My health is good, and my army is superb.
Adieu, dear. Be cheerful and contented.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_June 21st.--Armistice concluded at Tilsit._
No. 80.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_Tilsit, June 22, 1807._
_My Dear_,--I have your letter of June 10th. I am sorry to see you are so depressed. You will see by the bulletin that I have concluded a suspension of arms, and that we are negotiating peace. Be contented and cheerful.
I despatched Borghèse to you, and, twelve hours later, Moustache; therefore you should have received in good time my letters and the news of the grand battle of Friedland.
I am wonderfully well, and wish to hear that you are happy.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
No. 81.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_Tilsit, June 25, 1807._
_My Dear_,--I have just seen the Emperor Alexander. I was much pleased with him. He is a very handsome, young, and kind-hearted Emperor; he has more intelligence than people usually give him credit for. To-morrow he will lodge in the town of Tilsit.
Adieu, dear. I am very anxious to hear that you are well and happy. My health is very good.
NAPOLEON.
No. 82.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_Tilsit, July 3, 1807._
_My Dear_,--M. de Turenne will give you full details of all that has occurred here. Everything goes excellently. I think I told you that the Emperor of Russia drinks your health with much cordiality. He, as well as the King of Prussia, dines with me every day. I sincerely trust that you are happy. Adieu, dear. A thousand loving remembrances.
NAPOLEON.
No. 83.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_Tilsit, July 6, 1807._
I have your letter of June 25th. I was grieved to see that you were selfish, and that the success of my arms should have no charm for you.
The beautiful Queen of Prussia is to come to-morrow to dine with me.
I am well, and am longing to see you again, when destiny shall so order it. Still, it may be sooner than we expect.
Adieu, dear; a thousand loving remembrances.
NAPOLEON.
No. 84.
_July 7th.--Peace signed between France and Russia._
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_Tilsit, July 7, 1807._
_My Dear_,--Yesterday the Queen of Prussia dined with me. I had to be on the defence against some further concessions she wished me to make to her husband; but I was very polite, and yet held firmly to my policy. She is very charming. I shall soon give you the details, which I could not possibly give you now unless at great length. When you read this letter, peace with Prussia and Russia will be concluded, and Jerome acknowledged King of Westphalia, with a population of three millions. This news is for yourself alone.
Adieu, dear; I love you, and wish to know that you are cheerful and contented.
NAPOLEON.
No. 85.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_Tilsit, July 8,[26] 1807._
The Queen of Prussia is really charming; she is full of _coquetterie_ for me; but don't be jealous; I am an oil-cloth over which all that can only glide. It would cost me too much to play the lover.
NAPOLEON.
No. 12,875 of the _Correspondence_ (taken from Las Cases).
* * * * *
_July 9th.--Peace signed between France and Prussia, the latter resigning all its possessions between the Rhine and the Elbe._
No. 86.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT ST. CLOUD.
_Dresden, July 18, 1807, Noon._
_My Dear_,--Yesterday I arrived at Dresden at 5 P.M., in excellent health, although I remained a hundred hours in the carriage without getting out. I am staying here with the King of Saxony, with whom I am highly pleased. I have now therefore traversed more than half the distance that separates us.
It is very likely that one of these fine nights I may descend upon St. Cloud like a jealous husband, so beware.
Adieu, dear; I shall have great pleasure in seeing you.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_July 25th._--Plot of Prince Ferdinand of Asturias against his parents, the King and Queen of Spain.
_July 27th.--Napoleon arrives at St. Cloud,_ 5 A.M.
_August 19th.--Napoleon suppresses the French Tribunate._
_August 20th.--Marshal Brune captures Stralsund from the Swedes._
_September 1st.--The Ionian Isles become part of the French Empire._
_September 5th to 7th._--Bombardment of Copenhagen by the English.
_September 7th.--Occupation of Rugen by Marshal Brune._
_October 6th._--War between Russia and Sweden.
_October 16th.--Treaty of alliance between France and Denmark._
_October 17th.--Junot with 27,000 men starts for Portugal, with whom France has been nominally at war since 1801._
_October 27th.--Treaty of Fontainebleau signed between France and Spain. (Plot of Prince Ferdinand against his father discovered at Madrid the same day.)_
_November 8th._--Russia declares war against England.
_November 15th.--Napoleon constitutes the kingdom of Westphalia, with his brother Jerome as king._
_November 26th.--Junot enters Abrantès, and on_
_November 30th, enters Lisbon._
_December 9th._--Trade suspended between England and the United States (_re_ rights of neutrals).
_December 23rd.--France levies a contribution of 100 million francs on Portugal._
FOOTNOTES
[22] Murat and Borghèse.
[23] Eugène's eldest daughter, the Princess Josephine Maximilienne Auguste, born March 14, 1807; married Bernadotte's son, Prince Oscar, June 18, 1827.
[24] _Toute diablesse._
[25] Charles Napoleon, Prince Royal of Holland, died at the Hague, May 5, 1807.
[26] Presumed date.
SERIES H
"Napoleon was received with unbounded adulation by all the towns of Italy.... He was the Redeemer of France, but the Creator of Italy."--ALISON, _Hist. of Europe_ (vol. xi. 280).
SERIES H
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 264-267.)
LETTER PAGE
No. 1. _Milan_ 264 _Mont Cenis_ 264 _Eugène_ 264
No. 2. _Venice_ 265 _November 30th_ 265
No. 3. _Udine_ 265-7 _I may soon be in Paris_ 267
LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE DURING THE JOURNEY HE MADE IN ITALY, 1807.
_November 16th.--Napoleon leaves Fontainebleau._
_November 22nd-25th.--At Milan._
No. 1.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Milan, November 25, 1807._
_My Dear_,--I have been here two days. I am very glad that I did not bring you here; you would have suffered dreadfully in crossing Mont Cenis, where a storm detained me twenty-four hours.
I found Eugène in good health; I am very pleased with him. The Princess is ill; I went to see her at Monza. She has had a miscarriage; she is getting better.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_November 29th to December 7th.--At Venice (writes Talleyrand, "This land is a phenomenon of the power of commerce")._
No. 2.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Venice, November 30, 1807._
I have your letter of November 22nd. The last two days I have been at Venice. The weather is very bad, which has not prevented me from sailing over the lagoons in order to see the different forts.
I am glad to see you are enjoying yourself at Paris.
The King of Bavaria, with his family, as well as the Princess Eliza, are here.
I am spending December 2nd[27] here, and that past I shall be on my way home, and very glad to see you.
Adieu, dear.
NAPOLEON.
No. 3.
TO THE EMPRESS, AT PARIS.
_Udine, December 11, 1807._
_My Dear_,--I have your letter of December 3rd, from which I note that you were much pleased with the Jardin des Plantes. Here I am at the extreme limit of my journey; it is possible I may soon be in Paris, where I shall be very glad to see you again. The weather has not as yet been cold here, but very rainy. I have profited by this good season up to the last moment, for I suppose that at Christmas the winter will at length make itself felt.
Adieu, dear.--Yours ever,
NAPOLEON.
* * * * *
_December 12th.--At Udine._
_December 14th.--At Mantua._
_December 16th.--At Milan (till December 26th)._
_December 17th.--His Milan decree against English commerce._
_December 27th-28th.--At Turin._
1808.
_January 1st.--At Paris._
FOOTNOTES
[27] His Coronation Day.
SERIES I
"The imbecility of Charles IV., the vileness of Ferdinand, and the corruption of Godoy were undoubtedly the proximate causes of the calamities which overwhelmed Spain."--NAPIER'S _Peninsular War_ (vol. i. preface).
SERIES I
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 267-269.)
LETTER PAGE
No. 1. _Bayonne_ 267
No. 2. _A country-house_ 267 _Everything is still most primitive_ 267
No. 3. _Prince of the Asturias_ 268 _The Queen_ 268
No. 4. _A son has been born_ 268 _Arrive on the 27th_ 269
LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE DURING THE STAY THAT HE MADE AT BAYONNE, 1808.