence. The house
is very nice, with a beautiful garden. They were
warmly received, and this consoled them a little
for all they have given up. The husband is going
to try to be of use in his district, his wife will be
fêted and courted, and both will be happy. The
Abbé Morellet is resigned to their absence; he is
pleased at the advantages it seems to promise for
his niece. M. Rumford has come back, and the
house in the Rue d'Anjou is transformed into the
isle of Cyprus, according to mamma's account. All
is perfume and enchantment. The new Adonis has
brought a hautbois player with him from Germany;
he is stationed in a little hut, and while he draws
forth the most ravishing sounds, the goddess of the
place, lying gracefully extended on a sofa, throws
tender glances at the object of all her thoughts,
and finds a new fire in his eyes with which to en-
kindle her own. People wonder if they are, or
* M. Chéron had just been appointed Prefect of Vienne.
142
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
are to be married. No one can tell, but they seem
happy. They intend to travel in France all the
winter, which puts the finishing stroke to Ber-
trand's despair.
LV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, Saturday, 6 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(September 28, 1805.)
Whenever I hear of an opportunity of writing, I
feel that I must not neglect it. Herbault is just
setting off, and he promises to deliver this letter
to you. I enclose a little note that M. Salembini
has just written at the corner of my table. It is
an account of the difficulties in which Osmont* is
placed by your absence. It seems that in order to
get out of them he takes a great deal upon himself
which perhaps you will not approve. If this be
so, could you not send for him to Strasburg, if you
cannot get away yourself?
I am in a distressing state of uncertainty. I am
anxiously waiting to hear from you after the
Emperor's arrival at Strasburg, and I cannot tell
what day to expect a letter. No doubt you are
full of work; and then, are you to accompany the
Emperor? But for what purpose?
Day and
* Osmont had to discharge part of the duties of the Grand
Chamberlain, and consequently the business of the Court
theatrical performances devolved partly upon him.
THE ACTORS AGAIN.
143
night I wear myself out in conjecture! Sorrowful
thoughts from which there is no issue! I am
profoundly sad. Is it possible that our days of
happiness are over?
I am ashamed that you should see my weakness,
but everything around me conduces to it. There
is great consternation here, and it is increased by
the malevolent. A run on the Bank the last two
days has embarrassed it, and the guard was forced
to disperse the crowds that gathered round the
doors. The conscription irritates people, and the
future alarms them; to escape from it all I am
obliged to shut myself up with two little boys that
you know. They are so happy, so peaceful, so
ignorant of danger, that at last, in their quiet
company, I become calm myself.
As you may imagine, the theatres are losers by
the state of the public mind. They are empty,
and the actors grumble incessantly. If I would
do as they want me, I should see them every
day, to listen to their complaints. Mademoiselle
Volnais wrote to me that the Empress's promise
that she should act by turns with Mademoiselle
Bourgoin has caused her a great deal of annoy-
ance, and that she wanted to tell me about it.
I replied that I could not help it, and that she
had better write to you. She says that you
advised her to apply to me. Mademoiselle Contat
attacks me for the thousand crowns that she says
you promised her. Talma is very grateful. He
is much attached to you, and wishes you could
return here, because, he says, everything is going
144
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
to ruin, and nobody obeys Mahérault. However,
"Athalie" is in rehearsal; he knows "Manlius,"
and is learning "Catilina," and he says that if the
Comédie chose, they might draw a house, in spite
of the dreariness of the times.
LVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, Monday, 8 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(September 30, 1805.)
Our life here is rather dull, as you may
imagine. All our friends are either in the country
or with the army, and Paris is empty. But our
retired life pleases me better than any other just
now, for I should have to pay for the pleasure of
society by the misery of hearing all the evil rumours
that are disseminated, and they are legion. I am
too anxious and too agitated to listen to them with
the indifference they deserve. In fact, I must
admit that I cannot help quarrelling with people
who come and repeat to me the absurdities they
have heard. The day before yesterday I silenced
a person who, in my own house, was finding fault
on
*
* This was M. de Mézy, whom my grandmother does not name
account of the insecurity of the post. This continual
apprehension explains the reticence, and many turns of ex-
pression throughout the whole correspondence. M. de Mézy
was a well-informed man, who had acquired a stock of ideas
in England which had made him a Liberal, although he did
not always act like one under the Restoration. He had been
MONEY TROUBLES.
145
with everything and everybody. You would have
been astonished-you, who know that I do not like
to put myself forward when the company is at all
numerous-at the firmness and the comparative
calmness with which I said I was surprised that
any one should select my house, at such a time
as the present, for the repetition of rumours which
must be alarming to everybody. You will guess
pretty well to whom I thus addressed myself, when
I tell you it was to that husband of one of our
dearest friends, of whom you often say he has the
spirit sic autem contra. He was rather surprised
at my manner, but held his peace, and my mother
thinks I did right.
Another trouble to this good city of Paris is the
prevailing scarcity of money. Bank payments
were suddenly interrupted, general alarm ensued,
and there are now such crowds waiting their
turn, that a guard is necessary to keep order.
This measure, which makes creditors more than
ever pressing, is inconveniencing me very much.
By the way, M. Estève* is now with you; he told
me again, before leaving Paris, that we could
receive our month's pay by sending an application
with our own signature to him, yet when Alix
wrote to his cashier, he replied that an authoriza-
tion from M. de Nansouty would be necessary.
at school at Juilly, but was younger than my grandfather.
He married Mademoiselle Veron and died a peer of France.
His son, who was only known to my generation in his latter
days, was an amiable, lively, and well-informed man of the
world.
* M. Estève was Treasurer-General to the Crown.
L
146
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
A note from M. Estève to his cashier would be
sufficient; please ask him for it, for my sister and
myself.
I see two persons every day who are so wretched
that I can no longer complain when I think of
them. One is our cousin Vannoise, who bemoans
by turns her poverty, her daughter, and her sons.
The other is poor Madame de Grasse. Her son
is very ill, and given over by the doctors.* She
nurses him night and day; her means are ex-
hausted, and her courage is failing. If
If you could
possibly obtain some help for her from the Empress,
you might tell Deschamps to write and inform
Madame de la Rochefoucauld of this. You would
be doing a truly kind action. To add to the
troubles of the poor woman, it seems to me that
she is not on good terms with her hosts, and feels
distressed at being indebted to them; when people
bestow favours they cannot be too mindful always
to seek forgiveness, so to speak, for the services
they have rendered. I went once to visit the lady
in the house opposite theirs. She is becoming
more calm.t She was, at first, for writing tre-
mendous letters, burning her fine clothes, and re-
"I shall retire to a cottage,
nouncing the world.
she wrote to me. "No," I answered, "
not; you will stay by your fireside and receive
""
you will
* Gustave de Grasse cheated the doctors, for he did not die
until 1858, aged sixty-seven, after a very active and busy life.
He suffered, however, from an affection of the liver.
† Madame de Grasse lived in the Rue Royale, at her cousin's,
Madame de Sainte-Marguerite, opposite Madame Devaines'.
THE CHÉRONS.
147
your friends."
Her anger is now appeased, and
she is quite determined to preserve a strict silence,
which will last as long as may be. I seldom go
to her, for, whatever people say, she is no friend
of mine.
Joséphine and her husband start for Nice to-
morrow. They are going to spend the winter
there on account of their child, who is in a sad
state.* Our friends the Chérons are settled and
in the midst of all the business and bother of
provincial etiquette. Norvins is in despair, and
calls upon you. If you cannot help him he will
die of suppressed ambition. He often comes to
see me, more for want of something to do than
from inclination; certainly not for my pleasure.
What else can I tell you? Abbé Morellet is ageing
and sleeps a good deal. Bertrand sighs, Madame
Lavoisier is off to Provence, my sister weeps, and
my mother rails against conjugal affection.
It
is not her fault that we do not lead a gayer life.
She says it would make us much pleasanter if we
did. She is always cheerful, her good spirits are
inexhaustible; but for her I should laugh but
seldom.
* Joséphine is Madame de Mézy. The child mentioned in
the letter died young. He was not the Mézy whom we knew.
148
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
LVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 10 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 2, 1805.)
I do not hear from you, mon ami. I grieve,
but I do not complain, for I know that since his
Majesty's arrival you have little leisure, so I will
be patient, if possible. You can understand, how-
ever, that I am doubly anxious, for I am in a
painful state of ignorance as to what is to become
of you. Are you to follow the Emperor imme-
diately? Where am I to address our letters?
Are you still at Strasburg? These questions are
always before me, and I cannot decide one of
them. So soon as you are able, pray write me
one word. I really need it. As for me, who am
always writing to you, I have no news to tell.
We are all in good health, grandmother, mother,
and children; we are continually talking of
you, of this dreadful war, and of the separations
it entails. My mother and I begin the day by
reading the Moniteur at breakfast, and following
the march of our troops and of those wretched
Austrians on the map. We have already looked
a hundred times over at Meiningen and Stockach.*
Then Alix makes her appearance and, with a sigh,
* Meiningen is the capital of the duchy of Saxe-Meiningen,
ten leagues from Gotha. Stockach is near Constance, in the
grand-duchy of Baden.
PARISIAN GOSSIP.
149
looks for Pirmasenz, although her husband may
no longer be there. We all hope and pray for the
success of our master, and I confess that I am
agitated when I think he is going to risk a life on
which the happiness of a generation depends.
How I regret that my ill health forbade me to
accompany the Empress! I am sure that you at
Strasburg, close to the troops and in the midst
of the dangers they are about to confront, are
less alarmed and anxious than we. No efforts are
wanting here to disturb the public peace, and the
sudden scarcity of silver is a capital opportunity
for arousing alarm, and has not been overlooked
by the evil-disposed. A great crowd of people
wait their turn at the Bank, and this causes few
payments, and of comparatively small sums, to be
made. There is a stop to all business; creditors
press on every side whom it is impossible to
satisfy, and yet it is said that with a little frank
good-will, all this confusion would soon come to
an end.
This is the latest news I can give you. Do not
imagine, however, that the Parisians restrict them-
selves to this one subject for recreation. Oh, we
know how to vary our amusements, and after
spending the morning in discussing, rightly or
wrongly, the causes of this scarcity of money,
the war, and the political system of Europe, we
discourse with equal warmth on the "Hullah de
Samarcande, "* which has just been produced at
""
*"Gulistan ou le Hullah de Samarcande is an opera, by
Etienne and Dalayrac. It was brought out at the Opéra Comique,
150 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Feydeau, or on Martin's* sudden cold, for which
M. de Talleyrand sent him to prison for eighteen
hours, and we retire to rest quite satisfied with
our judgment on everything, and without troubling
ourselves to consider whether it has been a reason-
able one. These Parisians of ours, who, in my
opinion, are the most agreeable rather than the
most estimable part of the nation, have, however,
always been the same. You know that in my
hours of idleness I have taken up the history of
France, and I find them always the same at all
the different epochs of which I have read: adven-
turous, thoughtless, often ungrateful, never taking
any trouble themselves, and expecting everything
to be done for them. I have just finished the
history of the League, and have made myself
ready to argue either for or against "Les États de
Blois," if it is acted this winter.
Just as I was closing this letter, I received
yours, which has relieved my anxiety. César de
Choiseul has offered to convey my little packet,
and as he is in haste, I have only time for a few
words. I shall not write again until I have
another letter from you. But if you are to remain
on 8 Vendémiaire, Year XIV. (September 30, 1805). It appears
that a Hullah or Hulla is a man who marries, for one day only,
a divorced wife, in order to enable the first husband, according
to Turkish law, to take her back. Another operetta by M.
Lecocq has recently been composed on this delicate subject, "La
Jolie Persane."
* Martin, a grandson of the inventor of the Martin blacking,
was born in 1768, and died in 1837. He and Elleviou were
celebrated singers at the Opéra Comique under the Empire.
PUBLIC FEELING.
151
at Strasburg, could you not take a trip to Paris?
I say nothing about myself, but your presence is
needed at the end of the year, and especially at
the theatre. Mahérault is in the greatest diffi-
culties about the rent and the retiring pensions;
moreover, his authority is set at nought, and
nothing goes well.
LVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 15 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 7, 1805.)
The confidence which you tell me is felt in
the troops is quite shared here, even by the people
who generally share in nothing, and who, as you
know, exist in Paris in large numbers. Whatever
private opinions people may have, no one doubts
our victory, and this widespread feeling is surely the
most flattering and the truest homage that can be
paid to our soldiers and their leader. I can under-
stand your admiration, and your thoughts at the
sight of those fine troops marching at once to
glory and to death. For my own part, if, like you,
I beheld armies ready to meet in the field, my first
thought would be for the poor mothers and wives,
who will have to pay for all this glory with their
tears, and who must undoubtedly shed as many
over victory as over defeat. I see clearly that I
should never make a good ruler, for feeling is
152
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
too much mingled with all I think and do, and
with these fine sentiments I should let my country
be invaded and my States disturbed.
You say you are dull at Strasburg? You would
be the same in Paris; for it is horribly dull just
now, and so empty of news and full of ill nature,
that to live without too much vexation and
quarrelling, one must do as I do-confine one's
self to a very narrow circle, and shut one's door
on all the idlers of this great city, who imagine
they are increasing their own importance when they
are spreading bad news. We are told here that
the Empress is likely to return to us, and perhaps,
unless better advised, she would do well to spend
the winter here, and revive in some degree much
that is languishing by reason of the war. I will
write to her, since you tell me to do so.
The
truth is that I did not write for fear of being
tiresome; I am so completely ignorant of anything
that could amuse her. It is your duty, you know,
to enliven and entertain her. Notwithstanding your
modesty, you are quite sufficiently agreeable to
amuse her if you like, and I should be much
inclined to scold you for your shyness, only that
while avowing it you use so many kind and loving
words, that I must tell you they all went straight
to my heart, and are graven there; and that your
devoted affection, of which I am constantly re-
ceiving the most touching proofs, will always be
the true happiness of my life.
THE BOUFFONS.
153
LIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 18 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 10, 1805.)
Mon cher ami, how dull and unoccupied we
are in this horrid Paris of ours! Pray tell M. de
Talleyrand that it is really pitiable. There is
not even the least bit of gossip! In fact, our
gravity equals our wisdom. I don't quite know
which is the cause and which the effect, but I do
know I am horribly dull. The emptiness of this
great city is really remarkable; the theatres do
not draw, and I scarcely ever go to them, except,
however, to the Bouffons, who are improving
every day and drawing large audiences. I heard
Fertendis * there last Monday for the first time.
She has become popular; her voice, although
rather thick, is effective, and she sings with
expression. She pronounces Italian so well as to
make even recitatives delightful. She looks well
on the stage, and is greatly applauded. Barilli
also is much liked. They acted together in an
opera called "La Melomanie." It is pretty and
well put on the stage; everybody enjoyed it; I
am going to hear it again this evening. I hear
* Madame Fertendis was an Italian contralto who came out
in Paris in "La Capriciosa pentita." She was the wife of an
excellent musician, well known as a performer on the cornetto,
which was at that time a new instrument.
154 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT
it is impossible to persuade the two prime donne
that they would do well to act together, as each
declines to play any but the principal parts. Your
authority seems to be needed in this matter.
Halma continues to be quite satisfied with your
son; and tells me that he has plenty of ability, but
is rather lazy. I am contending with this fault,
and I make him work with more steadiness. Tell
him to be more industrious. In other respects
he is most amiable; his health is excellent; he
is even growing fat. His grandmother is un-
tiringly kind to him, and teaches him to act
proverbs with her, while I constitute the audience.
LX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 20 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 12, 1805.)
I have seen Princess Louis, who is quite
well, and her children also. She is dreadfully tired
of receiving two hundred persons every Monday, but
the company do not suspect it; her manners are
so gracious and pleasing. You must tell this to
the Empress, when speaking of me, as you do
sometimes. I am really afraid of writing to her;
I feel so cross and stupid. You only, mon ami,
can put up with my verbiage, and notwithstand-
ing your indulgence and natural interest in my
letters, I fear that sometimes you must find in
GOOD NEWS.
155
them a wearisome iteration. How can I help it?
I have liberty that I do not want, and then each
succeeding day brings me the same occupations
and the same thoughts, at the same hours. I read
a great deal. I am now in the middle of the
"Essai sur les Mours," which I like in spite of
all my prejudices. I intend, now that I have so
much leisure, to go through the whole of Vol-
taire, so as to know, once for all, what to think
about him, and although I have no inclination to
let myself be fascinated, yet I begin to find, in
spite of myself, that he is more often in the right
than I could wish.
LXI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 22 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 14, 1805.)
Mon ami, what delightful news!* and how we
all thank you for writing to us at once! I received
your letter last night at eleven o'clock. In another
minute I was off. I reach Alix' house, I read it
to her, she bursts into tears, I weep also, and all
the pain of absence is forgotten. The booming
of cannon proclaimed the good news to Paris this
morning; it has produced a great effect. Strangers
* Either the battle of Wertingen, gained on 17 Vendémiaire,
or Marshal Ney's defeat of the Archduke Ferdinand on the
16th.
156
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
interrogate and congratulate each other in the
streets; in short, as I have written to the Empress,
for once the Parisians are Frenchmen. I have
written twenty notes already this morning, and
received visits of congratulation. Prince Louis
sent for Alix in order to tell her how well pleased
the Emperor is with her husband, and both the
prince and princess treated her with the greatest
kindness. This was all the more consoling to my
poor sister as she has had no news of her husband
for a long time past. She fears that both his
letters and hers miscarry, and asks you to forward
the one I enclose, if you meet with a good oppor-
tunity. But what a splendid victory! How proud
one feels at being French! I could not sleep for
joy. Perhaps you know of other victories by this
time, and while we are rejoicing over this first one,
you have already forgotten it in a second. May
Heaven still protect our brave army and its
glorious leader! We wanted a victory here, for
our wretched Parisians were beginning to grumble.
The solitude of Paris, the state of torpor in which
all business is plunged, and the scarcity of money
that is still prevailing, gave fine opportunities of
fault-finding to the ill-natured, while our foolish
idlers believed everything that they were told. I
was wondering to myself this morning why there
is so little national spirit in the nation and yet
such unity of action and of feeling in the army.
It seems to me that it must be a sentiment of
honour that makes the difference, and that honour
takes the place of public spirit among individuals
MORE NEWS.
157
who in ordinary times are too happy, too rich, or
too careless to interest themselves in anything
outside their own particular horizon.
LXII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 24 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 16, 1805.)
Our
We are waiting impatiently for news.
triumphant beginning will, no doubt, be succeeded
by still more brilliant victories, and I rely upon
you to inform me of them so soon as you know
of them yourself. But, amid all this, what is
happening to you? M. de Chabrol, whom I met
yesterday at the Archchancellor's, told me that at
the time he left Strasburg, several of the Chamber-
lains were preparing to follow the Emperor. Were
you one of them? If you are likely to be at a
still greater distance, remember that you must
warn me in time, on account of my letters, and in
order that I may send you what you require; your
coat, for instance, if it does not come before you
leave Strasburg. I know not whether to wish for
or to dread your further journey. There is some-
thing agreeable to me in the knowledge that you
are still in France, but I tremble at the thought
of those gloomy German forests, and almost regret
that you did not accompany the Emperor on his
journey.
158
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
All these feelings make life melancholy and the
days long and dreary. The coming winter seems
shrouded in a sombre veil when I reflect that it
must be passed far away from you, and the thought
brings tears to my eyes. The newspapers announce
that the Empress will spend the winter at Stras-
burg. Do you think that is her intention? The
general opinion here seems to be that she ought
to come back to Paris, where her presence is
really required. Everything seems dead; there is
no trade, and discontent prevails everywhere;
people shut themselves up in their homes; there is
no expenditure, no luxury, and every house has
become, like mine, a sort of castle in which the
owners live in solitude. To complete the picture,
the weather is frightful, with such incessant rain
we might easily believe ourselves to be in the
month of December. The theatres, with the ex-
ception of the minor ones, are absolutely deserted.
Your poor Comédie exhaust themselves in vain ;
they play to empty houses. I went yesterday to
the "Festin de Pierre," admirably acted by
Dugazon and Fleury; there were not fifty persons
in the pit. Fleury asked for an interview with
me, and I have appointed to-morrow. In those
letters of mine that went astray, I asked you for
an answer for Mademoiselle Contat.
Mamma is continually begging me to tell you
that she never thinks of you now; and I, mon ami,
I do nothing else at every instant of the day, and
each day I love you more. What happiness if I
could tell you so with my own lips!
THE COMÉDIE ONCE MORE.
159
LXIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Wednesday, 24 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 16, 1805.)
Now that I have attended to all your commis-
sions and that I have leisure to write, and have
besides the certainty that my letter will reach
you, I must speak to you about your actors of the
Comédie Française, whom you are forgetting, but
to whom you might write as you are so far away.
I suspect that Mahérault does not tell you of all
the existing anarchy, because his ill health has
greatly weakened him. I saw Fleury this morn-
ing. He has a petition, of which I will speak
presently, to present to you. We had a long con-
versation. He much deplores the present condition
of the theatre, which he tells me is one of com-
plete disorder. Everybody is master, and no rules.
are observed. The actors are all away in the
country; consequently the doubles have to act,
and the receipts are nil. Mademoiselle Raucourt
has not acted once; while Mademoiselle Fleury *
insists on always acting, and people will not
pay to see her. On Monday they played "Tan-
* Mademoiselle Fleury was not in any way related to Fleury.
She was married to M. Cheffontaine. She had made her first
appearance on the stage in 1791; she retired in 1807, and died
in 1818. She was considered clever. Monvel received his
retiring pension shortly after. He died at the age of sixty-
seven in 1812.
160
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
""
crède for the first time since the début of
our new actresses. They hoped to draw a good
house. But Mademoiselle Fleury, despite her age
and appearance, took the part of Aménaïde. Her
very name scared people away, and not a single
person went except myself. She looked so old, so
ugly, and acted so badly, that I laughed heartily.
Fleury says that now, at the close of the year,
there are several actors who should be compelled
to take their retiring pension, and thus clear the
way for others. He says that Mademoiselle Fleury
is one of these; that she is worn out, and em-
barrasses him in his distribution of parts, and that
it would be very kind of you to get rid of her,
also of Mouvel and some others. Could you not
write-not to Mahérault, who would not show
your letter-but to the committee, and say that
you are dissatisfied, and that, as your projected
reforms in the management of the Comédie are
stopped by your absence, you expect that at least
the actors will be more than ever zealous; that
those who show themselves most deserving will be
rewarded, and that every personal interest ought
to yield before the necessity of attracting the.
public by well-acted plays? These are only sug-
gestions, but it should be a forcible letter. If
you prefer, you might address it to Fleury, and
I would undertake to have it conveyed to him. I
am the more vexed that you did not put an end to
Mahérault's affair before you left Paris. Could
you not write what you shrink from saying to
him? I think you would be very well satisfied
A FRESH VICTORY.
161
with Campenon, and that, besides, he would be
anxious to make a good beginning and do his best
for the theatre, which is not likely to flourish this
winter. I have dwelt too long perhaps on this
subject. But I am annoyed by the sharp com-
ments that are made everywhere, and even in the
newspapers, about the mismanagement of the
theatre.
To return to Fleury. He is in great need of
help; you promised to make up for the leave that
he missed taking, and that he will be obliged to
claim if you cannot grant him some money. His
son * has come back badly wounded from the war,
and he says that now, for the first time, he finds
himself in urgent need. Pray do not overlook this
request. I am much interested in him, and so is
Alix, as you know.
Thursday Morning, 25th.
The cannon proclaim a fresh victory, of which
the Moniteur gives us the particulars. This time
it is Marshal Ney, and I see that that poor
fellow Lacuée † has been killed. I am very sorry,
and sorry also for a poor mother who is here,
and who begs you for pity's sake to find out, if
possible, the fate of her son. I speak of Madame
Fezensac. M. de Nansouty took an interest in
* Fleury's son called himself Bénard, his father's real name.
He was a sailor, and became an admiral.
† Colonel Lacuée, aide-de-camp to the Emperor, was killed at
the battle of Elchingen on 22 Vendémiaire.
Madame de Montesquiou-Fezensac was Madame de Vinti-
M
162
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
the young man, so he may perhaps know if any-
thing has happened to him, and by writing to him
at once, you might obtain an answer so as to give
us news of both. Alix has not heard from her
husband, and is in a most pitiable state. Write to
my brother-in-law, cher ami, and tell him to
address his letters to you; be our refuge, in fact,
and watch over us, for we are troubled and anxious.
Keep us informed of everything, for all your news
will be precious.
Before closing my parcel, I must return to the
subject of theatres, and tell you that the Minister
of Police has decreed that no theatre becoming
bankrupt shall open again, nor shall any new ones
be licensed. The Opéra company is in open re-
bellion against M. de Luçay. Rolland, Nourrit,
and Madame Branchu * have sent in their resig-
nation, and his authority is openly defied by the
rest. Pay some attention, I beg of you, to your
own theatre; now is the time, it seems to me, that
it should show better management than the others.
mille's sister. Her son Aimery was that Duke of Fezensac
who wrote his Memoirs and died in 1860.
* Rolland the actor was Rolland de Courbonne, who died at
a very advanced age, and whose wife held a brilliant salon
in Paris, at Rue d'Anjou. Nourrit was the father of Adolphe
Nourrit, who was so celebrated a singer at the Opéra, and who
committed suicide at Naples in 1837. Madame Branchu (Made-
moiselle Maillard) had made her first appearance at the Opéra
in 1782. She was more admired for dramatic expression than
for her voice.
CORVISART.
163
LXIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 25 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 17, 1805.)
I
We are passing our time here, thanks to
our brilliant military triumphs, in paying visits of
congratulation to the princes and princesses.
am going this evening to Madame Louis', and
to-morrow to Prince Joseph's, and I shall most
willingly offer them the homage which I think
they must enjoy. Who, in truth, could sufficiently
admire the genius displayed in this wonderful
campaign, if the Emperor had not accustomed us,
long since, never to be astonished at his exploits ?
The popular delight is general; malevolence no
longer dares to manifest itself, and I must own I
take a certain pleasure in watching the embarrass-
ment of those persons who are foolish enough not
to rejoice at our national glory. We congratulate
one another on our victories, though in point of
fact we never doubted them. May they hasten
the return of the Emperor! With our friend,
Madame de Sévigné, I say from the bottom of my
heart, "May God spare him to us!"
I have just seen Corvisart, who watches over
my health with assiduity for which I am grate-
ful. He begs me to thank you from him,
from him, for your
kind reception of the surgeons he despatched to
his Majesty, and says you will like the physician
164
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
who accompanied them, if he has remained at
Strasburg, because he is a man of real ability.
Corvisart was present two days ago at an opera-
tion for cataract performed on your friend Portalis ;
it was successfully accomplished on both eyes, and
there is every reason to hope that he will recover
his sight. Your son asks me to tell you that he
is expecting your letter. He is preparing a trans-
lation, by way of answer, with which I think you
will be pleased. He is improving, and no longer
dislikes his Latin lessons so much as formerly; he
learns a good deal of Latin by heart, which gives
both him and me some trouble, for he repeats his
lessons to me. I am glad of the occupation; it
occupies both my head and my heart, and when
I see him so gay and happy, I arrive at feeling
more at ease myself.
The Empress asked me to send her Godwin's
novel,* and Deschamps should have received it by
this time. I do not think she will like it, for,
though clever, it is full of sarcasm, and quite
opposed to the disposition of our good patroness.
The author sees and paints the worst side of man-
kind; but, for my own part, and even at the risk
of being deceived, I will not fling away that gilded
veil through which the Emperor says we look at
human nature in our youth. However, there is
talent in the book, and it may amuse your leisure.
* This must be "Caleb Williams," Godwin's most celebrated
work.
PLAYFUL REPROACHES.
165
LXV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 26 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 18, 1805.)
So you have taken it into your head to scold
me, though I am always writing to you-five
letters, for instance, in the last three days, and
if they get lost it is no fault of mine! You are
in the wrong, mon ami, and you write just like a
lazy man, quite proud of his own punctuality.
Since you choose to be angry, I will be the same,
and will make out a little list of all my grievances,
which are better founded than yours. Mon ami,
you write me very charming letters; you write
them often, and they form the happiness of my
life; all this is as it should be. But in none of
your letters do you answer the questions I am
continually putting to you. I know no particulars
of the Emperor's stay at Strasburg; I am in ignor-
ance whether you have received the parcel from
Desfaucherets, and therefore I cannot give him
any message of thanks from you; you say nothing
about M. de Caulaincourt, though I am continually
inquiring for him; you do not write to my mother,
who consequently is not pleased. What else?
But I have said enough for once; defend
yourself if you can, and to appease me, try to give
us frequent news of M. de Nansouty, for his wife
receives no letters.
166
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I went yesterday evening to Princess Louis';
she was glad of our victories, but sorrowful on
account of the individual misfortunes which even
the most splendid triumphs entail. She is grieved
by Lacuée's death, and said pathetically, "When
I read the accounts, I am surprised to find
that my tears begin to flow, although I am
so glad of all our success." Prince Louis frets
over his ill health, which compels him to remain
here; he spoke with me for a long time about
M. de Nansouty, and was really kind, on this
occasion, to the whole family. The quiet little
evenings we spend with the dear princess are very
pleasant. She goes out very little, and just re-
ceives a few intimate friends; we all chat quietly
together, and yesterday M. de Lavalette, whom I
like much, as you know, was there. To-night I am
going to Prince Joseph's-he has a reception-and
to-morrow probably to Princess Borghèse'. You
see I am doing my duty to the whole family. I
have also waited on Princess Caroline; * but if
victories continue to succeed each other at this
rate, we shall be always running about. How I
should like to be again going to and from the
Tuileries, with you, and how relieved both heart
and head would feel, if I knew the Emperor were
resting quietly in his palace, and you in our pretty
home! .
* Princess Murat.
VOLTAIRE.
167
LXVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 27 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 19, 1805.)
There is nothing in the Moniteur to-day,
but we are told to expect the news of some great
battle this evening; I am looking for letters from
you, and my heart will beat when I receive them.
What excitement! what a life! Poor creatures
that we are, how we struggle on our sandhill,
and, too often, hasten the moment when all will
be over! The glory with which we clothe our
ardour for mutual destruction is a fine subject for
philosophizing, and if anything remained to be said
concerning it, I would not spare you, because just
now I am deep in philosophy, and, moreover, having
plenty of leisure for reading, I have taken up
Voltaire, whom I am studying with a delight for
which I am inclined to reproach myself. That
extraordinary man is too often in the right, and
he has so frequently divined things, that I think
he must sometimes have alarmed the very being
who created him. For my own part, I remain
on my guard as much as possible while reading
his works, but, between ourselves, in spite of
my good intentions and my previous prejudices,
I should scarcely resist him, if my heart could
find a substitute for that of which he seeks to
deprive it. The dry and barren tenets of philo-
168
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
sophy must always fail in this, that they only
please the intellect, and sometimes perhaps stagger
our reason, but they can never lessen the bitter-
ness of a single tear-and who is there who is
not called upon to shed many in this sorrowful
world?
Mon ami, if you have any leisure time you
really should spend Wednesday evenings with us.
Wednesday is our "at home" day; my mother
and I decided on it, so that people might be sure
of finding us one evening in the week. How
I should like to see you walk in! Be assured,
monsieur, I would omit nothing to make you
welcome, and that I would willingly push the duties.
of hospitality as far as they could possibly go.
I suffer in silence from our separation, for I dare
not speak of my own troubles in the midst of
sorrowful widows and mothers. But if it is heart-
rending to tremble for the life of those we love,
it is very painful also to be so often and so long
separated from them.
General César Berthier told me that if you
would write to General Matthieu Dumas, who is
with his brother, you would soon know if anything
had happened to Aimery de Montesquieu, because
it is he who makes out the list of the dead.
* General César Berthier, the brother of the Prince de
Wagram, and very much younger than he, distinguished
himself in the army. He died at Grosbois in 1819.
SUSPENSE.
169
LXVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, Monday, 29 Vendémiaire, Year XIV.
(October 21, 1805.)
We are in a state of the greatest anxiety; no
news since the 20th! We learn by telegraph
every day that you are equally ignorant at Stras-
burg. What can this silence mean? How alarm-
ing it is! Another engagement to follow the two
first had been so decisively announced, that we
expected it to take place immediately. But now,
all is silence; you, even, do not write, and my
heart misgives me.* We go every evening to
Princess Louis' to wait for news with her. The
courier arrives at eleven o'clock without bringing
any; we exchange sorrowful glances, and take our
leave without trusting ourselves to speak. I was
at Neuilly this morning, where I found Princess
* The general longing for news, and for an escape from the
tragic situation in which the Emperor was always placing
France, made his own admirers even somewhat unjust, for few
campaigns can be compared with this one. The Emperor, who
had quitted St. Cloud on 2 Vendémiaire, crossed the Danube
at Nordlingen on the 14th, seized the bridge over the Lech on
the 15th, and fought on the 16th at Werlingen and Aichach.
Marshal Soult had entered Augsburg on the 17th, the engage-
ments at Landsberg and Albeck had taken place on the 18th
and 20th, and the French had entered Munich. On the 21st
the Emperor was on the road to Ulm, and on the 22nd Marshal
Ney fought the battle of Elchingen. Ulm surrendered on the
25th, and Austerlitz was won a month afterwards.
170 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT
Caroline alone and thoughtful. Notwithstanding
her efforts to appear unconcerned, she seemed very
anxious, and fixing her eyes upon a map, she was
unable to see aught but the dangers of the splendid
position we were admiring a few days ago. How
great is the power of the imagination! how quickly
it seizes upon us! how it disturbs our whole
machinery! When this letter reaches you, cher
ami, you will perhaps have received bulletins, and
we perhaps shall be more at ease. Meanwhile,
what hours, what days do we not pass through!
Can we call this living? My poor sister is in a
deplorable condition; she weeps continually, and
for the last two days believes all that she fears.
Mon ami, I have been obliged to lay aside my
pen, and I now take it up again to tell you
what interrupted me. It was that poor fellow
Talma who came to see me, and whose state is
such that I was even moved to tears. For some
days past, his nervous attacks had returned, and
with such violence that he had to give up the
idea of acting for a considerable period, for fear
of some serious accident. In fact, the cast of the
"Templiers" had to be changed, and the play
itself injured, in my opinion, by giving Lafond's
part to Baptiste, and Talma's to Lafond. I should
have preferred the play being withdrawn for the
winter, but they would not agree to this. An hour
or so ago, Madame Talma arrived, all in tears.
She made an appeal to me, and told me that
she will lose her husband; that he is becoming
insane; that misfortune has driven him out of his
TALMA.
171
senses; that all their furniture has been seized, and
that they are without a sou. I consoled her to
the best of my ability, and asked where was her
husband. She replied that he was in a hackney
coach outside, not having the courage to present
himself. I sent for him, as you may imagine, and
he came in, looking a real ghost of tragedy, pale
and thin. The first thing he did was to faint ;
then he wept, cried out, and really frightened me.
He showed me a letter he has written to you; you
will see the state he is in, and what you can do
for him. Meanwhile, I spoke kindly to him, and
when he began to come to himself, I advised him
to struggle against these seizures, lest he might
altogether sink under them. I promised I would
ask for a grant from the Minister of Police, if
such a thing were possible; I said I would for-
ward his letter to you, and as he told me that
he had been obliged to engage to pay away all his
future earnings, I asked him to give me an exact
and sincere account of his debts, with the names
of his creditors and the engagements he had
entered into with them, and that I would send
it to you. ((
My husband," I said, "who is now
at a distance from the Emperor, will probably find
himself unable to give you the considerable sum
of money that you require, but if the state of your
affairs is explained to him, he may, by making
certain promises to your creditors, stop their pro-
ceedings against you, and prevent you from enter-
ing on any ruinous course of action." I wish you
could have seen the poor fellow's looks as he
172 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
listened to me! It seemed, in truth, as if I were
restoring him to life; he wept, and called us both
his guardian angels. He is extremely weak, and
I fear for his reason if he is not befriended. See
what you can do on his behalf, and write either
to him or to me on the subject. Be assured that
there is no exaggeration in what I have told you,
for, in truth, I was not able to restrain my tears.
I sent for a score of bottles of Bordeaux, and had
them conveyed to his house.
LXVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, Thursday, 2 Brumaire, Year XIV.
(October 24, 1805.)
Mon ami, you must be satisfied with only a few
words from me this morning. I am so agitated
and so delighted! I had been for ten days in
such anxiety, that I can still scarcely command
myself. However, I have written to the Empress,
but I think my letter must have shown signs of
the state into which the good news has thrown me.
Tf you knew what evil reports were bruited abroad,
and what I suffered from your silence! But let
us say no more of this. Your dear letter has made
me forget it all. Only I am trembling so much
that I can scarcely hold my pen, and I spent all
* Evidently the capitulation of Ulm, which took place on
25 Vendémiaire (October 20, 1805).
GLORIOUS NEWS.
173
my little strength in writing, as well as I could,
to our beloved and happy Empress. Tell her of
my heartfelt sympathy with her joy, and that, in
very truth, she has never ceased to be present in
my thoughts since that week in which we knew
of her anxieties. I shared in yours also.
LXIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 3 Brumaire, Year XIV.
(October 25, 1805.)
I was so overcome and so agitated yesterday,
with the great news, that I could only write you
a word or two. I am just as happy to-day, but
more tranquil, and I take up my pen to tell you
of everything that had preceded our great joy.
For ten days we had been without couriers,
and for six you had not written, and secret mis-
givings, that I dared not put into words, were
mingled with the great anxiety that I shared with
every one else. I said to myself, "If my husband
knows nothing of the movements of the army, and
therefore can tell me nothing, at least he could write
about his own health and the affection that makes
me so happy." I understand now that you were
anxious like ourselves, and would not tell me so.
As usual, all sorts of evil rumours were circulated
here. There had been a most sanguinary engage-
ment; Prince Murat had been wounded, and several
generals killed! My poor sister wept and knew
174
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
not what to believe; added to this, every day I
saw poor unhappy Madame de Fezensac, who was
in a most pitiable state. Thus, occupying myself
in consoling these two poor ladies, without much
hope myself, and secretly fretting about you and
our future prospects, I spent melancholy days and
wretched nights.
Yesterday was a grand day! At six in the
morning I ring my bell. I hear that Charles, who
had been indisposed the previous day, has had an
excellent night and is in good spirits. At seven
your letter arrives, and shortly afterwards I receive
a note, telling me that Philippe de Ségur has
written word that Aimery is in good health. I
went to congratulate his grandmother and sisters ;*
all the family begged me to thank you for your
kindness, for which they are most grateful. All
this good news arriving at once, moved me very
deeply, and your poor wife, as you may imagine,
was rather knocked up; but I slept well last night,
and am calm this morning. I am dining to-day
with Princess Borghèse, and am going afterwards
to the "Mariage de Figaro;" for we may as well
amuse ourselves a little now that our minds are
relieved. The Français has put this play very
carefully on the stage. The first performance drew
a large house. They hope to make something
by it, for this month the receipts have been
next to nothing. I am astonished that Mahérault
has not written to you, or rather I perceive that
* Madame de la Live was his grandmother, and Mesdames
de Vintimille and de Fezensac his sisters.
POPULAR ENTHUSIASM.
175
he has deceived me, for every time that he came
here complaining, I used to advise him to tell
you, and he invariably said he had done so. I
am convinced that a letter from you will be of
use, but do not address it to the commissioner,
for his influence is worn out. Talma brought me
yesterday a list of his debts; they seem terribly
heavy. He told me he had omitted nothing,
having entire confidence in you. His current
expenses do not distress him; he thinks he will be
able to defray them, but the amount he owes for
rent, and the interest he must pay on his debts,
reduce him to a pitiable condition. He met
Corvisart here, who encouraged him to bear up
against his nervousness in order to overcome it,
and who tranquillized him by speaking hopefully of
his health.
I wrote a letter to the Empress yesterday; it
was perhaps rather incoherent, for my head was
aching badly and my hand trembling. Tell her
that all of us here were sharers in her anxiety, and
afterwards in her joy, and that I could see by the
interest she created how much she is beloved.
There is great excitement prevailing, moreover.
The Emperor's victories have roused every one's
enthusiasm; he is called the greatest man that
has ever existed, and the campaign the most
stupendous. Grandmaison* said, rather happily,
the day before yesterday, that it was the Emperor's
habit to improvise his triumphs.
* Parseval-Grandmaison, a member of the French Academy.
He died in 1834.
176
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
When the great news was announced at the
theatres, they rang with applause and shouts. Mon
ami, what a splendid sight his Majesty's entry
into Paris will be! But when is he coming?
and when shall I see you? What mingled feel-
ings will be mine on that happy day! As wife,
friend, and Frenchwoman all my desires will be
accomplished.
LXX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 5 Brumaire, Year XIV.
(October 27, 1805.)
I saw yesterday a note from M. de Talleyrand to
Madame Devaines, in which he says the Empress
had been greatly agitated, and afterwards extremely
happy. We shared here in all her emotions, and,
in truth, such agitation is wearing. You must
have had an anxious time, and my mother and I
often thought of your melancholy expression and
pale countenance. How distressing, my dearest,
not to be together on such occasions! There is
something pleasing in grieving together, and in
the mutual expression of anxiety ending by the
sad but tender assurance of an affection which
softens every misfortune.
If you care for a piece of news, let me inform
you that Madame Lavoisier exists no longer. The
Countess Rumford has taken her place. No one
MADAME DE VANNOISE.
177
knows when this great feat was accomplished, but
it seems that nothing is wanting, except, as my
mother says, the Stove. Count Rumford went
yesterday morning to bear the news to Bertrand,
Gallois, etc. These gentlemen paid their visit the
same evening, intending to offer their congratula-
tions; but the lady of the house cut them short,
saying it was an old affair, and changing the
subject, the conversation turned on ordinary
topics. The only difference was calling them
Comte, Comtesse.
I have heard from our friends, the Chérons ;
they are beginning to get accustomed to their new
life. The husband seems happy, and the wife less
melancholy, although she has been obliged to send
her son away to school. She asks me to remember
her to you, and is, like ourselves, full of exultation
and delight. We are expecting to hear next of a
victory over the Russians. Madame de Vannoise
shudders at the idea, because her son is in Ber-
nadotte's division. M. Dumas* promised my
cousin he would make inquiries about her son, and
if you would speak with him on the subject, you
would be doing a kindness to this poor mother.
As she is dining here, she will give me her son's
address. Here it is: "Alexander de Vannoise,†
Corporal in the 95th Regiment, in Bernadotte's
army.
She is very unhappy this year; her affairs
* General Matthieu Dumas, who died in 1837.
† Madame de Vannoise had two sons: Hippolyte, an officer in
the artillery, who died in Russia in 1812, and Alexander, at
that time a soldier, who died long afterwards.
N
178
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
are in a worse state than ever, and anxiety for her
children is killing her. She comes here nearly
every day for society and consolation. Mamma
made her a little present of firewood, which she
accepted so gratefully that it brought tears to my
eyes. Meanwhile, her daughter grows lovelier
every day. When I take her to the theatre she
makes quite a sensation. She is tall, very plump,
and, in my opinion, beats all the beauties of the
day. Norvins is half inclined to be in love with
her, but feels that he is not rich enough, and
she thinks him very ugly. By the way, he has
quite taken possession here; he comes morning
and evening, he entertains mamma and plays with
Charles, he does commissions for me, he weeps,
or, at least, feels anxious with Alix, and, in fact,
makes love to the whole family. He is rather
amusing, though not very good style, but, having
nothing better, we like him very well. This dis-
gusts Abbé Morellet, whom he worries with bad
jokes, and who sighs wearily when he finds him
established at our fireside. But it cannot be
helped. Paris is so empty now, we must put up
with what we can get.
A LOST LETTER.
179
LXXI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 8 Brumaire, Year XIV.
(October 30, 1805.)
From what you write to me, I see that, among
others, you have not received my letter of the
29th, in which I spoke of Talma's visit to me. I
told you that he had come to see me, half wild
with despair, because his goods had just been
seized, and that I could only succeed in calming
him by promising I would forward a letter he
had written to you, and an exact statement of
his debts, as, although I did not think you could
afford him any pecuniary assistance during the
absence of the Emperor, you might perhaps use
your authority to prevent his creditors from taking
advantage of his illness, and the confusion of his
affairs, to impose hard conditions. I have since
forwarded the statement I allude to, but I do not
know whether it will reach you. I petitioned the
Minister of Police also for a little temporary help,
which he promised to grant. Finally, I comforted
poor Talma in some degree.
From what you say concerning the theatre, I
perceive that another letter of mine has not
reached you, in which I mentioned the "Festin de
Pierre," which, though admirably acted, did not
draw. As to the "Mariage de Figaro," it is quite
true that it draws well, and I enjoyed it much.
180
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Do send me your letter for the actors, or come
yourself and set them in order. Your bright idea
of asking for leave to come and spend three weeks
with me makes my heart beat. Seriously, apart
from affection, which is not counted for much in
the affairs of this world, your presence here is
necessary. But when I remember other con-
siderations, I know that you ought to join the
Emperor if he remains in Germany, and I say to
myself that perhaps your best plan would be to
write to M. de Caulaincourt and ask leave to join
his Majesty, after staying in Paris as long as
necessary to settle the accounts of the year that
has just closed. This piece of advice is the result
of an effort that you will appreciate as it deserves;
but you must decide as you feel will be best.
The lines that you send me are very pretty. I
fear it is now a little late for them; but I will
consult Campenon. He is worried also about his
theatre, where Elleviou is terribly missed It is
better attended than the Français, but not so well
as to make it pay.
The Opéra only is always crowded, and I cannot
think how they can be so much in debt, with
such good houses.
SEPARATION ONCE MORE.
181
LXXII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, Saturday, 11 Brumaire, Year XIV.
(November 2, 1805.)
I can quite well sympathize with your dislike of
the empty life you are leading at Strasburg, and
I understand your wish to be at Paris or Munich.
If my feelings make me wish to have you here, I
try, on the other hand, to suppress them, because
I am conscious that duty calls you to his Majesty's
side. Since some civilians are already there, since
Auguste de Talleyrand is with him, I feel that you
ought to make every effort to be there too, and I
try to accustom myself to the thought that you
have already preferred your request, and that,
valuing the privilege as you do, it will surely be
granted. Another reason for bearing bravely the
sorrow that I must feel at your prolonged absence,
is that I perceive that several persons here are
surprised, from different motives, that you are
not with the Emperor. I repeat, then, whatever it
may cost me, I approve of your zeal, and I consent
to the increased distance between us. Write
therefore, cher ami, entreat, and obtain this favour;
I will submit to everything, and, however painful
this further separation, I shall have courage for the
sacrifice.
I have changed M. de Tournon's money at con-
siderable loss. Madame de la Rochefoucauld,
who had intended to start on Saturday, had kindly
182 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
taken charge of it. But she is ill, and her journey
is again delayed; I fear that you may be pressed
for it, and I am going to write to M. de Lavalette
to ask him how to insure your promptly receiving
the four thousand francs, partly in gold, partly in
silver. I was obliged to lose thirty-six francs on
the notes for a thousand francs, and forty-two
on the gold. You see we are far from being at
par. It is thought here that there is a good
deal of trickery and jobbing on the part of the
brokers.
We spent yesterday evening in great state at
Prince Joseph's. A Te Deum had been sung in
the morning, and in the evening there was a grand
reception at the Luxembourg. During the concert
there were rumours of a fresh victory over the
Russians, but the news was not official. We are
all expectation. The Princess Joseph is pleasant
and kind in her own house, and makes her guests
welcome. I am dining to-day at the Arch-
chancellor's, and on Monday at Prince Louis's.
After that I shall rest a little, for this week of
visits and full dress has rather tired me. Madame
Devaines says that the Emperor's rapid victories
set us paying forced visits, just like his soldiers'
forced marches.
I give my son a treat on his fête next Tuesday.
M. Desprès is kind enough to bring a conjuror to
amuse him, and to write a few verses in his
honour.* He is wonderfully well; he asked me
* M. Desprès was a writer of vaudevilles. He was at one
time Inspector of the University.
PLATO.
183
yesterday to keep his fête on Monday, which is
really St. Charles's Day, and when I explained that
I must dine on that day with Prince Louis, “You
should write to him," said he, "like some one I
have read about, that you would rather eat a carp
with your children than go to dinner with the
Prince de Condé."
On Sunday and Thursday, to amuse him, he
and I act proverbs that we have adapted, or
scenes from plays, with Constance and my mother.
M. Bertrand, Madame de Vannoise, Madame de
Grasse, and Alix form the audience. To-morrow
""
we are going to act the two last scenes of the
"Dépit Amoureux;" it makes a kind of proverb,
"Like master, like man. Constance acts Lucile,
and I Marinette, while Charles, who is the
Préville of our company, acts Eraste in the first
scene, and then, throwing off his overcoat, is
transformed into Gros-Réné. You would be de-
lighted with his intelligent conception of both his
parts, and at the rapidity with which he changes
from the languishing complaints of the master to
the comic reproaches of the valet. How I long
for your presence at our theatricals! We will give
you some grand performances on your return!
Do not fancy, however, that we spend all our
time in amusement. Lessons get on very well
too, and I am pleased with the little scholar I am
bringing up for you. And I myself do not spend
all my time in trifling, as you shall judge on
hearing what I have begun to study. I have put
history aside in favour of Plato. Yes, indeed,
184
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
mon ami, Plato, that you know I have been longing
to read ever since I heard the Emperor talk so
much about him. I have borrowed the book, and
I am deep in metaphysics! I do not always
understand him perfectly, but what I do understand
I like, and these dreams of a vivid imagination
seem to suit my own. Nevertheless, if I may
venture to say so, your old philosophers are some-
what verbose, and occasionally they bring up such
a multiplicity of arguments that I forget what
they want to prove.
It is thus that I spend my time, and my happiest
days are those on which, free from any invitation,
I can occupy myself entirely with my home and with
everything that reminds me of you. Sometimes,
in the midst of my book, or when with the children,
I pause to think gratefully of all the happiness
I owe you, and of the life that you have rendered
so sweet and so easy; and I no longer dare to
murmur at the passing clouds that sometimes
darken it, for I have to thank Providence for the
blessedness of belonging to you.
LXXIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 13 Brumaire, Year XIV.
(November 4, 1805.)
If I wanted to fill my letter with messages for
you, I could easily do so, for I met a number of
FRIENDLY MESSAGES.
185
persons yesterday at Cambacérès' who desired to be
remembered to you; among others, the host first,
then your friend Viry and M. de Ségur. The
latter is very much occupied with his guard of
honour. He thinks of nothing but fighting, and
is continually pressing to get the law passed that
is to organize his corps. He says that, if it be
delayed much longer, he shall set out and join the
Emperor, who will not be very angry, he hopes,
with this impromptu journey. He wears himself
out with riding on horseback so that he may regain
his former strength, and has written a clever letter
to the Emperor, in which he says he is the only
Frenchman who finds fault with his Majesty's
rapidity, because it does not give him time to form
his corps. He thought you were at Munich, and
in his zeal he charged me to express his hope
that you might soon be there. I wish the same,
as does every one, if the war lasts; but, never-
theless, I take the liberty of wishing for something
else, which would bring the Emperor back to
Paris, and suit us all, I think.
Don't you
think so?
After the dinner at the Archchancellor's, I went
to a concert at the Bouffons, where I heard
Madame Barilli. She has a pure and high voice,
and a good method, but she is very cold, and
altogether reminded me of a Mademoiselle Renaud,
whom you may perhaps have seen at the old Italian
Opera House. She is rather popular, and would
do well, I think, in private concerts. I have
already mentioned the Bouffons to you in other
186 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
letters that may have been lost; they are the
fashion, and their theatre is well filled.
I forward you a letter from François de Neuf-
château,* which accompanied his book. I answered
it as well as I could in your absence, and my
cousins paid him a visit of thanks. His history is
considered good, though rather flippant. I was
congratulated on it yesterday and complimented
on my great-uncle. I must read his work, if I can
tear myself from my friend Plato, who delights me
when I can understand him.
Paris continues to be very dull; people go into
society with thoughtful and anxious faces. One
thing only is desired: we hope strongly, yet we fear
a little; we get through the time without caring
how, and yet that future towards which we hasten
will certainly not be what we expect.
* François de Neufchâteau, senator, member of the French
Academy, ex-Minister of the Interior, was born in 1750. He
was a poet as well as a historian. The work that he was
publishing in the year in which Madame de Rémusat's letter was
written, was entitled, "Histoire de l'Occupation de la Bavière
par les Autrichiens en 1778 et 1779, contenant les Détails de la
Guerre et des Negociations, qui furent terminées par la Paix de
Teschen" (Paris, 18 05). He had published in the year preceding
a "Tableau des Vu es que se propose la Politique Anglais dans
toutes les Parties du Monde" (Paris, 1804).
TALLEYRAND.
187
LXXIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 18 Brumaire, Year XIV.
(November 9, 1805.)
At last our correspondence is drawing to a close,
and we shall be quits for a few lost letters that
need not be regretted, your anxieties, that grieved
me so much, and some few little reproofs which,
between ourselves, I did not deserve. There are
but two packets that I should like you to have
received-one containing the list of Talma's debts,
of which I will send you a second edition if you
wish, and another with a translation by Charles,
which would have pleased your fatherly feelings.
Talma came yesterday to show me your letter.
He was moved to tears by the "kindness of the
reproaches" that he said "it contained." He
wants to give up his share of the receipts, and
desires that some one should manage his affairs for
him. He begs you not to be too angry on the
receipt of his budget. The melancholy Mahérault
pays me a visit now and then. He looks nervous
and alarmed; he sighs and asks when you are
coming back. When he tells me that the theatre
gets on badly in your absence, I always tell him
to write to you. But to this he never makes any
reply.
What you say of M. de Talleyrand is a relief
after the rumours we had heard of his illness and
death. I can understand his appreciating you
188
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
better on seeing more of you. There is one side
of his character (not the least worthy) which
should harmonize with yours, and I congratulate
you on being in his company, because he will do
you justice when he knows you better. Mon ami,
you must admit that I have good reasons not only
for loving you as I do, but also for preferring
you before every one I know, and on this point
my feelings are always approved by my reason.
We were talking to Corvisart of you. "You
would be too happy," he said to me, "if such a
husband as yours were never absent from you, and
if your son could grow up without giving any cause
for anxiety!" And he is right. Life under such
circumstances would be too sweet. How could we
make up our minds to quit it!
I agree with you as to your leaving Strasburg,
and I admit that you are in the right; in fact, you
frequently are, and the older I get the more I
perceive that. Do not, however, take advantage
of my admission, for you know that with us women,
reason herself is not always in the right.
It is quite true that monetary affairs are very
uneasy here; and if this lasts it will become a
serious matter. Notes for a thousand francs are
at ninety francs, and there are even some shop-
keepers who will not take them at all. One of them
told me that before she received her goods she was
obliged to specify whether she would pay in cash
or in notes. There is some grumbling, for nobody
buys and nobody pays. There are large crowds at
the entrance to the Bank, and pickpockets cause
TRAFALGAR.
189
constant confusion.
It is said that the bankers
have met together for the purpose of taking some
decision; that they have written to the provincial
towns, Lyons among others, which have declined
to help them; and that the quantity of money
required for the army, and the stock-jobbing besides,
are the two causes of the scarcity. The fact is
that the inconvenience is great, and there is not
enough public spirit among the bankers to induce
them to sacrifice their private interests to those
of the Bank. They have written to the Emperor,
but how is it possible to explain everything at
such a distance? and what an annoyance for him,
in the midst of his great affairs, to have to attend
to details of this kind! In truth, we do not help
him much, and we put on him the whole burden of
our well-being.
We have bad news from the Cadiz fleet. The
details, which as yet are not given officially, are
daily exaggerated; but after making due allow-
ance, there would seem to have been great rash-
ness on the part of Villeneuve, who insisted on
leaving the harbour before the arrival of his suc-
cessor, and who has managed his dangerous venture
very badly. A frightful tempest was raging, and
both sides fought with the utmost fury. The
admiral was taken prisoner, Nelson killed, they
say, and Magon also. There is no doubt about
the last. Only twelve of our vessels returned to
port, and the Bucentaure foundered. If this
be true, poor little Parseval* has perished, and
* The battle of Trafalgar was fought on October 2. M. de
190 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
.
perhaps young d'Houdetôt as well. M. de Lina
told Alix that all private accounts agreed in prais-
ing the courage and skill of the French, but said,
at the same time, it was impossible to form quickly
and safely into line of battle in such a gale of
wind, and against an enemy already in battle
order, and, moreover, very skilful. The French
were so desperate that, their admiral's flag-ship
being taken, in the night the prisoners mas-
sacred the English sailors who were guarding
them, and succeeded in escaping. But the ship
had suffered terribly, and went down in sight of
the harbour. I hope that some of these details are
exaggerated. You will know sooner than I, and
will write me word.
I thank you for your good news. It is indeed
a miraculous campaign, and I say, like an excellent
country gentleman who wrote to my mother yester-
day, "By the side of our Emperor, Cæsar and
Alexander would have been but lieutenants."
Alix has at last heard from her husband. He had
suffered a little from the cold weather and the
snow, but is in good health nevertheless. His
wife's letters do not reach him. If you could
contrive to let him know, either through M. de
Talleyrand or M. de Caulaincourt, that she is well,
Parseval was not killed, neither was young M. d'Houdetôt,
who was destined to become General France d'Houdetôt. He
was, however, severely wounded in both knees. He was on
board Magon's ship, a friend of his family's who was killed.
M. de Parseval-Deschènes rose to the rank of vice-admiral, and
died in 1860.
THE EMPEROR'S HARDIHOOD.
191
and that Stephen* is more charming than ever,
it would be a great kindness. Poor Thierry†
travelled fifty miles in vain after the lost letters.
Madame de Fezensac has heard from her son; he
is perfectly well, often sleeps on the ground in
the open air, but takes no harm, and seems in
capital spirits. He writes that the Emperor goes
about everywhere, wet and muddy like the rest of
them, and that he is positively worshipped by the
soldiers. Some young men of our acquaintance,
who are there and conducting themselves well, will
contrast favourably with all the idlers who, in
laying down their sword, seem to have laid down
their manhood also.
LXXV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, Tuesday, 21 Brumaire, Year XIV.
(November 12, 1805.)
This morning Charles sneezed, and I politely
said, "May you obtain your wish, my son!"
"My wish," he said, "is that papa may come
home." And, without sneezing, mon ami, that is
my most ardent wish also. It pervades the whole
atmosphere of the house; mistresses and servants,
we all want you back. This is all I have to tell
you to-day, for I know of nothing else, and my
* Etienne de Nansouty, the general's son.
†M. Thierry was aide-de-camp to General Nansouty.
192
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
heart is full of sadness that I do not wish to com-
municate to you.
Not that there is anything
fresh; but the weather is gloomy, people complain
of the scarcity of money, croaking politicians will
have it that Prussia is going to declare against us,
and then this long widowhood, and the solitary
hours far from him I love best, are killing me with
dulness and melancholy. Your empty days at
Strasburg are not worse than mine. How I long
for another year, though perhaps it would be more
sensible for me now not to wish time to fly so
fast! How painful is the absence of all that
consoles the heart or delights the eyes! This
great Paris becomes every day more gloomy; no
one visits, we shut ourselves up that we may not
spend our money.
The theatres are absolutely
empty, the shop windows full of things that no-
body buys, and ennui is the order of the day.
Meanwhile the Emperor is bestowing glory and
success on his army, and the next news will, no
doubt, be dated from Vienna.
that sitting here all alone by
over this astonishing campaign, seeing him at the
end of six weeks entering the enemy's capital in
triumph, I feel alarmed for the danger he is per-
haps incurring, and lest traitors may be con-
cealed in Vienna. And then, powerless as I am
to do aught but implore God to watch over him,
I exclaim in all sincerity, "May God preserve
him!'
Would you believe
my fire, and going
Madame de Talleyrand had a terrible scare.
Her husband's death was suddenly reported with
MME. DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD.
considerable appearance of truth.
brothers told her of it.
193
One of her
You can imagine the state
she was in. It was not until two days later that
his letters arrived, but we have not discovered
what can have given rise to the report.
You must have a great number of ladies at
Strasburg. I suppose Madame de la Rochefou-
cauld made her appearance there on Saturday or
Sunday. She was very unwell when she set out
on her journey, and I doubt whether travelling
can have cured her. I know from her doctor
that she is much worse than she herself believes,
and that her spirit, rather than her strength, is
keeping her up. The unrest of her life is wearing
her out, and it is true that a great deal of
strength is required to bear the senseless, cease-
less bustle of a Court life. For myself, mon
ami, I feel that I could not endure anything
so opposed to my tastes and temperament, if my
affections did not make up for various little annoy-
ances. This, I believe, would always be the case
with me; in whatever position I might be placed,
my heart must always play a certain part in every
important action of my life. Unless this were so,
I should grudge the sacrifices imposed on me, and,
in spite of the good principles in which I have
been brought up, I should not perhaps fulfil all my
duties as I ought, although I hope I would still
try to accomplish them. Do not, however, draw
any evil conclusions from the confession I have
unguardedly made. Have you not made those
very duties delightful to me? For my part, I find
0
194 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
nothing painful in the thought that I owe all and
everything to you, even my good qualities.
LXXVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT STRASBURG.
Paris, 24 Brumaire, Year XIV.
(November 15, 1805.)
There is nothing new here. The crowd has
given up the Bank, and assembles now at the
doors of the municipalities, to obtain orders for
the payment of five-hundred-franc notes; but as
nothing is so difficult as to quiet the Parisians
respecting their money, the crowd is so dense
that to reach the door is impossible; so that, if
one is pressed for money, it is better to buy it at
once. It is cheaper now. After having reached
ten and even eleven per cent., it is now at five,
and it is hoped that the good news we are ex-
pecting will produce a beneficial effect. The
scarcity of money is much talked about, because
it inconveniences everybody more or less. For
the last month I have become so clever in bank-
ing matters, by dint of hearing of bills, discount,
etc., that there was no need to apologize for your
little dissertation on political economy. Bertrand,
to whom I read it, says that you talk like a
Secretary for Commercial Affairs? He begged to
be affectionately remembered to you; he regrets
your absence, and like all our friends, wishes
M. SUARD.
195
you were back. You are greatly missed at our
little Wednesday evenings. You know pretty well
the names of all the guests; I have added a few
more that accident has brought across my path;
among others M. Suard, who seems anxious to
meet you again. He dined here yesterday. These
evenings of ours are rather pleasant; we say clever
things when we can; we argue and dispute, as you
may imagine, and M. de Norvins' foolish speeches
are inexhaustible. By the way, I must tell you
that Constance won't hear of him, but if you
promise to keep the secret, I may inform you she
is rather interested in a certain M. d'Héliand *
whom Alix introduced, and whom we like very
much. He is an intimate friend of M. de Nan-
souty's, was brought up at the Ecole Militaire, is
a widower and son-in-law to Corvisart's wife.
Corvisart presented him to Prince Louis, who
promised he would procure him a Receiver-General-
ship. If he obtains the post, he will add the
salary to an income of ten thousand francs from
landed property, and he offers the whole to Con-
* M. d'Héliand, who died in 1858, at the age of ninety, did
not become Receiver-General, nor did he marry Mademoiselle de
Vannoise. He lived a long time in Touraine in great solitude.
His son, a playfellow of my father's, also died in 1858. He was
in receipt of a retiring pension from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs. Suard, who was born in 1732 and died in 1817, was
editor for a long time of the Journal Étranger and the Gazette de
France. His writings have been collected under the title of
Mélanges de Littérature,” five vols. octavo. He was always
considered to have more talent for conversation, than talent
strictly so called.
66
196 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
stance. She seems inclined to accept it, and so
does her mother. The Empress will help us,
you will also, and Corvisart besides; thus we may
succeed. He was rather afraid of a divorced
mother-in-law, but the daughter's fine eyes have
charmed away all objections, and she considers
seven and thirty the ideal age for a bridegroom.
You must keep our little secret.
I went to the first performance of "Amalfi,”
which, notwithstanding all the fuss Picard had
made about it, was a complete failure. It is a
serious, tiresome opera, and, with the exception
of two or three
or three pieces, very mediocre. Your
Bouffons are not equal to this kind of opera; they
should be satisfied with making us laugh. To
repair their mistake they are preparing "Il Finto
Sordo." I shall hear Madame Cavanatti on Wed-
nesday, and will report on her to the best of my
ability. But if you really want to have good
singers here, you must make up your mind to pay
them highly, or else, people say, to restore the
amateur or the Olympic concerts, which were so
good, and did not interfere with the success of the
company in '89. There would be a subscription
of five or six louis, the singers would improve, and
then, by engaging Marchesi, Catalani, Crescentini,
etc., Paris would soon possess the finest possible
school of music. There is a very good company in
Vienna just now, who may perhaps come to us as
trophies of our conquest. I wish it may be so, for
Italian music is all the fashion, and it would be
a good opportunity for calling it French music.
ANOTHER PARTING.
197
LXXVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT VIENNA.
Friday, 8 Frimaire, Year XIV.
(November 29, 1805.)
Oh, mon ami, what a separation! how my heart
is aching!* Your two loving and sad letters
arrived together; I must have guessed what they
contained, for I was greatly moved, and not with
delight, in opening them. I burst into tears as I
read, and I am weeping still. I blame myself for
letting you see my misery, for it will grieve you,
but I cannot restrain it, and I feel it can only
increase until the day that I shall hear from you
of your safe arrival in Vienna. How I regret now
that I considered my health so much and did not
accompany the Empress! The journey could not
do me more harm than the anxiety that will cling
to me night and day.
•
Sunday, 10 Frimaire.
Forgive me for telling you of my sufferings. It
is almost against my will that I write of them, but
my heart and my head are full of but one idea.
However, I am less agitated than at first. I have
been making inquiries about the roads, and I am
told they are quite safe for travelling. But I
* The Emperor had entered Vienna on 22 Brumaire (November
13), and his First Chamberlain followed him thither with the
regalia that he had already conveyed to Milan, and which
included part of the crown jewels.
198
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
know I shall be easier when I hear you are with
the Emperor. A superstitious feeling that I cannot
explain, but which is deeply implanted in me,
gives me a conviction that the superior Power who
guards him, watches also over those about him, and
that no misfortune can happen near his person.
This feeling, which was strong before, is now
strengthened by many proofs, and, however valiant
our troops, I do not doubt for an instant that it
is to him we owe all our recent glory.
You can easily picture to yourself the great
sensation produced by our victories and our entry
into Vienna. There had been extreme uneasiness
here. Evil rumours, as usual, were in circulation,
and were too easily believed. At last the cannon
was heard, and our incredible success became
known. The very streets were joyful, and there
was a French feeling about it all, which struck me,
because, unfortunately, that is not very usual among
Parisians. After due enjoyment of the news, the
caballing has begun again, and for the last week
politics have been the order of the day. I should
never end if I were to repeat to you all that is
said. Everybody rearranges Europe according
to his own idea, destroys empires or builds them
up, makes peace or carries on the war, without
troubling himself much as to the eventual results
of his policy; and it does not need much dis-
cernment to perceive in each individual the small
opposing interests that suggest these various ar-
rangements. The Empress's journey gave rise to
rumours of peace, while yours makes people say
RUMOURS.
199
that the coronation ornaments are being taken to
Vienna; in one drawing-room I hear of a King of
Poland, in another of a King of Bavaria, and so
on. Then somebody comes to see me, asks me
questions, and when I am quite tired of interroga-
tions that I have good reasons for not answering,
because I really know nothing, I say, "Why don't
you leave it all to our ruler, and enjoy at your
leisure the prosperity that his activity procures
for you?"
LXXIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT VIENNA.
Paris, 13 Frimaire, Year XIV.
(December 4, 1805.)
Mon ami, I passed the day before yesterday
alone with my mother. No visits, no more letters
from Strasburg! To make up for these privations
we had devoted our evening to reading a little,
to talking of you, of our children, of their future
prospects, and slightly against our neighbour; for
you know there must always be a little gossip to
enliven women, and even men, I think. After
that we went to bed, and I fell asleep, thinking as
usual of your absence, and also of your journey.
This morning, at seven, I was awoke with a start
by the courier. He seemed to make more noise
than ordinary; at any rate, he rang a great peal!
All my household were instantly on the alert,
200
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
and ran
ran into my room, exclaiming, joyfully,
"Peace is made!" I still doubted; I restrained
their delight, in which I did not immediately join,
but hastened to seek further information. At last
I learned that the announcement has been made
at the theatres that proposals of peace have been
made by the Emperor of Austria, and that nego-
tiations are in progress. You may imagine the
general delight! You know how soon our Parisians
will let themselves hope, just as easily as they give
way to despair, and on this occasion they are
eager to believe in that which they wish. They
are shouting "Peace!"* People tell each other
the news in the streets; they embrace: the
Emperor is coming back; they inquire what route
he will take, that they may be there to receive
him!
I am going to-day to the Luxembourg. It will
be my first time of going out since you began your
journey. I have been a litle unwell, and as, un-
fortunately, the absence of the Empress leaves me
at full liberty, I make use of it to nurse myself
when I feel out of sorts, and, both from prudence
and from inclination, I remain at my own fireside.
This solitude, which I like, is also very useful to
my finances, which are straitened, as you know,
and notwithstanding the economy with which I
endeavour to manage all things, life in this Paris
of ours is so dear that I spend more than I can
afford.
* All this rejoicing was caused by false news. Peace was not
made until later.
M. MOLE.
201
Matthieu Molé is bringing out a book, his first
attempt; nothing more, in fact, than a short essay
on politics and metaphysics, which women will
be forbidden to read and very few men will ap
preciate.* It is to be accompanied by three ex-
tracts from newspapers, by MM. de Fontanes, de
Bonald, and Lacretelle. Molé does not own to
the authorship of the work, but it is well known,
and he is quite puffed up. If it amuses him, what
does it matter, as Werther says, so long as one
is happy, whether one is threading peas or beans?
As for me, who am threading nothing at present, I
am endeavouring with all my might to dispel the
ennui that devours me. However, I am in better
spirits, as you may perceive, than when I wrote to
you last. I revive at the hope of peace; my heart
is no longer so heavy when I pass the Tuileries.
I looked at the palace to-day, and told myself it
was being made ready for the Emperor, and I shed
tears of joy. When I know that he is there, and
that I see you again in my little room, I shall
have nothing to wish for.
* M. Molé published his book, which is alluded to in the
Memoirs.
202
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
LXXX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT VIENNA.
Paris, Wednesday, 20 Frimaire, Year XIV.
(December 11, 1805.)
Mon ami, yesterday evening at seven o'clock
Princess Louis sent for me in haste. I went to
her immediately in a state of some alarm; for you
know one is generally more disposed to expect bad
news than good. On reaching her house, I found
the princess quite agitated, weeping and laughing
by turns. Her first words, like her first impres-
sions, were of the danger to which the Emperor
had exposed himself. "He commanded in per-
son," she exclaimed, "and completely defeated
the two Emperors!"* And we had known no-
thing about it! You can understand that on
hearing this, I too began to tremble. However,
I gathered up my strength to hear particulars of
the great day. I was in dread about M. de Nan-
souty, but was reassured by seeing that his name
does not appear on Prince Murat's list of wounded.
After having heard all there was to tell, I made
my escape and came running back to my mother
to tell her the glorious news; then to Madame
Devaines', where I began my story over again;
then to everybody I could think of, and lastly to
Madame d'Houdetôt's, where I found quite a
crowd of people. I had scarcely uttered a few
* The battle of Austerlitz on 11 Frimaire (December 2, 1805).
AUSTERLITZ.
203
words, ere I was surrounded, questioned, obliged
to recommence my story twenty times over, and
according as I spoke, astonishment and admiration
increased. It was midnight when at last I returned
home, worn out with emotion and fatigue, in-
capable of speaking another word, and of any other
feeling but that with which I naturally turn to-
wards you, who must have experienced the same
agitation and delight as I.
But only imagine, mon ami, we knew nothing,
and were calmly awaiting the conclusion of peace
and the return of the Emperor. Both had been
so positively announced, that nothing less than
such a wonderful victory as this, in place of his
ardently desired return, could have produced an
effect here. People were already beginning to
wonder at the eight days' silence. The French
are rather like women, exacting and impatient.
It is true that the Emperor has spoiled us in this
campaign, and certainly never was lover more
eager to obey the wishes of his mistress, than
was his Majesty to fulfil ours. "You wish for a
rapid march?" Well, then, here is an army
that was at Boulogne, and which in three weeks'
time shall be in Germany." "You want a strong-
hold taken ?" "Ulm has capitulated." "You
are not satisfied? you want more victories?"
"Here they are; here is Vienna that you wished
for, and lastly a pitched battle, in order that no
kind of triumph may be wanting to you!" To
all this we must add a number of noble and
generous deeds, and words full of grandeur and
66
204 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
goodness, so that our hearts are gladdened by
this victory in addition to the national pride with
which it fills us.
I am expecting a letter from you within the
next few days, to tell me of your arrival at Vienna,
and give us the details that we wish for and yet
dread. It is impossible that this victory can have
been attained without unavoidable sacrifices, and
we have so many friends in the army who must
have been exposed to danger! Perfect joy is not
for this world, and it is we poor women who, for
the most part, pay the share due to sorrow. It
really seems as if, in the distribution of parts, you
had allotted to us that of lamenting the misfor-
tunes which you cause, just as the ancients ap-
pointed official mourners in some of their funeral
ceremonies. However, I do not blame you for
such a division. I love all the emotions to which
we are predisposed, and although they some-
times cause us the keenest grief, they procure
us enjoyments which richly repay us for every-
thing.
Do not expect me to write to you on any other
subject. I can think of nothing but this victory.
Yesterday evening, in the midst of all our delight,
we made the remark that it would be impossible
to bear much longer the feverish agitation in
which we have been kept for two months. It
wears out, and indeed it spoils, the rest of one's
life. How can one, after such violent emotions,
resume the daily tasks of life, and return to the
circle of narrow ideas which are generated and
AUSTERLITZ.
205
destroyed, almost at the same time, by the life of
society? When peace is made, what can we talk
of in those drawing-rooms, where we now discuss
such great subjects ? How shall we be able to
resume our frivolous conversations? The Emperor
does not know how he educates us, and what
energy he gives to our minds by this succession of
miraculous events. Men will be in no difficulty,
but you have so arranged matters for us, that we
shall not know what to do with the enthusiasm
that women can seldom display with impunity, or
without making themselves ridiculous.
I have just been interrupted by Charles Lebrun,*
who had the kindness to come and see me. He
related everything, and my admiration is increased
on hearing the particulars. What a splendid story
it will be! I wish I had the talent to write it!
M. Lebrun did not see M. Nansouty after the
battle; but he says that had anything happened
to him, he would be sure to know it. I hope you
will give us some news of him, and also of yourself,
mon ami. I hope that you are at Vienna, but I
do not know. Oh, if peace only follows on so
many victories, I assure you I shall become a
dévote; gratitude will put the finishing touch to
my conversion.
Adieu. I think I love you more than ever when
I am happy. It is true that I used to say the
* Charles Lebrun, aide-de-camp to the Emperor, was the son
of the Duc de Plaisance. He was subsequently a deputy,
then a senator under the Second Empire, and Grand Chancellor
of the Legion of Honour. He died in 1859.
206 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
same thing when in my melancholy moods. The
truth is that my love for you mingles with my
every feeling, to embellish or console.
LXXXI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT VIENNA.
Paris, Monday, 27 Frimaire, Year XIV.
(December 18, 1805.)
Is it possible that we shall soon meet again?
The Emperor's return is announced in all quarters,
and I find it difficult to resist belief in what I
wish for so much. If he comes, I venture to
answer for it, he will be received with the greatest
enthusiasm. You cannot imagine the state of
excitement in Paris. His praises are echoed on
all sides, and persons whom we knew to be most
opposed to him, are obliged to yield, and to say
with the Emperor of Russia, "He is predestined!"
On Saturday evening I accompanied Princess
Louis to the theatres, to hear the bulletins read.
They were full, for the cannon had announced in
the morning that there was something new, and
the people listened, sympathized, and applauded
with shouts that I never could have imagined.
Meanwhile I was crying my heart out. I was so
agitated that I believe, had the Emperor sud-
denly appeared, I should have thrown myself into
his arms, though afterwards I must have asked
pardon at his feet. I went out to supper after-
AN IMPRECATION.
207
wards. I was questioned, of course, but I knew
the bulletin by heart and repeated it continually,
and I felt proud, and at the same time moved,
while repeating to certain persons its simple and
penetrating words with a feeling of ownership
which can be better understood than described.
LXXXII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT VIENNA.
Paris, 8 Nivôse, Year XIV.
(December 29, 1805.)
Every one here is still talking of the Emperor's
return, yet, I know not why, I dare not hope for
it so soon. In your last letters you say nothing
of it; the newspapers are full of little alarming
paragraphs, and then, as the Parisians can never
remain long of the same mind, they are beginning
to spread fresh doubts as to peace. May the
English be accursed if they contrive further com-
plications, and may the evil they try to do us
recoil on their own heads! I am not surprised at
your emotion on again meeting the Emperor. I
understood and almost felt it. I think he will be
pleased with the Parisians on his return. It is
true that he will be able to say with Tancred—
Mon triomphe est parfait, sans doute il m'est bien dû.” *
* This line is not accurately quoted in the text, and it is a
mistake to attribute it to Tancred, who says nothing like it, for
208
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I wrote to Mahérault on the subject of your
letter, but as he is really very unwell, and has
not strength to transact any business, I sent
for some of the actors of the Comédie, and sug-
gested to them to exert themselves a little. They
seemed full of "Gaston et Bayard,"* and, after
a re-perusal of the work, I am quite of their
opinion. The play, although a middling one, is
full of appropriate allusions in almost every line.
Moreover, it is national. The part of Bayard
is a fine one; on the whole, I think it a good
selection, and Desfaucherets is altogether of my
opinion. They are studying it, therefore, and
will study "Manlius" afterwards, so as to act
it in January. Duval has written a very pretty
play, which has been accepted, and will also be
put on the stage; and then (pray answer all
this immediately) this is what is going on. The
Opera is preparing a fête which, between our-
selves, I think rather extraordinary. They pur-
pose putting the Tuileries and the Carrousel
he is unfortunate all through. But at the beginning of scene 5
of Act 3, Amenaïde exclaims-
"Mon bonheur est au comble! helas! il m'est bien dû.”
The tragedy of “Gaston et Bayard" in five acts, in verse,
by M. de Belloy, who was born in 1727 and died in 1775, had
been performed for the first time in 1771.
† The tragedy of "Manlius," by Antoine Arnault, who was
born in 1766 and died in 1836, had been performed during the
Revolution.
This comedy of Duval's is one of the best he ever wrote.
It was called at that time, "Une Étourderie de Charles II." It
has since been performed under the title of "La Jeunesse de
Henri IV."
"LA MORT DE HENRI QUATRE."
209
and the Emperor himself on the stage; that is to
say, an actor representing him will make his
triumphant entry, his car drawn by the populace
of Paris. This fête is under the management of
M. Esménard; * yet, if I dared, I would say that it
would be better to produce a play in which, the
application being less obvious, the public might
voluntarily seize on the allusions. Praise in the
other case seems to savour of flattery. At any rate
Bouilly is now writing a piece in which Made-
moiselle Contat is to act. It is on the subject of
the recovered colours. They came to ask me
whether, in my opinion, the piece could be repre-
sented at your theatre. I was puzzled, or rather,
I was not, for I said I could not give an opinion on
the matter. What do you think of it? If the
subject were suitably treated, would you give per-
mission? Would the Emperor allow it? Answer
me as soon as possible.
While on the subject of theatres, let me tell
you about another. A few days ago I saw Le-
gouvé'st tragedy, "La Mort de Henri Quatre,
and was highly pleased with it. I was greatly
* Esménard, born in 1770, died in 1816, had just published
his poem of "La Navigation." He was successively a journalist,
the head of the Bureau des Théâtres, Secretary of the Govern-
ment of La Martinique, Consul at St. Thomas, and didactic poet.
He was exiled in 1811, notwithstanding his production of
"Trajan" at the Opera, in honour of the Emperor's return.
† M. Gabriel Legouvé, who was born in 1764 and died in
1813, was the author of "La Mort d'Abel," of "Etéocle,” and of
"La Mort de Henri Quatre," and of a poem on the merit of
women. He was father to M. Ernest Legouvé, who, like himself,
was a most distinguished member of the French Academy.
P
210
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
prejudiced against the work, but my prejudices
yielded to the tears I shed. The rôle of Henri
Quatre is really noble and pathetic, that of Marie is
deeply impassioned, and Sully's is very fine. What
I particularly liked was a speech of the King's, in
which he reveals his designs against Austria-it is
an exact history of this last campaign. The con-
spirator Epernon is well drawn; he takes advan-
tage of a momentary weakness of the Queen, who
is ambitious and jealous in the extreme, to obtain
from her a kind of consent, which she promptly
retracts; so that, although guilty, she is not
altogether odious. All the traditionary speeches
of Henry IV. are given, even to the poule au pot;
his last conversation with Sully is repeated, word
for word. In short, I was moved to tears, and I
think that, despite a few faults, it is a remarkable
work, and so admirably contrived that its allusions
are invariably comprehensible, without being dragged
in, and that it would be impossible, while applaud-
ing Henry IV., not to think instantly of the
Emperor. Legouvé is most anxious that you should
read his work, and I venture to hope you will be
of my opinion.
I have written you quite a long account of the
theatres, but I have not yet finished. I must also
tell you of a performance that took place on
Saturday at Madame Pastoret's. The play repre-
sented was "L'Avocat Patelin,"
and the actors
were our children. It was quite a success. Gus-
* "L'Avocat Patelin" is a comedy by Breys and Palaprat,
taken from an old farce of the Middle Ages.
NEW YEAR'S DAY.
211
tave did remarkably well as the avocat, and Charles
as Agnelet. You would have been delighted, and
would have shared our maternal emotions. This
kind of amusement is very good for Charles; it
makes him speak up and clearly, and then it
amuses him, and that may I say it?-is so much
gained on the enemy.
Next Wednesday will be New Year's Day, and
I shall pass it in sadness away from you. Paris is
not gay, in spite of the return of January, and the
tradesmen dare not give way to the flights of their
imagination. As for myself, I am disposed to
grumble, because at this time of year I feel more
than ever the insufficiency of my means for all the
presents I should like to make, and I have the
greatest difficulty in adapting my New Year's gifts
to the state of my finances. I can recollect when
the coming of this time of the year was a great
delight to me, but that is already a pleasure of the
past, as are so many others that end with our
youth. Happy are we if we retain the feelings of
our hearts in undiminished strength!
LXXXIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT VIENNA.
Paris, Tuesday, 10 Nivôse, Year XIV.
(December 31, 1805.)
Mon ami, I wish you a happy New Year, and I
wish that you may pass it with me, in order that
212
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
mine may be happy also. My heart is very heavy
that you should be so far away; I had hoped for
your presence at this season, and I am greatly
depressed.
The children are well, and I hope Charles will
get through the winter without any drawbacks; he
looks in excellent condition. I am busied with his
dress to-day, because he has received an invitation,
in due form, from Prince Napoleon,* to a little
fête, beginning at six o'clock. There are to be
marionettes, a magic lantern, and a lottery of
toys.
After this entertainment, which, as you may
suppose, will be over at an early hour, I intend
to pay a few visits, and I shall probably pass my
week in that tiresome occupation. I must re-
linquish the laziness which your absence and the
want of occupation have rendered dear to me.
Eleven p.m.
I left my letter this morning to attend to my
New Year's gifts. I received very pretty presents
from my mother, my sister, and a few friends,
and had therefore to reciprocate. I made a hand-
some present to Corvisart, and gifts to all my
household, so that this 1st of January has cost me
dear, and at the same time I am full of regret that
I could not give something to all those whom I
love. This is why I sorrowfully repeat the usual
burden of my song, "We shall never be rich, for
we spend more than we have."
* Queen Hortense's eldest son, who died a few months later.
NEW YEAR'S DAY.
213
I went afterwards to the Princess Louis's, before
her usual reception hour. She had organized a
little fête at six o'clock. It was a very pretty
party, full of the childish gaiety which is un-
clouded only at that age when it cannot be appre-
ciated, and your son was thought very handsome;
he behaved nicely, and I was quite pleased. I had
feared lest his superiority of age should make him
unwilling to yield the first place to the little
princes in all the games, and had given him a little
lecture accordingly. He quite understood the
situation, and his manners were a pretty mixture
of deference and ease. There was a magic
lantern, marionettes, a little supper, and a most
successful lottery for playthings. Then my son
and I took our leave, and I came home to my
mother. Just at present she is at supper at
Madame Devaines', and I, in my dressing-gown by
the fire, am writing to my heart's beloved, and
assuring him, at this season, of the love that is
the very happiness of my life. Oh, mon ami, this,
which makes absence so painful, is also a very
great delight, and for nothing in the world would
I give up the emotions now filling my heart,
unless, indeed, for those I should feel if I could
now hold you in my arms. Time is flying, youth
will soon escape me, but I shall let it go without
dread and almost without regret, because you have
convinced me that I shall always be equally dear
to you. When I cast a glance over that portion
of my life that we have already traversed together;
when I say to myself,
to myself, "What! ten years already!
214
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I always feel inclined to add, "Yes, ten years
of happiness are gone; but, thanks to the dearest
of husbands, all that remain to me will be happy
too, because happiness, when built up on heartfelt
affection, is independent of the caprices of fortune.”
It is painful to me to quit this subject, in order
to tell you of other matters, and if I yielded to my
own inclination, I should amuse myself by seeking
new ways of assuring you of my affection, and of
my gratitude towards the guide, the support, the
charm, the delight of my whole life; but I must,
for a moment, leave all this. I assure you that, if
you are likely to remain absent much longer, you
must take some steps about the administration of
the Théâtre, for Mahérault can no longer manage
it. The poor man is in a pitiable state; he can
scarcely drag himself along, his speech is greatly
affected, and there is a corpse-like odour about
him which is horrible. The doctors do not expect
he will live long enough to get to some watering-
place when the season begins. How can he in
such a state attend to the actors? They are left
to themselves and everything is in a state of
confusion. Discord prevents any variety in the
repertory; Mademoiselle Contat will neither act
herself nor let others act; Mademoiselle Raucourt
does not appear; Talma says he is still weak and
ill; there are no receipts except when the "Tem-
pliers," which always draws, is given. Four or five
tragedies have been accepted. Some of these are
said to be good, but they cannot be produced, as
their turn does not come until after that of some
THEATRICAL AFFAIRS.
215
pieces that, either from weakness or want of judg-
ment, had been accepted, and which for the last
eight months nobody will act or even study; and so
everything is at a standstill. A kind of deputation
came to me the day before yesterday, inquiring for
the date of your return as that of the end of all
their woes, and complaining that it is impossible
for Mahérault to manage the Théâtre. They all
beg that, if possible, you will tell the Emperor of
the state to which they are reduced by the number
of minor theatres in Paris, and really they have no
hope but in what you may be able to say. I doubt
whether the Emperor, in the midst of his great
occupations, can find time to look into their
grievances; but I can foresee that you will have
enough to do on your return in setting all this
machinery in order. I pointed out to them that
this year ought not to be judged by ordinary rules,
for it was only natural that the theatres should
have suffered greatly from the general depression;
that the only way of meeting their ill fortune
would have been to redouble their exertions; and
that at the present time, in order to conciliate His
Majesty, they should prepare some amusement for
him on his return, and carefully revise their
I ventured
repertory, immediately on his arrival.
to tell Mahérault to say, as if from you, that
"Antiochus Epiphane" must be played within a
fortnight. It is a terribly stupid piece, that has
stopped everything for the last nine months. They
promised me to push forward "Gaston," which has
been authorized by the police, at the same rate;
216 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
also "Manlius et Catalina," Duval's charming
comedy, and another comedy, I don't know what,
in five acts. You see what I have done; but as I
dare not put myself too forward, I cannot answer
for it that there will be no difficulties, and I,
like your actors, wish for you with my whole soul.
The other theatres are not more flourishing. The
Opera has made ten or fifteen thousand francs.
less than the Porte St. Martin. For two months
there has been no division of profits at the Fey-
deau, and the Bouffons are in great need of the
recruits you are procuring for them. "La Prin-
cipessa d'Amalfi" and the "Finto Sordo" were
failures, and did them harm. You see that it is in
the order of things that amusements should not
flourish in your absence. But Paris is only wait-
ing for her master's return to be brilliant, and I
to be happy. The newsmongers would have it
that he arrived last night at the Tuileries, and
were looking for him through the windows. I dare
not again ask you what you either do not know or
may not tell. I long for you; I hope that you
will come, but I dare not expect you; I pray to
God; I try to be brave and to make a virtue of
necessity; but I have made little progress in this
direction, and I am sometimes so discouraged and
impatient, that I should be angry with myself only
that I find relief in solitary tears.
HAPPY HOPES.
217
LXXXIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT VIENNA. *
Paris, Monday, January 6, 1806.†
You, who know me so well and so completely
share my every feeling, can easily imagine my
emotion on reading the words, "I shall soon see
you again." I have read them over a hundred
times; their sweet sound rings in my ears, fol-
lowing me everywhere, blending with all my
thoughts, and giving joy to the hours that are
still to be passed away from you.
At last happi-
ness is returning to me! What a delight to see
the Emperor again, and how keenly will it be felt
in Paris! The splendid campaign, the glorious
peace, his Majesty's prompt return-all are won-
derful, and to me, who love to trace the workings of
Providence in the events of life, it is delightful to
see the hand of God in all these things. And yet,
my dearest, when you are restored to me, when
once more I shall hold you in my arms, I shall
* The new year, 1806, opens on the same state of affairs as
that which existed at the end of 1805. The Peace of Presburg
had been made on December 26th. But on January 1st the
Emperor was still in Germany, at Munich. He did not return
to Paris until the 24th of the same month.
† By a Senatus-Consultum of 21 Fructidor, Year XIII.
(September 8, 1805), the decrees of the Convention respecting
the Republican calendar had been repealed, and the Gregorian
calendar resumed, dating from January 1, 1806.
Hork
218 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
whisper to you that this painful separation has
been cheered by many sweet emotions; that your
loving punctuality in writing to me, the deep
affection expressed in all your letters, nay, even
the tears they made me shed-all these things
possessed a charm which I shall never forget, and
which binds us only the more closely together.
I hold the first place in your heart; you tell me
so continually! I believe it, I shall always believe
it, and in this lies my happiness. But you too
may feel assured that I can never love aught else
as I love you, the friend, the guide, the joy of
my life; and I have the advantage over you that
these were the first feelings of my heart.
The return of the Emperor will be the signal for
some splendid fêtes. The Opera is preparing,
and so is the city. I hope the performances will
be in a truly national spirit. One of them, and
it will perhaps be most gratifying to his Majesty,
is a comedy which we are going to perform in
his family circle, if I may use the expression.
Princess Louis has kindly given me a part to act
with her. I am deeply touched at such goodness,
though my affection at least deserved it. It is
a very nice rôle; there are phrases in it that I
like, because they express my own feelings, and
if timidity and emotion do not hinder me, I think
I shall act it pretty well. The princess will act
as she always does. The piece is clever, so I think
I can answer for its success. But I am unable to
say as much for your Français. Mahérault is in
such a state that he can do nothing; he tries his
Mau
LEBRUN PINDARE.
219
best, but he is very ill, and your Comédie people
take advantage of your absence and his illness.
I have done my best, but you alone can remedy
all the existing confusion and disorganization.
It would be to their own interest to make more
effort, but on that stage, as on a larger one, the
actors prefer grumbling at fate and indulging
their vanity, which is ruining them. They
quarrel, abuse each other, and hinder everything.
I tremble at the complaints, the demands, and
the discontent you will have to encounter on your
return.
*
Meanwhile I have strongly insisted on "Gaston,'
"Manlius," and "Catilina" being put on the
stage this month. I enclose a programme that
was brought me by Dazincourt. He and his col-
leagues desire that the Emperor should be fêted
by the Théâtre Français also. Lebrun under-
takes the ode. Just read over the programme,
and write a line if you approve of it, or send it
back. I am ignorant whether actors can rightly
take upon themselves thus to applaud in public
the sovereign of the nation. You are a better
judge than I, and you will decide the point.
I am busy this morning with preparations for
a fête of another kind, of the success of which I
do not feel so sure. Duval has requested permis-
* Lebrun, who was called Lebrun Pindare, born in 1729, died
in 1807, was at that time greatly celebrated as a lyric poet, and
with more reason as a writer of epigrams. His hundred and
forty odes are forgotten, but a few of his six hundred epigrams
have survived him.
220
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
sion to read me a play that he has written for the
Français, and which is said to be very clever. I
have invited about thirty persons to hear it, who
may give me more trouble than my guests of
yesterday, although they will probably not upset
my chairs and tables. But talking of guests, you
will soon return, and I must give you an account
of some new acquaintances that I have made,
partly by my own wish, and partly because your
wife's Wednesdays are beginning to be talked of,
and people seek for introductions to me. First
of all Fontanes, for whom you know I have a
weakness; Monge, who has long had a weakness
for me; Carrion-Nisas, whom I find amusing, and
cannot resist because he speaks so highly of you;
Norvins, who makes us laugh; your friend M.
Camille Tournon, who is extremely pleasant; M.
Petitôt, with whom we have renewed our acquaint-
ance; Legouvé occasionally; a little man named
M. de Lagarde, who is husband to Mademoiselle
Rilliet, and is agreeable besides. These are the only
names I remember at present. I can see from
here the little sarcastic smile I know so well-" So
my wife is setting up as a bel esprit!" By no
means, monsieur; but I let any one else who
likes be clever, and when my friends choose to
come, they meet my mother-who is a strong at-
*
*
Monge, a member of the Institute and a senator, was, as
every one knows, the inventor of Descriptive Geometry. He died
in 1818, aged sixty-seven. Carrion-Nisas, an ex-tribune, was an
officer in a cavalry regiment, and a writer of tragedies; born
in 1767, died in 1842. Petitôt, Inspector-General of the
University, and also a tragic poet.
A SALON.
221
traction to my salon-a good fire, tea, and philo-
sophers. I listen with equal pleasure to Fontanes'
preaching and Morellet's sarcasms, and as toler-
ance is not the fashionable virtue at present with
either party, the tolerance of my salon procures
me friends.
But all this would be much better if I had
more money; for, begging pardon of idealists, the
metal that is so greatly despised and yet so sought
after forms more than half the attractions of a
hostess, and if to all my own I could add the very
superior ones of a good table, I should be really
celebrated, and might double the number of my
friends. Such a life is, between ourselves, that
which would please me best. My health is not
good enough for the bustle of the world, and
complete repose of body, with some emotion for
the heart, and exercise for the brain, would suit
me exactly. But I hope you will scarcely have
time to read all this rubbish. You are now on
your road home, I hope and think, and in five or
six days perhaps. . Adieu. I am expecting
you, and this expectation is itself a happiness.
222 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
LXXXV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT VIENNA.
Paris, January 10, 1806.
So your homeward journey is again deferred. I
went yesterday to Princess Louis's, to rehearse the
little play we are going to perform before the
Emperor. I was in high spirits; I had received
your Munich letter, and everything seemed to
announce your speedy return, when Madame Maret
made her appearance with a letter from her
husband, telling her of Prince Eugène's marriage,*
and of the return of the Court at the end of the
month. Mon ami, tears filled my eyes, and I
came back sorrowfully to my solitude, which for
the last few days had been made so bright by the
hope of seeing you. Princess Louis is grieved by
her absence from her brother's wedding. She told
me with tears of the obstacles that had prevented
her from going to Munich. She hides her grief
courageously, but is distressed, and if her brother
does not come to Paris for a while she will be
perfectly miserable.
Meanwhile we continue the preparations for
our fêtes. The Opera will be brilliant, and the
Comédie Française is also at work, and will put
"Gaston," 66
Manlius," and "Catilina on the
* Prince Eugène de Beauharnais, Archchancellor of State
and Viceroy of Italy, married Princess Augusta Amelia,
daughter of the King of Bavaria.
PREPARATIONS.
223
But, unfortunately,
stage in a month's time.
Mademoiselle Fleury has seized upon the best
parts in each play, which will both delay and spoil
them. It would be necessary that you should give
orders for the distribution of parts. Mademoiselle
Duchesnois was willing to act in "Gaston," but
Mahérault is ill, and I have no authority. Bouilly
has written a play in one act on the anecdote of
the recovered colours, which has been accepted;
it is said to be clever. Finally, we too are acting
plays. While awaiting the return of the Court, we
are rehearsing day and night, with an extra-
ordinary mingling of sentiment and nonsense.
We shed tears when we think how great will be
our emotion, and we laugh at the difficulty your
Chamberlains find in singing in tune. Monsieur
d'Aubusson especially is excessively amusing; his
voice is absolutely false, but he insists on singing,
quarrels with Grasset, whom he wants to accom-
pany him by striking all his notes first, and then,
after a great fuss, he begins again, and is no nearer
the tune than before. Happily the actors' feelings
are more in harmony than their voices, and that
unison will cover a multitude of sins.
I have just received a most extraordinary letter
from Madame de S. She says that she has
been informed that the Emperor is coming back,
but that the Empress will remain at Munich; that
her husband importunes her to come to Paris, as
he desires she should show special devotion to the
Emperor. She adds that she has manifold reasons
for wishing to remain in retirement, and begs me
224
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
to write her a letter advising her to do so, such
as she can show to him. She says M. de S
will probably be annoyed with me for giving her
such advice, but that she is in extreme need of it.
I replied, telling her simply of the delay in the
Emperor's return, and ended my letter by express-
ing a great wish to see her again. I can under-
stand why her husband wishes to put her forward.
She is his best qualification, and his surest road
to success.
I dined at Fontanes' the day before yesterday.
The Archchancellor was there and a number of
legislators. I complimented the President on a
charming article of his in the Journal des Débats,
praising Mathieu's book.* We had some conver-
sation about the speech he has to make on the
opening of the Corps Législatif. He confided to
me that his subject frightened him, that it would
be impossible to pronounce a panegyric worthy of
the occasion, and that he shrank from coming to
any decision. I quite believe him, for to praise
duly is more difficult than people think, and I fear
that our writers will prove their inferiority in that
respect.
I am requested to ask you to make inquiries
at Munich about Count Rumford. I heard such
an extraordinary account of him that I am
curious to know the truth. It would seem, if I
may believe my informant, that this "man of
* M. de Fontanes, the President of the Corps Législatif, had
written an article on M. Molé, who was generally known in
society at that time by his Christian name of Mathieu.
COUNT RUMFORD.
225
science" is a mere philosophic charlatan, without
fortune or position, and mixed up with several
unpleasant stories. In fact, he is said to have no
recommendation but that of being subject every
five or six months to a certain malady that shall be
nameless, but which has apparently not frightened
the (pretty) widow of five and forty. My mother
wants you to get full particulars, and desires me
to tell you that since the wedding a recipe for
economical marriages has been discovered.
are called Rumford marriages.*
They
LXXXVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYEN CE.†
Auteuil, September 25, 1806.
So it is my turn now to give you household
news, and yours to leave home! What a melan-
* The allusion here is to cheap soups and Rumford stoves.
The rumours then prevalent regarding that learned man may
have been exaggerated. The marriage, however, ended in a
separation, as may be seen in the Memoirs, and Count Rumford
was obliged to leave Paris and reside in Germany, on an
allowance made by his wife. He died long before she did.
† There is, as the reader will perceive, an interval of six months
between this letter and the preceding one. My grandmother
had passed part of the summer of 1806 at Caûterets, while her
husband, children, mother and sister, and Madame de Grasse
and her son, had taken up their abode in a hired house at
Auteuil. The letters she wrote during her stay in the Pyrenees
have not been preserved. She came to Auteuil from Caûterets
at the end of August or beginning of September, and very few
226 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
choly way of spending one's time, and I could say
a great deal on the subject if I had not made up
my mind to dismiss it altogether. We must bow
our heads in submission, and hope for better things
in the future—for a time of repose that will have
cost us dear, but that will console me, as I have
already told you, for the loss of youth. If only
your health does not suffer from this new journey!
That anxiety is always before me. It seems to
me that you were scarcely strong enough for all
the trouble and cares that must fall upon you.
Can you have undertaken a task beyond your
strength? Have you a second time tried to battle
against illness? You know what it cost you once
before. These are the anxious thoughts that
pursue me since your departure, without counting
bad roads and all the rest of it, so that all my days.
are passed in gloom.
I went yesterday to take leave at St. Cloud. I
found every one sad and silent; people were
coming and going, and I looked on at their
preparations and thought of you. I had break-
fasted on the previous day with the Empress. In
the midst of all the confusion at the palace, I
contrived to catch M. de Talleyrand for a moment.
He spoke of you, and thinks it well that you have
gone; tried to prove to me that I ought to be
days afterwards, the departure of the Emperor again separated
her from her husband, who left Paris for Mayence on September
21st or 22nd. The Emperor set out on the 25th to under-
take the Prussian campaign, which was not concluded until
July, 1807.
LEAVE-TAKINGS.
227
delighted; says you must take care of yourself, and
is pleased at the thought of finding you there; in
fact, he thoroughly likes you. I thanked him; but,
although I was glad, tears filled my eyes. Alas!
mon ami, of how little account are the feelings of
the heart in the business of life, and yet our true
happiness is derived from affection alone! As I
pen these words I feel I must think of my children
in order to be able to endure the burden that
oppresses me. After parting from M. de Talley-
rand, I saw Fouché, who was very kind, too,
according to his own fashion, and then the Grand
Equerry,* who spoke of you. This sad but
precious subject of conversation was the only one
on which I could speak, yet it made me weep, and
most of the persons who were there would have
been unable to enter into my feelings. I do not
understand why, under such circumstances, people
fancy themselves obliged to look pleased at what
distresses them. Of course, we must do our duty,
but who could require us to rejoice at being
separated?
The Emperor began his journey last night;
the Empress seeming happy at the prospect of
seeing her daughter. She told me she was glad
to think you would be there. I must confess I
was two or three times greatly tempted to ask
leave to join her, but my discretion held me
back.
Mademoiselle de Luçay was married this morn-
ing; after the ceremony, they left Paris for St.
* M. de Caulaincourt.
228 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT
Gratien. M. de Luçay said that he hoped it was
of good augury for his daughter, since it was a
place that had witnessed many happy marriages.*
The name of St. Gratien and all the memories it
includes impressed me in the midst of that splendid
salon. We passed many happy days in that little
place, and I never thought it so ugly. M. de
Luçay calls it a kennel, but I think we were very
comfortable there-what say you?
The impression at Court yesterday was that the
Emperor's return would be speedy, and that of
Paris is that we shall have no war. We can all
rely on the activity and skill of the Emperor, but
I do wish they were not so often called upon. If
my new-born religious feeling did not forbid me to
curse my neighbour, I think I should devote much
imprecation to the King of Prussia.
LXXXVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Auteuil, Sunday, September 28, 1806.
I am still without a word from you, and, although
I am well aware that it is almost impossible I
* M. de Luçay was Chamberlain to the Emperor. His
daughter married Philippe de Ségur, son of M. de Ségur,
member of the French Academy, and himself married to
Mademoiselle Daguesseau. General Philippe de Ségur, member
of the French Academy, died in 1873.
AUTEUIL.
229
could have received a letter as yet, still I am full
of sadness and anxiety.
My thoughts are of you in this quiet little
Auteuil, which I should like better if we could live
in greater solitude; but I must admit that my
mother is right, and that it is unfair of Paris idlers
to come and disturb us at every hour of the day.
We are overwhelmed with visitors, and we must
escape to Paris in order to live more to ourselves
and with greater economy. However strange it
may seem, it is nevertheless true that I shall not
be able to carry out my intended reforms until my
return home. However, as Charles is benefiting
by the fine weather and country air, we purpose
remaining here until October 15th. Then I shall
disclose my new regulations, on which I am now
hard at work. I am full of admiration, I assure
you, for those who undertake to lessen abuses in
the financial department of a nation; for, though
I began only three days ago to wage war on those
that have crept into my little kingdom, I already
feel sick of the complaints, quarrelling, and
grumblings that come before me, and I am often
tempted to wish that I were rich enough to let
myself be robbed without noticing it. But as this
is far from being the case, I make up my mind to
severity, and am becoming a regular Barbé Mar-
bois.*
I saw Louis de Vergennes this morning. He
* Barbé Marbois was Minister of the Treasury. He fell into
disgrace with the Emperor in this same year (1806). Under the
Restoration he was First President of the Cour des Comptes.
230 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
begged me to ask you to find out whether it is
true that the Emperor intends to increase the
number of his orderlies; and if so, whether it would
be possible for you to present an urgent applica-
tion on behalf of his son, who is longing to serve
in the army, and you can imagine how gladly he
would serve under the very eyes of his Majesty.
If you could obtain this favour for him, he would
be deeply grateful.
He
Yesterday morning, at nine o'clock, who should
walk into our little salon, booted, curled, and
brushed up, but the Minister of Finance.*
had been riding a fine Arab, the gift of the Em-
peror, in the Bois de Boulogne. I wanted him to
make me a present of his horse, but he could not
agree to that. He was very pleasant, and promised
to find a place for M. de Pradine. Alix was
rather comforted by his visit; for he still hopes
that the King of Prussia may act with common
sense, and the Queen with prudence. Many wagers
are laid among our acquaintances on this subject,
but there is only one opinion as to our success.
If you hear anything of M. de Nansouty, pray
let us know. His poor wife is very unhappy.
Really we are too good as wives, and it is very
foolish to be so attached to the absent. But why
are both of you such kind and good husbands? I
* M. Gaudin, the Minister of Finance, retained the costume of
the ancien régime. He wore his hair powdered à l'oiseau royal,
and always rode with high boots, a three-cornered hat, and an
equerry by his side. He was an old friend of Madame de
Vergennes. There were, at that period, two Financial Ministers,
one of whom was called Minister of the Treasury.
A VISITOR.
231
met one yesterday who takes no such pride in
conjugal fidelity. It was the young Maître des
Requêtes. He paid us a long visit, and made
himself very agreeable; but, between ourselves, I
was rather shocked at the double meaning of the
conversation that took place on the subject that is
now engrossing him. People make things easier
for him by pretending only to see the ridiculous
side; but is not this excusing the wrong-doing?
This world is a strange place, and even the best-
conducted women- But I will not conclude
my remark, and I leave it to be finished by your
upright and conjugal mind.
Your boys are in good health. Charles was in
the salon this morning, and his grandmother is
enchanted with his clever remarks. I am trying
to get him to work harder, and although he does
not like it, I must give him due praise for his
docility and obedience. There is a sweetness in
his disposition which he inherits from I know whom,
and which I hope he will not lose in the world.
Adieu; I hear more visitors, and must lay aside
my letter. My friends come to congratulate me
on my return from Caûterets, but I cannot receive
them as gaily as at first; they should have come
then, for my joy has not endured, my sorrow has
quickly returned. Such is life.
232
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT,
LXXXVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Auteuil, October 4, 1806.
I imagine, as I am writing this, that you are
enjoying perfect tranquillity, and that the Emperor
has already left Mayence. We find it absolutely
impossible to believe in war; new bets are made.
every day, and couriers constantly arrive, whom
nobody sees, but of whom every one is talking.
What I like about Auteuil is that we only get the
truth here, and are not told of false reports until
they have been contradicted. Alix has heard from
her husband; he has not yet marched, and seems
to know nothing, or perhaps chooses to say
nothing; she goes back to Paris on Saturday.
Our friends are teasing us to return, but we
shall remain here until the 15th, and the fine
weather and Charles's good pleasure shall decide
the day of departure. The season is still quite
beautiful-may it be the same at Mayence! Take
advantage of it to walk about; see a good deal of
M. de Talleyrand, who is such a capital talker, and
who promised me to take care of you. Enjoy
yourself, in fact, as much as you can, and in the
midst of it all write as often as possible to your
poor Claire.
Friday.
Everything I have heard since yesterday tends
to prove you must never again jump out of a
“LE FAUX BONHOMME.”
233
carriage when it is going fast. M. de Kerkado
was killed by so doing; M. de Léon,* severely
hurt; in fact, I shudder at all the accidents I have
heard of. Take pity on me and care of yourself,
I implore you. I saw Madame de Vannoise and
M. Lemercier yesterday evening. The latter is
greatly occupied with his "Faux Bonhomme,”
and is made anxious by Fleury's illness, which
continues. Out of regard for him, he will not take
his part from him, and he does well, for this sustains
Fleury's hopefulness, which is especially desirable.
Constance de Vannoise seems reconciled to her
lot. The bridegroom is absent; she is busy with
dresses and finery, and thinks marriage all that is
pleasant. Madame de Vannoise, on the contrary,
trembles and grieves, and finds the thought of
separation insupportable.†
I dined yesterday at the Archchancellor's.
Several persons asked after you in a fashion that
Madame de Sévigné describes and says she used
not to take the trouble to reply to, but left the
inquirers to their ignorance and indifference. When
you and I are separated, I am so depressed, the
least trifle hurts me so much, that I carefully avoid
speaking of you to persons who I know feel no
real interest in us. Their coldness would hurt
and vex me. But I feel a true happiness in meet-
* M. de Léon became afterwards Duc de Rohan. He was
Chamberlain to the Emperor, and died in 1816. He was father
of that duke who was Cardinal-Archbishop of Besançon, and who
died in 1833.
† This marriage did not take place.
234
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
ing friendly people who question me kindly about
you. I got on capitally yesterday with M. de
Lavalette, who seems to like you; we had a good
deal of conversation during the long dinner at the
Archchancellor's. I begged him to come and see
me, and I hope he will; I think him most agree-
able.
How bright my mother is! how delightful I find
her companionship in daily life! The more I know
of the world, the more do I admire her character,
her evenness of temper, her sweet reasonableness,
and unquenchable gaiety. Latterly she has been,
as well as I, anxious about your health; but, when
she sees me in tears, she forgets herself in order
to cheer me, and makes me laugh. I revealed
a great truth to her yesterday, viz. that I love
her more and more every day. Marriage is a
critical moment for mothers and daughters. All
the new blessings that then become ours, the dis-
appointment which comes from maternal jealousy,
the readiness of husbands to spoil us at first-
all contributes to disturbance, to separation, to
draw us apart, and at such a moment it is almost
impossible that the mother should not be a little
unjust, and the best of daughters a little un-
grateful. But if both are really kind-hearted and
loving, time effaces the little grievances caused
or excused by excessive affection.
The young
wife advances on her life-journey, she looks around
her, she encounters disappointment, she needs a
true friend, and in whom can she find one if not
in her mother? Thus the difficulty ought to end,
"LES HORACES.”
235
oftener than it does, with a little indulgence on
the one side and some gratitude on the other. . . .
But I am interrupted!
Crescentini* wants to
see me.
Monday.
I was not able to resume my letter all yester-
day. After receiving Crescentini, whom I thought
changed in appearance, we went to Paris to see
"Les Horaces." I was much pleased, first with
Corneille, who is an old love of mine, and then
with Leclerc,† the new actor. He played the father
with spirit and dignity, copying Saint-Prix a little
too much perhaps, but he uttered the famous
"qu'il mourût" in such a way as to produce a
great sensation, and was immensely applauded.
Your nephew tells me that he is rejected by the
Comédie; this is a pity, I think. M. Saint-Eugène
seemed to me very second-rate. Mademoiselle
Georges has improved, I think, and Mademoiselle
Duchesnois acted well as Camille, with the excep-
tion of a little drawling occasionally. On the
whole, it was a fine performance; I even think
that the study of comedy that Lafond has been
* Girolamo Crescentini was the Italian singer whom the
Emperor detained in Paris, by force, from 1806 to 1812. He
was a soprano after the fashion of the day. He was born in
1769, and died at Naples in 1846.
† Leclerc was, at the beginning of the present century, a
somewhat successful actor at the Théâtre Français, though his
style was rather monotonous. He succeeded especially in the
rôle of the elder Horace, and in that of Mithridates. Saint-
Eugène, who played Curiace, has left no great reputation.
Lafond played the younger Horace.
236 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
obliged to make, has diminished the heaviness of
his style. I should not have ventured to rely on
my own judgment in this, because "au sortir des
montagnes on n'est pas difficile;" but this is your
son's opinion, so there is nothing more to be said.
After the performance, we returned to our
little hermitage, and this morning Charles and
I have taken a long walk. We began by going
through the Bois de Boulogne as far as Boulogne
itself, and thence we took the St. Cloud road and
the Point du Jour, and returned to Auteuil by the
Avenue de Paris. We had great conversation all
the time. Your boy asked me questions about the
Revolution, and especially about the Emperor. I
told him the story of the Italian campaign, of the
campaign in Egypt, of the Emperor's return to
France, of his wars and victories. He was deeply
interested, and when I had ended, he said,
66
Mamma, that is like one of Plutarch's Lives."
I advised him to work hard, so as to be able to
write it when grown up, and he was delighted at
the idea.
Adieu. I will end my letter with your son's
words; I could not improve upon them.
REMINISCENCES.
237
XC.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, October 16, 1806.
I left Auteuil yesterday morning, and am alone
in our apartment, which recals your presence so
vividly, and renews the keen pain of our too
frequent separation. While establishing myself in
my room and putting everything in order, I came
across your letters, and set about arranging them.
It pained me to read over those of last year. Alas!
mon ami, it was the same state of things, the
same distance between us, the same anxieties.
All these are now renewed, and it is thus that we
pass our life. Just then the courier arrived with
your letter, which, like all I receive from you,
is kind and loving; it moved me, but not so
painfully as those I was reading again, and I said
to myself, "It is still the same affection." Retain
all those feelings which are so necessary to my
happiness, and which are infinitely precious to
me. The great events of which we are spec-
tators, make time fly so swiftly, that we possess,
as it were, a premature experience that ages us
beyond our years. We have therefore lost taste
for all the frivolous amusements of the world,
which turn us aside, without any real solace,
from the cares by which we are harassed, and
it is, in truth, in the affections of the heart
only that we can find consolation and happiness.
238 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
These are my sentiments, mon ami. The new
sorrows of the present year, your absence, and
Alix's discouragement grieve and absorb me, so
that I feel little inclination for society, and, unless
winter brings some change in things, I foresee
that my life will be one of seclusion. Charles
will be the gainer, and I promise you he shall
work hard; it shall not be my fault if his progress
in Latin and Greek does not surpass yours in
German. I am bestirring myself for fear that
when you return, quite proud of your new accom-
plishment, you may want to impart it to your son.
But I warn you that I will have nothing to do
with German; it is quite enough for me to be-
wilder my brains over crabbed Greek characters,
without toiling over an inharmonious wretched
Teutonic language that I do not care about in
the least.
Meanwhile, before seriously resuming our lessons,
I am going this morning with Charles to Sannois,
and intend remaining there until Sunday. Madame
d'Houdetôt insisted upon this, and mamma thought
I had better take Charles with me. Gustave
is going on as well as possible.*
Dubois says
that his leg was properly set; he is not feverish,
will not be lame, it is as favourable a fracture as
can be, but he must remain lying on his back,
without stirring, for a month, and this enforced
inaction, for him especially, is a real illness.
will be a great privation for Charles to be separated
from his friend, and, in order to make up for it, I
* Gustave de Grasse had broken his leg at Auteuil.
It
MADAME DE SOUZA.
239
am going to make him acquainted with the
Princess de Carignan's son.
He is educated at
his mother's house, passes the day in the house,
and I should rather like him as a companion for
my boy, more especially as his tutor is said to be
an estimable man.
On arriving here, I heard that Madame de Souza
is so seriously ill as to cause some anxiety to her
friends. Her husband is at the Hague, but is
coming here.
He has given up Portugal, and
intends settling in Paris. All the old bachelors in
the neighbourhood are delighted, and Bertrand
will be quite at home. He begs me to give you
his kindest remembrances. The stir and animation
abroad only increase his love of quiet, and he
sticks to his armchair more than ever. He is the
only person I have seen as yet, and I expect he
will be our most constant guest. All the others
have taken flight. Cousin Pasquier is engrossed
by his Jews and his commissions, and now that he
can only give us a divided attention, we will have
nothing more to say to him. Poor Norvins has
gone, as you know. You will see him probably,
and hear his adventures; he enters the army at
thirty-nine, gives up his family, his friends, and all
his habits, and is not sure, after all, that he is
doing a wise thing. I told him he would come
back to us a curé! Notwithstanding my little
jest, our parting was pathetic; he was greatly
moved on taking leave of us. His future plans
are as heretofore; he wanted to manifest his zeal,
but does not intend to remain always in the army.
240
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
He begged that you would name him to the
Empress, and hopes to have the honour of being
presented to her at Mayence.
XCI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, Friday, October 26, 1806.
I wrote to you twice in the course of yesterday,
mon ami; both my letters will, no doubt, give you
pain, but I could not measure my words at first.*
I feel quite as much hurt to-day, perhaps even
more so, but I am less excited, and will curtail my
reproaches. Besides, it is impossible that you
should not be conscious of the pain you have
inflicted, and if absence has not changed him I
love, I am sure that regret will soon follow on the
injury he has done me. Oh, my beloved, remem-
ber that in such a union as ours, which time only
serves to draw closer, the slightest appearance of
doubt must wound the sensitiveness inseparable
from such an affection as mine for you. After
passing ten years and more with no other thought
* Letters were constantly lost on the way, and this caused
confusion, annoyance, complaints, and suspicions. I have
omitted most of those in which these feelings are expressed on
mistaken grounds and are disclaimed in the next. I also
suppress or shorten those that are only a repetition of letters
that are thought to be lost. The reproaches contained in this
one are in reply to complaints that would certainly have been
very unjust had nothing been lost or delayed.
REPROACHES.
241
than you, with your image present in all my life's
memories, and in all its future hopes, how can I
endure the suspicions revealed by your cruel
words? Were I in your place, I should, no doubt,
be anxious too, but in a different way, and I
should express my anxiety differently. Whatever
my sufferings, I could never insult those I love
and esteem, and it is thus that you should love
me; nay, I will even say it is thus that I deserve to
be loved. Forgive me for returning to the subject,
but I suffered so terribly yesterday! To-day I
have a grief which is entirely my own; for I have
to complain of you, whom I love exclusively, and
whom I fondly thought superior to all the weak-
ness of ordinary men? But I see that you are occa-
sionally all alike, and I am daily more and more
convinced that your absence is my greatest mis-
fortune, and your presence, cruel one, the greatest
joy of my life.
I am sending this to-day through M. de Talley-
rand; to-morrow I shall write by Deschamps. I
shall try every possible means, and then, if my
letters are lost, I shall leave house and children
and come to you, for I cannot endure the idea of
your uneasiness. I suppose that like last year my
letters are sent to head-quarters, and yet M. de
Lavalette assures me that orders have been given
at Mayence for opening the bags there and care-
fully sorting the letters. And yet you receive
none, and you are alarmed and you accuse me, and
I sympathize with your grief, which I feel keenly,
and suffer from your injustice! What a life it is!
R
242
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
So full of troubles and difficulties, when it might
be passed so peacefully! I feel weary and worn
out with mine! And then to the secret sorrow
which you inflict are added a thousand alarms
about the military engagements that have taken
place since the 14th,* of which we know nothing.
I am surrounded by weeping mothers, sisters,
kinswomen. Alix has not had one moment's
peace, and one dares not give way to joy, and
admiration of all these miraculous victories, with-
out knowing at what price they have been bought.
I was told yesterday that Aimery de Fezensac is
wounded. But as this report has not been as yet
corroborated, it has been kept from the two mothers.
Philippe de Ségur was wounded, but he writes the
news himself, and this shows that his wounds must
be slight. We hear nothing of my brother-in-law,
and we ought to look upon silence as good news,
if one were guided by reason on subjects so near
and dear. But reason, mon ami, is seldom made
use of by anxious hearts, and you who used to
pride yourself on it, even you——
But I have
finished with that subject and will say no more.
The battle of Jena had been won on October 14, but no
particulars had as yet reached Paris.
THE BULLETINS.
243
XCII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, October 27, 1806.
I must still be sad and anxious until I know
you have received my letters and are at ease about
me and Charles. It will not be my fault if none
reach Mayence. I send them in every possible
way. From what M. de Lavalette tells me, it is
at Mayence itself that the mischief lies; you might
therefore prevent it, probably, and spare yourself
anxiety and me real misery. But let us drop the
subject; by the time you receive this, all mis-
understanding will be over.
The arrival of the bulletins quite made up for
the long silence that had given rise to many
gloomy conjectures. They are as fine pages of
history, as have ever been written in any, and
that will efface all former achievements. I have
also seen several private letters giving miraculous
accounts of personal deeds. Such daring, although
sometimes rash, is always fortunate, and such cool-
ness in the midst of danger, such wise forethought,
such prompt determination evoke feelings of ad-
miration which seem as though they could never
be surpassed, and yet are continually renewed.
The bulletins were read out at the theatres and
produced a great sensation. Talma read them at
the Français. He read very well, simply and
244 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
quickly; for, the principal events once known,
the public does not care for military details, or
positions in a country they scarcely know. The
effect was not so good at Feydeau. Chesnard*
read pompously; he put on an affected voice, and
made more affected when he came to the list of
the killed. As he was naming the colonels, some
lady, either a relation or a friend of one of them,
uttered a loud shriek and swooned away. This
caused a kind of consternation in the house and
spoilt the effect. It has been decided, therefore,
that in future only extracts from the bulletins
shall be read at the theatres, and never the list of
the killed.
More wagers are being laid as to peace or war.
People must always, as you know, be betting
about something. The Emperor's return is spoken
of with hope and desire, but I, mon ami, can only
be silent when I hear of rumours which, if con-
firmed, would make me happy in so many different
ways.
I do not know whether the letters in which I
told
you of
of my visit to Sannois have reached you.
I stayed there three days. Madame d'Houdetôt
was unwell, and she is now suffering from tertian
ague, which, together with depression natural at
She is
her great age, has much reduced her.
still young in mind and heart, and, notwithstand-
ing all she has lost, clings fondly to life. " My
* An actor of the Opéra Comique, who came out in 1782, in
the part of Julien in "Colinette à la Cour." He was a fine
musician, with a good bass voice.
·
LAFOND.
("
245
regrets," she said to me, are memories which
embellish my life even now." This is certainly
looking on the bright side of things.
If you care to hear about your theatre, I may
tell you that it seems well attended, in spite of the
war and of the emptiness of Paris. Lafond is an
attraction; he has just been acting the "Misan-
thrope," rather badly in my opinion. There was
something of spitefulness in his anger against
mankind that does not belong to the part, and
a flavour of melodrama in his passion which,
although always acceptable to the public, is un-
worthy of Molière. I thought him very superior
in the "Femmes Savantes;" his natural talents
require to be wisely directed. It has been said
that Mademoiselle Georges intends to leave the
theatre, I do not know why.
XCIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, Tuesday, October 28, 1806.
Frederick * will hand you this letter on his way
through Mayence. He is starting for Prussia—
* M. Frederick d'Houdetôt was the son of General d'Houdetôt
by his first marriage, and grandson of the lady so frequently
mentioned in the Letters. He was successively Prefect of
Ghent and of Brussels, and peer of France, and was a deputy
under the Second Empire. He died without children.
246
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
got his orders and had to be ready in twenty-four
hours. Is there not something amusing in this
spirit of rushing about that has seized upon every-
body? Amusing, however, is not the right word,
for it will be sad enough for the many who are
left behind. You will also, perhaps, see M. de
Tournon. He came to ask me if I had anything
to send by him; but I preferred M. d'Houdetôt.
This certainty I do not like to miss.
So you have given up your Electoral College?
We cannot understand here how you could do so
without permission. My mother feels sure that
you have made a mistake, and that probably you
omitted writing to Franche Comté to keep your
claims in remembrance there. Who takes your
place? M. Clément de Ris* asked me this ques-
tion one day. So you have seen Norvins? What
do you think of his wild proceeding? Is it not
absurd to enter the army at close upon forty, in
order to obtain a place in the Government or the
magistracy, for which he pressed with unshrinking
urgency?
You see how our circle is gradually thinning. We
shall scarcely have any one left but M. de Nouy,
who was here this evening, and who is pleasant
enough, only that he is so deaf that he hears
nothing, and cannot talk, on account of his asthma.
Bertrand will not "join," I fancy, but Madame de
Souza and the economical household absorb him
entirely. Gallois is lost to us, and never stirs
* M. Clément de Ris was a senator. He was subsequently
peer of France, and died in 1827.
DEFECTIONS.
247
Abbé
from a certain fireside that you know.
Morellet is growing old. M. Pasquier can seldom
escape from the cares of State, which require his
attention, and from his surroundings; and our
salon is deserted, which does not grieve me much.
But even were I more dull than I am, I should
think it natural to look for happiness first, and
then for pleasure, from your ever-longed-for return.
We are told to hope for it soon. I cannot believe
it, and am much more disposed to fear that you
too will be summoned to Prussia. This would
be additional sorrow for me, and I dare not dwell
on it.
XCIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, November 1, 1806.
Mon ami, I have seen your tailor, who says it
will take a week to embroider the coat, and, how-
ever I may hurry him, I do not think we can get
it sooner; but I will do my very best. It will be
too bad if you have to set out for Prussia; how-
ever, I should apply to M. de Lavalette, who would
know where to send it to you. But can you not
see my face as I write the words, "If you have to
set out for Prussia!" I confess that I am upset
at the idea. Distance ought to be indifferent
when once we are parted. But, in truth, it is an
248 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
aggravation of absence, and the difficulties of cor-
respondence alone are enough to make me appre-
hensive of the moment that removes you still
farther from me. Heaven grant the speedy return
of the Emperor, and that my own private happiness
may unite with the general rejoicings! I have
heard of you in a letter I received from Norvins.
He gives an amusing account of the confusion
produced by the clashing of divers opinions in
his corps, and of his regret at this loss of time
while the Emperor is swiftly marching from vic-
tory to victory. If he is still at Mayence, pray
remember me to him. I do not know whether I
ought to write to him, for I cannot tell where to
address my letter. I have just read a clever and
interesting one from Eugène de Montesquiou.*
He relates his journey to Jena the day before the
battle. Having been sent to Prince Hohenlohe,
he was detained on various pretexts, and could not
succeed in reaching the King. On the morning
of the great battle the King sent to say he could
not receive him until it was over. Thus he re-
mained an inactive but agitated spectator of the
engagement. General Blucher ostentatiously gave
orders in his hearing that no Frenchman was to
be suffered to escape in the rout that was thought
to be inevitable. Towards evening the Prince of
Würtemberg arrived at head-quarters with the
fugitives from the field of battle. He was so
ignorant of the disastrous state of affairs, that
* M. Eugène de Montesquiou was a cousin of Aimery de
Montesquiou-Fezensac.
THE PRINCE OF WÜRTEMBERG.
249
he was intending to take medicine that night.
Eugène was just in time to tell him that the effect
of the dose would probably be greatly interfered
with. His life was afterwards in great danger.
Some Prussian soldiers, angered at their defeat,
wanted to kill him, and an officer with great
difficulty saved his life. Finally, he was allowed
to return to our head-quarters, having lost his
suite and his horses. On his way he came up
with two Frenchmen, and shortly afterwards with
eighteen Prussian stragglers, whom the three took
prisoners, and marched to the camp in triumph.
He says the Emperor was amused at his adven-
tures, and laughed very much at his capture of
prisoners. If you already know the story I have
told it unnecessarily, but I thought it too good
to lose.
We have no direct news from my brother-in-
law, but the silence of the Moniteur is comforting.
Aimery, too, does not write; however, he is known
to be in good health and about to get his lieu-
tenancy. Charles de Flahault wrote to this effect.
Thus, all the mothers and wives of my acquaint-
ance are tolerably tranquil at present. I saw M.
de Tascher, the senator, yesterday; he seemed
very anxious about his son, of whom he has heard
nothing. He is sub-lieutenant in General Soult's
division. Perhaps if Deschamps were to write a
line as if from the Empress, he might get an
answer. I was touched by the poor father's affec-
tion and solicitude for his son.
*
* A kinsman of the Empress. His son was a peer of France.
250
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Madame Simons* is waiting for your permission
for the Français to join the other theatres in a
performance for the benefit of her father. She
has already M. de Luçay's permission for the Salle
Favart and Duport. "Manlius" is to be the play,
but Talma is waiting for orders from you. Do not
delay.
XCV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, November 2, 1806.
We have just received the news of the Emperor's
arrival at Berlin,† and Alix has at last got a
letter from her husband, written from Potsdam.
There is something very remarkable in the mar-
vellous good fortune of the Emperor, which is so
constant to him both in great and little things.
It is said he arrived at Potsdam on the same
day as that on which, a year before, the Emperor
* Madame Simons-Candeille, a daughter of Candeille, a
former singer and composer of operas, was born in 1767. After
coming out at the Opera, she became sociétaire of the Comédie
Française, which she soon quitted in order to act in plays
written by herself" La Belle Fermière" among others, which
had a great success. She was divorced from her first husband,
and subsequently married M. Simons, a Belgian merchant, who
had come to Paris expressly to prevent his son from marrying
an actress, a Mademoiselle Lange. She died in 1834.
† On October 27, 1806.
FALSE HOPES OF PEACE.
251
of Russia had arrived there, and it is no small
thing, nor unworthy of record, that both should
have slept with the same year in Frederick's
palace. We hear that there are rumours of peace
in the army. It is also reported here. What is
thought at Mayence?
•
war.
XCVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, November 5, 1806.
Besides
I am very sorry to hear what you say about the
We simple folks had imagined that one
lesson would have been enough for the King of
Prussia, and that he would have wanted to make
peace. Now we must resolve upon fresh victories;
but my heart is heavy when I think of the Em-
peror penetrating further into distant countries,
and bearing with him the fate of us all.
this, what sad separations must be entailed by the
continuance of war, and how slowly time will drag
along away from you, although life will be pass-
ing none the less swiftly! You are not a soldier;
your desires are moderate; your tastes are for
civil and family life; and yet for five months of
this year, and for seven of last year, we have been
parted, and I have never been able to accustom
myself to the solitude of heart in which your
absence leaves me. I think I could feel more
resigned if I were the wife of a general. At any
252
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
rate, I could not reasonably object to the kind of
life I lead. Yesterday was Charles' fête day. I
shed tears when I gave him my blessing; it
seemed incomplete without yours, which has twice
been wanting on this anniversary.
Mon ami, my sorrow is renewed every moment.
Alone or in society, at home or abroad, you are
always present to my mind, and, alas! I find you
nowhere. Whether I am grieving or enjoying
myself, I feel that I want to share every thought
with you. To-day, for instance, I have longed for
you all day. My mother and I have decided on
giving no dinners during the month, but every
fortnight we shall invite about a dozen persons
to spend the evening. On this occasion we have
had Madame de Vintimille, MM. Lavalette,
Pasquier, Dorion,* Molé, Morellet, Bertrand, and
Desfaucherets. There was some good talk; my
mother was in unusually good spirits, quite ani-
mated and brilliant; conversation did not flag for
a moment. I must tell you that M. de Lavalette
made himself most agreeable, and that he is quite
an acquisition. There is delicacy in his wit,
modesty in his speech, and straightforwardness
in his manner that make him very prepossessing.
I was wishing for you among all these pleasant
people, and you would have enjoyed the conversa-
tion. I could not help thinking, when it was most
animated, of a curious feature of our social life.
At this moment a number of our fellow-creatures
* M. Dorion wrote two poems, "La Bataille d'Hastings"
and "La Chute de Palmyre."
M. DE NANSOUTY.
253
are wearing themselves out in marching and
watching, or are fighting unto death, to procure
for us an opportunity of talking idly at our fire-
sides about all the trifles to which we choose to
attach importance. I was struck by the mobility
of our impressions and the strange incoherence
of our ideas. At first we were all depressed by
the news of the prolongation of the war; its
possible chances filled us with alarm; but by
degrees these feelings wore off, and presently, in
pursuit of I know not what ideas, we were far
away from war and politics, and entirely engrossed
in fine-spun dissertations on sentiments and
thoughts that one would have imagined could
only have been interesting in times of profound
peace and entire exemption from real trouble.
M.
We have heard from Aimery; he is well.
de Nansouty has written also; he says he is in a
state of stupefaction at the total disappearance of
an army so fair to the eye, and that he thought so
excellent. You remember his old admiration for
Prussian cavalry, and you can imagine his satis-
faction at having defeated it. His wife is now
going to be miserable again, after having been
tolerably at ease. Glory is a poor solace for
heartache, and the tears of women record the
triumphs of masculine pride.
If you have nothing to do, tell us which suffers
most from ennui, a clever man, a fool, or a
brute? We could arrive at no conclusion this
evening on the subject.
254
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
XCVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, November 9, 1806.
I am at my sister's, mon ami, and sitting by a
good fire, with my desk on my knees, near a little
table in a little green room that you know. While
I write, Alix is singing, and her sweet voice blends
with the emotion that always fill my soul when I
am thus communing with you.
Paris is illuminated. The Te Deum was sung
this morning. Alix was warmly congratulated
yesterday at the Archchancellor's, and Princess
Caroline was good enough to send her word that
the Grand-Duke of Berg speaks highly of her
husband. This is the reward of some of her tears,
if indeed there can be any compensation for the
absence of one we love, except his return. Is it
true the Empress is coming back, and, if true,
what does it mean? This is the question, and
people draw from it either good or evil auguries,
according as they are most inclined to fear or
hope. In any case, it seems to me she would do
well not to desert Paris. Her presence would
restore a little life, and do away with the prevalent
discontent.
Your reflections on the wonders of this last
campaign seem very just. There is something
in the Emperor's fortune that confounds ordinary
MONOTONY.
255
ideas, and is, so to speak, above them. One feels
carried away and almost stunned; and yet he
seems to be raised so far above circumstances that
one has no right to be terrified at the dangers to
which he exposes himself, and still less to fix the
limit at which he should stop. Yet it makes
one's heart heavy to think of the terrible distance
which now separates him from us. May God be
with him, and preserve him to us! This is my
constant prayer.
on
While he, with the finest part of the French
nation, is marching onwards to glory, we are vege-
tating here in great monotony. There is very
little going on; people are living to themselves
and giving no invitations. My mother and I go
out very little, but are always "at home"
Mondays and Fridays. Our friends, knowing this,
come to us on those days, and we have pleasant
talks until ten o'clock, or eleven at latest, when
every one retires to rest. Madame de Vintimille,
who is very attentive to us this year, seldom fails
to come, and makes herself very agreeable. M.
Pasquier is her faithful attendant, and ours too.
He starts our subjects, discusses, and decides
them. Lemercier refines and sometimes obscures;
my mother contributes her charming humour ;
Bertrand and the abbé condemn them for the
most part as twaddle, all the more so as this
year, I don't know why, we seem to turn naturally
to sentimental questions. For instance, we were
discussing the day before yesterday which should
have the pre-eminence in love-the man or woman
256
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
who sees faults in the beloved but loves on, or he
who is so blind as to take faults for qualities?
If you have nothing to do, send us your opinion,
and also some bouts rimés. By-the-by, what are
you doing with your own talents? How is your
German getting on?
•
XCVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, November 10, 1806.
We have heard a report that Magdeburg* has
been taken, and we are expecting official news.
We know nothing about the armies, and imagine
nothing for ourselves; the general inertia seems.
to extend even to our thoughts. I think that
the German campaign of last year was more
stirring, though less miraculous, than this one.
It is true that the Emperor has accustomed us
to wonders. On speaking of this to Fontanes a
few days ago, I asked him what he would contrive
to say this time on the Emperor's return, and
he owned that he did not think he should be
able to find words worthy of such great deeds.
"History," he said, "can show us nothing like
them; it is no longer possible to read it." I
* Magdeburg was taken on November 8. The Emperor had
been at Berlin from October 27.
HOCHET'S DUEL.
257
do not agree with him on the latter point, and
I confess that I consider it, on the contrary, the
most useful reading of the day. Thanks to your
son, I am going through a course of ancient
history again, and I make numberless comparisons,
which are interesting and at the same time instruc-
tive. Only it seems to me that we of the present
century are, as it were, in the secret of things,
and that in searching into past times we are like
those persons who, instead of remaining in the
pit, look at the play from behind the scenes.
are nearer; we see the machinery, and we do but
admire the more, because we must needs, in a
nation like ours, make use of some that is con-
siderably rusty. But I must pause, for my subject
would lead me far, and I should probably lose my
way.
We
To return to our own circle.
own circle. I don't know
whether the story of Hochet's duel has reached
you. He took it into his head to say
* in a
feuilleton that Chazet made a trade of his talents,
and, in fact, it is asserted that he lends his name
to young writers for a consideration. Chazet
asked Hochet for an explanation; they fought,
and Chazet received a wound in the chest. He
has been spitting blood since. This affair has
greatly raised Hochet in the estimation of society;
* M. Hochet, a very agreeable man of letters, was a friend of
Madame de Stael's. He died at eighty-six or eighty-seven years
of age, in 1857. His adversary in the duel was Alissan de
Chazet, a well-known writer, then and subsequently, of vaude-
villes, and a collaborateur with Désangiers.
S
258
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSA T.
but I, who am at times, as you know, a reasonable
and reasoning being-I can only regard Hochet as a
writer who did not confine himself to purely literary
subjects in his feuilletons, as he should have done.
Some of the Abbé Morellet's friends want him to
follow Hochet's example, and to send a challenge
to Geoffroy; but our abbé's eighty winters dispense
him from this new style of literary discussion.
By the way, he is much changed this winter. Old
age has come upon him at last. He is dull and
drowsy; sometimes of an evening Cousin Pas-
quier's voice rouses him for a moment, but he is
not strong enough for argument, and sinks back
grumbling into his armchair.
XCIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, Saturday, November 15, 1806.
There is a great discussion going on at the
Academy just now. Maury, who, as you know, is
to pronounce the panegyric on Target, insists on
being addressed as Monseigneur in the reply.
The matter makes a great stir. Some say it is
against the custom, and that the republic of
letters must be maintained. The cardinal declares
he will not put his foot in the academic temple
unless he is addressed by his title. The amusing
part is that D'Alembert formerly wrote a grand
AN ACADEMIC DISPUTE.
259
letter in support of that very equality, and that
it is the philosophers who contend for the Mon-
seigneur against the Chéniers, Regnaults, etc.
The question is to be referred to the Emperor,
and in the midst of all his war triumphs he will
be appealed to on this important point. Vanitas!
But, as you know, vanity is to be found every-
where, even in Christian humility, from which,
however, our modern prelates hold themselves dis-
creetly aloof.*
How good it is of you to speak as you do of
our boy, and of my care of him! I replace you as
well as I can, but he is advancing, and I am no
longer sufficient; he requires a masculine hand
over him. He is making some progress, and I am
taking pains with him, but do not think that I
help him so much as I did a year ago. I am quite
convinced it is necessary that he should learn to
depend on himself, and he now studies alone much
more. Only I watch him to see that he works,
and keep him in my room, where I know that he
wastes no time. As for the taking up of my
own, how could it be better employed? What
other object should I have in life? Rousseau
says somewhere that when women have become
mothers, they should forbid themselves the taste
for study, and, laying all theories aside, regulate
the employment of the day solely with relation to
the education of their children. I am very far
indeed from such perfection, for I have many
hours to myself, and waste them on the frivolous
* This discussion is related with fuller details in the Memoirs.
260
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
occupations habitual to us women. Albert is
growing strong; he talks away, in a language
which he has invented for himself, and which is
only understood by a select few. His deafness is
against him; but I feel sure it will disappear when
he gets rid of the eruption, which is so trying to
him, and I wait patiently for this. He has a
sweet disposition, so affectionate and gentle. Both
little fellows are made of right good stuff.
To prove to you, however, that I still find time
for serious reading, I must tell you that hearing
Montesquieu constantly quoted in our circle, I
looked for his works, and the first time I opened
them I came upon the following phrase, which
seems to me of good omen :-"A conquest may
destroy injurious prejudices, and place, if I may
venture to say so, a nation under a better genius.
I can say nothing better than this. When you
are at home, if you have time, I will read Mon-
tesquieu again with you. You can explain many
things to me, and that will please me much.
C.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, November 18, 1806.
The quarrel at the Academy is still going on.
Cardinal Maury sticks to his Monseigneur out of
respect to his office, and there is hot discussion.
CARDINAL MAURY.
261
Would you believe that some persons are so un-
reasonable as to want to compel him to wear the
green coat instead of his cardinal's robes? This
absurdity has made a sensation which will scarcely
surprise you, knowing as you do our French
ardour about trifles. It is really surprising how
we let great and important things slide, and excite
ourselves about nothing at all. I am often re-
minded of Alcibiades' dog's tail, only just now it
would serve not to amuse, but to wake us up. For
want of something better to say I may tell you
that Lemercier read his comedy "Le Faux
Bonhomme" to us two days ago. Fleury's illness
delays its performance. Madame de Vintimille,
who was eager to hear it, had begged that favour
of the author, and he read before a select circle,
who pretended to be pleased, but were, as usual,
very dissatisfied.
dissatisfied. There are none of his favourite
eccentricities in this last production, but there is
a decided want of strength and action, half-drawn
characters, tasteless lines; and yet, with all these
defects, there are a few pretty portraits, some
clever observations on society, and some well-
arranged scenes. This is my opinion, but keep it
to yourself. He read it admirably. You know
how he reads; it is a pleasure to hear him. Mean-
while Lafond has taken possession of the stage
and draws good houses. He succeeded admirably
in "La Métromanie." I was quite delighted with
it, and remembered that you had predicted a
success in that rôle for him. This recollection
was with me all the evening. I welcome all such;
262 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
they brighten and comfort my loneliness. I cannot
say that they make it gay, for I always end by
weeping in secret. Your tripot is not doing
badly; it is not deserted, and, notwithstanding the
emptiness of Paris and the war, it is better
attended than last year. The princesses are said
to be reconciled. Things were rather serious for a
moment; Mademoiselle Contat seems to have made
up her mind to remain.
I much wish to know whether you have heard
from M. de Talleyrand, and what is to become of
you. We hear all sorts of contradictory reports.
The Emperor, it is said, after settling the army in
winter quarters, will return to Paris, to ascertain
for himself how all is going on, and after a short
stay will again leave us. A King of Poland is also
mentioned. Now he is Prince Jérôme; again, the
Elector of Saxony or Prince Charles. Yesterday
it was reported that the Queen of Prussia had
poisoned herself in despair, etc. Such are the
rumours in Paris. The details given in to-day's
bulletins are very remarkable. It looks to me as
if there were no more Prussians to fear, and that
they have paid dearly for their imprudence. M.
Molé has received a most comical letter from
Frederick Houdetôt. He writes from Berlin, where
he had been for five days at the date of his letter,
and had not been able to see anybody. The
ministers have not yet received him. He is stay-
ing at an inn, not knowing what he is to do, frozen,
solitary, and so ignorant of what is going on, that
he begs we will keep some Moniteurs for him, so
DREARINESS OF BERLIN.
263
that he may be able at a future day to fill up the
hiatus. He says that Berlin presents a most
peaceable appearance, and that his journey seems
to him like a dream. Meanwhile, his cousin here.
is immersed in the pleasures of contentious-
ness.
November 18.
I reopen my letter to say that M. Pasquier has
just come to tell me that the Archchancellor wrote
to the Emperor to ask for auditors. They are to
be appointed. Your nephew is anxious to be one
of them. If you can write to the Archchancellor,
it must be done immediately. I would place the
letter in his hands.
Just as I was closing this, Charles brought me
in a letter for you.
Hewrote it quite by himself,
and it is very clever. I am really sorry not to send
it to you, but I fear it might get lost, and the child
has innocently entered into certain domestic details
that I should not like to be made known. But as
I do not like to disappoint him by saying I cannot
send it, will you answer him as if you had received
it, and tell him that you are obliged for the news
he gives you concerning all of us; that you are very
glad Halma is pleased with him; that his Latin
quotations are good, and his judgment of Philip,
King of Macedonia, correct--for he tells you he has
just been reading the life of that king in Rollin's
History. I will keep his letter for you; my
maternal vanity is delighted with it. In all
respects there could not be a more charming
child..
264
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, November 20, 1806.
For the last few days it has been rumoured that
their Majesties are returning, and that the army
is settled in winter quarters in the north. How I
hope it may be so! How much we need to be
roused from the lethargy in which we are plunged
by the absence of you all! Princess Caroline,
whom I saw yesterday, told me she hopes that we
shall see the Emperor back again this winter. I
went to her early in the day, and she was good
enough to take me all over the handsomest and
most elegant house in Paris.* Her State apart-
ments are not yet finished; but part of the ground-
floor is furnished most sumptuously, the garden is
charming, and when one recollects the ruinous
state of the place only a year ago, its sudden
metamorphosis seems almost miraculous. The
princess leads a very quiet life, receiving but few
guests, very rarely giving large dinner-parties, and
never going out herself. The Archchancellor alone
continues to give great receptions. Talking of the
Archchancellor reminds me to say, but with no ill
meaning, Madame Devaines has returned from the
country, refreshed and rejuvenated. She loves it
* The Palace of the Elysée in the Rue du Faubourg St.
Honoré.
M. AZAÏS
265
more than ever-intends giving up the world, and
fashionable dress, and living in the fields. She
can only talk of her trees. No more dinner-parties,
nor visitings; only nature, the song of birds,
delicious shade of trees, and perfect peace-she
wants nothing beyond. Some of her friends think
she is mistaken, but I am quite of her mind. At
her age one must live quietly if one would inspire
respect. Madame de Souza is still here, out of
health and rather lonely. She is anxious about
Charles; not a word about M. de Souza. Madame
de Labriche has returned; Madame d'Houdetôt
is expected at the end of the month.
Madame Pastoret is full of an individual who
has just arrived here and is causing some sensa-
tion. Do you remember hearing, about a year ago,
that Madame Cottier had met in the Pyrenees a
sublime creature-a religious philosopher, who had
reached the heights of contemplation, and intended
bringing out a book that was to settle all discord,
religious and moral? The name of this person is
M. Azaïs.* He is here; his book is published,
and discussion goes on just as usual, except about
his book, which is said to be utterly absurd. His
† Azaïs was born in 1766 and died in 1845. He was at first
a Professor at the Prytanée de St. Cyr. He was the author, as
everybody knows, of a system of philosophy and physics which
explained all the vicissitudes of human destiny by the law of
Compensation, and the phenomena of nature by the law of Equi-
librium. He was Inspector of Libraries under the Empire. His
first work, "Des Compensations dans les Destinées Humaines,"
was published in 1806. At a later period he wrote his "Système
Universel" and a "Cours de Philosophie Générale," in eight
volumes.
266 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
principle is that the immortality of good is the
explanation of the universe. He proves this truth
by the physical system of the world, and is foolish
enough to try and upset Newton's theories, etc.
Our men of science, who deny all his assertions,
have referred him to the theologians, who will have
nothing to say to him. He is now patronized by
the metaphysicians, and women, or at least a few
women, are upholding him, because of their "taste
for the unintelligible," as M. de Saint-Lambert
used to say. Madame Pastoret, who has a turn
that way, has made the acquaintance of M. Azaïs,
and has invited me to meet him at breakfast. I
shall represent the audience, as you may suppose,
and expect to be much amused. Azaïs wants to
see the Emperor; he says they are equals in the
moral world, and should stand by each other. He
is said to be a fine speaker; his imagination is
ardent, his manner animated, and his nonsense
very clever.
CII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, November 24, 1806.
Never have I sat down to my desk to write to
you so sorrowfully. My heart aches at what I am
about to say, but imperious reason counsels it,
and, whatever the cost, I must accustom myself
A SACRIFICE.
267
not to oppose reason. I have just received your
last letter; it made me weep, and I was as much
affected as you in reading your words, "We are
parted for a long while." The worst of your
position is that you are equally far from the
Emperor and from your home. I think, therefore,
that if his Majesty prolongs his stay in Prussia,
you should make up your mind to ask leave to
join him. My tears are falling; I know not how
I shall endure such an increase of distance between
us, nor the fear of all the accidents you may meet
with on your journey, but every one tells me that
our interests require this sacrifice, and I submit.
I advise it, and I have now done my duty. But,
nevertheless, I cannot help saying that every
other consideration would vanish in the joy that
I should feel, were you to receive orders to come
to me. Oh, my beloved, how grievous is this long
absence! What a life is mine, passed far from
you! What a loss of happy days for which neither
rank nor riches can ever compensate!
You are quite right in thinking Paris was
startled by that bulletin.* Some few wise persons
concede the necessity of finishing the war once
for all; but the masses are opposed to it, and,
moreover, at present we only feel the misfortunes
of war.
The Emperor's return had been looked
for; it is now no longer expected, and great dis-
* The bulletin which produced a bad impression was probably
the Emperor's proclamation to the army, announcing new enter-
prises and new dangers, and promising fresh laurels. It was
written from Potsdam on October 26, 1806.
268 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
appointment is experienced. The necessity of the
Empress's presence is therefore very strongly felt,
and this should be explained to her. It would put
a little life into this dead city, and show that she
takes some interest in its welfare. For my part,
I believe that her return is absolutely necessary.
I cannot understand her reasons for wishing to
remain at Mayence. Here she would get all the
news almost as quickly, and would be quite as
quiet; for the moral atmosphere is not gay, and
all is dull and depressed.
Cardinal Maury's Monseigneur business is not
yet over. I was present at a curious but rather
ill-timed scene on this subject last Friday. It
occurred at Princess Caroline's. She had had a
dinner-party of about thirty people, and a recep-
tion in the evening.
The cardinal and I were
both at the dinner. At nine o'clock M.
At nine o'clock M. Regnault
room."
de Saint-Jean d'Angely makes his appearance (he,
as you know, is one of those most opposed to the
title). "Monsieur," says the cardinal, "I wish
to say a word to you. Let us go into another
"I must have witnesses," replies Reg-
nault. This annoys the cardinal, among whose
virtues, as you know, patience is not included,
and he begins to complain. Regnault answers
sourly, and the abbé waxes wroth. "I
"I suppose
you don't recollect," he says, "that in the Con-
stituent Assembly I treated you more than once
like a little boy. If my name were Montmorency
I should despise your refusal, but it is my literary
merit only that has made me what I am, and if
M. LAFOND.
269
I gave up the Monseigneur, you would be calling
me mon camarade the next day. Now, this I will
nót have." He was red and angry, and Regnier
in a great passion. Everybody crowded round
them, and the princesses, who were at cards in
an adjoining room, sent several times to request
silence. No one knows how it will all end. There
is but one precedent, that of Fontenelle; he
understood academic equality well, and yet he
addressed Cardinal Dubois as Monseigneur and
your Eminence. But the new Academicians say
that the times are altered. Possibly; but men
are not, say I.
I have just been interrupted by a visit from
Lafond, who had asked me for an interview. He
appeals to you because his theatrical dresses for
the comedy have cost him a large sum. He really
deserves some recompense,
recompense, and if you cannot
grant it, at least write him a few words of en-
couragement and hopefulness. He had a great
success in "La Métromanie," and will, no doubt,
prove an excellent actor of high comedy. He is
going to act "Le Glorieux,"* and he draws houses.
at your theatre at a time when it is not easy to
do so. Talma, too, it is said, is going to try
comedy, but I do not believe it. Lafond seemed
to doubt, but not to fear his doing so.
moiselle Duchesnois has asked me to obtain your
leave for her to go and see her mother, and
also permission to give a performance at Valen-
ciennes. Pray answer me on this subject.
* A comedy by Destouches.
Made-
270 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, Wednesday, November 26, 1806.
I wrote to you yesterday, advising you to ask
permission to go to Berlin. I believed myself pre-
pared for this additional trial. I stifled
I stifled my tears
and my sorrow, but all this show of courage has
vanished on reading the letter I have just received.
The idea of your departure has completely upset
me. I think of the immense distance, of the bad
roads, and the severe weather! My heart is break-
ing. You will go; I feel it must be so; and I,
your poor wife, must brood over my anxieties by
my dull fireside, all alone, with no hope of your
speedy return. For, since the Empress also goes, it
must be that the Emperor is to be long absent
from us, perhaps all the winter. I cannot reconcile
myself to this, and my tears are falling as I sit
here alone. Sometimes I think I will go to
Mayence and ask the Empress's leave to accom-
pany her. And then I banish the idea, because
we must not both leave our children. I have been
separated from you five months of this year, and
seven of last, and who can tell what the future
may have in store for me! All my life is in your
hands, my beloved! Take care of your health,
therefore; do not add to my anxieties; and if you
go, write as often as possible, so as to spare me all
THE QUARREL AT THE INSTITUTE.
271
the misery you can. What can I say to you
besides? I have no courage to speak of anything
else. Yet I cherish one hope still-hope in the
armistice, which you do not mention. This may,
perhaps, change the Emperor's plans, and bring
him back to us. If so, the Empress would not go
to Berlin; and to this straw I cling. Moreover,
Paris is in real need of her sovereigns, and their
further journeyings will have an additionally de-
pressing effect. Charles regets very much that
he is not a few years older; for then he says he
would go with you; and I would let my own
youth vanish without regret so that I might see
that of my son. I think he would not accompany
you, for you would stay with me, cher ami-with
me, who would have desired never to spend one
single day out of your dear presence, and am
reduced to counting the endless number that
begin and end without you!
Adieu. I am too sad to write more, and I blame
myself for adding to your regrets. We must
submit to what is imposed on you by duty.
CIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, November 29, 1806.
The quarrel is still raging at the Institute.
Maury and Regnault are abusing each other.
272 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Neither the one nor the other includes moderation
among apostolic virtues or magisterial qualities.
The Abbé Morellet, whom I saw the day before
yesterday, is greatly displeased with the recent
sittings of the Academy, and especially with a
proposition made two days ago by Lacuée,* to
deliberate on the question whether the Emperor
can or cannot decide the great business of the
Monseigneur. Our abbé considers there is a lack
of respect in such a discussion, and I think the
remark is just. The point will be decided on
Thursday. Meanwhile the cardinal tells every-
body that he cares very little for the Institute,
and he imports into the dispute, really a very
trivial one, a degree of violence which gives him
the appearance of being in the wrong. Don't you
think it absurd that the Emperor should be dis-
turbed from the great questions that absorb him
by all these paltry vanities?
The Empress's departure for Berlin is becoming
known here, and is greatly regretted. It is said
openly that the Emperor will not return this
winter. I still hope that nothing is settled, or how
many more days of sadness and ennui will have to
be endured! I await letters from you with im-
patience, and try to believe you will not write, "I
am going."
Nearly all our friends have returned; Madame
* Lacuée de Cesson, who was born in 1752 and died in 1841,
had been in the army. His writings are exclusively on the art
of war.
He belonged to the class of moral and political science,
and to the class of languages and literature, viz. to the French
Academy, from the year 1803.
SAFETY IN INDOLENCE.
273
d'Houdetôt is expected on Monday. We shall
begin our Wednesdays at once, and you will be
much missed. You already know how I shall pass
my time; I shall be much at home, for, in default
of other pleasures, I can enjoy my favourite lazi-
ness, which I regard as almost as good a defence
for women as virtue, but not nearly so good as
love. I am afraid you will not admire this remark.
Fortunately, you are tolerably sure, I think, of
those three safeguards, and you can scarcely object
to my preferring the latter.
CV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, December 5, 1806.
I know not what to think of our future. War is
reviving; the foreign kings seem struck with blind-
ness. The measures taken by the Emperor are too
imposing to be judged by the ordinary standards of
human reason. The worst is that people are not
sufficiently convinced of the insufficiency of their
judgment in times like these, and everybody inves-
tigates, thinks, and concludes according to his own
mind or his own interests. I admit that this
makes society distasteful to me; the issues involved
in the coming events of this winter are too great
for me to endure with patience the arguments of
a crowd of idlers who know nothing, and yet are
T
274 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I
always talking and pronouncing judgment.
prefer, therefore, to live in retirement with a few
friends who can understand and sympathize with
me. But even when alone, I am not free from
alarm. The Emperor is so far away, and surrounded
with constantly recurring dangers! Will his good
genius always preserve him? Are the troubles of
France quite at an end? And then yourself? How
long will it be before I see you again? Sometimes
I have the courage to wish you were at Berlin; at
others I wish you were not going to leave Mayence;
but I resist this feeling because it is selfish, and
because it is only I who would suffer from the in-
creased distance between us, while you, in attend-
ance on the Emperor, with more occupation and
feeling yourself useful-you would be happier.
There were momentary hopes here of their
Majesties' return, and now the certainty of their
absence has caused something like consternation.
Paris is like a dead body-it has neither life nor
motion; and as the dulness of our life here, and
your absence, reduce me to the pleasures of reflec-
tion only, I find myself reflecting by my fireside
on the influence-which, though seemingly purely
imaginary at a first glance, is happily very real in fact
that is exercised by one man over a vast crowd
of beings to all appearance like himself. By what
degrees has this result been brought about in the
social order? This would be a curious and in-
teresting study. But it would be very difficult for
my poor brain to consider the subject for any
length of time, nor should I have sufficient capacity,
THE BERLIN DECREE.
275
even were I in perfect health. Yet how can I avoid
serious thought when our interests are all involved
in the question? You may imagine the discussions
that are held concerning the last decree against
trade with England.* Ah! mon ami, it is neither
pleasant nor easy to govern mankind !
I have not yet met M. Azaïs. You shall
have an accurate account of him, since he interests
you. The party has been put off on account of my
health, and I am glad of it, for I think one must
want a clear head to launch into metaphysics.
You have probably seen by the newspapers the
new resolution that has been taken by the Institute.
It now seems that the final decision does rest with
the Emperor. Did I tell you Cardinal Maury
informed an acquaintance of mine that, having
been for a moment tempted to publish his sermons,
he had read them over, and then burned them
without mercy, as too philosophical?
Adieu; my head is aching, and I must take
some rest. I think it is very polite of you to learn
German; to my mind, it is for foreigners to learn
French.
* This was the Berlin decree that placed the British Isles in
a state of blockade, forbade all trade or correspondence with
them, and declared all property belonging to British subjects
confiscated.
276
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, December 12, 1806.
I could not let Madame de Lagrange * leave Paris
without giving her a small packet for you, and as
this is a safe opportunity, I send your son's letter,
which I did not like to trust to the post. You will
see how clever it is; and it is entirely his own.
You answered it charmingly, and he has no idea but
that you received it long ago. You will tell me
what you think of it.†
* Madame de Lagrange was the daughter of Madame de
Talhouët, one of the Ladies-in-Waiting.
† It is certainly an abuse of the liberty granted to an editor
of private correspondence, to publish the letter of a child of nine
years old. Unless, however, I am greatly mistaken, the interest
attaching to the development of this youthful mind, which from
the first was so remarkable, and which was destined to become
so famous, is one of the attractions of this correspondence. The
incident also furnishes an additional instance of the terror
inspired by the Emperor's police, and the resolution taken by
my grandmother not to forward the letter by the ordinary post,
affords an explanation of much of her reticence, and also of
many expressions which seem out of harmony with her later
writings. The following is the letter, which I have already
given in a note to the Memoirs :—
"Wednesday.
"I beg your pardon, my dear papa, for not having written to
you sooner. Mamma told you probably of Gustave's accident;
he is a little better. We are all quite well. I have been to the
Musée. The pictures I like best are 'Jeanne de Navarre' and
those by Richard. I do not like the Deluge' much. M.
PROJECTS AND REASONS.
277
I grieve to see by your letters that you are
so very dull, and I sometimes think that if this
lasts I ought to ask leave to join you, and I might
perhaps obtain it. But I will not conceal from
you that it would be painful for me in many ways
to do this. The greatest difficulty would be the
cost, which I am not well able to meet at present;
then the children, Charles especially, who requires
a stricter supervision than my mother's, and,
besides, she very naturally dislikes the post of
governess; and, lastly, my health, though I do not
think it would suffer materially. Therefore, if at
any moment you consider my presence desirable,
just say the word and I will take the necessary
steps. Does the Empress ever mention the sub-
ject? You can reply without going into particulars,
for we ought to be very prudent in our correspond-
ence, and, if I may say so, I think you are not
sufficiently cautious. There are sometimes philo-
sophical sentiments in your letters which might
give offence. It is an additional sorrow not to be
able even to write to each other freely at such a
distance, but we must make up our minds to every
Halma is pleased with me; I work harder than I did at Auteuil.
We often go to see my aunt; she is not very gay, because she
feels anxious. We hear that the Emperor is everywhere
victorious, and that we shall march into Berlin as we did into
Vienna. His conquests are worse than those of Alexander or
Cyrus. That line of Phèdre may be applied to Paris: Humiles
laborant ubi potentes dissident. I am now reading in Rollin
about Alexander and Demosthenes. I do not like Philip; he is
too ambitious. But I love you better than all of them. Adieu,
my dear papa.
"CHARLES."
278 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
sacrifice, and hope that this one may procure us a
long peace. Peace! it is scarcely hoped for here.
Discontent and discouragement prevail everywhere;
people suffer and complain openly. This campaign
does not produce a quarter of the effect of the last.
There is neither admiration nor even astonishment;
we have become accustomed to miracles; the
bulletins receive no applause when read at the
theatres; in short, the universal feeling is bad-I
might even say it is unjust, for it may happen to
the strongest men to be led farther than they wish
to go by circumstances, and I cannot believe that
a superior mind will seek for glory in war alone.
Add to this, the conscription and the last new
decree on commerce! All these things are pabulum
for our ill-wishers, who judge of them unreasonably,
and see nothing but the effects of passion in the
measures I speak of. I am far from presuming to
judge them, but in spite of all I hear, I must needs
admire and rely on the power that is arbiter of
the fate of all those I hold dear.
You will write to me as soon as you are able
after receiving this letter. I could not resist the
opportunity of conversing freely with you. It is
sad to spend my life thus in suspense and separa-
tion; sometimes even displeased with friends who
do not share opinions that I believe to be right
because they are moderate.
depress, agitate, or disturb me.
All these things
The future alarms
me, and I long for you to restore me to calmness
and hope.
M. AZAÏS.
279
CVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, December 14, 1806.
Well, I have at last seen this M. Azaïs,
and, after hearing him talk for three hours, I was
inclined to say, as Portalis said of La Harpe, that
my throat was sore with listening to him. The
man is certainly mad, and all the more so that he
has missed his age, and in this one will neither
obtain the altar he thinks he deserves, nor the
persecution for which he is prepared. Picture to
yourself a thin and pale individual of about fifty,
dreamy and cold in manner, indifferent to all con-
vesation except on his own subject, ignorant of
what is taking place in the world. He rouses
himself only when a certain chord is struck; that
chord is his system of philosophy. Then he rises
from his seat, his countenance brightens, he begins
to explain. Nothing can then stop him; he goes
on for two, three, and four hours without a break.
He speaks with great facility, his elocution is ad-
mirable, and his own conviction intense. To any
and every objection he only replies, "You will
believe me when you have read my ten volumes,"
and it is said that in these ten volumes he has
explained, or tried to explain, all that the learned
have merely discovered. He opposes Newton and
all the physicists, he upsets parts of the astronomi-
cal system, he regulates the universe according to
280
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
his own ideas, so as to arrive at his favourite prin-
ciple and only aim, which is to prove that order
and virtue are necessary to the organic system of
the world, and that the health of mankind will
improve in proportion to the number of their good
actions. He asserts that this system of morality
thus brought within the reach of every one, will
triumphantly take the place of religion, now on
the decline, and of the authority of government.
While talking, he reveals his belief in a first cause
whom he calls the great proprietor. Beyond this,
he is quite a materialist-holds the soul to be only
a collection of ideas; ideas themselves to be but
bodies produced in us by the concurrence of I
forget what fluids, which form in our brain the
image of the object that has struck us.
But I feel I must now take breath. I will
return to this extraordinary man on another occa-
sion. I am rather glad, on the whole, to have
heard him talk; for, notwithstanding the fragile
foundation of his theories, he is so clever in find-
ing proofs, and so fertile in their expression, that
he excites interest. Our men of science will have
nothing to do with him. He appeals to posterity
and to the Emperor, with whom he claims equality
in the moral world. The guests at breakfast
were Pasquier, Molé, and Dorion; they held their
own well in the discussion. Madame Pastoret
talked very cleverly. As for me, I could not
venture to meddle with such matters, but I made
my own private reflections on the curious mania
which leads mankind to wander in search of all
THE EMPEROR PAUL.
281
the mysteries surrounding them, while they fail to
understand themselves in almost all the circum-
stances of life.
GENERAL
LIBRARY
sty o
CIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, December 23, 1806.
The Empress's return is still looked for here, but
I do not hope for it, and I think that for the next
few months I shall escape the grief of disappoint-
ment, for I am not caught in any of the snares
laid by hope for others.
I wish for you, my
dearest, but dare not expect you. Alix heard
yesterday from her husband. She had had no
news of him for a month, and was in an anxious
state. He is in good health, and stationed beyond
Posen, far from head-quarters, with which com-
munication is difficult. May Heaven watch over
him and bring him back to us!
I met a person yesterday who was at St. Peters-
burg at the time of the death of Paul I., and who
gave me some curious particulars. Poland re-
minds me of them, because Benningsen,* now
in command of the Russians, was the man who
struck the first blow. The task was entrusted to
* Count Benningsen, a Russian general, born in 1745, died
in 1826.
282
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
him, and he took the lead of the conspirators,
who all felt a momentary panic on entering
the apartments of the Czar. Benningsen en-
couraged them, and knocked down the hussar on
guard at the door. The man's cries warned the
Emperor, who sprang from his bed, and hid behind
a screen. The murderers entered the room, and
not seeing him, wanted to withdraw; their chief
ordered them to remain, searched everywhere, and
at last caught sight of part of the Emperor's
clothing which projected beyond the screen. Seiz-
ing him by the hair, he dragged him to the
middle of the room and struck the first blow
with his dagger; the others then finished him.
And this man is now commanding Alexander's
army! He is a bad man, incapable of the least
generosity, cruel to his enemies and harsh to his
inferiors, and will incite the Russians to all the
excesses they may commit in their retreat. But
since we
are marching upon him, his hour is
probably near.
In order to revive Paris a little, the princesses
and the Archchancellor have begun to entertain,
and are giving balls. On Sunday the Archchan-
cellor gave one; there were a good many women,
but very few partners for them, and but for a con-
tingent of pages, who were sent for, I don't know
what would have happened. The princesses are
also going to give fêtes, but none of these things
will be pleasure. I am not even sure whether the
contrast of noise and movement with the mood
of the guests, will not increase the melancholy
HOLLOW PLEASURES.
283
caused by the absence of so many beloved ones.
For my own part, my heart ached at sight of the
Emperor's empty chair, and at the thought of the
distance that separates him from us, exposed as he
is to so much fatigue and danger; and with such
feelings, the sound of gaiety and music inclined
me to serious thought, if not to tears. But his
return, his return alone can revive us and make
us susceptible of pleasure by bestowing on us tran-
quillity of mind.
I met some of my colleagues at Cambacérès', but
only a few; we are all rather scattered. Madame
de Serrant is passing the winter at her place in
the country; Madame Talhouët, who came to
Paris for a passing visit, has just returned home,
and can talk only of the delights of rurality ;
Madame de Luçay never leaves St. Gratien, where
M. de Luçay is very happy. His daughter lives
with her mother-in-law, Madame de Ségur.*
Madame Savary is in an interesting condition,
greatly altered, and very much alone. Madame
Duchâtel is in the same state. She looks lovely,
dances, and goes everywhere. I have seen Madame
Brignole; she is a pleasant woman, and I could
get on with her, if our terms of waiting fall to-
gether. If you care to hear the nonsense that is
talked here, I must tell you that people say Madame
de la Rochefoucauld is resigning her place, and
will be succeeded by Madame de Montmorency; †
* Madame de Ségur, wife of the Comte de Ségur, had been
Mademoiselle d'Aguesseau. She was, therefore, aunt to Madame
Octave de Ségur, her son's wife.
† Mademoiselle de Matignon.
284
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
also that the Emperor intends on his return to
appoint a Gouverneur des Princes, and that your
name figures on the list.* I laughed at this last
piece of news. However, if this should be the
case, as seems so likely, pray grant my request
and let me be appointed to give the lessons. Every
day qualifies me better for such a post, and I
venture to say you will be satisfied with my zeal.
CX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, Thursday, December 25, 1806.
I doubt, mon ami, whether my head will be able
to hold all that has been stuffed into it lately, and
unless we take care, I am really afraid that on your
return you will find an office-like air about your
salon, and in my mother and me a likeness to
Catau and Madelon. Within the next week, I
shall have listened to three tragedies, a comedy in
five acts, and an opéra comique. All the rest of
Paris is asleep, but the literary world is awake, and
on account of our position, the smallest scribbler
must endeavour to obtain your protection through
my intervention. Aignant has just finished his
* This appointment of tutor to the princes was not made.
† Aignan, born in 1773, died in 1824, a member of the
French Academy in 1814, was the writer of some translations
and some tragedies. The tragedy mentioned was probably
"}
READING PLAYS.
285
tragedy, and has asked me to name a day for his
reading it; on Friday I am to hear "Les États de
Blois ; M. Dorion keeps a comedy in verse in
his pocket; Duval has finished an opera called
"Joseph," which is highly praised; Madame
Simons, still writing, persecutes me. In vain do
I make excuses; I must not be uncivil, and I
devote myself. Mérotte is amused by this, and
we do our best to deceive all the authors who ask
so disinterestedly for our advice.
The Français is doing pretty well this year.
I think it is the best-attended theatre. They are
acting "Venceslas" successfully; Talma is very
fine in certain parts, but the rest of the play was
badly acted. Lafond continues to act in comedy;
he did not succeed so well in the "Glorieux" as in
the other plays. The public were disappointed, for
they had been looking forward to this impersona-
tion. This proves that it is a mistake to suppose
an actor will represent cleverly a defect or habit
"Brunéhaut ou les Successeurs de Clovis." Raynouard's tragedy
of the "États de Blois was performed before the Court only,
in 1810, and was not acted in public until the Restoration. M.
Dorion was a poet whom my grandfather had met during his
stay at Caûterets. He died in 1829, in his seventy-first year.
He wrote no comedies for the theatre, and only published two
epic poems, now forgotten, "Palmyre Conquise" and "La
Bataille d'Hastings." Alexander Duval, who died in 1842, at
the age of eighty, is the well-known author of a great many
dramas and comedies. He had been a sailor, a soldier, an
engineer, director of the Odéon, and was finally made a member
of the French Academy in 1812. The opera of "Joseph"
remains in the repertory, probably on account of Méhul's music,
though the play is not without interest.
286
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
that resembles his own defects or habits.
For if
he attempts this, he gives way to his natural lean-
ing, exaggerates, and acts badly. Lafond, who is
naturally rather stiff, was altogether heavy in "Le
Glorieux," and Mademoiselle Duchesnois, whose
voice is naturally tender and touching, assumes a
monotonous sing-song in parts which are exclu-
sively pathetic.
I saw M. Dorion yesterday; he told me that M.
de Talleyrand and Maret had been upset in their
carriage in Poland, but nothing serious had ensued.
It seems that the roads are extremely bad and the
climate damp. So far, none of our friends in the
army have suffered from the hardships of the
campaign. By-the-by, have you any news of
M. de Caulaincourt? I have not seen any of his
family, nor have I heard anything of them. If you
are writing to him, say a word or two from me. I
had some thoughts of writing to him myself, but
he has enough to do without having to answer
letters from me. I will write to M. de Talleyrand
so soon as I know the protocol; but I feel it will be
rather a difficult task, and, notwithstanding your
favourable judgment, I must admit that I find it
difficult to write unless I can rely on the sympathy
of my correspondent. I come to a full stop when
I reflect that M. de Talleyrand must be perfectly
indifferent to the subjects on which I usually write,
and which occupy my mind while you are away.
He gives an account of his accident to Madame
Devaines, and reminds her that last year he wrote
to her from Presburg, and this year from Warsaw.
CHARLES AND HIS PLAYFELLOWS.
287
"God knows," he adds, "where I may be next
year!"
Heaven grant he may be in the Rue
d'Anjou ! *
CXI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT MAYENCE.
Paris, December 28, 1806.
I am very glad you have received your
son's letter, and I think you must be pleased with
it; he is going to write to you again to-morrow.
He has long meant to do so, but has some difficulty,
because of his natural indolence, and also because
he is working harder. Halma has thought well to
begin mathematics with him; this makes an addi-
tional task, and, besides, games are the order of the
day. Gustave is quite strong again, and little
Carignan† is a great friend of Charles. He brings
other little friends in of an evening, and they are
* M. de Talleyrand's house was in the Rue d'Anjou St.
Honoré.
†The Princess de Carignan, who was supposed to have
married M. de Montléard, Auditor of the State Council, resided
on the first floor of the house on the Boulevard de la Madeleine.
Her son, Charles Albert, was my father's playfellow and about
the same age. He was tall, ugly, and awkward, and the butt
of his companions. My father and M. de Grasse still laughed
sometimes at these recollections when I was a child. None the
less, however, was he a chivalrous and patriotic king from 1831
to 1840, and the father of the founder of the kingdom of Italy,
the great Victor Emmanuel.
288
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
continually at games and exercises. With all this
our boy's health is good. He grows fast, is strong,
and not too ugly. I sometimes remark a tender
and intelligent look in his eyes that reminds me of
eyes whose expression goes straight to my heart.
When shall I see them again, those eyes that tell
me I am beloved and happy? And oh! how
happy I could be!
We heard "Les États de Blois," at Madame
Pastouret's yesterday. Lafond read the play to a
numerous company. It was thought rather dull,
but well written, and the characters cleverly drawn.
The Duc de Guise is very fine, Henri III. well
portrayed; there is a capital Crillon, and a leaguer
exactly like the Jacobins at the beginning of the
Revolution. The part of Henri IV. contains
several beautiful and pathetic lines, but he harps
too much on his love for the French, and frequently
repeats himself. The style is polished and lofty,
but somewhat cold; in a word, the play is wanting
in action, and it is quite possible that at your
theatre it might only meet with what you call a
succès d'estime.
Mademoiselle Raucourt has returned, and is
going to act in "Pyrrhus." After that a play by
Lemercier will be produced.
The letters of the early part of the year 1807
are almost entirely devoid of general interest.
The correspondence is resumed in July of that
AFTER AN INTERVAL.
289
year, when Madame de Rémusat is at Aix-la-
Chapelle, and associating chiefly with the De
Lameth family. The Russian campaign had not
yet assumed its disastrous character; the battle
of Friedland had been fought on the 14th of June,
1807. An important event had occurred in the
interval over which we pass, i.e. the death of the
eldest son of Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland,
to whom the Law of Heredity had secured the
succession. The child's death, the effect on the
Emperor, the Empress, and Queen Hortense, and
the influence which it exerted in the matter of the
divorce are dwelt upon in the Memoirs at con-
siderable length.
CXXIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
*
Aix-la-Chapelle, July 24, 1807.
I shall now be longing for letters, and suffering
from terrible curiosity. It seems strange to be so
far removed from these great events and important
interests. Lemarrois passed through this place
yesterday on his way to drink the waters at Spa.
While changing horses, he sent us a complimentary
message; I should have much liked to have seen
* General Lemarrois had just been appointed Governor of
Warsaw. He died in 1836.
U
290
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
him and I am rather vexed with him for being in
such a hurry. My neighbour here has received a
letter from the army in a handwriting she does not
know, and without signature, giving her an account
of the principal conditions of peace. We easily
guessed at the writer. By the time you receive
this, I conclude you will be fully informed of
everything, so I will not attempt to tell you any
news.
I passed yesterday evening at the house of a
merchant, who talked a great deal about you.
You accompanied the Emperor, he told me, when
his Majesty visited the factory belonging to this
wealthy and hospitable M. Vermonteu. There
are frequent assemblies at the various merchants'
houses here, and without giving ourselves the
airs of Court ladies, we cannot absent ourselves
from them. I behave admirably, playing at cards
with great courage.
I shall become an expert
whist-player. Happily, my mornings are my own,
and they do not seem so tedious as I feared they
would..
CXXX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, July 26, 1807.
I think by this time the Emperor must be in
Paris. I dreamed last night that I saw him, and
fell weeping on his neck. What a relief it is
AN EMBALMED ARM.
291
to know that he is in Paris, and that peace is
made!
We can now look back and see with astonish-
ment how long we have been walking on the edge
of a precipice. We are safe at last, and the little
speck in the universe, called the earth, is safe
too; for everything depends on that one life. A
few officers have already made their appearance
here, drinking the waters to cure their rheumatism.
By-the-by, I was told yesterday that General Loy-
son, who lost an arm last year, not at Austerlitz,
where he was much exposed to danger, but at a
shooting party, took it into his head to have it
embalmed and fastened by some sort of mechanism
to his shoulder. He says he will not relinquish
anything given him by nature, and he prefers
a dead arm at his side to none at all. Only imagine
the effect this pale, cold hand will produce on any
one who touches it!
There is another young and strikingly handsome
man here, who also lost an arm at Eylau. He
makes no attempt at hiding it, but carries his coat-
sleeve in a sling, and dances all the more gaily,
waltzing, springing, and whirling about. He is
noticed and sought after, while perhaps, had he no
limb wanting, he would not be looked at.
I like the Lameth family. The mother is a
good woman, so is the daughter, and the son-in-
law is excellent. They are a united family and
seem happy, and I like to witness happiness.
Madame de Nicolai's* happiness is the result of a
* M. de Nicolai was Madame de Lameth's son-in-law.
292
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
to
love match; that rascally little god is occasionally
of some use, and I don't think him altogether out
of place in marriage. Are you not of my opinion?
The Prefect is agreeable; he has more talent than
the others, but is not quite so good-natured. He
is, however, most attentive to us. He told me he
had met a retired officer at Digne, who is related
you, and who likes you very much. His name
is Salves or Salles,* or something. He has heard
you much spoken of. How on earth did he
discover that you were a very clever and agreeable
man? He also talked to me of my father, whom
he knew well, and of my mother, who was con-
sidered a very superior woman. I do not know
where he has not lived. He is tolerably popular
here. The people are not very French as yet; time
and tact are needed for this.
Will you be surprised to hear that I am at the
end of the fourth canto of Virgil, at the last letter
but one of my novel, and that I have all but
finished the chair I am working? Moreover, I am
improving on the guitar, and I am a Duc de
Laval at whist. It is only in love for you that I
can make no progress; yet this does not mean
that I am near the end.
I open my letter to give you some news. Is not
this impertinent? But now see how well informed
we are! This is what is reported here. Prince
Jérôme is to be King of Westphalia; Prince Murat,
King of Poland, under the protectorate of Russia;
the Grand-Duke Constantine, King of Servia and
* M. de Salve-Villedieu.
HOPES OF REUNION.
293
Montenegro. This is the last news at Aix-la-
Chapelle. And I love you very much, which is no
news at all.
CXXXIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT ST. CLoud.
Aix-la-Chapelle, August 14, 1807.
Are you quite aware, mon ami, that I start on
my homeward journey to-morrow week? Have
you sympathized with me in my joy at the pre-
parations I am making for my flitting? In truth,
I must give over grumbling either at the few days
I still have to remain here, or even at our separa-
tion. There is something so sweet in the thought
of return, so keenly delightful in the actual home-
coming, that I feel tempted to rejoice in the
emotions that have preceded it. We shall soon
meet again! I shall see my children and all whom
I love! I am coming home to you in better
health, with heartfelt delight, and with the satis-
faction of having borne my exile courageously, and
passed it in gaining the advantages that you wished
me to derive from it; these thoughts will be my
travelling companions, until, in your arms, I shall
receive sympathy and reward.
My mother writes me word that "Ésope” was
not a success at Court. I am not surprised;
although it is a well-written work, I always thought
it tiresome. You are now again in the tribulations
294 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
of pleasure; it is no easy task to have to provide
amusement for a master, and especially for a
conqueror, who for so long has had glory and good
fortune as ministers to his pleasure. I always
think that the Emperor must find life at St. Cloud
very insipid after such great deeds, and that quite
one half of him must be at a loss for occupation.
Such spells of languor and ennui are the penalty
of the great in this world, and are a compensation
to small people like ourselves. Talking of great
people, I have just read a chapter of Montaigne
that I like very much; if you happen to meet with
it, pray look through it again. It is entitled "De
la Constance," and is full of remarks very ap-
plicable to the twenty years that have just expired.
"Those who first shake the foundations of a
State," he says, "are actually the first to be
involved in its overthrow;" and, "The fruit of
disturbance is seldom reaped by him who sowed
it; " and then "The very best pretext for novelty
is dangerous." I pointed out this last maxim to
M. de Lameth, who owned that he thought Mon-
taigne was in the right. Do, pray, read the
chapter. I feel very happy at the Emperor's
kindness to M. de Nansouty. There is something
great and grand about his gifts which harmonizes
well with the gigantic scale of events. Victory is
assuredly the best title-deed. I was half inclined
to write my congratulations to M. de Talleyrand,
but ignorance of his new titles prevented me.
Tell him this, with my compliments.
Do you
know, I begin to like him very much, because he
appreciates you.
QUIET LIFE.
295
CXXXV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
*
Aix-la-Chapelle, July 12, 1808.
I have arranged my life here, so that time slips
pleasantly away. I rise at eight; drink the waters
until ten; then I bathe and return to bed, take my
breakfast, and dawdle about until noon. I then
dress for the day, read, write, and sing until M.
Aldini's arrival. He is kind enough to read
Italian with me, and, by the way, is well pleased
with my pronunciation. My English master comes
next; I engaged him to give myself something to
do. We dine at five. In the evening we walk
out, receive a few visitors, and by ten o'clock we
are all in bed. In this way do I pass my time
when far from you as profitably as possible. My
companion, who goes out a great deal, often asks
me to accompany her, but I decline when it is
possible to do so without giving offence; my
mourning dispenses me from balls, and my health
serves as excuse for not joining fatiguing
excursions. Moreover, Madame de
is very
intimate this year with Madame K-
,
and that
* There is a lapse of nearly a year between this letter and
the last, and Madame de Vergennes had died in the interval.
Madame de Rémusat had returned to Aix-la-Chapelle, ac-
companied by Madame de Grasse.
† Count Aldini, Secretary of State for the kingdom of Italy,
has left behind him a distinguished reputation.
296
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
would not suit me. I fancy both ladies think me
very reserved and not very amusing, but if I were
to yield to them, I should lose the good effects of
my visit here, and it costs me too dear not to wish
to utilize it, as M. Pasquier would say.
What you say of your own loneliness distresses
me; it is a real grief to me to know you are so
solitary. On former occasions, alas! my poor
mother was with you. I knew that you were
together, and thought myself only to be pitied; but
absence, of which I know the pain so well, is equally
hard on you this year, and thus I suffer not my
own sorrow only, but yours as well. Oh, how I
should like never to leave you! How sweet life is
How happy you
at your side! How I love you!
make me! How closely you bind me to a life that
you render so fair! How can you expect me not
to grieve over the separations entailed by my
delicate health? I cannot but love my life, when
its every moment is gladdened by your love. Be
less good to me, and I shall be less anxious; teach
me to forget your caresses, since I must be
deprived of them; prove to me, at least, that I
may reckon on the peaceful future you are prepar-
ing for me, and then I can be patient and resigned.
Ah! could any one promise me that my life shall
last as long as yours, I should be restored to ease
and calm; this is the only certainty for which I
crave. Ah, my beloved, could we but travel
through life together and quit it at the same
moment!
If you should be writing to M. de Talleyrand,
QUIET LIFE.
297
remember me to him, and say that I am leading
too dull a life to venture on writing to him, but
that I beg him not to forget me, and to be grateful
for my silence. I have really nothing to say.
Life is short here, but its hours are long; one
must swallow the waters, hold one's tongue, and
get away as soon as possible. And this is what
I intend to do, so soon as I get my dismissal.
CXXXVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, July 15, 1808.
You may be getting through your arrears of
work, but you evidently do not include writing to
us in the list, for you write very seldom. For
the last three days we have had not a word from
any one, whether sister, husband, or Gustave-in
fact, we are altogether forsaken; and yet we
certainly need a little diversion, for our life is
very monotonous. The heat is excessive.
My health is really good in this place. I can
scarcely attribute the improvement to the waters,
for as yet I have taken only three baths, but I
think it proceeds from the quietude of my life,
and this is an additional proof that I am made
for that country life of which we have so often
talked. We really must contrive to have a house
in the country some day; I long for it more and
more, and I think I should delight in rural leisure.
298
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
*
We are far from this, as yet, and you especially,
who are about to resume your Court life, if the
Emperor comes back, as is expected. Aldini,
who fears he may soon be recalled to Paris, leaves
us to-day for Spa. I shall miss him exceedingly ;
his conversation was both improving and agree-
able, we got on capitally in our Italian dialogues,
and he was always most kind to me.
If you
happen to see him, you must express my thanks,
and say that I miss him very much. I have met
with a pleasant Dutch family here; both husband
and wife are good musicians; we sing together,
and that fills up my time a little. I employ the
rest as best I can. The Prefect often comes to
see us. Madame de Grasse has become accustomed
to him; she likes him pretty well, but he is the
only person to whom she will speak; she dislikes
Germans.
To-day is Thursday, and I fancy that while I
write, you are at his school with our boy.† He
must feel the heat very much in that treeless
playground, where I picture you to myself, em-
bracing each other. How I wish the little fellow
* The Emperor, who had returned from Italy in January, had
started again for Bayonne, whence he returned by way of
Toulouse on August 15.
† Notwithstanding what was said further back on the
advantages of home education, my father had been sent to
school in September, 1807. The Lycée Napoleon had been
selected, simply because Madame Pastoret's two eldest sons
were there-Amédie, who was older than my father, and
already a rhetorician; and Maurice, very much his junior.
Amédie Pastoret died about the year 1860. He was a senator
under the Second Empire.
EDUCATION.
299
were with you! . . I am quite sure that you
see nobody, and that on my return all our friends
will be asking me for news of you; consequently
I do not ask you to tell me anything about them,
but I wait for letters from Alix to give me all the
gossip. Madame de Vannoise will be your only
visitor, and the only person about whom you will
write to me; the unhappy are sure to find you
out, but you carefully avoid every one who could
merely give you pleasure or pay you court.
In my solitude I meditate on education, and I
study books on the subject. I have been reading
"Adèle et Theodore," a book that I had not
opened since my childhood, and I find there are
really excellent things in it. I remarked one
paragraph which I must transcribe for you, and
you will tell me whether you think it applies to
any one: “A child who only likes to converse with
those whom he trusts, who is silent in the presence
of strangers, who chatters only with his friends
and playfellows, and who, besides this, listens with
interest to others—such a child will certainly be
extremely clever." What does your Excellency
say to this? I think you will first laugh at me,
and then think that I am right.
Madame de Lameth said to me yesterday, "You
have left your husband among all those actresses
- does it not make you feel uneasy?" "No," I
answered. "What, not a bit jealous?" "No."
"And why not?" "Ah! why not indeed?
I
cannot say but the fact is, I am not in the least
uneasy." And you-can you tell me why?.
300
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CXXXIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, July 24, 1808.
Con-
If nothing happens to prevent it, I still intend
to leave Aix on the 20th of August-that is to say,
in less than a month; but I hardly dare to dwell
on the thought. It seems more difficult for me
to get away from this place than from any other;
though certainly not because of the pleasure I
take in it. In spite of M. de Lameth's kindness
and attention, life here is wearisome, and the very
things got up for our amusement are, generally
speaking, those that we care for the least.
certs given by poor fellows who want to profit by
the presence of visitors; music of the dreariest
kind; a third-rate play; drives in the neighbour-
hood in wretched, jolting carriages; picnics with
people I do not know and do not want to know,
etc., etc., and then those eternal whist-parties!
If I consulted my own feelings I should certainly
stay at home. I have not the strength for long
expeditions, and I am never dull with Madame de
Grasse, who takes care of me and spoils me, and
who sympathizes with my sorrows, my anxieties,
and my affections-in short, with all that burdens
my mind, or fills my heart.
M. DE LAMETH.
301
CXL.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, July 30, 1808.
This evening you will have your son with you;
I rejoice over this in my solitude, and quite enjoy
these two days, Saturday and Sunday. Next
time you will keep him longer with you.
Just now I am pretty well. The poor Prefect
cannot say so much for himself; his health is in
a sad state. He has feverish attacks every day,
and suffers much from his liver. He has been
confined to his room since the beginning of this
week. We go every evening to his sick room to
play quinze. People may say what they please of
him in Paris, but he is an agreeable man, and a
good man too. I can say nothing of the past, but
I am greatly pleased with what I now see of him.
I believe that the fancy we have taken to him
has given rise to some satirical comment in the
Faubourg St. Honoré.* The cousin has already
written to Madame de Grasse, and I believe that
*The following note by my father throws some light on this.
passage: M. de Lameth was one of the most unpopular men
in our circle of acquaintance, which was in general anti-
revolutionary, although strongly imbued with revolutionary
ideas. My mother, although full of the prejudices natural to
the daughter of one of the victims of 1793, had tendencies to
liberalism and impartiality, which rendered her both more
indulgent and more just, especially where she recognized
ability."
302
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Alix also makes fun of us; but we have made up
our minds to brave everything, and, right or wrong,
in despite of the critics, to like every one who
deserves it or who likes us. However, as this
will not pass unnoticed, you may imagine before-
hand the disputes that will arise, similar to those
of last spring about another favourite of mine.*
By the way, do you not write to him? Do you
hear nothing of him? Does he not intend to stir
The rumours that arose in
another place have reached us here, but I do not
believe a word of them.
from his château?
CXLI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, August 3, 1808.
I have finished reading Voltaire's corre-
spondence; that is to say, I gave it up when I came
to the affairs of Calas and Sirvens, which bored me.
I am now reading Gulliver, on Madame de Vinti-
mille's recommendation, and after having regarded
it formerly as a mere story to amuse children, I
am now astounded that any one dared to publish
so severe a censure on all human institutions, and
especially on the government of the country in
which it appeared. If Bertrand has not looked at
it lately, I advise him to read it again; it is really
an amusing book. Abbé Morellet has good reason
* M. de Talleyrand.
DEAN SWIFT.
303
for his attachment to Swift; I discover that he
was a very clever man.
I was amused by finding in Voltaire's corre-
spondence all the débuts of those old philosophers,
whose foolish vanity is now so obsolete. Their mad
imprudence in digging the pit into which we fell
along with them, makes one heartsick, now that
we know into what misfortunes they led us. Ah!
how they deceived themselves with their pride
and their vain science! In a letter to one of his
disciples Voltaire writes, "Let us educate the
people, and we shall be of service to every country.
Thanks to us, Cromwell could not again succeed
in England; Cardinal de Retz could not make us
endure barricades." The Revolution has proved
how well we can defend ourselves from barricades!
I have a lively letter from Madame Devaines,
but she makes too much of what she calls my
foolishness and her own
her own common sense. She
deserves that some day I should tell her the truth
concerning herself; for, after all, she is always
mistaking indifference for wisdom, and moderation
is easy and of little merit to those who take
nothing to heart. She tells me that M. de Talley-
rand is very dull at Valençay, and that he has not
ceased to regret his nephew. If this be so, I am the
more sorry not to be near him. Perhaps you should
have proposed going to see him. I am sure a
visit from you would have done him good and
given him pleasure; I fancy it is a long while since
he has seen a human being. If he is unhappy, I
should like to write to him; but I fear it is too
304
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
late, and that my letter would only arrive at the
moment of the Emperor's return. On reflection,
I will not write, and when I come back, I shall
get up a little quarrel with him.
CXLII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, August 12, 1808.
We are beginning to prepare for the
Emperor's fête. M. de Lameth, whose health is
rather better, is decorating his house, and intends
to give us a ball. You, too, will be having some
kind of fête, for everything seems to foretell the
Emperor's return by that time. I hope that you
will then see M. de Talleyrand, and that you will
speak to him of me. He ranks among the few
whom I shall be glad to meet again.
I have received a long and pleasant letter from
M. Bertrand. If we were oftener at a distance
from each other, we should carry on a great corre-
spondence. With my love of writing, and the
numerous ideas which the most trifling circumstance
furnish to his fertile imagination, there would be
no end to our letters. He seems quite enchanted
with the Comédie Française. He will go nowhere
but to the theatre, and it is there that we meet.
He says the house is comfortable, the comedy is
excellent, the actors perfect, the plays are charm-
ing; it is a passion with him, in fact, with the charm
A SPECULATION.
305
of novelty. If we are left in peace on my return,
I should like nothing better than to pass my
evenings there with him. But-yes, I should like
still better my beloved country house, in which I
would willingly pass the autumn. This morning
two fresh eggs were brought to me; Madame de
Grasse and I exclaimed at the same time, "Ah! if
we were in our country house, we should have
brought in the eggs ourselves from our own poultry
yard!" I want you to tell me whether you would
advise the purchase of some Spanish sheep.
Madame de Grasse insists on our having a flock;
do you think this would be a good speculation?
CXLIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT ERFÜRTH.*
Paris, Sunday, September 25, 1808.
I have not much to tell you since your
departure; the hours have crept slowly along, with
* Madame de Rémusat returned to Paris at the latter end
of August, and a month afterwards, on September 22, the
Emperor started for Erfürth, accompanied by his First Chamber-
lain, whose task it was to organize in that town those famous
performances of the Comédie Française which, it has been said,
drew together an audience of kings (un parterre de rois).
Every one knows the insolent speech, “Ce n'est par un parterre,
mais une plate-bande." It would seem that the Emperor imposed
on every one his own indefatigable activity, for between
September 28 and October 13—that is, in the course of one
fortnight-the following performances were given at Erfürth:
"Cinna," Andromaque,” “Britannicus," "Zaire,” “Mithridate,”
66
X
306
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
little of interest. The theatres do well. Trajan
has made more than seven thousand francs;
Mademoiselle Leverd has played twice. Fleury is
said to be ill, and thinking of retiring into the
"* it is a
country. I went to see "Scarmentado;
wretched and tiresome rhapsody. I do not think
the Odéon will see much of me; one can be almost
as dull at home.
CXLIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT ERFÜRTH.
Paris, Tuesday, September 27, 1808.
I went to Tivoli the day before yesterday,
and was present at the daily dinner to the troops.
It amused me. The tables are well supplied; the
soldiers merry, but not noisy. Women and chil-
dren walked about among them, and not the
slightest accident occurred; shouts of "Vive l'Em-
pereur" were echoed from one table to another,
and the whole thing had a joyous air. Charles
much enjoyed the sight, and also the amusements
provided for the soldiers after the dinner.
I also went yesterday to the first performance of
"Edipe,'
"Iphigénie," "Phèdre," "La Mort de César,"
Rodogune," "Rhadamiste," "Le Cid," "Manlius," and
· Bajazet."
* A comedy by Lemercier.
† Fêtes and banquets were given successively to the regiments
passing through Paris.
MALMAISON.
307
"Ninon." The piece had a well-deserved success;
there is some affectation in the style, but it is
pretty and fairly well acted.
These two are almost the only occasions on
which I have been out. I am going, this morning,
to Malmaison, where they say the Empress is enjoy-
ing herself. She is well; I hope it is the same case
with you. Tell me about your health. M. Edmond
de Périgord, whom you will see, will tell you about
mine; he was kind enough to send to my house,
and I saw him yesterday at his sister's, just as he
was starting. Madame de Vintimille, M. Pasquier,
Bertrand, Abbé Morellet, and Picard dined with me
on Friday. I don't suppose that you pass your
afternoons at Erfürth as we passed that one; it was
one long discussion. We ended by the usual argu-
ment on La Rochefoucauld and La Bruyère. You
know how this always excites Madame de Vinti-
mille; the abbé shouted as if he were but twenty
years old, and I as loud as I could; M. Bertrand
repeated at intervals, "Allow me! Allow me!
but we would not allow him; Picard laughed, and
could certainly have made a scene in a play of it
all. The next morning Bertrand came to give me
the opinion to which we had not listened. He told
me, with respect to La Bruyère, that he had read
his works many times in his youth, without daring
thoroughly to enjoy the pleasure they gave him.
"It seemed to me," he said, "that after his satire
of others, I should, as I advanced in the book, find
* "Ninon chez Madame de Sévigné," an opéra comique by
Dupaty.
308
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
satire of myself as well; I dared not think, because
I believed that I could not escape him; in short,
he seemed to me the Talleyrand of writers."
CXLV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT ERFÜRTH.
Paris, September 28, 1808.
She
I was at Malmaison yesterday; the park
is wonderfully improved. The Empress is in better
health; she thoroughly enjoys her ownership of
the place, walks about all day, in spite of the rain,
and seemed to me to be happy and tranquil.
had heard from the Emperor; she thinks you must
have arrived yesterday, the Emperor of Russia to-
day, and perhaps to-morrow I shall see you all in
the tripot of the Comédie. If your mind does not
give way under all the obligations imposed on you,
it must be a very strong one; I always imagine
you surrounded by your actors, all talking together.
The theatres here are going on pretty well; I am
busying myself with "Numa," like the fly in the
fable. I have seen Gardel, who answers for the
ballets. Paër is rehearsing every other day, and
tells me that the opera might be performed by the
25th; Isabey is getting on rapidly with his work.
I have received two letters from the Bishop of
Alais. He is very much obliged to the Emperor
for selecting him; and he accepts, although fearing
he will be unable to perform the requisite functions.
THE BISHOP OF ALAIS.
309
At the present moment he has such an attack of
gout that he cannot walk even on crutches; but
Fontanes has written to tell him that nothing
beyond correspondence will be required of him.
He says a great deal in his letters to me about this
"Life of Bossuet; " he says four years of reading will
be necessary before he can put pen to paper; in
fact, he seems afraid of his immense undertaking.*
CXLVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT ERFÜRTH.
Paris, October 7, 1808.
I passed the whole of yesterday at Malmaison;
there were but few persons there. The Empress
has got over her stiff neck, but she is depressed by
the return of her headaches. The works are being
carried on in every direction, and the place is
really becoming like fairyland. When from time
to time I catch a glimpse of the country, through
a window as it were, all my rural desires are
revived, and I return to this great city with melan-
choly feelings. I am expecting Duval to-day. He
is to read his comedy† to us. You will think I am
* M. de Bausset, the former Bishop of Alais, had just
completed his "Life of Fénélon." He had been appointed
Councillor of the University, established in this same year, 1808.
His "Histoire de Bossuet" was not published until 1814, and
he died in 1824, having received the cardinal's hat in 1817.
† Probably the "Chevalier d'Industrie," a comedy in five
acts and in verse, performed in 1809.
310 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
always having plays read to me; and, in truth, this
is the third. I hope after this to be quiet. As I
have made it known that I shall scarcely ever go
out in the evening, my drawing-room is more
crowded than it was at first; the few idlers who
are neither in the country, nor with the army, nor
yet on their travels, come to meet each other by
my fireside. There was excellent company here
the day before yesterday: M. Delambre, M. Cuvier,
Mademoiselle de Meulan, M. Bertrand, and
Madame Devaines, who talked rather loud, but
who nevertheless made herself pleasant. I like
M. Delambre very much; he is the essence of kind-
ness and simplicity. I think that Cuvier is what
would be called a cleverer man; his conversation
has more point and pungency, but he is rather
sarcastic. We talked a great deal about the
"Lycées." They are dismayed at the amount of
work that has to be done, and at all the obstacles
in the way, and say they ought to educate the
professors before entrusting pupils to them.
Nothing but departure is talked of here; the
officers are going off, and leave-taking has begun
again. We shall find it difficult to enliven Paris
this winter, unless the rapidity with which the
Emperor always outstrips our human foresight
causes everything to be over before the bad
weather sets in. As you may imagine, there is
much said here concerning the recent capitulation;
it is considered a fine thing and honourable to our
arms. Many details are added, of which I do not
believe one word. This is another of the annoy-
AFFAIRS THEATRICAL.
311
ances of life in the capital just now. In the
country one sees the newspapers only, and one
hears the bare facts, while here one must be
constantly on one's guard against gossip invented
either in an idle or a malicious spirit.
I scarcely count on letters from you, and I see
plainly that I am right. Your valet writes about
you to Laure; I know you are well, and that is
enough for me. He says you are continually at
work, overwhelmed with petitions, with visitors,
with letters, and with lists, and that he cannot
conceive how you hold out. I trust that at any
rate all the trouble you take will be rewarded by
success, and that the plays will succeed and your
own services be appreciated. I hear that the
theatre at Erfürth was a very bad one and in
great disorder. Your southern vivacity must have
found full scope for action; and I, just now, am
very far from the vortex in which you are plunged,
for I have never been more quiet or more lazy.
This physical repose suits my health, and would
be of still further benefit did it reach to my poor
brain; you have not the leisure to listen to all the
thoughts that pass through my mind, and some-
times distress me in my solitude. Thoughts of all
kinds, recollections, sometimes of a painful nature,
anxieties, hopes-I know not what, in fact; but all
that can occupy the vivid imagination of an un-
occupied and dreamy woman.
I have finished Tacitus, for I am not always
dreaming. While looking for a book, I came upon
"Émile," and I am now reading it. But, mon ami,
312 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I must be getting old, for I no longer care so much
for Rousseau. His paradoxes strike and displease
me much more than formerly, and sometimes I
find myself saying aloud, "But this is untrue! he
speaks falsely here!" And then I am inclined
afterwards to regret having become more critical, for
in outliving an illusion, one must always give up
a pleasure. Fortunately, your affection and the
happiness it procures for me are most sweet
truths; they will always accompany me on my life's
journey, and will be a constant consolation in the
sorrowful experiences that await me in life.
CXLVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT ERFÜRTH.
Paris, October 12, 1808.
I was
Yesterday was a dreadful day to me.
obliged, at last, to take that poor child back to
school. After spending part of the night in
soothing him, for he was too agitated to sleep, I
exerted myself all the morning to keep up his
courage by my own good spirits. At last, at noon,
we set out; Albert crying loudly, for he quite well
understood that his brother was leaving home.
My poor Charles endeavoured to restrain his tears;
as for me, I was choking. Our drive, as you may
imagine, was not a lively one. We reached the
gloomy place. I stayed there some little while,
ERFÜRTH.
313
and when I found my courage was leaving me, I
made my escape.
While I am passing my days here in making
myself alternately miserable and happy by my own
thoughts, you are spending yours in a very
different way. I ardently wish that your stay at
Erfürth would come to an end before you are tired
out. You are present at a grand spectacle; all
that crowd of kings set in movement by one man,
by the impulse of one single will, is a fine subject
for profound reflection and observant curiosity. I
like the Emperor Alexander for his admiration of
our Emperor, and I hope for results from that
great friendship; but I must confess that my
alarm will be revived if, on the Emperor's return,
he again leaves us for Spain. I cannot bear to
contemplate the risks he will run. Those incidental
to war are perhaps the smallest. I wish it were
possible to close the road against him. I am
convinced that, whatever may be the opinion of a
small minority, all France ought to place itself
between him and Spain.* * If he does not stay in
Paris this winter, we may prepare ourselves for a
very dull one. Talking of winter, when you
return we must think seriously of entertaining
more company and carrying out our master's
wishes. Our sorrows, my want of spirits, my bad
health, and my recent absence have prevented our
conforming to the orders we had received, but the
* If the reader wishes to appreciate the truth of this almost
prophetic passage, he will do well to read the Memoirs of Count
Miot de Melito. TRANSLATORS.
314
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
time has now come to set about it. What say
you? Otherwise, we shall have to reduce our
style of living within the narrowest limits, for all
our expenses, or, at least, the cost of everything,
will be greatly increased this winter. It is extra-
ordinary how all the necessaries of life become
dearer day by day. At the present time, an income
of a hundred thousand francs a year would not go
so far as half that sum in former times. It is true
that luxury has greatly increased. We no longer
live in times when a good story at dinner would
make up for a course the less; at the dinners of
the present day, all the wit lies in the entrées and
the Madeira. Conversation that must take place
by the light of thirty wax candles, in a sumptuously
furnished drawing-room, is an expensive amuse-
ment, and even at that price wit is not to be had
for the asking.
I remember to have seen my mother receive her
friends in a small room, lighted by one solitary
lamp. At nine o'clock boiling water was brought
in ;
she would make the tea, which her guests
drank as they chatted, and after this fashion
whiled away the time until the night was far
advanced. It would be very difficult to attract
people to one's house by such means nowadays;
but, then, it is also very difficult to be so agreeable
as my mother was.
M. PASQUIER.
315
CXLVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT FONTAINEBLEAU. *
Paris, Friday evening, November, 1809.
I
M. Pasquier is going to Fontainebleau to-
inorrow, mon ami, and offers me his services.
had intended to send your
to send your nephew; but M.
one.
* A whole year has elapsed between the last letter and this
At the date of the opening of the present correspondence
the Emperor was in Germany. He had left Paris on April 24,
1809, and had fought the battle of Essling on May 21 and 22,
and the battle of Wagram on July 6. He had not returned to
Fontainebleau until October 16. Despite his victories the situa-
tion of the Empire had become much more grave, and this was
felt even at Court. In little notes written by my grandfather,
and too short for publication, I constantly met with the following
totally new phrase: "The outlook grows terribly dark." My
grandparents discerned the decline all the more clearly, because
their increasing intimacy with M. de Talleyrand opened their
eyes to the truth. Their relations with Talleyrand placed
them in a political position which at that period was rather
disadvantageous to them than otherwise. In his capacity of
superintendent of theatres, my grandfather had been obliged to
exercise a sort of patronage towards men of letters in Parisian
society. Although he derived this appointment from the
Emperor himself, he was gradually becoming distrusted by
the latter, whose suspiciousness and defects of character had
increased. Hence they stood in a special and not easily explained
position; and while M. de Rémusat was considered by many
persons, and considered himself, to have fallen into a kind of
disgrace, he was at the same time regarded as a probable
Minister of the Interior, which post had been for some time
vacant, and to which M. de Montalivet was appointed on
October 2. The approaching divorce added to these com-
plications.
316 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Laborie's answer, which I add to my packet and
which you will show to M. de Talleyrand, renders
this unnecessary.
I enclose a letter from the
Princess of Benevento. I had sent to her house.
And another from the Duchess of Courland,* to
whom I had also sent. I hope M. de Talleyrand
will be pleased with me.
I have written to the Empress; I think my letter
pretty good, although rather long. When you give
it to her, please make my apologies for its length,
and then let her have it, whatever the state of her
domestic affairs;-unless a violent quarrel is going
on, she will contrive to make use of it.
Now for our own affairs.
I have seen Corvisart; he will not do anything.
"It is rheumatism," he says;
66 you must be
nursed and kept warm; nothing more."
I am
not feverish, only a little weak; but as I have
no occasion for strength, I like my state very well,
and thoroughly enjoy my room, my bed, and my
quietude. Yesterday, to pass away the time, I
sent for Charles. After the classes were over,
they allowed him to come. He was as fresh and
rosy as possible; we kissed again and again, and
had a long talk together. His masters are satisfied
with him; his class is very advanced. Auvray †
says that the seventh and eighth are very good
places. He would have been much higher up, only
that he thought the verb after the word la plupart
* The Duchess of Courland was a friend of M. de Talley-
rand.
† M. Auvray was one of the Professors at the Lycée Napoléon.
He was subsequently Inspector of the University.
CHARLES.
317
should always be in the singular, and in speaking
of several persons he wrote "La plupart avait .
etc." Muzine continues to bully him a little; he
works him hard at Greek; he is translating
passages from Isocrates, and is very proud of it.
All this he told me while romping with his brother
on my bed. Next, he dressed himself in his new
coat to show it to me; that coat, you know, that
I did not want him to wear lest he should not
look well in it. Mon ami, how silly I was! As
if anything could fail to look well on Charles!
He is charming in the coat; I was in despair at
having no one to whom I could say so, and I
resolved I would write it to you. At eight o'clock
my little visitors left me, and Bertrand arrived. He
is
very sallow and very melancholy. We talked over
our illnesses-he of jaundice, and I of rheumatism.
He thought me very good company. I have seen
Countess Rumford and my cousin, and that is all.
It is said that the King of Saxony* will not arrive
before Monday. M. de Talleyrand will be very
gay at Meaux. He is designated (not the King
of Saxony) as President of the Corps Législatif;
others name the Arch-chancellor. People announce
the arrival of the Pope at St. Denis; they change
the places of all the kings; they know something
of the gallantries at Fontainebleau; they narrate
these adventures, and ask me questions. To all
of them I make my favourite answer, "I don't
know."
* M. de Talleyrand had been despatched to Meaux, to meet
the King of Saxony, who arrived in Paris on November 13.
318
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
66
I have seen Picard; he has written to you con-
cerning the state of things at the Opera. Every-
thing is going amiss; however, you will have
"Cortez" and "Orphée." By-the-by, it has
occurred to me, in my wisdom, that you ought
not to have "Athalie " acted at Court; there
are passages which might be applied to the
religious question, such as rompez tout pacte
avec l'impiété," and that would spoil all, after
your exertions.† People would resent it to you
that their feelings were wounded without their
having the right to complain, and this in presence
of a religious king! I submit this little piece of
advice to you; I carry caution very far, as you
know.
Mon ami, the delight that I felt in putting on
my dressing-gown again, and sitting down by my fire
with nothing to do but to rest myself, convinces
me more than ever that I am quite old, and that
if I were sensible enough to adopt the ways of my
real age, I should do well. "But your head," I
hear you say, "and your heart?" Ah! I certainly
still like them to retain their activity; but a good
deal may be done in that way from one's easy-
chair, and though I have not stirred from my
chimney corner, I assure you I have not been
asleep there. I have amused myself with going
* "Fernand Cortez," an opera by Spontini, and a revival of
Gluck's "Orpheus."
† From the previous June, the rupture between the Emperor
and the Pope had been complete.
She was then nine and twenty.
READING MEMOIRS.
319
over my past life, and I found you everywhere.
This put me in a good humour, so I ventured a
glance into the future; you were present in all
my projects as in all my recollections, and yet my
reveries were very sweet! Great repose of body,
and some agitation, or rather some emotion for the
heart-this is what I require. But, ah me! I am
involved in a vortex, and I can neither arrest nor
endure the movement that bears me along.
Adieu, my dearest; I wish you a good night, and
am now going to bed, for it is ten o'clock already.
You are very good to have written to me this
morning; I did not expect it, you are so busy!
M. Pasquier will bring me news of you on Monday,
and also news of our friend.* He must allow me
to call him by that name, which by no means
diminishes the respect due to him. Talk to him
about me. If he were here I would tell him all
that I have been thinking of in my solitude; for
he, too, entered into my solitary reveries. He
had the arranging of everything, and it was all
well done. I continue to be amused with his
Gourville, though it is rather confused; I am
going to read Cardinal de Retz over again, so as
to find myself once more in the good old times.
I have too much neglected. I am now ready for
"Memoirs" again. Adieu; I am talking a great
deal, and you will have something else to attend
to on Sunday, besides my chatter.
* M. de Talleyrand.
320 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
1
CXLIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT TRIANON.
Paris, Sunday evening, December, 1809.
Bonsoir, mon ami; my day is over, and before
going to bed I must say a few words to you. I
regretted you to-day; we passed a pleasant time,
your boy and I, and I am very much pleased with
him. I must tell you that yesterday Madame
Pastoret told me the censor, Dumas, had said to
her that Charles was one of the most promising
boys of this year at the college. This put me in
good spirits. The dear little fellow then came in,
and behaved very nicely. I saw M. de Talleyrand
for an instant this evening; he seemed vexed at not
being at Trianon.
"Formerly," he said, "when
the Emperor was in trouble, he used to send for
me." I felt the bitterness of such a reflection, and
tried to divert him from it by speaking on other
subjects, but he was really grieved.*
I greatly fear that you are having the same bad
weather as ourselves; it is raining in torrents,
* The divorce was approaching, and the Emperor, after a
violent scene with the Empress, had gone to Trianon. That
scene had been described in the Moniteur. Both of them, in
presence of the Imperial family, had declared that they
renounced their marriage. This occurrence at Fontainebleau
had prepared the way for the event, but the situation was not
made public until the senatus-consultum of December 16, and
the departure of the Emperor for Trianon, where he remained
until December 25.
JOSEPHINE'S GRIEF.
321
and the country must be very dull. I am going
to-morrow to Malmaison. I shed tears this morning
over the Moniteur; all the speeches are fine, and
make a good impression. Every one I saw yester-
day and to-day had been moved by them. People
repeat to each other that the Emperor wept! Such
tears are pleasing to us women; the tears of men,
and especially of kings, can scarcely fail to produce
an effect, and you men are well aware of that.
CL.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT TRIANON.*
Malmaison, December, 1809.
I had hoped for a moment that you would have
accompanied the Emperor yesterday, and that I
should have seen you. Independently of the
pleasure of seeing you, I wanted to talk to you. T
hope there will be some opportunity for Trianon
to-day, and I will keep my letter ready.
I was received here with real affection. All is
very sad, as you may suppose. The Empress, who
has no more need of effort, is greatly cast down;
she weeps incessantly, and it is really painful to
see her. Her children are full of courage. The
Viceroy is come-he keeps her up as much as
possible; they are both of the greatest use to her.
* This letter has already appeared in the Memoirs, but it is
so important in its place in the correspondence that it is thought
well to retain it here.
Y
322
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Yesterday I had a conversation with the Queen of
Holland. I will repeat it to you as succinctly as
possible. "The Empress," said she, "has been
deeply touched by the readiness which you have
shown to share her fate. I am not surprised at it,
but out of friendship to you, I beg of you to reflect.
Your husband is placed near the Emperor; all your
instincts ought to be on that side. Will not your
position be frequently false and embarrassing?
Can you bring yourself to renounce the advantages
attached to the service of a young and reigning
Empress? Think of it well; I give you a friend's
advice, and you ought to reflect." I thanked the
Queen sincerely, but replied that I could not see
any objection to my taking this step, which
appeared the only proper one for me; that if the
Empress foresaw any difficulty in retaining in her
service the wife of a man who was in the Emperor's,
then I would retire, but that, unless such was the
case, I would greatly prefer to remain with her;
that I knew there would be certain advantages for
persons attached to the great Court, but that their
loss was more than compensated to me by the con-
sciousness of fulfilling a duty, and of being useful
to the Empress, if she valued my services; that I
did not think the Emperor could be displeased
with my conduct, etc., etc.
"There is only one
consideration, madame," said I, in addition,
"which could induce me for one moment to regret
the part I have taken. I will tell you very frankly
what that is. It is impossible that there should
not be, in the interior of this little Court here, some
QUEEN HORTENSE.
323
indiscretion, some gossip, something or other which,
being repeated to the Emperor, may bring about
a momentary annoyance. The Empress, good as
she is, is sometimes distrustful. I do not know
whether the proof of devotion which I am now
giving her will shelter me completely from a passing
suspicion which would greatly grieve me.
I ac-
knowledge that if it should happen, even once, that
my husband or myself were suspected of meditating
an indiscretion, on one side or the other, I would
immediately quit the Empress.'
The Queen
replied that I was quite right, and that she hoped
her mother would be prudent. She then embraced
me, and said that she knew that the Empress
wished in her heart to have me with her. I needed
nothing more, in the mind in which as you know
I am, to decide me.
Now let me know what you think. I know that
my position will often be embarrassing, but with
prudence and true attachment may not everything
come right? Madame de la Rochefoucauld seems
to me to want to get away-she has even, I think,
said something to the Emperor; but her position
is different. She will render the same services to
the Empress, but without annuity or pension. In
her circumstances, that may suit her, but I must
act otherwise; and, indeed, the more I question
myself, the more I feel that my place is here. Put
all this together, reflect, and then decide; and re-
member that I have time. We are given until the
1st of January.
One would need to be very happy to find this
324
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
place pleasant at this season; but there is an
abominable wind, and it is always raining. The
weather has not, however, prevented a succession
of visitors all day long. Each visitor makes her
tears flow. Nevertheless, it is no harm that all
her impressions should thus be renewed in succes-
sion; afterwards she will rest. I think that I
shall remain here until Saturday.
I wish you
could come then, because we really ought to meet
and be a little while together. It is not necessary,
in order to appreciate your presence, that I should
be deprived of it; and, in good truth, the more I
see of agitation and troubles of all kinds around
me, the more I feel how dear you are, and that I
love the repose and the happiness that come to me
from you.
Friday.
I could not find an opportunity of sending my
letter this morning. I hope there may be one this
evening. The Empress has passed a wretched
morning. She receives visitors, who renew her
grief, and then every time anything reaches her
from the Emperor, she gets into a terrible state.
We must find means, either through the Grand
Marshal or the Prince de Neuchâtel, to induce the
Emperor to moderate the expression of his regret
and affliction when he writes to her, because,
when he dwells in this way upon his grief, she
falls into real despair, and seems to lose her head
completely. I do all in my power for her; it gives
me terrible pain to see her. She is gentle, sad,
JOSEPHINE'S GRIEF.
325
and affectionate; in fact, it is heartrending. By
affecting her so deeply, the Emperor increases her
sufferings. In the midst of all this, she never says
a word too much, she never utters a bitter com-
plaint; she is really like an angel. I induced her
to take a walk this morning; I wanted to try to
fatigue her body in order to rest her mind. She
complied mechanically. I talked to her, I ques-
tioned her, I did all I could; she seconded my
efforts, understanding my intentions, and seemed
grateful to me in the midst of her tears. At the
end of an hour, I acknowledge that I was almost
fainting with the effort that I had made, and for a
few minutes was almost as weak as herself. "It
seems to me sometimes," said she, "that I am
dead, and that there remains to me only a sort of
vague consciousness that I am no longer living."
Try, if you can, to make the Emperor understand
that he ought to write to her encouragingly, and
not in the evening, for it gives her frightful and
terrible nights. She does not know how to bear
up against his sorrow; no doubt she could still
less bear with his coldness; but there is a medium.
I saw her yesterday in such a state, after the
Emperor's last letter, that I was on the point of
writing myself to Trianon.
Adieu, cher ami. I do not say much of my own
health; you know how feeble it is, and all this
tries it. After this week, I shall want a little rest
with you.
To find anything pleasant, I must be
at home with my dear one.
326 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CLI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT TRIANON.
Paris, Monday morning, December, 1809.
I
A thousand thanks, mon ami, for your letter.
was awakened by its arrival this morning. I am
rejoiced at what you tell me; I do not suppose
that the delay of a few days can inconvenience
your business arrangements very much, and I
presume that the Grand Marshal, knowing your
presence to be necessary here, will help you, later,
to obtain the leave of absence that you will require.
It is surely impossible that in the solitude of
Trianon you can fail to find an opportunity of
making explanations to the Emperor, which will
restore you to his confidence, and you should
neglect nothing towards a justification of yourself,
which is necessary on behalf of the other branches
of the administration with which you are en-
trusted. My good husband must needs gain by
being heard; I therefore feel great hopes, if you
can obtain a hearing.
I should also advise you to have some conversa-
tion with the Grand Marshal, provided that you
think it well to do so, concerning your attitude
towards M. de Montesquiou. Tell him (and it will
be the truth) that you cannot entertain the sus-
picions of his want of good faith towards you,
which are generally attributed to him in society,
but that you have observed that the narrow mind
ANTICIPATED CHANGES.
327
and uneasy temper of the Grand Chamberlain
lead him to take precautions that do harm in every
way, because of the misunderstanding they cause
between you. It would be well if M. de Montes-
quiou had a mind like yours; all would go
smoothly then, and you would have an easier life.
I repeat that, if the Emperor will hear you, your
days will once again be peaceful; but if the time
of favour is over for us, be quite without anxiety
on my account; I shall adopt another kind of life
with all the resignation you can wish for. I have
attained the age of reason; every day my tastes
become more serious, and I assure you, with all
the sincerity of a heart that is yours alone, that in
any life that would be peaceful for you, I should
be perfectly happy. There was a time when I
could not have believed in happiness far from
Paris; but I have a conviction that my days will
be serene in retirement, should we become the
victims of the mean intrigues that may be formed
against us. May Heaven forbid this, however!
Meanwhile, with courage and prudence, you will
be able to avoid or endure the trials which are
perhaps in store for us.
328
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CLII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT COMPIÈGNE.*
Paris, April, 1810.
Thanks for your letter of yesterday. I was
beginning to grumble at your silence. From the
bottom of my heart I pity you for the life you are
leading; but I am not surprised that the audience
slept, or pretended to sleep, at "Britannicus." It
was a brilliant idea of yours certainly, and you had
a good answer to give to questions on the subject:
"The play was by request!" Amuse yourself
with a safe conscience with the innocent actors of
the Feydeau theatre, and be of good courage. If
you were pious, you would find plenty of exercise
for patience during Holy Week.
* There is an interval of four months between this letter and
the last. The year 1810, which was that of the Emperor's
marriage (on April 2), was comparatively a year of peace.
After his marriage, the Emperor and his new consort went to
Compiègne, where they passed the remainder of Lent.
†The Emperor himself selected the play he wished to be
performed at Court. He asked for "Britannicus," and no one
recollected in time that it contained certain scenes which, after
the recent divorce, might be taken as personal allusions. Talma
became confused in uttering the following lines:-
"Non que pour Octavie un reste de tendresse
M'attache à son hymen et plaigne sa jeunesse . .
D'aucun gage, Narcisse, ils n'honorent ma couche.
L'empire vainement demande un héritier."
The audience were equally embarrassed. The Emperor pretended
to be asleep.
LEMERCIER.
329
I heard of our boy yesterday; he is quite well.
He will come on Sunday, to prepare for his first
Communion. If the time be fixed for Easter,
and you are not back from Compiègne, then I
shall ask leave to spend a few days at Navarre,
if my health permits.* They say here that the
Empress is never coming back; if you can write
to me by some safe messenger, whenever there is
anything concerning her, you would do me a real
kindness.
Did I tell you that Lemerciert was elected?
Our old members of the Institute are furious. I
amused myself yesterday by teazing Suard and
the abbé; for my own part, I am glad of it because
of the money. I have read his ode, which he had
recited to me. Ma foi, all things considered, I
think it very bad, with the exception of a few fine
ideas, and I return to Esménard, or rather to
nothing, for it is all very poor.
M. de Fontanes dined here yesterday; also M.
and Madame de Ganay, Bertrand, Lebreton, and
Norvins. The Grand Master was quite at his
ease and in very good humour; it is true that we
all vied in spoiling him. How pompous he is
about everything! I made myself agreeable, but
in my secret heart his vanity was displeasing to
* The Château de Navarre in Normandy had been bestowed
on the Empress Joséphine.
† Lemercier had just been elected member of that class of the
Institute which represented the French Academy. He had, in
spite of his Republicanism, written an ode on the Emperor's
marriage, in order to render his election possible. Esménard
was an author of some distinction, and wrote some good verses.
330 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
me.
He is positively quite in love with Madame
de G――, who, on her side, has not the least
G--
objection; such things do not displease us women,
do they? Are we not, for the most part, curious
creatures? We play the coquette, we foresee what
is coming, we do all we can to bring it about, we
amuse ourselves with it, and then, when the crisis
is reached and a declaration is made, we are
angry, we stand on our dignity, and are to be ap-
peased with difficulty. Nevertheless, monsieur,
you may make your declaration to me whenever
you choose.
I enclose you a letter from M. de Lezay-Marnésia.
Two big boxes were brought to me yesterday, with
a request that I would send them immediately to
St. Cloud. I did not know how to set about this,
so I opened M. de Lezay's letter and perceived
that there was breathing time. Tell me what you
would like done with the boxes, and whether you
will answer M. de Lezay; or shall I write to him? *
Bonjour, cher ami. I am not unwell; with the
exception of my head and neck, I am much better.
Nor is Joséphin unwell either. I believe he has
made up his mind to go into Provence with M. de
Villeneuve,† who intends to start on May 5. He
is in a tolerably amiable frame of mind, and the
* The Prefect M. de Lezay-Marnésia had ordered a fancy
costume for the future King of Rome, who was not born until a
year afterwards, and this costume was contained in the two
boxes. There was certainly no hurry.
† M. de Villeneuve-Bargemon, Referendaire at the Cour
des Comptes, was made a Prefect and Director-General under
the Restoration.
LEBRETON.
331
house is very quiet. Lebreton comes to see me
every day; he is a kind and excellent friend,
whose heart is a hundred times better than his
head. I say this so that you may not say I am
misled by his cleverness; he is sincerely attached
to you and to me. Some of your books were
shown yesterday; it was an opportunity for speak-
ing of you; I was greatly pleased at the way
in which our friend spoke of you to Fontanes, and
you know I am not easily satisfied.
CLIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT COMPIÈGNE.
Tuesday, April, 1810.
I saw M. de Talleyrand yesterday on his
return from Compiègne. He had been travelling
for two nights, and looked as fresh as if he had
just got out of bed.* He gave me news of you,
and hoped to have brought me a letter from you,
but I see you have hardly time. I am vexed at
the length of your absence. Three weeks more
before I shall see you! This is a long and weari-
some separation. You cannot picture to yourself
how I grieve about it. It was long since we had
been parted, and the delightful habit of being
with you had regained its old influence over me.
Each day I feel your companionship more necessary.
* M. de Talleyrand was then in his fifty-seventh year.
332
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I think that our minds are more than ever in
unison, that our opinions are more often the same,
and that we now know all the charm of union.
In youth, a diversity of tastes and opinions, which
at that time is more strongly felt, does no harm to
love, and indeed contributes to it, by affording
opportunities of self-sacrifice; but when years have
crept upon us, quieter and safer joys become pre-
ferable, and harmony and unity are then our best
happiness.
You will admit, this time, that I am writing for
the pleasure of writing, and truly there is nothing
in Paris for me to tell you, nor even in my own
little circle. I am lazily lying in bed; the weather
is cold; I have not the least inclination to go out,
and find myself very comfortable, with my desk on
my knees, writing to you all that comes into my
head, or rather my heart.
Madame de Vintimille is better; this last attack
is almost over; but the future must always be
alarming for her. And for whom is it not? I am
often inclined to smile when I hear of some bodily
predisposition that is a cause of anxiety for after
life; I laugh at myself, rather sadly, it is true, for
my own fears. We fear that such an ailment may
cause our death; we take all kinds of precautions ;
we seek all manner of relief, and, poor fools that
we are the natural course of things leads us more
surely than aught else to the death that we would
fain escape! Is not life itself a first cause of
death? The more reasonable plan, perhaps, would
be to forecast nothing and to avoid nothing.
CHARLES.
333
CLIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT COMPIÈGNE.
Paris, Holy Wednesday, April 18, 1810.
I have something to tell you that will give you
pleasure-Charles is first in his class. I enclose
two letters that I received yesterday; you will see
that he signs "Charles, First," and that M. de
Wailly* is pleased with him. I wrote to Fontanes
to ask leave to take him out this week, because I
wish him to attend some of the Church services,
and to see the curé. I shall therefore have the
dear boy with me to-morrow; we shall pray
together, he shall go out for walks, he shall
* M. de Wailly was Proviseur of the Lycée Napoléon.
My grandmother alludes frequently in these letters to her
tendency towards a piety, somewhat vague indeed, and yet
more decided than that of most of her contemporaries. It may
be well, perhaps, to mention here what was my father's opinion
of the religious beliefs of his parents. "My mother," he writes,
“had not been surrounded in childhood by persons of strong
religious feeling. She had been brought up in the general
creed of Christianity reduced to simple and easy practice,
carefully severed from those accessories that, since the seven-
teenth century, there had been a constantly increasing endeavour
to suppress, and she was preserved from difficulties by a general
recommendation not to trouble herself about them. Her
strongest feeling was, therefore, not so much a fervent faith,
as an aversion to unbelief, which indeed had been censured
by the Revolution, and a preference for religion, for it
appealed both to her heart and her imagination. She was one
of those persons to whom 'Le Génie du Christianisme' made
a timely appeal, and she had enjoyed the book. But she was
334 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
study. We will try to spend our time well, and
we will write a few lines to Compiègne. If you
not disposed to devotion, properly so called, and during her
youth it was an unknown element in the world in which she
lived. Religion, conceived with moderation and practised with
common sense, in no wise resembled the party doctrine abound-
ing in childish superstitions, historical paradoxes, and political
calculations, which at the present time is called by that name.
As she advanced in age, and also through the influence of
my father, who was not a believer, but who had been brought
up at the Oratoire on a religious system, my mother, whose
mind was more and more attracted to the writers of the seven-
teenth century, became better acquainted with the dogmas of
Christianity, and she also experienced impulses towards piety,
of which she gives an accurate description in her letters. For a
long time her outward observances had been limited to hearing
Mass on Sundays, and even this with irregularity on account of
her ill health. In the autumn of 1811, she over-exerted herself
in acting Elmire in Le Tartuffe,' at Madame de Labriche's
house in the Marais (her daughter, Madame Molé, was passion-
ately fond of acting), and she then began to suffer from an
affection of the chest that had not been hitherto included among
her other ailments. In October she had an attack of pneumonia,
which, without being very severe, ran the whole course of the
disease. Reflections that are the natural result of illness to
Christian minds then occurred to her, and after a lapse of sixteen
years she confessed and communicated on Easter Tuesday, 1812.
It was thus, as she relates it in a few pages, that she returned to
a greater regularity in the practice of her religion. But strict
exactitude therein, and severe orthodoxy, were alike unsuited
to her. Her clear judgment, her serious sincerity, her dearest
affections, forbade her from considering it a universally rigorous
duty to believe in and practise certain observances which do
not result necessarily from nature, but occur accidentally from
the history of humanity. Within this limit, then, she was
a Christian, with sincere feelings, and afterwards with the
independence which philosophic liberalism gives to religion.
By a reverse action, of which there are innumerable examples,
the Revolution had helped to place her on the side of religion;
MASSILLON.
335
have a spare moment, write him a few words to
praise him for being first, and then say something
to me, too.
It is weary work to be so long without a word
from you; I begin to lose patience, and to reflect
that in the salon for the Gentlemen-in-Waiting
there must always be some table or other, with a
sheet of paper and an inkstand, on which you
might write to your wife that you are quite well,
and that she is not forgotten.
I send you some papers about the Opera that
I found by chance on the table in the anteroom.
As for me, I am immersed in the most serious
meditations. I read yesterday an admirable sermon
on death, by Massillon. It alternately depressed
and consoled me; it would be better to have that
read to you at Compiègne than Abbé de Ranzau's *
"Passion," which is said to be very commonplace.
It is well to speak of death to the fortunate ones
of the earth, and the words "dust," "tomb," and
"the nothingness of life" ought to be heard in the
palace of kings.
The Minister of Police said yesterday, on his
return, that Lemercier's ode had been liked at
the Restoration drove her from the Church party. In reality,
she differed less than she imagined from the state of mind of
the 'Vicaire Savoyard,' if we add to it a liking for the religious
writers of the seventeenth century, and consequently for
Jansenism, and a marked preference for positive religion over
pantheism."
* The Abbé de Ranzau, chaplain to the Emperor, became
known under the Restoration by his zeal for the missions that
were preached in France.
336
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Compiègne. Have you heard anything about it?
If so, pray tell me; it would give such pleasure to
you know whom. Constance is not very well; this
spring time is disastrous to delicate constitutions.
Take care of your health; it is my comfort and my
most precious possession. Next in order are
Charles's rosy cheeks; but I say it from my heart,
they come next. I have not arrived at that point
of maternity at which one prefers one's children to
everything. When I was young, people used to say
"It will come." But I have hardly reached
it yet, and I feel that it does not come; whose
fault is that, think you?
to me,
CLV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT COMPIÈGNE.
Paris, April, 1810.
I may expect you, then, next week, and I shall
remain in Paris. I am very undecided about
Navarre, not on account of my health, for I am
beginning to accustom myself not to take it much
into account; but it just happens that I have no
dormeuse here, and I do not know in what carriage
to travel. I wrote yesterday to the Empress,
asking how she is. I shall be guided by her
answer, and then if you come here, we can talk it
over.
Did I not send you a nice letter from Charles?
COURT GOSSIP.
337
It arrived last night; and I gave myself the treat
of reading it. In the mean time, M. de Talleyrand
came in, and I showed it to him; he was greatly
amused, for it is really ingenuous.
There are anecdotes current here, concerning
the Court and the life you are all leading at Com-
piègne. These stories are in general malevolent;
they turn upon the haughty manners of the
Empress, and the hardness of her disposition, and
then the other one is remembered. All this will
make her position difficult. It is said that
Joséphine is to be Duchesse de Navarre only; that
she is to reside in the duchy of Berg; that Mal-
maison is to be bought back from her; that our
new sovereign lady has expressed a great objection
to her proximity; and in support of this assertion,
expressions are quoted which are clearly inventions,
because it is impossible that any one could have
had an opportunity of hearing them. I await your
return to learn the truth.
CLVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT COMPIÈGNE.
Paris, April, 1810.
We hear that the Français is going to Com-
piègne; the journey to St. Quentin is therefore
given up, and also the return to Paris. I am very
much disappointed, for I was expecting you home
this week, and I see I must give up all hope of
Ꮓ
338
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
that. I am decidedly tired of your absence, how-
ever, and of all your side of the house being shut
up.
Just at this moment I suppose you are getting
up; it is seven o'clock, and your tiresome day is
beginning. You will see our friend* to-day. He
is very kind to me in my loneliness, and comes to
see me nearly every day. He found me, on
Friday, in a state of enchantment over a sermon of
Massillon's which is well adapted to the weakness
of our poor human nature. From our very defects
he augurs our future virtue. The more vain and
ambitious we may have been, the more nobly and
devotedly shall we serve God; the more we have
loved nature, so much the more shall we love God;
a tender and feeling heart is one step towards the
Divinity. I told M. de Talleyrand that I was very
glad to find my friendship for him was one of the
steps of the ladder by which I might climb to the
love of God, and I made him read several passages
of the sermon, which it was strange to hear from
his lips. After his visit Savary† arrived. He asked
many questions about our little Court at Navarre,
and also about the future of our son, who seemed
to him ready for the army. While I was receiving
my visitors, every one was at Longchamps, which
was most brilliant, I am told; but I had not given
it a thought. I am unwilling to move whenever
the weather is fine, and longing to be out when it
* M. de Talleyrand.
† Savary, Duc de Rovigo, was not at that time Minister of
Police. He was not appointed to the office until June 2, 1810.
CHÉRUBINI.
339
rains. This is being admirably adapted to the
seasons!
The booby always insists on my mentioning him;
he went yesterday to the funeral of poor Chaudet,
who, on returning from Compiègne, died of vexa-
tion at having been ordered to make a bust of
the Empress, in conjunction with another artist.*
He was ill, congestion of the lungs ensued, and he
died. Talking of artists, they are all wishing for
you. I saw Chérubini at the Odéon yesterday, and
he wants you to come back, to help him to get his
Mass performed at a concert. The Mass is said to
be splendid; I asked him to have it performed at
my house, and he promised me he would. If it
really is so remarkably good, it might perhaps be
executed on some occasion of ceremony. How-
ever, he did not seem to take to the idea, and
appears no longer to care for composing music for
the great ones of the earth. He is at work at an
opéra comique,† and does not seem to be thinking
of his grand opera.
Chaudet, a sculptor
* I am ignorant who this booby was.
and painter, had a great reputation. The statue of the
Emperor, that until 1814 was on the Vendôme Column, was his
work, as was Dugommier's statue at Versailles, and several
graceful productions, such as "Edipe enfant," "L'Amour
séduisant l'Âme," "Paul et Virginie," etc. He was born in
1763.
† This opéra comique, by Chérubini, is probably the "Cres-
cendo," which met with no success at the Feydeau.
340 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CLVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT COMPIÈGNE.
Paris, April 25, 1810.
I am writing to you, mon ami, without knowing
whether my letter can go, or whether the Emperor
is at St. Quentin, whether you are to accompany
him, whether you are coming home, or remaining
where you are.
People are beginning to take their departure.
Madame d'Houdetôt is at Sannois. The time is
short, and I am sorry when I think that I, too,
must go away somewhere. But where? and how?
All this uncertainty wearies me, and I try my best
not to look beyond the end of each day. I should
not dislike this one, if it could bring you back to
me in the evening; I persuade myself this may be
the case, and then I am vexed with myself for the
delusion. What weak creatures we are; so easily
troubled; with so little tendency to what is good!
And I—I am the weakest and most imperfect of all !
Ah! I say it in all humility. Whatever is good in
me I owe to you; it is you who have sheltered,
supported, and guided me; without your sense,
your affection, and the happiness I owe you, I
should perhaps have been of very little worth, and
it is in you alone that I place all my pride.
Amédée has come back quite enchanted with
Italy; the two together compose elegies on France.
* Amédée Pastoret.
M. FORBIN'S NOVEL.
341
Love of country is not in fashion. What else can
I tell you? There is nothing new here, and I
know but little about the theatres. Holy Week
has kept me away from them. I know that people
crowded the Française to suffocation, to see Talma
in "Manlius." Madame Corria is not much
liked; she is considered inferior to the two
others, and rightly so; she is talented neverthe-
less. Her voice is smothered in fat; she is an
enormous mass rolling about on the boards. M. de
Forbin's* novel excites controversy in society; he
is told of the various opinions on it, and becomes
quite indignant. He says that when a man in
society takes the trouble to write a book, society,
out of esprit de corps, ought to defend it. Lemer-
cier went to see the Abbé Morellet. "Monsieur,"
said he on entering, "this is not a visit of thanks."
"Oh! as to that," answered the abbé, “I dispense
with your thanks, for if I had been listened to, you
would never have belonged to the Academy."
"And why so, sir?" "Ah! because, above all,
one should speak French." "But which of my
works has given you this opinion of me?"
"Un-
fortunately, all those that I have met with; among
the rest, your ode, which contains forty mistakes
in French." "And yet, sir, it was on the very day
it was published that I was elected one of the
Forty. Is not that a striking fact?" "Oh, I
* M. Auguste de Forbin, an amateur artist, who under the
Restoration was made Director of the Louvre, had written a
novel called " "Charles Barimore." He died in 1841, in the
sixty-third year of his age.
342
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
know you have wit, and plenty of it, but if there
are two or three similar elections the language will
be ruined.'
Lemercier told me all this, with good humour
and a certain simplicity which was, however, far
removed from humility.
CLVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
I
Avallon, Friday, June 21, 1810.
Oh, how delightful a thing it is to travel post,*
and how pleasant to wait for postillions, to put on
the drag, to toil uphill, to break the traces, and at
last to arrive at an inn at Avallon, after spending
the whole day in such a cloud of dust that the
plan of a landscape garden might be traced on my
gown!
I should much like to know what Madame
Pastoret, with all her cleverness, could find to say
here, and what fine feelings she would have ex-
perienced during the journey I have just made?
Such heat, such a stifling wind, dust of which I
had never seen the like, such discomfort, in fact,
and such weariness, I scarcely had time to think
of anything whatsoever. Add to this the pleasant
* The Emperor and the Empress Marie Louise returned to
St. Cloud on May 31, after visiting St. Quentin, Antwerp,
Brussels, Ghent, Ostend, Lille, Le Havre, and Rouen. Madame
de Rémusat left Paris a few days later, to join the Empress
Joséphine at Aix, a watering-place in Savoy.
BURGUNDY.
343
reflection that all these delights are carrying me
and you
away from
you, and
you will have some idea of the
day I have gone through! In the morning, how-
ever, I had experienced a little patriotic emotion; *
I had been affected by finding myself once more in
Burgundy; but my native dust has rather cooled my
ardour this evening, and I beheld Auxerre and the
banks of the Yonne with calmness. As for Augus-
tine, she is in a state of perpetual enchantment.
Although very far from Val-de-Suzon, the dialect
of her own country is spoken here; she beholds the
headgear she was accustomed to, houses like her
own, and she is delighted.
I am not over tired. I shall reach Autun early
to-morrow, and will write to you on Sunday, and
also to my sister, to whom you must tell all my
news. Remember me to Madame de Grasse;
next to you and Charles, it is she whom I most
regret. I feel this, and she will believe it. Almost
every minute I am saying, "If Madame de Grasse
were here, we would do such a thing; she would
say so and so." And I am ready to cry! Poor
thing she has been spending the evening in soli-
tude. I have been following you in thought; you
are now at St. Cloud with Les États de Blois. It
sounds funny at Avallon, Les États de Blois! I
seem to belong to another world, and do not know
whereabouts I am.
* M. de Vergennes' family belonged to Burgundy.
344
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CLX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, Friday, June 29, 1810.
I am here at last, and it was time I arrived, for
I am very tired. Yesterday was the most fatiguing
day of all, and as I know that it is pleasant to
hear of what befals one's friends on their travels,
and that all I have to do is to narrate my ex-
periences, please to listen. You must know that
my stay at Lyons did not rest me much. I
explored the town more from human respect than
from any wish to see it. I was even then rather
unwell; and, besides, my bed was so uncomfort-
able that I passed the first night in an armchair.
The second night, after much turning and tossing
about, I suddenly sprang up at three o'clock in
the morning, and went off to harangue Augustine,
who was sleeping soundly. The effect of my dis-
course was to stir up the whole house. Horses
were ordered, and we set off on our journey; but
by the time we had travelled seven or eight
leagues the heat became stifling, the air heavy,
and we were seized with headache, and with a sort
of nervous affection that was most painful. We
continued our route, however, but never in my life
was I so ill at ease; at last the storm broke. As
we were nearing the mountains, a great tempest
arose, with showers of hail that devastated all the
surrounding crops in a moment. Fortunately, we
A GREAT STORM.
345
were able to reach the Pont de Beauvoisin, and I
waited at the inn for the storm to be over; it was
then four o'clock. I did not want to remain there,
and yet was afraid to go on, and we were still,
they told me, six hours from Chambéry. At length,
when the thunder was passing away, we resumed
our journey; but the rain gave us a somewhat
melancholy impression of the country.
The
Échelles road will be a fine one when completed,
but at present it is encumbered with stone for the
parapets, with carts, and with workmen, and is
very inconvenient. We had good horses and a
careful driver, yet Augustine was in such a state
of terror that I was seriously alarmed. Once,
when we were on the mountain side, with a preci-
pice beneath us, she was so overcome with fear
that she began to scream.
I endeavoured to
soothe her, but she had lost all control over herself.
I scolded, I coaxed, but nothing was of any avail.
I was not in the least nervous myself, but suffered
a good deal from the continual jolting. I wonder
whether you recollect that last hill, after the
Échelles, in which the road has been cut through
the rock, and only oxen are used for traffic? The
rain was ceasing, so I walked up, for the only
means of relief was a change in the form of
fatigue. It is really a most extraordinary road,
but one ought to be in good health to go in
search of a cure in this fashion. I arrived at last
at Chambéry, at eleven o'clock at night, quite
worn out with fatigue. I slept better than at
Lyons, and this morning, at eight, we entered Aix.
346
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I am suffering less than yesterday, and am writing
in bed, the most singular bed in the world. There
is a paillasse of wheaten straw, and a mattress of
I do not know what material. Madame de Grasse,
who objects to feather beds for me, would approve
of this. The country through which we came
seemed very pretty, but this village is ugly. The
Empress is living in a small house with Madame
d'Audenarde, and I have been put into another
with MM. de Turpin and Pourtalis.* I was not
expected to arrive before Sunday. I found a large
room destined for me, but without any furniture
whatever. Augustine is exerting herself to procure
a table, a chair, etc. And I am writing to you, and
trying to laugh at all these absurd annoyances.
The Empress has paid me a visit; she is well,
seems to be in good spirits, and goes about a good
deal. I hope I shall not have to accompany her
just yet, for I am really in want of rest. There
are no visitors here besides herself and us; she
seemed very glad to see me, and, as usual, was all
kindness.
This is how things are, cher ami. I shall write to
you very often; I foresee that will be my only
pleasure. I mean to try and profit by the waters
here, and repair the fatigues of my journey. I have
* Madame d'Audenarde, the mother of General d'Audenarde.
She was Lady-in-Waiting. M. de Turpin-Crissé, of the
Empress's household, was known as a landscape painter of
some talent. M. Fritz Pourtalis, also belonging to the
Empress's household, was from Neuchâtel. His elder brother
died in Paris, about twenty years ago, leaving a fine collection
of pictures and antiquities.
NO LETTERS.
347
some hopes of receiving letters to-day-the post
comes in daily; you must all write punctually and
take compassion on my loneliness. I embrace you
tenderly.
CLXI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, July 2, 1810.
What are you all about that you do not write to
me, and especially that faithless woman on whom
I relied, and who has failed me like the rest?
What do you imagine us to be doing here, and
with what do you expect me to be occupying
myself? You really deserve that I also should take
to silence, and I see that you are counting on the
idleness of my life. Don't deceive yourself, how-
ever; I have not quite as much leisure time as you
might imagine. I bathe at eight o'clock, and then
return to bed until ten. At eleven I breakfast at
the palace, and all the rest of the morning we read
and work. The Empress, as you know, likes to
have people about her, and does not retire to her
own room before four o'clock, or even five some-
times. I then go to mine; I read a little or I
write; dinner is at six; after dinner we walk about.
I am sometimes excused from accompanying her on
account of my infirmities.
348
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT
CLXII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, Friday, July 6, 1810.
Mon ami, another day has gone by, and no letter
from you. I say to myself that your week of wait-
ing at St. Cloud must have left you but little
leisure, and yet I suffer and torment myself just as
if this reason for taking comfort did not exist.
Yesterday, as we were on our way to Chambéry, the
Empress was met by her courier; he was the bearer
of a letter from the Viceroy, containing an account
of the accident at the Austrian ambassador's ball.*
It seems there were about twenty persons burned.
I shuddered as I listened to the Viceroy's letter. I
was expecting to hear your name, and I was in an
agony. When the Empress ceased reading, I burst
into tears, and I know not how it was, but nothing
could calm me; a violent headache came on, and
in that state I had to endure a drive of ten leagues.
Less than this would have sufficed to make me very
ill. I got back at eight o'clock with a frightful
headache; I passed a restless night, and am com-
pletely knocked up this morning.
*During the grand ball given by Prince Schwarzenberg on
July 2, in honour of the Emperor's marriage, a fire broke out,
and a great number of persons perished, the Princess included.
PUBLIC FEELING FOR JOSEPHINE.
349
CLXIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, Monday, July 9, 1810.
If you
At last I have a letter from you!
care to know what we are doing here, I must
tell you things are just as usual. With the
exception of a few visits from Chambéry, we live
all to ourselves. A little reading in the morning,
a drive afterwards, dinner at eight on account of
the heat, then cards and a little music. Charles
de Flahault is here, and M. and Madame de
Chateaubriand. There is also a Madame de Sales,
a descendant of the family of St. Francis de Sales.
She seems pleasant enough, but you can under-
stand that in presence of the Empress there is
always a certain amount of ceremony. Joséphine
herself is serene and mild. Sometimes," she
said to me, "repose takes the place of happiness."
She behaves with extraordinary circumspection;
she need say but one word, and the most assiduous
court would be paid her. The authorities of the
neighbouring towns wished to pay their respects,
but she declined everything, simply and with no
appearance of constraint. Great regard and defer-
ence is shown for her everywhere. She speaks of
the Emperor as she ought and when she ought; in
fact, it is impossible to show more tact and modera-
tion. But notwithstanding her resignation, some-
times, when sorrow oppresses her, she makes me
((
350
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
a sign, and comes to give vent to it with me. I
exert myself to divert her thoughts and encourage
her, and she willingly receives all the consolations
that reason can offer her. It appears that when
Charles de Flahault left Plombières, the Queen was
more seriously indisposed than we had thought.*
The Empress is not anxious about her, but believes
she is better. This is a chord I dare not strike.
We are expecting the Viceroy. There is a report
that the Empress is enceinte. I can say with
truth that I have been witness to Joséphine's
sincere joy at this news; and, indeed, such an event
would be the reward of her great sacrifice.
CLXIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, July 14, 1810.
We are alone to-day. The Empress has
gone to
Geneva, to see her daughter-in-law, who stopped
there, being too fatigued to come on; she will not
return until to-morrow. She took with her MM.
Pourtalis and de Flahault, and Madame d'Aude-
narde. The Viceroy, whom we saw yesterday,
gave us the melancholy details of the accident at
that unlucky ball.
* Queen Hortense.
† The Empress Marie Louise. The report in question seems
to have been rather premature. However, as the King of Rome
was born on March 20, 1811, we can but admire the rapidity
with which good news is disseminated.
LIFE AT NAVARRE.
351
Our circle is very pleasant. Charles de Flahault
enlivens us; he has more in him and more talent
for conversation than I should have expected; he
is very gay, he sings well, and we all like him.
The country is really beautiful; it needs better legs
than mine to explore it, but I am delighted with
what I have seen, and I hear that I shall travel
through very fine scenery on my way to
Geneva.
Madame Chéron writes that Saint-Ange* will
probably be elected to the Institute. Madame de
Grasse speaks of a commission for the prizes, and
seems rather anxious about Spontini. Is this
true? And, by-the-by, what has happened to
Madame Festa,† and how have you had the heart
to make her begin the "Molinara" again? Why
was I not there to protest against it? You are
really very generous to regret me, for I should
have made a strong protest. The Journal de Paris
speaks very unfavourably of the poor woman.
* Saint-Ange, the translator of Ovid, did, in fact, succeed
Domerque at the Academy. He was in bad health, and died
soon afterwards, in that same year, 1810. "The shade of the
Academician whose place I take is now waiting for my own,"
he said in the speech he made on his reception.
† An Italian singer. "La Molinara," as everybody knows, is
an opera by Paesiello.
352
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CLXV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, July, 1810.
It is impossible to be with the Empress
without desiring to repay her by sedulous atten-
tion for the pleasantness she infuses into one's
daily life, and if I were often to shut myself up in
my own room, or if I gave way to my natural
depression, it would really be too selfish. She
likes to be in company, and is amused by the
stories I tell her; I can succeed in making her
laugh. She shows her pleasure in my society in
a thousand different ways. In short, she is really
charming, and of an angelic disposition; so much
so that I know my heart will ache when I leave
her, although I shall be so happy to be going back
to you. I shall probably return home within the
month. The Empress intends to leave Aix between
the 15th and 20th of August. She is about to
take a small house on the Lake of Geneva; this
will be her head-quarters while she travels about
Switzerland. She wishes me to accompany her
to Geneva, and not to leave her until she sets out
on her expedition to the mountains. As there is
not much time for all she wants to accomplish,
I don't think she will remain long on the banks
of the lake, nor that I shall be kept long away from
you.
EUGÈNE AND HORTENSE.
353
CLXVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, July 18, 1810.
You might write at great length concern-
ing that awful accident* without making us
feel that you say too much about it. I am
convinced that we are even more horrified by it
here than you are in the whirl of Paris. The
Empress was greatly shocked; she was attached
by many ties to the Princesse de Leyen, who was,
moreover, an excellent woman. The Emperor's
danger affected her deeply; she wept, and her
tears gave me pain. "How strange is our situa-
tion!" she said. "A bond that is still so strong,
while our interests have become so different!"
Her son's visit was of great service to her, and she
is expecting her daughter, who is coming here for
the season. The latter is said to be still in a weak
and suffering condition. The Empress is glad that
I am here; the Queen, as you know, is fond of me,
and I shall tend her with my whole heart. I am
sure, too, that such an occupation will do me
good; my only comfort, when away from you, is in
being of some little use, and that amiable and
interesting woman is very dear to me. Lebreton †
* The catastrophe at the ball, alluded to in the preceding
letters.
† M. Lebreton, a member of the Institute and Secretary of
the Class of Fine Arts, was a married priest, and a clever and
2 A
354
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
has written me a very melancholy letter; he seems
greatly distressed at the death of the princess.
He, too, was very near going to that terrible
ball.
*
Madame Chéron writes that our children are
studying with Auvray; if they could remain with
him next year, it would be a good thing. I am
not expecting much in the way of prizes; it strikes
me that our boy is working less industriously, but
I have not the courage to scold him from such
a distance. You can sermonize so well, that I
depute my powers to you. I presume that at the
time of his first Communion you will say a few
words of fatherly exhortation. I shall lament very
much being absent from that ceremony; I remem-
ber how my poor mother wept on the occasion
of my first Communion, and that tender recollec-
tion would have gone with me as I accompanied
my son.
By the way-and you will see that the
remark is very appropriate-I have found time, in
the midst of all the interruptions of the life I am
leading here, to look into a serious book, which I
find most interesting. M. Pourtales has lent me a
agreeable man. He was on an intimate footing in my grand-
parents' house, and was considered as a friend. He vanished
somewhat suddenly from the scene, and died in Brazil, whither
he betook himself at the Restoration. His daughter married
Dr. Jules Cloquet.
* M. Auvray was at that time Professor at the head of the
Fifth Class at the Lycée Napoléon. He was subsequently
Proviseur and Academical Inspector. I became acquainted
with him when attending the Concours Général. He superin-
tended us during our compositions, and he has often spoken to
me about my father's childhood.
AIX.
355
Life of Zwinglius, written by a Swiss.* This
seems to me a meritorious book; I have but one
objection to it, that it rather inclines me towards
Protestantism. Madame de Grasse will shudder
at this, but really the Protestants, at any rate
just then, seem to have reason on their side. If
I continue in this mood, I shall come to your
help in your discussions with her, and will bring
Councils to bear on her.
CLXVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, Friday, July 20, 1810.
The longer I am here, the more I wish for
you. I am sure you would like this country so
much, and would take prodigious walks with
your boy! It is really a charming part of the
world. The mountains are less lofty and less
gloomy than the Pyrenees, and the valley, which
is more open, is wonderfully verdant. I made yes-
terday a little excursion, adapted to my strength,
to see a most beautiful cascade; there are three
waterfalls side by side and tumbling into each
other, masses of rock breaking the waters into
cascades, and at the back a little torrent rushing
away through splendid trees. There is not the
* This Life of Zwinglius, the founder of the Reformation in
Switzerland, must be Hesse's work, published in that same
year, 1810.
356
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
same sensation of surprise here as at Cauterets,
but one is more satisfied. The horizon is not so
narrow, and, for my own part, I find that I breathe
more easily here. The town of Aix is very ugly,
and I have a dull lodging in a sort of No
Thoroughfare, with a high wall in front, which
makes my room very dark. If I were to return
here, I should try to get rooms nearer the country,
as I am so bad a walker; but this year it does not
signify much, because I am constantly with the
Empress, whose house stands on the outskirts of
the village. When the weather is fine, I can walk
over to her; when it rains, I am carried in a fine
glass chair, all gilt, that belonged once upon a
time to the King of Sardinia; and in this vehicle,
when I am in full dress, I am the delight of the
little children of the place, and am followed about
by them, as the Arch-chancellor is followed at the
Palais Royal. You can, of course, imagine that
when the Empress goes out, she has much greater
crowds after her. This, in fact, is the one draw-
back to our outings. We cannot take a step
without attracting the water-drinkers and the
inhabitants; true, our being here is a rather im-
portant fact to poor people and gouty invalids.
The elegant carriage, fine horses, liveries, and our
own dresses, all make a great sensation, and in the
midst of it all, the sweet, gentle, kindly counte-
nance of my mistress. People come from Cham-
béry, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Grenoble
only to see her. She excites the deepest interest.
I am pleased to observe that no one believes she
THE EMPRESS'S GOODNESS.
357
has become a stranger to the Emperor, for she
receives many petitions addressed to him, and
people regard her as a mediatrix between the un-
fortunate and him. She receives every one with
extraordinary kindness, and does much unosten-
tatious good in the neighbourhood. She did her
best to escape from a really embarrassing welcome
at Geneva, and I am always struck with her skill in
simplifying a situation that at first seems un-
manageably awkward; the reason is that she is
absolutely devoid of vanity, and never aims at
effect. She speaks of the Emperor as of a brother,
of the new Empress as the future mother of the
children of France; and if what we hear of the
condition of the latter be true, I am sure she will
be glad.
CLXVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, July 21, 1810.
Pray tell me how my curé is getting on? Do
you see him? Is he happy? Does he intend to
remain ? Shall I see him on my return? I am
rather offended with him. I hear nothing of him;
he is forgetting me. I wrote to him a long time
ago, and hardly expect an answer now, and
certainly I shall not write again.*
For the last four days the weather has been
* The curé is no other than M. de Talleyrand.
358
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMÚSAT.
It was
dreadful—rain, hail, and intense cold.
snowing on the mountain the day before yesterday,
and we had fires. During this wretched weather
I finished the Life of Zwinglius. The Anabaptists
have rather cooled my zeal for Protestantism. I
see there are objections to that religion, too; but
I like the book. I am now reading the Memoirs
of Prince Eugène. The Prince de Ligne's
pretence was a curious one, and very ill sustained.
At the second page one can see it is a mere
invention; and the style is that of drawing-room
conversation thirty years ago.
CLXIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, July 25, 1810.
The Empress wishes to make Geneva her head-
quarters for ten days, and to travel in Switzerland.
When this happens, I shall take my flight. I am
strongly advised to return by Lausanne, Neuchâtel,
and Besançon. They tell me that route is not
much longer, and that I shall avoid bad roads.
By doing this I should see the shores of the Lake
of Geneva, a great temptation to me, and I should
revive some recollections of my childhood.
I
*The Prince de Ligne had just published his "Vie de Prince
Eugène, écrite par lui-même." It will be understood, of course,
that it referred to Prince Eugène of Savoy, and not to Prince
Eugène Beauharnais.
HIDDEN FEELINGS.
359
think it is probable I shall decide upon this course.
When I arrive at Geneva, I will tell you what
decision I have come to.
((
""
Yesterday the Empress asked me which of the
two I loved best, you or Charles. My husband,
madame," I replied, in the tone with which you
are familiar. Madame d'Audenarde looked up.
Really," said the Empress, "you answer in a
resolute tone." "Madame, I answer as I feel." "M.
de Rémusat is very amiable, then ?" "Amiable !
Oh, madame!" and then I did not know how to
begin, and a moment after I did not know how
to end. "If all this be so, how happy you are!"
"Yes." I should have liked to say, "But how
much we suffer in being parted as we are!" I did
not say this; I restrained myself; but the tears
came into my eyes, and I talked I don't know
what nonsense to escape from my thoughts. I
promise you that you shall not have to complain
of me in this respect. Nobody knows that I suffer
from my separation from you and from my
children. As the holiday time approaches, my
heart sinks more and more, but no one shall be let
into my secret. It is ridiculous to trouble other
people with one's affairs, and the poor Empress is
sorrowful enough on her own account. The affairs
of Holland distress her greatly, and she is much
troubled about the future of her daughter and the
position of her grandchildren. I do my best to
* Louis Bonaparte had just broken with his wife and with
the Emperor, and Holland had been united to the Empire on
the 9th of July, 1810.
360 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
quiet her, urging her strongly to trust the
Emperor, and also not to go faster than the time.
At an epoch so full of strange events, an excess
of foresight is a mistake; one must submit and
hope, and I say to the Empress what I believe :
"The Emperor will not visit the faults of their
father upon his nephews. You are placed in a
painful position, apart from the action of the Court,
while you are obliged, all the same, to feel and
suffer from its troubles. It requires great firmness.
of character and extreme reasonableness to act
wisely in the midst of all this." The Empress is
deeply sensible of the services which I render her;
she is very happy to have me with her; she calls
me and looks for me incessantly. I listen to her,
console her, and try to amuse her by talking of
other things; for it weakens the judgment to dwell
too long upon certain subjects, and our reasonable
course is to wait, not to make long and anxious
forecasts, and to trust to a superior authority,
which we may be sure is a beneficent one.
CLXX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, July 21, 1810.
I do not understand what M. de Talleyrand has
said to you. He declares that he has written to
me, but as I receive all my other letters, I cannot
suppose that his only do not reach me, and I
AN EXCURSION.
361
conclude that he has yielded to his usual indolence.
I beg you will tell him this, but at the same time
say that I forgive him.
Yesterday we made a long excursion, but it was
not too fatiguing, because it was partly by water.
We drove about two leagues on the opposite side
of a lake, called Le Bourget, which is of consider-
able extent, to see the ruins of an old abbey, which
formerly belonged to the monks of the Cistercian
order. The situation of the abbey is very
picturesque. It is built on a tongue of land in the
middle of the lake, which is surrounded on all
sides by peaked and barren mountains. No
vegetation is to be seen; profound silence reigns
all around. The aspect of the place is so
entirely solitary, that I can easily conceive this
retreat having been chosen by persons whose object
was to break entirely with the world. The abbey
is called Haute Combe. Two popes came out of it.
It dates back to very remote times, and the
remains of the church are very fine. Within a
quarter of a league of this building, there is an
intermittent spring, which yields water in abundance
during several hours in the day, at various and
uncertain periods. The cause of this phenomenon
has never been ascertained. We remained for an
hour and a half beside the rock, but the water
did not appear, and the naiad was deaf to our
entreaties.* On returning here, we found one of
* In this account of the expedition of the Empress to the
abbey of Haute Combe, the tempest which she encountered on
the lake, and which made a great sensation at the time, is
362 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
the Queen's Chamberlains come to announce her
Majesty's arrival for to-morrow. This intelligence
gave the Empress great pleasure.
CLXXII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, July 30, 1810.
The Queen has arrived. She is thin, pale,
down-hearted, and always ready to cry without
exactly knowing why. "Madame," said I to her,
"take courage, and take care of your health. Your
misfortune is not a misfortune, for your heart is not
wounded by it. The Emperor has received your
children perfectly well; he takes care of them; he
watches over them; they are in France; you will
see them again this winter. You are with your
mother. You must think of all this; sleep, eat, and
leave the rest to God and the Emperor." She
smiled at my little harangue, but I believe she
thinks I am in the right. Oh, if we could but limit
ourselves to the evils that we must bear! 66
May
God deliver us from our friends!" says the Portu-
guese proverb; I would add, "May God deliver us
from ourselves!" I have my reasons for saying
purposely omitted. My grandmother's first intention was to
conceal the danger which she had incurred from her husband,
but knowing that others had mentioned it in writing, she
changed her mind, and sent him a detailed account in a letter
which has been lost.
DEPARTURE.
363
this; there are moments when I would fly away
from myself, on condition, however, that it should
be you who would find me.
CLXXIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, Friday, August 10, 1810.
It is all settled. I shall leave Aix this day week ;
there is no more question of Geneva and Switzer-
land. I shall come by the shortest way, to Jura,
Dijon, Troyes, and Paris. I shall be five or six
days on the road, so make your own calculation
when to expect me.
Do not write to Dijon, as I
shall arrive there late, and the post will be closed.
I am charmed with the Trianon arrangement,*
because you can give me a few minutes sometimes.
I feared lest you should not go there. All is for
the best. Heaven is on our side this time; my joy
is too natural not to be approved on high, and I feel
that I merit the happiness which awaits me. Do
what you can for my cousin. I approve all that
you do. You are really excellent; your kindness
delights, but can never surprise me.
M. and Madame de Tascher arrived here yester-
day. The
The poor little woman is very sorrowful, and
talks a great deal of her mother.
As you may
suppose, I listen to her gladly. The young husband
was taken ill with gout on the way, and so
The
* The Emperor had taken up his abode at Trianon.
364 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
seriously that he cannot put his foot to the
ground, and is in terrible suffering.
The Empress is growing fat, and looks better
than I have seen her. She grieves at parting with
me, and I feel that my heart will sink at bidding
her farewell, for she is very, very good to me.
Her daughter is still extremely delicate, but she no
longer spits blood. Peace of mind and the variety
of a journey in Switzerland, which she proposes to
make, will do her a great deal of good. They are
to set out from hence on the 25th, and they do not
return until October. Thus, you see, I shall be able
to pass the month of September in perfect quiet.
I shall devote it to delightful idleness. Our life
here is one of continual movement; we come, we
go, we are always together, we dress, we play
cards-in short, we are never quiet, and that dear
idleness that I love so much escapes me.
I am
astonished that I could have found time to write
so much and so often to you as I have done, for
the interruptions are perpetual. Everybody here
has been very amiable to me. M. d'Audenarde is
a pleasant companion; Mademoiselle de Macau is
charming and agreeable; the two young people,
attentive and polite; Charles de Flahault, very
amusing. In short, it is a little society which
pleases me and is pleased with me; it would not
be my place to say that it regrets to lose me. You
know how gay I am, and they say there will be no
more laughter when I shall be gone. It will now
be your turn to pet me and spoil me, which I shall
allow you to do, quietly submitting to be waited on
A BIRTHDAY.
365
and made much of. My heart beats when I think
that within a fortnight from to-day I shall be with
you; that is my unchanged song, and you must let
me sing it in every key, for I have no other.
To-morrow is my fête; the Queen is kind enough to
give a breakfast. You will think of me, I am sure,
and Charles will drink my health. I do not hope
for prizes, and I must not reckon upon them, but I
feel so much pleasure at the thought of seeing the
dear little fellow again, that I care little about
them. You are content with him; he is happy;
all is well.
CLXXIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix, Savoy, August 12, 1810.
Yesterday was my fête. Did you and the
child remember it? It was quite a grand day
here. The Queen gave a charming breakfast. We
went to her house, which is outside the town and
delightfully situated; a splendidly served table was
set in the garden, verses were read, and a pretty
little proverb played. My health and hers were
drank with great heartiness. The Empress gave
me a very pretty necklace. Both mother and
daughter were as charming as they could be, and
I was quite embarrassed and moved by their
kindness. I could have thanked them much more
eloquently, if my heart had not been full of a
366
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
thousand recollections, but all this revived the
sentiments of the occasion to an almost painful
degree.
CLXXV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT RAMBOUILLET.
Aix, Savoy, August 13, 1810.
I cannot make up a packet for Paris without
writing to you. I do not want to commence my
budget by my letter to you, because I know what
would then happen to me; I should not know how
to leave off, and time would fail me. I have
therefore written the three little letters which you
will find enclosed, and am now allowing myself
my reward. My friends will not complain; a few
more days and I shall have fulfilled all my promises.
I have not so much time here as might be sup-
posed. It is true that we do not breakfast until
twelve o'clock, but the business of drinking the
waters, taking the baths, and dressing, occupies a
great part of the morning. Then we remain at
the château until five or six o'clock. There we
talk, we work, we read stupid tales, to which
nobody listens, and which are thrown aside half
finished. The newspapers and our letters arrive,
the gentlemen sleep for a while, and at six o'clock
we go to dress for a carriage drive until eight.
You may easily imagine the effect which is pro-
duced in a miserable town like this by the calèche,
ROUTINE.
367
the horses, and the elegant equipage of the
Empress; and, besides, her toilettes are always very
impressive. The water-drinkers and the inhabi-
tants all turn out to see us pass, and the other
day the Empress said to me, "Why, we are like
Cambacérès!" In fact, we were followed by quite
forty little urchins. At eight we dine; after dinner
come cards and music; so we go on until eleven,
and the history of one of our days is the history of
all. You will therefore see that I have only one
hour to myself before I begin to drink the waters;
when I wake at six, the time when I am in the
water, during which I read, and the two driving
hours when I am not well enough to go out.
The Empress went to Geneva the day before
yesterday, and she has just come back. She
travelled all night, and it is now six, and I am
told she is about to take a bath and go to bed.
She took leave of me in the kindest way before
this short absence, regretting that she could not
take me with her. In every respect it is im-
possible to be more amiable than she is, and I
am very happy, notwithstanding the grief of being
separated from you, that I had courage and
strength to give her this proof of my devotion.
If she had been in happier circumstances, I should
have hesitated, on account of my health; but her
solitude forbade any hesitation on my part, and up
to the present time I certainly do not repent, for
the quiet life here agrees with me. You will
believe I do my best to enliven it. I keep my
regrets, and certain secret causes of disquiet, to
·
368 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
myself, and I succeed so well in being one person
in the salon and another in my own room, that
yesterday M. de Toupin expressed the greatest
surprise, on hearing me sigh, that so gay an indi-
vidual as myself should ever need the solace of
sighing. I answered him that I was not so gay
as he thought. He maintained the contrary. I
continued the discussion smilingly, and neverthe-
less I might say that even then I had tears in my
heart, for talking of gaiety, and of true gaiety, re-
called to me that painful recollection, the impress
of which I have never lost.*
CLXXVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT FONTAINEBLEAU.
Paris, October 13, 1810.†
Mon ami, I beg you not to allow it to be doubted
for a moment that you wish to have me with you,
and to arrange for my being summoned to join you
as speedily as possible. Since I have been thought
of at all, I consider that it would be unbecoming
on my part not to show readiness and eagerness;
besides, when our child has left me, I shall be
* This allusion is to her mother, whose cheerfulness she
frequently mentions.
† Madame de Rémusat had returned to Paris, having left the
Empress Joséphine at Aix in Savoy. The Emperor and his
Court were at Fontainebleau, and it was now a question of
presenting the Empress Joséphine's ladies, after their sojourn at
Aix, to the Empress Marie Louise.
ARRANGEMENTS.
369
dull and melancholy in this big place all by
myself, whereas at Fontainebleau I shall be good
for something, and I want you to want me. Ask
the Duchesse de Montebello to fix my personal
presentation for next Sunday, on condition that I
may remain at the château after it, for I am not
strong enough to go and come back and return
again. If the thing can be simplified so that I
shall only be named to the Empress, then I will
not come at all until Sunday or Monday; otherwise
I will set out on Saturday, if I am not counter-
manded, provided that I have a room, and that the
Grand Marshal has given his sanction to all this.
I will write more at length to you this evening.
Answer promptly, because if I am not wanted, I
ought to know it at once. Alix has no news from
her husband; she worries herself about this, and
does not know what to do. I think she would
much rather take the road to Semur than that to
Fontainebleau. Adieu. I boasted too much of
myself when I said I wanted to stay here quietly
without you; I am already weary of this separation.
I have suffered so much this year, that I assure
you that I desire very sincerely not to pass the
month of October away from you.
2 B
370 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CLXXVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT FONTAINEBLEAU.
Paris, Friday, October, 1810.
My little preparations are made; I can set
out on Saturday, if I am to be presented on Sunday.
If it will be enough to name me to the Empress,
which I should like better, I shall not leave Paris
until next Monday, but I think it would not do to
wait fifteen days longer. Besides, as the season
advances, my health becomes worse; I am much
more sure of myself in October than I shall be in
November, and I would rather be at the Court
when I am in a state to bear the bustle of it. I
think I shall make out some quiet life for myself
even there, in the midst of the duties to be done
and the pleasures to be enjoyed. I can always find
some hours for rest, which I will employ in talking
with you, or in my own occupations. I shall take
my books, my writing, and my work, and if I am
pretty well, the time will pass more pleasantly than
in Paris, where I should be so long without you.
I am bored to death here, and go to bed at half-
past eight. I brood over these last days with
Charles, and you alone can console me for being
parted from my son.
He is in very good health, and working dili-
gently. I do not take him to the play, lest the
contrast should be too strong beween his life during
this week and that which awaits him, and so, not
ADVICE TO THE EMPRESS.
371
to give him pain, I do not go myself. In fact, I
conduct myself very well; I talk classes and school
to him, and reconcile him to the best of my ability.
Deschamps has just left me. The Empress
told him to come and see me, and to thank me.
She understood that all my advice was dictated by
sincere affection. She was about to come here
when my letter reached her; it was that which
*
prevented her return. She charged Deschamps to
ascertain from me whether she ought positively to
remain here, and I believe that the Queen of
Holland also received a commission in the same
sense. Her mother's plan is to remain at Geneva,
to go to Milan, to return to Aix, and not to re-
appear at Navarre until the next September. Every
one there seems to be perplexed; I am asked for
advice on all sides, but I cannot give it. Speak to
the Grand Marshal. I do not suppose, however,
that there is anything for me to do, since the
Queen is here.
CLXXVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT FONTAINEBLEAU.
Paris, October, 1810.
I must really tell you how well I have been
managing since yesterday, mon ami. I have
* The Empress passed the winter at Geneva, following in
this the advice of my grandmother, which was given by order
of the Emperor.
372 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
""
arranged for our children to perfection. Yesterday
I was reflecting with regret that to-day Charles
must return to school, and to that Muzine,* who
has come back in pretty good health, but more
strange and irritable than ever. The children, too,
were anxious on the subject. "But who," I asked
Charles, "could be put in his place over you?
Charles began to consider. "None of the profes-
sors," he said, "live at the school, and they are too
well paid to be willing to undertake what we want.
But there is a master in the place, named Leclerc,
who would be very suitable." On hearing this, I
sent for Amedée Pastoret, who came to me and
strongly recommended the said Leclerc, who has
been appointed second professor in I know not
which class; he obtained two prizes of honour and
twenty-five prizes in one year. He is a perfect
Greek scholar, never teaches out of the school, is
devoted to poetry, and knows both English and
Italian. Accompanied by Amédée, I proceeded to
the school, and sent my carriage for Leclerc.
is little, very shy, and absurdly afraid of me.
informs me that M. de Wailly had asked him in
vain that very morning to take charge of young
Thibandeau, but that he knows our children, and
will agree to everything I wish. I then asked for
M. de Wailly, but he was out. We consulted with
He
He
* My father retained an unfavourable recollection of this
man's harshness (Muzine was in bad health and not quite sane);
but he was grateful for his excellent teaching of Latin syntax,
and attributed to him a great deal of his success at the
University.
LECLERC.
373
Madame Chéron; she was much afraid of Muzine,
thought he would refuse to change his quarters,
and overwhelmed me with words. You know her
style. I begged her not to interfere in any way,
and we retired. I was at the school this morning by
half-past seven, and spoke frankly to M. de Wailly
about Muzine. He agreed with me on many points,
and perfectly understands that I am determined to
have done with him. I asked for some one to
take his place, and the first name mentioned was
little Leclerc's!* He answers for his moral cha-
racter, his attention, his capability; I begged him
to arrange everything, and to bring Helen to dine
with me on Thursday. When we had come away,
Amédée, who was with me, wrote to Leclerc, telling
him to appear as if the first intimation on the
subject had reached him from M. de Wailly; and
so our business is done, the children are delighted,
and I must own I am extremely pleased at having
rid them of Muzine. If you can come on Thurs-
day, you will see your boys, and we can go away on
Friday. I am now expecting M. Pourtales, and am
ready for an argument with him. I am in the
vein, and hope all will go off well. I have heard
endless stories of Muzine's absurdities this morn-
ing, which prove that I have acted wisely. I hope
* This little Leclerc is M. Joseph Victor Leclerc, who died in
1865. He was a member of the Academy of Inscriptions, Dean
of the Faculty of Letters in Paris, and author of some cele-
brated works on the literary history of France. He was for a
long time my father's tutor, and was always one of his most
valued friends. From his school days almost my father had
assisted him in his translation of Cicero.
374
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
you will be of the same opinion. Leclerc's moral
character being so good, I think his youth is no
objection; Charles and he will get on the better.
He likes talking, and they will converse; my boy
tells me, moreover, that he has seen him occa-
sionally in the school, and that he can be severe
with the pupils when necessary. I am charmed at
getting rid of this business, for it was a great
trouble to me. My poor boy's spirits fail in pro-
portion as the day approaches for going back to
school; when he leaves me I must be with you,
for I miss him very much. We have had some
talks together since we have been alone, and we
agree admirably. He made himself most agree-
able to M. Lebreton yesterday, and I asked him
whom he liked best of all my friends. He replied
that it was Lebreton, because he was kindest to
him. Lebreton embraced him thereupon with
tears in his eyes. He is a good boy, and I almost
worship him.
An interval of nearly three months occurs
between this and the following letters. When the
correspondence is resumed, Madame de Rémusat is
again in waiting on the Empress Joséphine at
Navarre.
THE WRITER'S HEALTH.
375
CLXXIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT IN PARIS.
Navarre, January, 1811.*
I am hoping to receive a line from you to-day,
mon ami. Alix wrote me a few words which have
done me good, but only you or your secretary,
Madame de Grasse, can entirely relieve my mind.
While I am full of Thursday's difficulties, you
perhaps are engrossed with a thousand other cares;
these are the delights of absence!
My health continues tolerably good, with the
exception of slight rheumatic pains, which are an
excuse for remaining by the fireside. Our present
abode is really only adapted for royalty: it is only
by lavish precaution that we can escape the
rigours of the season. But it must be a charming
place in summer, and I, who have very little
curiosity, nevertheless feel a great wish to see it
L
* The year 1811 was one of the most peaceful of the Empire,
and the birth of the King of Rome in March diminished many
anxious apprehensions. Far-seeing politicians, however, and
especially M. de Talleyrand, still entertained serious fears,
founded on the Emperor's character, and without actually losing
all hope, felt neither secure nor confident. It was at this epoch
that the Duc Decazes said to Maréchal Marmont, "We are lost,
depend upon it, and the Emperor is mad." During this year,
M. and Madame de Rémusat were separated for a short time
only, and there exist but a few letters written by the latter
from the Château de Navarre (Eure), where she had joined the
Empress Joséphine. I am unable to fix the precise date of
these.
376
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
again in fine weather. Moreover, the Empress has
pleasant surroundings; her associates here are
kind and nice, like herself, and the town of Evreux
is not without its charms. The greatest is its
bishop.* He is eighty years of age, agreeable,
lively, well-informed, and ready to talk on any
subject. He and I get on uncommonly well, and
of an evening, when the card tables are filled up,
we enjoy a little talk, which ends the day plea-
santly. I do not prolong it much; you know my
taste for going to bed early, and the Empress, who
likes to sit up late over her cards, has no need of
my services, and leaves me at full liberty. Our
party here consists of the Duchesse d'Arenberg,
Mesdames d'Arberg, de Vielcastel, d'Audenarde,
Ducrest, three or four young girls, MM. de Tur-
pin, de Monaco, de Vielcastel, and Pourtales, and
of Deschamps, who is admitted to the drawing-
room, and does very well. We draw or work in
the mornings while some book is read aloud; then
we pay visits to each other until dinner, or else
retire to our own rooms to write, as I am now
writing to you. At six o'clock we separate to pre-
pare for the evening, as some change of dress is
necessary, and then there are cards and music.
You perceive that our time passes pleasantly
enough, and I should like it as much as others do,
were it not for the anxieties I packed up and
brought with me in my travelling-bag. From
* M. Bourlier, Bishop of Evreux, was very intimate with M.
de Talleyrand, and stayed at his house whenever he came to
Paris.
THE COUNTRY IN WINTER.
377
those I hope your letters will relieve me by degrees.
I contrive to devote a short time to my favourite
pursuit of reading, and in the gardens here there
are fountains by Lenôtre, and in the house old
portraits that go marvellously well with the books
I brought with me. I think I have already told
you, mon ami, that I am quite reconciled to the
idea of passing a winter in the country. Your
company would be no objection, for I feel certain
beforehand that you would like the quiet and
tranquillity, and I think that in bad weather the
country is less dreary to look at than the streets
of Paris. There is always some sort of verdure to
be seen, and the least ray of sunshine gives a look
of spring to the meadows.
I have had some sensible conversations with
the Empress. She seems to be in the best pos-
sible frame of mind, wishing only for quiet and the
means of gratifying her tastes, which she culti-
vates that they may take the place of her memo-
ries. She has no wish to reside in Paris, but she
is strongly bent on Malmaison for the cold season,
and there would certainly be some risk in repeating
every winter the experiment she has made with
tolerable impunity this year. Her idea is to leave
this place in the spring, to return again for the
summer, to go away in autumn, and perhaps to
pass next winter in Italy. She says that had she
known anything of this house beforehand, she
would not have accepted it. She is alarmed at
the almost inevitable expenditure in which it
will involve her. In fact, the château is in a
378 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
dilapidated state, and is a very inconvenient abode;
and, however undesirable it may be to undertake
building operations in her position, one cannot
reasonably endeavour to dissuade her, when one
sees how greatly she is inconvenienced at present.
It is really good of her to feel so much pleasure
at having me here, and when I see how affec-
tionate and caressing she is, I rejoice at the slight
sacrifice of my vanity that I thought it right to
make out of gratitude for all I owe her. We often
speak of the Emperor; she likes to talk of him,
and to persuade herself that he still cares for her,
and she does this with the most admirable tact
and moderation always. Mon ami, a woman's
heart contains a thousand good things, and on
several points we shall always be superior to you.
CLXXX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Navarre, Friday, February, 1811.
I had vowed that unless I received a letter from
you to-day, I would never write to you again, but
the oath was worth no more than that of a drunkard
or a lover. The post came in, no letter for
me, and yet I am at my writing-table, and the
worst of it is you owe me no thanks, for it is to
please myself that I am there.
I am in the best of spirits this morning. The
weather is splendid; I shall find winter again in
GOOD SPIRITS.
379
Paris. This is a spring day; the sun is shining,
the meadows are green. I am writing, not in the
chimney corner, but close to my open window, and
my room is scented with hyacinths and lilacs.
I am well, and if you were with me, this would
be one of the happy days on which, although there
is not one single additional reason for tranquillity
of spirit, we yet find ourselves inclined to trust
in life, and to enjoy it calmly, without either
grieving over the past or dreading the future.
This pleasant frame of mind is not usual with me,
and can hardly occur in town, where some little
circumstance is constantly happening to upset
one, be it only an unseasonable visitor. As I
was telling you this morning, I have aged. I need
the sun; he warms and does me good, and if he
always shines in Provence as he is shining to-day,
I believe I shall make friends with this part of the
world.
I read great praise of "Pirro "* in the papers;
our friends write to us from Paris that Madame
Festa and Crivelli are restoring the right style of
singing. When you see Spontini, congratulate
him for me; I think he must be pleased, and that
he is now on the right track.
""
* The date of the first performance of “ Pirro or "Pyrrhus,"
an Italian opera by Paesiello that Spontini had modernized by
the addition of recitatives, will assist us to determine the date
of this letter. M. Regnier, who has been good enough to supply
me with much useful information for the notes of this work,
tells me that it took place on January 30, 1811. Spontini
conducted the orchestra, and it was one of the first successes
under his management.
380
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I drove out this morning in an open carriage.
The country here is very pretty and gay. I should
like to come again in summer, and bring you with
me; for to enjoy it properly we must be together,
and your presence will but enhance the beautiful
sunshine. In my character of an old woman,
I amuse myself with recollections of the past. It
seems to me that when I was young, there were
oftener such days as this, and I recognize the
same atmosphere that I used to breathe at St.
Gratien. Mon ami, how happy we were! and
how we let those blessed hours slip by! Youth
is a season that we squander away; we hurry over
the present moment because we feel so certain of
the future. But the lapse of years and a very
little Court life soon cure us of such pleasant
improvidence, and oh, how sorrowfully proficient
I have grown in the art of fearing and guarding
not only the passing hours, but the very minutes!
Our time passes here in a strange way; we are
always together, we do very little, there is hardly
any conversation, and yet we are not dull. You
know how I like sameness; it accounts for the
rapid flight of time, for the same occupations
return at the accustomed hour, and we scarcely
know whether it is yesterday or to-morrow. Ah!
if we only chose, life need be neither so burden-
some nor so difficult as we make it for ourselves;
it is partly our own fault. Happiness and repose
are close to us; we move round them, we see them,
and for the most part fly from both. All this is
not very new, but you must listen to it, because
GOOD SPIRITS.
381
I feel it so strongly that I must needs put it into
words. Besides, I know to whom I am speaking.
66
Would you like to learn how I pass my day?
I am in the humour to give you an account of it.
I wake at eight o'clock; I write numberless little
notes, and then several pages; I rise at ten; at
eleven we breakfast; then people begin to come
and go. I sing, I play chess, I work a little; if it
is fine we go out; at two o'clock there is reading
aloud. If the book is some stupid story, I don't
listen, but think of whom I please. Do you under-
stand what that means? At four o'clock we are
free again, and I lie lazily back in an easy-chair,
and read my
Cardinal," who is very amusing.
At six o'clock we dress; then come dinner, cards,
music, and Madame Lazy is in her bed by half-
past ten. We might spend the day worse, might
we not? Here are seven women living together
on the best of terms; only one of us is really
pretty-we allow her the pleasure of knowing it;
some of us are agreeable, and accordingly have the
privilege of pleasing. As for me, I have leave to
be idle, absent-minded sometimes, and even sad
when so inclined; in fact, we enjoy entire liberty.
The men of our party are polite and attentive;
if they were not, we should not complain; but
they are attentive because we are not exacting,
and the mistress of the house sets us an example
of sweet temper and willingness to be pleased.
When I look around me, I feel disposed to believe
that the human species is composed of good
people; but if I look farther afield, if I think
382
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
In
of you and of some others, I think
truth, I think so many things that I will not say
another word.
I am called; I had made my escape from the
drawing-room to come and talk with you, I must
now go back. Adieu, mon ami; by summoning
me away, my friends deprive you of the pleasure
of listening to a good deal more frivolity. I was
in the humour for writing. Adieu; but it is a
settled thing that I write no more; it is a sheer
folly to do nothing but think of the absent.
CLXXXI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT IN PARIS.
Navarre, February, 1811.
You must receive a quantity of little letters
from me, mon ami, for I lose no opportunity of
writing to you. Madame Gazzani * leaves Na-
varre to-morrow, and has promised that this shall
be delivered to you the same evening. The post
would be much slower. I wrote to
I wrote to you this
morning, saying you had better send again to
Madame de la Rochefoucauld for the parcel you
had sent to her house, for she is ill, and may not
* Madame Gazzani, the wife of a Receiver-General in Italy,
and a singularly beautiful woman, had been Reader at Court.
She became attached to the Empress Joséphine, and remained
with her after the divorce.
"PIRRO."
383
arrive here until after my departure; thus the
letters would be lost. I received one this morn-
ing from Madame Chéron. She is enchanted with
"Pirro." The papers are full of it, and so are all
the letters we get; it is, in fact, a splendid success,
and I should like you to have some share in it.
But, to deserve well and to be unappreciated is
the usual thing with you. I will not say that
success lies in the exactly opposite direction, but
I begin to think so.*
*
CLXXXII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT IN PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, June 21, 1812.†
This place is really too melancholy, mon ami;
we are getting quite dismal. It is raining in
torrents; it is horribly cold; we have a wretched
coal fire that covers us with smoke, and of the sun
* At this time the Court was becoming more and more
intolerable, owing to the Emperor's gloomy moroseness and
ill temper.
† Madame de Rémusat had gone to Aix-la-Chapelle with her
sister, Madame de Nansouty, and her second son, Albert, in the
beginning of June, 1812. Her ideas of medicine, like those of
most persons of her time, were altogether erroneous, and on
a careful perusal of her letters it seems probable that the
waters she took every year, at a cost of great fatigue, regret, and
suffering, both mental and bodily, did her harm. Her corre-
spondence on the subject is full of details and complaints not
suitable for publication. This will explain why her letters at
this period are fewer in number and shorter than at the begin-
ning.
384
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
not a glimpse! This bad weather has brought
back my rheumatic pains, and I am suffering a
little from my chest. I see that I must henceforth
take the waters much more cautiously. They
have retained their strength, while I have become
weaker. Albert, unlike his mother and his aunt,
does not find the place dull. He will not hear of
returning to Paris. I cannot think what the poor
child finds to like, for he is very lonely. I do my
best to amuse him; but when I am tired or in
pain, I have to send him away, and then there is
nothing for him to do. If the fine weather ever
comes, and he can go out, he will think Aix-la-
Chapelle a paradise. Alix is well; the baths are
curing her cold. She does well to rely on her own
strength, and to laugh at my precautions.
We are at war in a small way with the Prefect.
When Madame Ney and Madame de Lavalette
arrived here, he called upon them, while he has
not even inscribed his name on the visitors' book
for us. We were waiting to receive his card before
calling on his wife, but we will not make all the
advances; he has just invited us to spend the
evening at his house to-morrow. Alix thinks we
ought not to go. I will do as she likes; I leave
her to regulate the ceremonies. I care little, as
you know, for new acquaintances, for these new
ones, like all the rest, could not alter the fact of
your absence.*
* M. de Lameth was no longer Prefect of the Department of
Roër; he had been succeeded by the Baron de Ladoucette, who
was born in 1770, and died in 1848. He was a deputy in 1834.
WEATHER.
385
To-day is Sunday, and Charles is with you. I
hope this deluge of rain is not universal, and that
he will have been able to take his ride; I prayed
that he might not break his neck. Tell him, when
next you see him, that my second pleasure consists
of thinking of him; you and he together may
guess what is my first, if you can.
In sober truth, mon ami, now that I have told
you about the rain, I hardly know what else to
say. Our days are somewhat desultory. Alix
comes and goes; Albert wants me for his play-
fellow, and the poor child puts on such a melan-
choly look when I send him away, that I devote
myself willingly to his pleasure, feeling quite
certain I shall succeed in securing that, whereas
I am gravely in doubt as to my own. The slight
pain in the chest, from which I have been suffer-
ing the last two days, prevents me from writing
or working for any length of time. Reading is
my only resource, and I devour Mademoiselle's *
gossip. It amuses me because she mentions all
my friends, but she terribly travesties them. In
reality she understood little of what she relates.
I am far better acquainted than she with all she
professes to have seen, and I often feel inclined
to exclaim, "Mademoiselle, with all due respect
to your Royal Highness, you are entirely mistaken.
The persons you mention never thought of the
* Mademoiselle de Montpensier, or La Grande Mademoiselle,
who died in 1693, and whose Memoirs were first published in
1729. My grandmother was enthusiastic about Louis XIV.
and his times.
2 c
386
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
things you attribute to them, and I can answer
for it they cared not at all for your opinion." To
keep myself in practice, I amused myself in thus
arguing with her; but the good princess is very
obstinate, and I do not think I shall succeed in
convincing her.
I saw the mayor of this town yesterday. From
what he tells me, my friend Lameth seems to be
greatly regretted; and, for my own part, it is a
disappointment not to find him here. The Con-
stituent Assembly was a never-failing subject that
we had by no means exhausted. People always
like to talk of the times when they were somebody,
were it even for evil, and both vanity and con-
science urge them to alternately boasting of their
deeds or endeavouring to justify them. But in
default of this subject we harp on Mr. Frizell's
travels in Italy.* Sometimes, when he describes
the beautiful Italian skies or splendid buildings,
I find myself wishing to go there some day; then
my thoughts revert to you and Charles, and I
make plans that I shall never carry out. Alix is
more consistent, and declares that the buildings
of the Rue de Lille are quite enough for her. But
after all, the happiness of being with you is suf-
ficient for me, and should fill my whole life; and
were my health good-I say it with due respect
* Mr. Frizell was one of the few Englishmen who remained
in France during the war.¹ He was a friend of M. de Chateau-
briand's, and had written a pamphlet on the English Con-
stitution.
1 Mr. Frizell was an Irishman.-TRANSLATORS.
QUEEN HORTENSE.
387
to all the circumstances and disappointments of
life-I should have been too happy for this sub-
lunary world. All then is well, since you pardon
my want of health, and still love me in spite of
my complainings.
CLXXXIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, June 23, 1812.
The Queen is suffering from the effects of
the waters, and much depressed by the bad weather.
She regrets Savoy, and thinks that in this rain
St. Leu would be pleasanter than the streets here.
As you may imagine, we all sing pretty much in
the same key, and we end our evenings with her,
with elegies on absence. We pass our day in
our lodgings. This morning, on the sun's con-
descending to show himself, we went out, but were
driven back by a storm.
Well then, mon ami, do not go to Lafitte,†
since your engagements will not allow of it. I
am vexed with Spontini for giving you so much
trouble. This is an opportunity for showing firm-
ness, and treating him with some severity, so that
* Queen Hortense was at Aix-la-Chapelle.
+ The estate of Lafitte (Haute-Garonne) had been repurchased
by my grandfather from the heirs of M. Bastard, in 1809, and
our family thought of settling there.
388
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
the others may see you always act with justice.
He needs a good lesson; don't be afraid of letting
him have it. Financial reasons will prevent your
even coming here; and yet health is before every-
thing. Think of the winter; think of me. I have
just strength enough to endure my own ills; yours
would be more than I could bear.
CLXXXIV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, Monday, June 29, 1812.
It is still raining, the weather is cold, and I
have a coal fire which stifles while it warms me.
One of the delights of Paris will be to see a log
of firewood; I shall also salute the sun, for he
remains apparently on my terrace. . . .
I went to the theatre yesterday evening. Both
Albert and I enjoyed ourselves very much; "La
Petite Ville" was the play, and was very fairly
acted. There was also a vaudeville, in which I
recognized several of Charles's airs. This was a
great pleasure. By-the-by, I hope he will write
some verses on M. Deghen's balloons,* and on the
difficulty of directing one's course in this lower
earth. I fancy something might be made of it.
* Deghen had excited a momentary interest in Paris, by
announcing a novel aerostatic experiment. He proposed to
support himself in the air by wings.
*
“PIPELET.”
389
By going to the theatre, we missed Madame de
Salm's (Pipelet) presentation at the Queen's.
She brought with her an album in two volumes,
full of verses by Lemercier, Chénier, Lalande, and
Co. She recited some of her own. She installed
herself in the Queen's armchair, and displayed all
her possessions. It seems to have been a most
diverting scene, and I regret very much that I was
not present. Mr. Frizell gave us a capital account
of the evening. By-the-by, I think I am be-
ginning to like him extremely. We were speaking
of the men of our circle this evening, and passing
them in review. "But you do not mention," said
he, "the cleverest man of all, who is no other than
the master of the house. To begin with, he is
more highly informed than any of the others; in
the next place, he is pleasant, unaffected, perfectly
free from self-conceit, and has something worth
hearing to say on every subject." He has won
my heart, of course; as if there were any merit in
appreciating you! But in this world we naturally
esteem people who say what is true. His words
roused me; I spoke of you. I said that even they
did not know you thoroughly, that life with you
* Constance de Théis, born in 1767, was the daughter of a
distinguished man of letters, and had shown from early youth
a poetical turn. At eighteen she wrote the well-known novel
"Bouton de Rose." She married M. Pipelet de Leury in 1789,
and a few years later an opera by her, entitled "Sappho," was
produced on the stage with great success; then a drama in
verse, called "Camille," which failed completely. In 1802 she
married Prince de Salm-Dyck. Her works were collected in
1842, and published in four volumes in 8vo. She died in 1845.
390
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
was like the cloudless sky of Nice. I like this
comparison; it is so true; and Mr. Frizell, who
loves the south, approved of what I said.
I am still keeping company with La Grande
Mademoiselle. She says things to me about
Louis XIV. that I note carefully. My little book
will be charming; I shall make it my album;
quite equal to that of the Comtesse de Salm.
Mademoiselle is much less commonplace when she
comes to M. de Lauzun. Women can always
If
write well on the subject of love, and I have a
weakness for that sentiment, which makes me like
her so soon as she falls in love. It is a great
pity you have never been able to inspire me in
any way; perhaps I should have been a superior
person had my lot been different! But, jesting
apart, I really believe that a serious passion, that
lacks the merit, or the misfortune, of being legiti-
mate, greatly develops a woman's qualities?
Madame de Grasse were reading this, she would
say, "Here is another of her queer ideas suddenly
making its appearance; we must let her talk."
And yet, when one has never met with contradic-
tion, how can one know one's deserts? United
to you, mon ami, one is simply happy, without
deserving it, without effort, and consequently
without meriting a reward in the next world. It
is for this reason that I was declaring a little while
ago to my sister that I am not what is called a
worthy woman; she nearly beat me! You know
it has been my conviction for a long time that I
owe everything to you. And as a crowning mis-
RAIN.
391
fortune I had to become the mother of Charles!
Are people to conclude from this that I am a good
mother? And then comes Madame de Grasse !
Is there much merit in loving you all? In good
sooth, mon ami, notwithstanding my ill-health and
all the rest of it, I am a terribly spoilt person.
CLXXXV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, July 3, 1812.
I awake, I look out of window, I see the pouring
rain, I heave a deep sigh and sink back in my bed,
but sleep will not come again to me. Then I
draw up my table to write to you, and having re-
read the dear letter I received yesterday, I begin.
How good you are to write to me as you do!
Your words sink sweetly into my heart, and fill
the long hours of absence with thousands of happy
thoughts! Ah! I say it again with gratitude,
I have no right to complain of anything whatso-
ever.
I think it has never rained so much as during
the last three days. Before this there used to be
a few moments of sunshine; but now there is a
leaden sky from seven in the morning until eleven
at night, and it is as cold as in November. I
think the waters must be bad with all this rain.
The reservoirs are not in good order, nor properly
392 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
roofed; the rain gets through and lowers the
temperature very much. Albert is well, and
behaves well about the shower bath. He does
not like it yet, but resigns himself; I continue
to be pleased with him. He plays every morn-
ing with the little princes. As the eldest is very
fond of being coachman, he gets on capitally
with Albert, who manages the Monseigneur very
well now, and who is happy and seems to improve
a little with all these games. The day before
yesterday he thought proper to strike Prince
Louis,* who was disputing with him; but the
Queen would not allow me to reprove Albert, as
her son was in the wrong. Albert looked at me to
see what I thought; and on our return home I
gave him a little lesson which he understood.
There are some new arrivals here: Madame de
Bartillac, who has left her card for me; Alix
knows her a little, but I have not seen her yet.
* The following note by my father relating to this incident,
may be of some historical interest:-"I remember that at the
time Louis Bonaparte was a candidate for the Presidency in
1848, I was dining one Sunday with Odillon Barrot at Bou-
gival, and he arrived there, as if unexpectedly, at the begin-
ning of dinner, with his cousin, Jérôme's son, and Abbatucci.
Naturally, he took my place next to Madame Barrot, and sat
between her and me. I was not pleased at his arrival, and
being, besides, no partisan of his, I restricted myself to a cold
politeness. He wished for something more, and told me I was
one of his oldest acquaintances in France, and that he had seen
me at Aix-la-Chapelle. I replied that it was not I, but my
brother. He persisted, so did I; and I think he was inclined
to believe this was a stratagem of mine to avoid any excuse for
greater intimacy. The incident caused a certain stiffness be-
tween us during dinner."
SOCIAL STARS.
393
Madame Rapp* and her sister, who, unfortunately
for them, are living opposite us, and who wanted
to be incognito; they are always hiding behind
their curtains, and will lead a dull life of it here;
and M. de L- who has already visited the tripot,
where he is received with great ceremony. The
banker gives him up his armchair, every one rises
to do him honour; in fact, he has become an
institution. But the great attraction of all is
Madame de Salm. Unfortunately, she is only a
bird of passage, for I confess she would entertain
me immensely. I met her at the Queen's the day
before yesterday. She is certainly very clever,
and so full of self-confidence, so eager to recite
her own verses, her egotism is so unremitting,
and yet so odd, that she is most amusing. She
is connected with all the second-rate people of the
Institute, and is for ever quoting Lemercier,
Arnaud, Laya, etc. She never stirs without her
album; in the very middle of the drawing-room
she will stand and sing verses of her own com-
position, and yet she seems to be a good woman,
and very unaffected. All this rather tires the
Queen, who is so sweet and simple in her ways;
but I, who am not obliged to join in the conversa-
tion, am greatly diverted by it, and I own that I
shall regret this Sappho.
I cannot tell you how charming I think the
Queen. Hers is really an angelic disposition, and
she is quite a different creature from what she is
* General Rapp, aide-de-camp to the Emperor, married first
Mademoiselle Vaulerberghe.
394
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
generally supposed. Mr. Frizell, who had come
here with an unfavourable impression of her, is
quite fascinated. She is so true, so pure-minded,
so completely ignorant of evil; there is so sweet a
melancholy about her, and so great a resignation
as to what the future may bring forth, that it is
impossible not to feel very strongly for her. Her
health is not bad; she dislikes this continual
rain because she is fond of walking; she reads a
good deal, and appears anxious to repair the de-
ficiencies of her education in certain respects.
She studies closely with her children's tutor.
Since the trouble she takes amuses her, it is well
she should take it; but I should like to see her
studies directed by some wiser head. There comes
a time when one should learn in order rather to
think than to know, and history should not be
taught at twenty-five as it is at ten years of age.
Adieu, cher ami; I am grateful to you and to
my son for being quite well. I hope we shall all
be well this next August. If Madame de Vinti-
mille will lend you a little collection of Charles's
verses, and you send it me through M. de Lava-
lette, I would show it to the Queen, who wishes
to see it; or Charles might send me his book of
manuscripts, and I would bring it back to him.
But it must be very carefully forwarded.
PRINCE NAPOLEON.
395
CLXXXVI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, July 8, 1812.
We have been rather anxious since yesterday
about Prince Napoleon. He got up in the morn-
ing feeling very feverish and sick. The fever is
on him still. M. de la Serre does not think it is
of a serious nature; he suspects some eruptive
malady, but is not certain as yet. The poor Queen
is in a distressing state of anxiety. Everybody
tries to comfort her, but mothers are not easily
comforted. In any case, I shall keep Albert away
from the house, and I shall not go into the sick
room. Say nothing about this in Paris, on
account of the Empress Joséphine. Her daughter
might not wish her to hear of it so soon; besides,
it may be nothing, and in that case it will be
better not to have mentioned it. The Queen's
habitual ill luck makes one more alarmed at this
illness of her son's, for, after all, it is but what
many other children go through safely; but some
human beings seem born to misfortune only, and
she appears to be one of these. May my fears
prove erroneous !
I wrote yesterday to Madame de Grasse, who
complains of us in her last letter. You would be
frightened if I were to send you a list of my letters
since we have been here. I receive a great
number, which I am obliged to answer. I find
396 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
this fatiguing, and, between ourselves, a great
labour. I liked writing when I was younger, but
now I only care to correspond with you and two
or three others, and, next to that, to write for
myself alone. In early youth one likes to expand,
if I may make use of the expression, on every
side; but afterwards one becomes more reserved,
and indifferent to pleasing those who are not the
very first in our affections. This is what I ex-
perience. Every day I care less for the world.
On one side are my friends; on the other is a
great gulf of emptiness, with which I concern
myself less and less.
The night before last I went to the theatre and
shed half a dozen tears over "Omasis." It was not
bad for provincial actors, as Madame de Sévigné
would say. In that dark and smoky theatre, full
of fat Germans smelling of tobacco, Madame S
appeared in the loveliest toilette, and displayed all
the elegance customary at a first night at the
Opera. I was greatly amused by it. However,
there is nothing like bankruptcy for having every-
thing nice about one.
* "Omasis," or "Joseph en Egypt," a tragedy by Baour-
Lormian, was performed for the first time in 1806.
MADAME DE LAVALETTE.
397
CLXXXVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT IN PARIS.
Aix-la-Chapelle, July 16, 1812.
I always said you were a bad husband, and every
day I discover fresh reasons for supporting my
theory with all the eloquence I possess.
I was
at Madame de Lavalette's* yesterday. She had
just got her letters, and I was congratulating her
on receiving one from M. de Lavalette. She told
me that whenever they are separated, he invariably
writes to her every day, and that in the course of
several years he has never failed even once. You
perceive, monsieur, that on this point he is much
more of a paragon than you, and on other points
-well, I have my own opinion! I must resign
myself, however; for "where the goat is tied,
there it must browse."
Now as to our leaving this place. I think we
shall start on the 25th, that is, on Saturday week.
We have done well to delay a little, for I am
wonderfully better; the waters are warmer because
of the fine weather, and by taking them cautiously
they no longer disagree with me. So we have not
come here for nothing, after all.
My grumbling over your negligence as a corre-
* This Madame de Lavalette (Mademoiselle Tascher) is the
same individual who distinguished herself by her wifely de-
votion when her husband was condemned to death under the
Restoration.
398
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
spondent is all the more gracious that a thick
packet of yours has just been delivered to me. I
shall now leave off and read it. Wait a moment.
Ah! ah! in your present humour Heaven knows
how you will take the false news of our return,
and yet I do not think that we were wrong in
delaying it. Your wish to see us again sets you
against the waters unless they do me very great
good. Ah! mon ami, what do you expect will
ever do me great good, unless it be the pleasure
of seeing you, which really and truly does influence
my health?
Aix-la-Chapelle is beginning to be quite bril-
liant. We shall be leaving it at its best, and,
nevertheless, without regret. Numerous visitors
are arriving, but society entails a certain amount
of ceremony. We are living very quietly. I have
not seen the Queen for a week, and from excess of
prudence I do not even go to the Maréchale's.*
In the morning we go out, we write, and so on
until six o'clock. We retire early, and our even-
ings are filled up with needlework and one or two
visits. Between ourselves, I believe that only for
Alix would lead a different kind of life. I do
not interfere with her, however, but as I stay at
home, she stays. I am not dull in her society, but
I think she is rather dull in mine. She loves me
very much, but I am not altogether suited to her.
Keep all this to yourself, and if you write again
after receiving this letter, say nothing about it.
me,
* Madame Ney (Mademoiselle Auguié) had been a school-
fellow of Queen Hortense at Madame Campan's.
CHARLES'S VERSES.
399
Adieu, mon ami; I must go to dinner. I have
written every day since Thursday, and if Albert
will let me, I shall keep up this good habit until
our departure. I have received the money and
the verses;
a thousand thanks for them.
* My father's verses have been alluded to in these letters
several times. A taste for singing and composing songs, which
he had shown from earliest childhood, had been greatly culti-
vated at his school, where it was shared by several school-
fellows older than himself, viz. Amédée Pastoret, Scribe, Naudet,
and others. He kept only a few of his compositions at that
age, although he often thought of publishing a collection of
those written at a later date, after he had left school. In order
to prove, however, that what is said in these letters is not
entirely the self-deception of a tender mother, I think it well to
quote one of the poems in question; not one of those that he
sent to Aix-la-Chapelle, but one of the earliest that he did not
destroy, and which is dated November, 1813. He was then
sixteen, and was studying philosophy at the Lycée Napoléon,
which subsequently became the Collége Henri IV.
LE REVE, OU MON HOROSCOPE.
Air-"Vaudeville du Jaloux malade."
"On dit qu'il est un Dieu des songes
Qui s'éveille toutes les nuits,
Et qui, par de vagues mensonges,
Du sommeil charme les ennuis.
Dès que je ferme la paupière,
Il vient de pavots couronné:
Grâce à lui, j'ai, la nuit dernière,
Rêvé que je n'étais pas né. (Bis.)
"Je n'ai pas besoin de vous dire
Comment on est, quand on n'est pas ;
Dans sa nullité, l'on respire
Plus à son aise qu'ici-bas.
Le néant est un lieu tranquille
Qu'aucun bruit jamais ne troubla:
Mais le détail est inutile:
Vous avez tous passé par là.
“Or, voilà que mon bon génie,
Un matin, se met dans l'esprit
De m'envoyer en cette vie;
Il ouvre son livre, et me dit:
400 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
i
• Mince effet d'une grande cause,
Demain, sans faute, tu naîtras,
Mais, avant d'être quelque chose,
Viens savoir ce que tu seras.
Être futur, c'est une femme
Qui te portera dans son sein;
En attendant, voici ton âme
Que j'ai prise au grand magasin.
Ne crains rien, je l'ai bien choisie,
C'est une âme de ma façon:
J'ai mis deux doses de folie,
Pour une dose de raison.
"Écoute-moi bien, je t'en prie !
Ce registre-ci te promet
La France et Paris pour patrie.
Veux-tu savoir ce qu'on y fait?
Guide par la mode et les femmes,
En guerre, en procès, en amours,
Heureux, on fait des épigrammes,
Et malheureux, des calembours.
'Là, tu viendras à la lumière,
Et tu crîras incessamment.
N'importe, ton père et ta mère
Diront: C'est un enfant charmant !
Mérite leur amour extrême
Quant à moi, je te réponds d'eux:
Tu les aurais choisis toi-même,
Que tu n'aurais pas trouvé mieux.
"Après une sereine enfance,
Au collége tu passeras.
Persécuté par la science,
De la science tu riras.
En faisant ta philosophie,
Tu chanteras sur ton pipeau
L'amour, sans avoir une amie,
Et le vin, en buvant de l'eau.
“Pendant quinze ans, ta gaîté folle
Par des chansons aura fêté
Les jours d'un âge qui s'envole:
Mais adieu chansons et gaîté !
Bercé d'une vague espérance,
Ton cœur qui semblera s'ouvrir
Avec ta première romance,
Laisse éclore un premier soupir.
"Vois-tu, le banquet de la vie
Cesse parfois d'être joyeux.
Si l'on n'y goûtait qu'ambroisie,
On deviendrait l'égal des dieux.
Pour toi, sous l'aile de ta mère,
Auprès de ceux que tu chéris,
Tâche d'attraper sur la terre
Quelques moments du Paradis.'
VICHY.
An interval of eleven months occurs here.
CLXXXVIII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT IN PARIS.*
401
Vichy, Friday, June 18, 1813.
I am quite settled, and am leading the life of
a hermit. We have so much time on our hands
that I waste a little on principle. In the morning
we gather flowers in a small garden belonging to
the house; at eleven o'clock we breakfast, and
then go out. I have discovered some rather nice
little walks. The country about here is neither
pretty nor ugly. It is a plain of large extent,
surrounded by grass-grown hills. At this season
of the year all is bright; the corn, the fruit trees,
and vines are in their prime. There is a hill that
reminds me of the Valley of Montmorency. There
are nice walks in the neighbourhood, and we do
not need horses. We return to the house about
noon. Albert is really a good little fellow; he
"Ainsi disait mon bon génie,
Lorsqu'à grand bruit, notre tambour
Vint annoncer l'heure ennemie
Où, pour le collége, il fait jour.
Le réveil à l'erreur m'enlève;
Revenu d'un premier émoi,
Je n'ai rien perdu de mon rêve,
Car j'ai trouvé que j'étais moi. (Bis.)"
* In 1813 Corvisart ordered Madame de Rémusat to Vichy,
the waters at Aix-la-Chapelle having done her serious harm.
She had been very unwell all the winter, and was falling into
the habits of an invalid. She had, however, taken her turn
of service as Lady-in-Waiting to the Empress Joséphine at
Malmaison, and had started for Vichy on June 12, 1813.
2 D
402
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
brings the tears to my eyes twenty times a day.
He is my only occupation, and all that I do is
with reference to him. At two o'clock I send him
out for a walk with his attendant. They walked
nearly two leagues yesterday without the least
fatigue. Meanwhile, during their absence, I work,
or read, or pray; I review my past life, and en-
deavour to disentangle my thoughts, and to reason
with myself. At four o'clock Albert comes to me
again, and we read "Cinderella" while waiting for
dinner, after which I take a walk; and yesterday
I made a few visits. I intend to devote this part of
the day to social duties. I come in at eight o'clock,
and play dominoes with the boy until his bedtime;
I sit up until ten, and then I, too, go to bed.
After this fashion, mon ami, I have passed my
days since Monday, and shall continue to pass
them in the same way unless my health should
unfortunately interfere. I shall not be incon-
venienced by society here; there are several in-
valids, and people live as they like. I paid my
visits yesterday. Madame Ducayla,* the mother,
was at home; she is very nice and gentle, with an
She
appearance of suffering that grieved me.
would like M. de Jaucourt to accompany the
Queen, who is expected to arrive here to-day.
Her daughter was out. I left my name at Madame
Her
* Madame Ducayla was sister to M. de Jaucourt.
daughter, or rather her daughter-in-law, became celebrated, as
every one knows, under the Restoration. Madame Jars, of
Lyons, obtained a divorce shortly afterwards, in order to marry
Ellevion the actor.
MADAME JARS.
403
And
de Choiseul's and at Madame d'Aumont's, who
goes by the name of "the duchess" in this
place. I have for a neighbour Madame Jars, the
wife of a Receiver-General. She confided to me
her complaints of the bad food given to the
horses here, and the uselessness of the horses on
account of the bad roads. Madame d'Orvilliers is
here also, but I did not find her at home.
these are all. I have not yet spoken to a single
man; I see them passing my windows both on
foot and on horseback, but they do not seem de-
sirous of my acquaintance, nor am I of theirs.
Madame Regnault is expected; I shall be just as
well pleased if she delays her coming a little while.
I have now given you a faithful account, which
would hardly be amusing but for the interest one
takes in all the sayings and doings of those one
loves. I have been tolerably well all the week.
The doctor is so busy, that I have only caught a
glimpse of him; he is well spoken of, and liked by
every one, and is very clever. I am going pre-
sently to his house to pay him a little visit.
*
I have received a charming letter from my sister;
I wrote to her yesterday. She tells me that no-
body had yet heard from me, and she writes on
Tuesday! I posted a short letter at Montargis on
Saturday; it must have been lost. A severe storm
had forced me to remain six hours in a cottage;
only for that I could easily have reached Briare,†
* M. Lucas.
† Briare is a small town in the department of Loiret. In
one of the letters I have suppressed, a pretty château was de-
scribed with admiring envy. She alludes here jestingly to this.
404 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
•
notwithstanding the wretched posting arrange-
ments in the neighbourhood of Paris. During the
storm I amused myself watching the love-making
between a servant girl at the inn and an ostler,
who were very little incommoded by my presence,
and were taking advantage of the storm and of the
absence of the girl's kinsfolk. Gestures were more
abundant than dialogue between them, and I
thought as I looked on of the difference made by
education in people's notions of a subject which
each one develops after his own fashion. A big
brush was used to lay on the colours in this in-
stance, as ma chère amie* would say; yet there
was something about it more frank and natural,
and there was also the feminine instinct, every-
where the same, to impart artifice and coquetry to
the girl's proceedings. I am inclined to think that
education makes more difference to men than to
women. To whatever class a woman belongs, she
is well aware that she must affect to part reluc-
tantly with that which in the end she is willing to
grant.
When the storm was over I left the loving
couple, and reached Montargis at eight o'clock.
The next day I travelled through the beautiful
country of which I told you, and began bargaining
for my château, where I want to make arrange-
ments to sleep on my way back; or I can do so
at my friend the postmaster's, in case you should
have delayed sending your authorization. It is
four leagues beyond Briare, coming from Paris.
* Madame de Sévigné.
MADAME DE SÉVIGNÉ.
405
Nevers is an ugly and uncomfortable town; Mou-
lins is better, and Vichy very ugly indeed.
You may imagine that I often think of Madame
de Sévigné; I inquire for her and for her house.
If I found it I should almost be tempted to leave
my name there; but when I speak of her, no one
can answer. I know more about her than the
people here.
I read Grimm's* rubbish as I came along; it is
just the thing to take up during a day's journey.
It occurred to me that we are very silly to attri-
bute so much importance to the Present, which is
of so little account when once it has become the
Past. All the extracts he gives, all the little anec-
dotes of the day, the society verses, the eagerness
of every one over a thousand trifles, are tiresome to
read of, and yet these things pretty well sum up
the life of the rich in a great city, and occupy the
greater part of our time. There is something
pitiable in all this. Happy am I to be able to
devote my life to loving and being with you! Ah!
mon ami, life is worth living, and it is worth
coming to Vichy in the endeavour to retain
it..
* Grimm's Letters had just been published, in 1812 and 1813.
406
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CLXXXIX.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT AT PARIS.
Vichy, Sunday, June 20, 1813.
To-day is Sunday. I went to Mass. The
Queen* was there, so was everybody else; she saw
me among the crowd, and came very kindly to speak
to me. On my way back I met the water-drinkers,
to whom I paid my civilities. I have called upon
a stout Princesse de Rohan here, who seems a
good sort of woman, and made great advances,
saying she knew all my family; can you tell me,
any of you, who she is? I have seen M. de
Boisgelin, and M. d'Harcourt, and M. and Madame
d'Orvilliers. You will not be much interested in
all this; neither was I; and I returned to the
house and to my desk. Madame de Sévigné says
that in order to take the waters properly, one
should be spensierata; and you say the same when
you tell me to forget everything, but you will
admit, mon pauvre ami, that this is not easy.
However, I am doing my best, and making the
most of my little stock of common sense and
patience.
You overwhelm me with
with your account of
* The Queen of Spain, wife of Joseph Bonaparte. She was
at Vichy with her sister the Maréchale Bernadotte, Princess, and
subsequently Queen, of Sweden.
+ M. de Boisgelin and M. (afterwards the Duc) d'Harcourt
were slightly related to each other. M. d'Orvilliers was the son
of a valet de chambre of Louis XVI. He died a peer of France.
M. PASQUIER.
407
All these
your exertions about the Comédie.
pleasures seem to augur well for peace. Charles
writes to me that he fears you also may be sent
for ; I don't know whether to wish it or not-
what say you? I foresee that your journey is at
an end;* and this disappoints me a little, but yet
I can understand your remaining. I must resign
myself and wait, and take life, at present, much
as I take it at Vichy, that is, not looking beyond
each day. Madame de Vintimille writes to me
that she has gained her lawsuit. Mon cousin†
has also sent me a kind of certificate of friendship.
He protests in every way that he loves me, that
he regrets me more than anybody, and that his
life is going to be dreadfully dull. I concede
his affection for me, and that he would have
preferred my not leaving Paris; but in order to
carry on the argument I shall not yield the last
point, and I shall tell him that I believe there are
persons who love me even better than he.
Monday.
It is not raining to-day, and I am in a better
humour; you must resign yourself to hearing of
all the changes in the weather from me. First,
because the sun is very important here, and
secondly, because the doctor forbids us the waters
when the weather is damp, on pain of fever, and
that a day without the waters counts in the matter
of absence, though not in the matter of treat-
* A journey to Lafitte which did not take place.
+ M. Pasquier. He was at that time Prefect of Police.
408
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
ment. However, it does not rain, but it is cold,
and I am still living in smoke. I went yesterday
to visit the hospital which is situated in old Vichy.
It is a large, clean house, kept by Sisters of Charity.
They were at vespers when I arrived. I returned
thither this morning. They were anxious to see
me, and were already great friends with Albert.
I was charmed with the appearance of these good
Sisters, and with their expression of repose; their
speech is full of Divine Providence, and their
welcome was most cordial. They received me
first in their surgery, where, as you may imagine,
I felt quite at home. They took me through the
wards-four very large rooms, for men, children,
and women. They have baths; they feed the poor,
while they are themselves extremely poor; for
their sole resources are a small farm worth about
four thousand francs a year, and the collection
made for them every season; but with those small
means they relieve much suffering. God helps
them, they say, and they never find themselves
obliged to deny an alms to any supplicant.
Two or three of them are young-one is a really
beautiful girl; the others are old. The Superior
told me she was anything but happy when set at
liberty during the Revolution, and that she had
resumed her nun's habit and the duties belonging
to it with delight. When I told her that I vene-
rated her state of life, she answered with the
greatest simplicity, "Ah, madame, you who are
in the world have many more duties and diffi-
culties than we, and much more merit in the sight
SISTERS OF CHARITY.
409
of God! You are continually tried; while as for
us, we have some little labour indeed, but such
inward joy that we must almost fear it will be
reckoned against us some day." I confess that
I was so much touched by these words that my
eyes were wet. They showed me their chapel,
where I prayed heartily, and promised to come
there to mass. I foresee they will often have my
company. As I was going out, I met the pretty
nun I told you about; she is in delicate health,
and has come from Nevers, for the waters. I
smiled when she said Nevers and thought of
"Vert-Vert," and I came home with a mixture of
serious reflection and lively thoughts that made
my walk interesting and amusing.
The Comtesse Laure* arrived yesterday, with
two carriages, a courier, and a good deal of fuss.
The house was quite upset; every kind of honour
was paid her, for she is the real "countess" of the
house, while I glide in silence through all the com-
motion she makes. She brought a lady with her,
and some man, I know not whom; perhaps she
took literally some note like the one I received
from M. Lucas. Do you remember? I mean the
wax candle, the chocolate, and the humble servant.
I saw the Queen and the Princess of Sweden for a
moment on the Promenade; not being "coun-
tesses," they make no fuss. Madame de Magnitôt
* Madame Regnault de Saint-Jean d'Angely was by birth
Mademoiselle Laura de Bonneuil. She was considered very
handsome.
410 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
is in attendance, and also M. de Jaucourt,* with
whom I passed part of yesterday evening, and
whom I like, as you know. His sister is very
pleasant, and makes me welcome. The gentlemen
here pay me very little attention as yet. Is this
a good or a bad sign? I shall ask my little Sisters
of Charity the next time I see them, for I am
tempted to consult them about everything.
CXC.
TO MADAME DE RÉMUSAT'S SON CHARLES IN PARIS.T
Vichy, Tuesday, June 22, 1813.
You are a little rogue, M. Charles, let me tell
you. You are not in the least in earnest when
* The Comte François de Jaucourt, nephew of him who
laboured so ardently and so successfully at the "Encyclopédie"
of Diderot and D'Alembert, was born in 1757. He was a gentle-
man-like and most agreeable man. He held some post at the
Court of Spain. He had been a member of the Legislative
Assembly, and was a great friend of M. de Talleyrand. He was
a member of the Provisional Government of 1813, Naval
Minister under Louis XVIII., and finally peer of France under
the Restoration and the Government of July. He died in 1852.
He was the real head of the Protestants in France.
† My father had preserved a great number of little notes that
his mother had written to him in his childhood, in which her
maternal tenderness was expressed with grace or with gaiety.
I consider her affection for him has been made sufficiently
apparent in her letters to her husband. But in 1813 my father
was sixteen years of age, and some of her letters to him are
worth preservation. He was destined to become, in subsequent
TO CHARLES.
411
you try to persuade me that you are afraid of
writing to me lest I should find your letters tedious.
You deserve I should let you believe the very
worst on that point by way of punishment. Un-
fortunately I do not know how to lie with an air
of truth in this matter, and, in the second place,
you would not believe me. So, my dear child, I
will merely say your letter amused me very much,
and that if you want me to endure my exile
patiently, you will write to me very often. I will
allow you to put loops to your p's, and to use as
many hyphens as you please, etc., etc., and I shall
receive everything with delight and gratitude.
I have much less to tell you on my side. I
could certainly write a certain endless chapter,
but in the first place you do not like to have your
feelings touched, and in the second I do not want
to touch my own; and if I once began I know not
how it might end. I find absence and the com-
plete isolation in which I live very hard to bear.
Affection apart, if indeed the love of a foolish
mother can be put on one side, it is difficult to
find an equivalent for the pleasure of being with
you and your father. I do not even seek one;
memories of the past and a faint gleam of hope, on
which I dare not reckon as yet, since it is very
distant, keep me up pretty well. I walk out; I
think; I build castles for you, not in the air, believe
me, but close to Paris and to me; I ask God to
years, her most active correspondent. I select for publication
here only one of his letters, in which I believe there is proof of
a development of mind very unusual at his age.
412 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
preserve you; I read; I teach Albert; and the time
slips by, for, happily or unhappily, Time never
halts.
But can you guess what I am reading? Pretty
well, I fancy. My beloved Madame de Sévigné.
I had never read her so thoroughly before, and I
am charmed. But what, think you, is the con-
sequence? Why, that I feel ashamed and dis-
inclined to write afterwards! I should like to
copy out her letters and send them to all of you.
I might certainly sign my name to all the affec-
tionate things she says to her daughter, and
address them to you without any hesitation. That
dear and charming woman has felt everything, and
said everything, and if I do not copy her, I must
restrict myself to telling you simply that I love
you with all my heart, which will be neither very
new nor very amusing.
I do not know why you do not like M. de Ville-
main's* quotations. I like some of them; but,
at any rate, I agree with you as to the young
professor's prose. It is not at all juvenile, and has
a flavour of the olden days that I love so much.
You will perhaps say, "But if you admire his
style so much, how can you also admire that of
the author of 'Le Désert,' which is very dis-
* M. Villemain, born in 1790, was already a professor at the
Lycée Charlemagne, and Maitre de Conférences at the École
Normale. He had just obtained a prize at the Academy for his
"Éloge de Montaigne." He afterwards became, as every one
knows, a great author, and died in 1867. As to the writer
of the "Désert," it is probably M. de Chateaubriand, who had
just brought out his "Itinéraire de Paris à Jérusalem."
MADAME DE BROC.
413
similar?" My dear boy, one must try to like
everything as much as ever one can.
Every day I receive fresh versions of the death
of poor Madame de Broc,* and of the reflections
occasioned by it. All those who write to tell me
of it think it necessary to descant on the readiness
with which Death lays hold of us, and God knows
how ill suited to me, as I am here, are all such
melancholy thoughts! It is true, nevertheless,
that we must needs think sometimes of that our
inevitable end, and meanwhile live well in both
senses of the term, which are by no means the
same, and yet may be completely harmonized.
.
Do not forget to tell me how you are now placed,
and what are your expectations for the next exami-
nation, and also whether M. Leclerc has spoken
to M. de Wailly, and then beg your father to ask
M. Villemain to dinner some Sunday. I want
him to keep all my little circle together, that I
may not feel quite lost on my return.
Madame Chéron tells me that her son made
her very happy by writing her a nice letter on his
seventeenth birthday. Tell Henri this. To hear
of the pleasure felt by his mother will give him
pleasure too, for he also is an excellent son. I
wonder why I say also? Can you explain this
association of ideas? If you cannot, you must
ask your father, who has been greatly pleased by
all your little attentions to him since I left you
Madame de Broc, a friend of Queen Hortense, was acci-
dentally drowned in her presence, while visiting a waterfall at
Aix in Savoy.
414 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
I
both. Ah! you are trying, perhaps, to console
him for my absence? That is too much!
must make haste to come back, for you might get
on so well together as not to leave me the least.
little place between you.
Adieu, my dear and good child. Above all, keep
quite well, and, next to that, love me.
As for me,
I shall continue to take the waters, and to bathe
in them, so as to be stronger this winter. All I
ask from God is strength enough to watch your
life and to see you happy. Once again, adieu. I
feel that tears are very near, so I must fly from
them.
CXCI.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT IN PARIS.
Vichy, Sunday, June 27, 1813.
I like being near the Ducayla household; we
suit each other admirably, and yet without inter-
fering one with the other. I see little, however,
of M. de Jaucourt, who is obliged to be frequently
in attendance on the Queen, and as she lives in
Le Grand Vichy, our lives are quite apart. I
meet this kind and unaffected little Queen at the
spring every morning. She comes on foot to
drink her glass of water, quite quietly and alone,
in a simple grey silk gown, with a parasol in her
hand. The Princess of Sweden is here, trying
to get cured of something in her blood, which
AT THE BATHS.
415
quite spoils her complexion, and makes her melan-
choly and inclined to solitude. I go to see them
now and then in my morning dress, and that is
all. When I come to think of it, if you were to
ask me what I do most, I should say I walk more
than anything else, and I am consequently quite
sleepy by nine o'clock. Pray tell Madame Chéron
and Madame de Grasse to make their minds easy,
and that I am not a bit clever in this place. I
never take up a pen except to write letters, and,
with the exception of those to you, I make them
as short as possible, the waters being a good
excuse. It wearies me to write letters. I have
always to speak of myself, and repeat the same
things, and when I have just finished a letter to
you, or to Madame de Grasse, who is almost you, I
have nothing more to say. Good night.
Monday, 28th.
After writing to you yesterday, I spent an hour
with young Madame Ducayla, who is a pleasant
and a good woman. We had some agreeable con-
versation. Like me, she wants to be religious.
She often sees the Abbé Duval,* and likes him;
so, you see, we had a good subject for our talk. I
told her of the uneasiness I sometimes feel at the
large share of happiness that you bestow on me,
and which must find its makeweight somewhere.
This gave me an opportunity of speaking of you,
and when I had begun on that topic, I did not
* The Abbé Legris-Duval was a clever man, of gentle piety,
and a great favourite in the Faubourg St. Germain.
416
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
soon come to an end; and then I said a word or
two about Charles, and, in short, about all my
happiness. But I fancy, now I am on the subject,
that you are afraid I may go to an extent that
would be inconvenient to you in the matter of
piety. Do not alarm yourself. I am far indeed
from any deep devotion at present. My will is
good, but the least thing discourages and cools
me, and I cannot explain why; but my imagina-
tion, which plays a part in other feelings or actions
of my life, is not excited on the subject of religion.
On the contrary, the occasional meditations I
make on that subject lead me to calm and serious
reflections; therefore you may be quite at ease, for
I am still far from becoming a good Carmelite.
CXCII.
TO MADAME DE RÉMUSAT'S SON CHARLES IN PARIS.
Vichy, July 7, 1813.
I should have written to you again before now,
my dear boy, only for the monotony of my life
here, which furnishes me with nothing to tell you.
There is one subject which could not easily be
exhausted, but I know you dislike having your
feelings ever so slightly touched; and, besides, it
would interfere with the vow of patience which I
made on arriving here. So I cut short all my
regrets and all my tenderness, and I sit opposite
my desk without venturing to refer to them. Yet
TO CHARLES.
417
I must not be an ungrateful mother either, nor
omit to tell you that your dear letters are the
greatest pleasure of my solitude.
Your father is right in saying that I do not wish
for your philosophical treatise. You must know
that since I have been here I no longer care to
write. With the exception of a few occasional
letters, I do not touch a pen; for writing tires
me, and is, besides, against my doctor's advice,
and you know my reverence for the Faculty.
What do you think of my new passion, which
perhaps you have heard of, for the doctor here?
Thanks be to Heaven, we have now three doctors
in this house. If we are not well in health, we
are at least sure of dying according to rule. But
my doctor is a very pleasant man; he agrees with
me about my favourite century, reads Massillon to
me when I ask him, and has a portrait of Madame
de Sévigné in his room. How could any one resist
such attractions? His society is certainly the
pleasantest I have met with here, and the only
companionship I care to seek. Towards other
people I own that I am rather unsociable, and I
prefer my rambles with Albert, and thinking of
you, or reading over your letters and Madame de
Grasse's (with or without comparison between
them), to talking of the waters and their effects
with everybody I meet at the springs.
I can see that you, too, are leading a quiet,
regular life. Your father has taken a liking to his
occupation that you will not find contagious, and
that we shall laugh at when I come home; for
2 E
418
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
laugh we shall, since you say that my so-called
melancholy suits well with your bright temper. I
assure you that this gaiety of mine that you have
discovered is a kind of reflection of your own, for
here I can hardly perceive it. By seeing you, and
listening to you, and observing your happy nature,
I am invested, it seems, with a character that
disappears with you. I ought to be ashamed,
perhaps, that the humour of a mother should
depend in such fashion on that of her son, but the
fact remains, and I decline to investigate the
depth of such an offence against maternal dignity.
But, though I do not write or do my woolwork,
neither do I read anything to speak of. "But,
mamma, how do you employ your time?" My
dear son, I take the waters, I bathe, I eat, and
I sleep. What more would you have? I have,
however, begun your "Discours sur l'Histoire Uni-
verselle.' I don't know why, I find it rather dull.
Keep this a secret. It is because I am quite
stupefied by it. I do not understand how one can
help getting into confusion amid such admirable
order. I have already thought it over, and get lost
among those brackets. You will set me right. My
favourite work is the only one that I can stick
to. I am quite distressed at the death of the Duc
de la Rochefoucauld, which I learned yesterday.
By-the-by, he used to say, "We have not sufficient
strength to follow out our reason," and Madame de
Grignan used to say, "We are not sufficiently reason-
able to follow out our strength." What do you
* Madame de Sévigné's Letters.
MASSILLON.
419
think? Which of them was right? If you are
for Madame de Grignan, I will tell her mother,
who will be delighted, and M. de la Rochefoucauld
will not mind, as he is dead.
I brought with me here a volume of selections
from Massillon that I should like you to look at.
They are models of thought and style. I should
wish you, my dear boy, to like Massillon, and to
be helped by him to be a good Christian. Your
friends of the time of Louis XIV. were such, and
were none the less great men.
But to return to our own times. Tell me what
is going on at the Institute since the death of
Cailhava.* Are you a candidate? I would cer-
tainly vote for you. Tell me about the prizes, and
try to get some, for my sake, if not for your own. I
do not like you to be so philosophical; it does not
suit with your youth. Nothing is good before its
time. The age of indifference will come quite.
soon enough. As for me, I feel very great
ambition for you. For your sake I have become
a schemer; and it would take little to fill me with
envy on your account. Only remark the vices I
shall owe to you.
Do write those verses and send them to me;
above all, let there be one for the Feast of St.
Clare, whether I am there with you or still here.
Adieu, my dear boy; the sun is setting, and I
cannot see to write. I too will go to bed. Adieu,
my dear and good son. I must tell you sincerely
* Cailhava, a member of the French Academy and a dramatic
author, had just died, on June 20, in his eighty-third year,
420
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
that you are the joy of my heart, and indeed of
my mind too, and I think I am very silly, and
shall end by making you ungrateful for so much
love.
CXCIII.
TO MADAME DE RÉMUSAT'S SON CHARLES IN PARIS.
Vichy, July 10, 1813.
You are the dearest and best son in the world.
This is a truth that I will defend at the point of
my eloquence, or rather, that I shall have no
occasion to defend, for I shall meet with no one
to controvert it. Meanwhile, I feel it to the core
of my heart, and I own that I thank God for the
child He has given me. I must inform you, how-
ever, that notwithstanding all your good qualities
that I love so much, I think you are a little
roguish towards your mother. You praise that
poor woman very much; you feel you must gain
her good graces and correct her natural antipathy,
and, in default of anything better, you compliment
her on her letters. Alas! my child, I do not
know what you can find of any value in what I
write to you. I seem to have scarcely an idea
in my head in my solitude, and as to my feelings,
you know I have made a vow of silence about
them. But it is all the better for me if my empti-
ness pleases you.
There is some truth in what you say of the
TO CHARLES.
421
facility with which women can write. I can
hardly give a reason for it, unless it arise from
our habit of attaching greater importance than
men do to the thousands of little daily occurrences
which arouse emotion in us, and we are thus led to
talk of them with more liveliness and interest, but
without making too much of them; for it is a
feminine gift to touch lightly on everything, with-
out pausing on any. Observe the piquant turn
which a Parisian lady of society can give to the
conversation in her salon; how skilfully she eludes
an embarrassing dissertation, and how she con-
trives to include in one general conversation a
number of men, who all want to talk, but who
would often have said nothing, if they had not
been drawn on, or if their interest or their vanity
had not been awakened by some adroit word or
other. This is the grand art of women, and the
reason that there is no real society except in
countries where they hold a certain place. True,
this is said to have its drawbacks; but it is the
business of you gentlemen to defend yourselves,
and it is ours to take advantage of your need of our
modest means of pleasing you. To return to the
letters. I assure you that yours, too, give me ex-
treme pleasure. You write very well, because you
write naturally and pleasantly. All that you write
is exactly like yourself; in a letter of yours there
are a thousand different things, just as there are
in your own head, and the bright tints of your
sixteen summers animate the whole. I thank you
for calling me your best friend. Remember, my
422
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
dear boy, that you have given me this name, and
that I shall not relinquish it. To tell you the
truth, I had reckoned on it in a measure, but I
like you to assure me of it. In a few years you
will be entering the world; you will make friend-
ships of your own; you will meet with both joys
and sorrows. In the latter case especially, I
would wish you to think of me, and to feel the
need of confiding in me. We may not always be
able to cure these sorrows, for grief, in this world,
has a tenacious grip; but it would be strange
indeed if we could not assuage them in some
measure. There is, moreover, a sweetness that
you will know some day, in confiding in a person
who understands you, and can even divine your
feelings. Confidence is one of the best gifts given
to us; your confidence will be the reward of my
tender affection.
The thought that you are now going to love me
as a friend, after having during your childhood
loved me as a mother, brightens my life, and
makes it delightful and serene. But this, too, is
a subject which I must cut short. How difficult
it is to keep one's heart out of the conversation
in writing to one's child! But now to business.
You think that M. Fercoc* requires too much of
you, and that your youth also makes requirements.
that you cannot refuse to hear? You would be
* M. Fercoc was a disciple of Laromiquière and Professor of
Philosophy at the Lycée. My father was at that time in the
second class, and in those days philosophy was studied by way
of supplement in the second and in the rhetoric class.
TO CHARLES.
423
wrong not to listen to it; one must be civil to
every one, and not snub poor Youth-who, besides,
presents itself with such grace-too rudely. It
bids you to seek pleasure? And who, my dear
child, could say that this is wrong? M. Fercoc, or
rather, wholesome philosophy, would certainly allow
that this short life may be brightened; only they
warn you beforehand to avoid those pleasures that
would sully your soul and would oppose themselves
to the inward content that can resist all things,
and in which the true independence of the mind
consists. "But," you will perhaps say, "I do not
care particularly for independence of mind." Let
me explain there is independence and independ-
ence. Yield sometimes to an amusement that
pleases, to a feeling that interests, to a pretty face
that notices you; but retain to yourself the power
of doing without all these things, should they fail
you, without feeling inclined to hang yourself;
and that you may be able to do this, do not ex-
haust yourself by exhausting pleasure. On the
contrary, accustom yourself to refuse it sometimes,
substituting for it the satisfaction of having en-
hanced your strength. This is a compensation
invented by reason, and perhaps, also, by vanity,
to console us under privation. Men who have
lived and who are wise, will teach you the way,
not, indeed, to be always content on every occa-
sion, but to render life happy as a whole. Believe
in their theory, and take what you can of it into
practice, adopting nothing exclusively, not even
reason. You see that mine is an easy philosophy.
424 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
Perhaps you like my jargon better than Fercoc's,
but I know to whom I am speaking, and you have
a clear head, and are quite capable of under-
standing everything, and abusing nothing.
I am delighted that you are going up to the
examination. I have my hopes that I cherish in
secret, and consolations quite ready in the event
of reverses. A mother is a curious mixture, my
child, but there is really something good about it.
CXCV.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT IN PARIS.
Vichy, July 17, 1813.
The cousin writes, warning me against inti-
macies that might last beyond the Vichy season.
My sister has whispered her fears to him; but tell
them to make their minds easy. I do not usually
throw myself at people's heads, and I shall come
back as free as I departed. The count is now
quite well, but I hardly see him. He comes in,
talks of the Institute or of literature very plea-
santly for a few minutes, and then goes away and
there is no more of him. Yesterday morning,
three acts of "Iphigénie " were performed at the
house of a lady of their acquaintance. Madame
Regnault acted Iphigenia. She wore a severely
classical costume which suited her beautiful fea-
tures. Her voice is good, and that is enough
when backed by Racine and a Grecian nose; the
PRIVATE THEATRICALS.
425
other actors were not equal to her. In the third
act, when she was declaiming the grand tirade, her
husband wept, and when it was over he could
not resist going up and kissing her before twenty
persons, who all stared at him. The costumes of
the other actors were rather in Carnival style.
That Madame de Latour * of whom I spoke to
you recites well. The Achille was a ridiculous
person who caricatured Lafond with a snuff-
coloured coat, and a yellow shawl worn as drapery
over his trousers. The Eriphile was indifferent.
M. de Bernis, son-in-law to the Princess de Rohan,
was Agamemnon; he is accustomed to recitation,
but he is stout, wore a frock coat and boots, with
the inevitable shawl over his shoulders, and held
the play book in his hand, for he did not know
his part. All this took place in bright sunshine
at three o'clock; but towards half-past four the
dinner bells began to ring, and the family of the
Atrides and ourselves retired to dinner. We are
bidden to expect proverbs this evening. As talk-
ing is not required on these occasions, they suit
me perfectly. I can hear the preparations and
rehearsals going on, and the discussion of the cos-
tumes; meanwhile I gargle my throat, I give
Albert his writing lesson, I write to you, and this
evening at eight I shall go to witness the
performances.
* Madame de Latour was by birth Mademoiselle Buffaut and
aunt to Madame Regnault.
426 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
CXCVI.
CHARLES DE RÉMUSAT TO MADAME DE RÉMUSAT AT
VICHY.
Sat,
Paris, Tuesday, July 24, 1813.
I received your letter, my dear mother, with as
much pleasure as surprise to find you so zealous in
the fulfilment of your epistolary duties.
Your
letter is a volume, and that is what I like. I do
not think Madame de Grasse quite understood
me.* First of all, if I said you were too clever for
me, I did not mean that your conversation was
too lofty or too serious; but only that when one
converses with you, and that you really take a
share in the conversation, you are so brilliant and
so original in your views, that it is difficult, for me
especially, to follow and to answer you.
Secondly, I want your advice for my composi-
tions during these holidays. I have analyzed in
vain; I know not whether to employ the syn-
thetical or other method. The subject is nature,
mankind in general, persons in particular, the con-
ventions and relations of society and literary
works. As I do not want to produce a folio
volume, the task is rather puzzling. My idea is
this. I purpose to make, at once, notes, more or
less confused and entangled, of my present opinions
and feelings, which date only from yesterday, and
*This refers to a letter from Madame de Rémusat to her son,
which will be found in the preface to the Memoirs.
FROM CHARLES.
427
which may change by to-morrow. I purpose to
relate all the variations they have undergone,
whether from circumstance or from the passage of
time, until the present moment, and thus to pre-
pare materials for a serious work, which I shall
write several years hence. It will be a history, or
a novel, as you please, which might be entitled,
"Metamorphoses, or Memoirs of a Young Man,
belonging to what is called High Society, from his
Birth until the Age of Twenty." You understand
that it would contain neither adventures nor
events; for even had I experienced any, they
would have to be suppressed. It is a man's ordi-
nary life, especially his moral life, that I should
try to depict, and the various ways in which he is
influenced by his family, his friends, his position,
and every outward circumstance. What do you
say to the verb to influence? It is in fashion, but
certainly does not belong to the time of Louis XIV.
To return. I should therefore begin to make my
notes at once, for in three or four years' time, not
only will my ideas be changed, not only shall I not
think then as I think now, but I shall not even
be able to imagine that I have ever thought
differently to what I shall then think. I already
find it difficult to persuade myself that I have not
always been what I am now in this month of July,
1813, and to recollect my thoughts during the
years that are past. The question is therefore
pressing, for the older I grow, the more do these
recollections fade and the footsteps of childhood
disappear. What think you of my project? I
428
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
fancy you will like it. M. Fercoc is continually
exhorting us to write a treatise on imagination.
I obey him literally, for is not a history of youth a
treatise on imagination?
I am certain that at this moment you are saying
to yourself, "How lucky he is!
"How lucky he is! What a lot of
paper he will have to cover!" You would like to
be sixteen and to do as much. But listen: write
the memoirs of a mother; give an account of the
manner in which, as years pass by, her feelings
towards her son and her feelings concerning him,
become altered. The subject is perhaps less fertile
than mine. Never mind; we shall be working at
the same time, but shall tell each other nothing.
While I shall be describing a son of fifteen, you
will be describing a mother of thirty; and after-
wards we will compare notes. As we shall neces-
sarily have to treat of the same subject, it will be
amusing to discover the different points of view
from which the same thing will have presented
itself to each of us. Think this over, and give
me a categorical answer.
To come now to the historical part of my letter.
Last Friday I wrote a Greek composition. I showed
it both to M. de Wailly and to M. Leclerc.
Neither of them has mentioned it to me since.
Yesterday, from eight in the morning until half-
past seven in the evening, I was on a straw chair,
trying to mount Pegasus, that is, trying to com-
pose Latin verses. I wrote forty-eight, and, un-
fortunately, I cannot call them short and good.
We are doing nothing here, absolutely nothing.
FROM CHARLES.
429
M. Pottier,* not knowing how to fill up the time,
spends it in reading "Vert-Vert " to us,
to us, which is
not a very laborious occupation. We begin our
competition of themes to-morrow, and philosophy
on Friday. After that the concours is over.
Pray return as soon as possible to relieve papa
from his celibacy; for frankly, whatever you may
say, the society of Madame de Grasse is not
enough for him. My aunt's husband has been
here for the last few days; he arrived last Thurs-
day, and ought to have started on Monday-that
is yesterday. He is really very well, and I hope
that the waters will be equally beneficial to you.
We dined with my aunt on Sunday, with M.
Pasquier, Madame Chéron, and Madame de
Grasse, and there was plenty of talk. We began
dinner with a discussion, which has lately come
into fashion. It is concerning Mademoiselle
Gosselin, who, so far, has no one against her but
my aunt and Geoffroy. In vain did the dear
baron, in vain did my uncle, make the finest
speeches. My aunt was adamant, and Madame
Gardel can find no more obstinate champion.†
Nor was this all; Madame Chéron, who apparently
is no great judge of dancing, and who was in-
wardly groaning at not having said a word since
the beginning of dinner, i.e. for three quarters
of an hour, suddenly emerged from silence by a
* M. Pottier taught the second class.
† Mademoiselle Gosselin, a young dancer whom Geoffroy
called désossée, was at that time greatly admired. But the
classicists preferred Madame Gardel.
430 LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
(C
pompous panegyric on Mademoiselle Leverd's
admirable and original acting in "Tartuffe" the
evening before, and on her superiority over her
enemy. Oh, what an apple of discord! My
aunt exclaims; my uncle echoes her, vowing he
has never seen either one or the other. M.
Pasquier begs and entreats that such a chord as
this may not be struck, and pours out a glass of
water for my aunt, who is choking. In vain does
my father wait for a moment of silence, in which
to make them hear reason, while I hold my tongue
and say to myself, Analyze, analyze !" But
there was no analyzing it. Madame Chéron mis-
uses all her words, and piles up sophisms in order
to prove the greatest of sophisms, viz. that she
was right. However, that did not surprise me.
Only imagine! After "Tartuffe " she went to see
two farces at the Variétés, and after that she is
ready to criticise the actors of Molière. Elmire
submitted to the censor of “M. Dumollet"!† So
be it. Moreover, without this I should not have
known how to finish my letter, and you must accept
it, such as it is. Adieu.
* The enemy was Mademoiselle Mars, whose acting was at
that time always compared with, and not always preferred to,
that of Mademoiselle Leverd.
† A vaudeville by Désangiers and Gentil.
RELIEF FROM ALARM.
431
CXCVII.
TO M. DE RÉMUSAT IN PARIS.
Vichy, July 27, 1813.
I am breathing again, for I think my letters of
yesterday must have relieved you all, and that,
after reading them, the husband and the wife will
settle down to their occupations again, saying to
themselves, "The poor darling has suffered a good
deal, but it is over now! She is well again, and
has gathered up her courage. Time is getting on;
let us be patient, and to our work again." And
every one sits down, while Madame de Grasse says,
"Those waters are too strong for her; I knew
they would be." "But you hear what her doctor
says; he believes they will do her good." "Ah!
that is because he wants her to stay at Vichy."
"Ah! that is like you, always thinking there is
some motive besides the ostensible one."
"Mon
Dieu! am I wrong in that? Men are so deceitful!
Why should not that man tell lies as well as
another?" "You mean, why should he not be
mistaken as well as another?" "Bah! it is the
same thing." "No, to deceive or to be deceived
are different things." "Well, but did I not say
those waters would do her harm?" Will not the
conversation run after this fashion on Tuesday,
amid long intervals of silence ?
As for me, I passed a quiet day yesterday. I
remained in my own room all the morning; it was
432
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
positively raining in torrents. I worked; I wrote
to Madame de Vintimille; I read a little of La
Bruyère. At four o'clock I paid a short visit to
the count and countess, who had sent me an
invitation to dinner, which I had declined on the
score of health. We talked on several subjects,
the musician * among others, the count telling
me he thought the business was settled. I told
him I was "glad to hear it; that he and his family
were deserving of interest; that as for him, he
would have to pay dearly for his great blunders;
that you had given him the means of an honour-
able livelihood; that the desire of gaining more,
and of providing for extravagant expenditure, had
brought him into difficulties and occasioned be-
haviour that any one else in your place would have
found it hard to overlook, but that we should
forget such things in presence of misfortune, and
that this is what you had done.' The count
replied "that he knew nothing about the rights
of the business; that Erard had asked him to
befriend his son-in-law, and that, therefore, he had
done so; that his opponents seemed to be rather
questionable people; that the poor fellow must
have a chance given him of making use of his
talents," etc. After this we talked of operas,
poems, verses, the Institute, etc. For the most
part we did not agree, but I let everything slide
and took nothing up seriously. Every now and
then I paid some little compliment. It was a
delightful conversation, without effusion or sim-
* Spontini.
MADAME DUCAYLA S.
433
plicity; each of us saw what the other was going
to say, and fell in with it-at least, that was the
case with me. Afterwards I returned to my little
hermitage, and at eight o'clock I went to Madame
Ducayla's, where everybody assembled the coun-
tess and the other members of society, Guelphs
and Ghibellines. There was music and work; I
played a game of whist. The evening went off
well, and at eight o'clock the convent was shut up.
But, oh, what beautiful bits I read of Massillon !
How delighted I am with La Bruyère! How full
of thought and knowledge are all the writers of
those times! How much we may learn from them
by reading them slowly and with attention! We
may positively converse with them; we question
them, and they give admirable answers; in their
turn they ask a question, but we cannot reply as
well as they, especially when Bourdalone or Mas-
sillon is the questioner. We stand before them
with downcast eyes, begging for time, which they
do not seem much inclined to grant.
Madame Devaines has written to M. de Jau-
court,* informing him of her son's marriage; he
is delighted, I assure you. I wrote to both mother
and son, and also to Countess Rumford yesterday.
I am an admirably punctual correspondent, and
keep my turn with a great many persons. Between
ourselves, I do not always find it very amusing;
but, after all, one must answer letters and escape a
scolding. I have received a somewhat melancholy
* M. Devaines had just married Madame Dillon (Henriette
de Meulan), sister to the first Madame Guizot.
2 F
434
LETTERS OF MADAME DE RÉMUSAT.
letter from Corvisart. Try and show him some
mark of interest. He might be flattered by your
calling on him. Charles amuses me very much;
his letters are bright and gay, and sometimes
tender; but so soon as he perceives that, he makes
a joke so as to cut sentiment short. He ended a
letter the other day by saying that "he loved
me and kissed me as" then he hesitated and
resumed, "as a mother kisses her child," saying
he could not improve upon that. He assures me I
shall always be his best friend; in fact, he wants
to turn my head altogether, and I am afraid he
will succeed.
THE END.
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66
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Sampson Low, Marston, & Co.'s
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I I
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>"}
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I 2
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>>
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13
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་
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'
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