Napoleon's Letters To Josephine Part 18

TO THE EMPRESS, AT AIX-LA-CHAPELLE.

_Arras, Wednesday, August 29, 1804._

_Madame and dear Wife_,--I have just reached Arras. I shall stay there to-morrow. I shall be at Mons on Friday, and on Sunday at Aix-la-Chapelle. I am as well satisfied with my journey as with the army. I think I shall pa.s.s through Brussels without stopping there; thence I shall go to Maestricht. I am rather impatient to see you. I am glad to hear you have tried the waters; they cannot fail to do you good. My health is excellent. Eugene is well, and is with me.

Very kindest regards to every one.

BONAPARTE.

[_Translated from a Letter in the Collection of Baron Heath, Philobiblon Society, vol. xiv._]

_October 2nd._--Sir Sydney Smith attacks flotilla at Boulogne unsuccessfully.

No. 6.

TO JOSEPHINE, AT ST. CLOUD.

_Treves, October 6, 1804._

_My Dear,_--I arrive at Treves the same moment that you arrive at St.

Cloud. I am in good health. Do not grant an audience to T----, and refuse to see him. Receive B---- only in general company, and do not give him a private interview. Make promises to sign marriage contracts only after I have signed them.--Yours ever,

NAPOLEON.

_December 1st.--Plebiscite confirms election of Napoleon as Emperor, by 3,500,000 votes to 2000._

_December 2nd.--Napoleon crowns himself Emperor, and Josephine Empress, in the presence and with the benediction of the Pope._

GENERAL EVENTS.--_October 8th._--The negro Dessalines crowned Emperor of St. Domingo, under t.i.tle of James I.

_December 12th._--Spain declares war against England.

SERIES F

CAMPAIGN OF AUSTERLITZ, 1805.

"To convey an idea of the brilliant campaign of 1805 ... I should, like the almanack-makers, be obliged to note down a victory for every day."--BOURRIENNE, vol. ii. 323.

"Si jamais correspondence de mari a femme a ete intime et frequente, si jamais continuite et permanence de tendresse a ete marquee, c'est bien dans ces lettres ecrites, chaque jour presque, par Napoleon a sa femme durant la campagne de l'an XIV."--F.

Ma.s.sON, _Josephine, Imperatrice et Reine_, 1899, p. 427.

SERIES F

(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 237-243.)

LETTER PAGE

No. 1. _To Josephine_ 237 _Strasburg_ 237 _Stuttgard_ 237 _I am well placed_ 237

No. 2. _Louisburg_ 238 _In a few days_ 238 _A new bride_ 238 _Electress_ 238

No. 3. _I have a.s.sisted at a marriage_ 238

No. 5. The abbey of Elchingen 238

No. 6. _Spent the whole of to-day indoors_ 238 _Vicenza_ 238

No. 7. _Elchingen_ 239 _Such a catastrophe_ 239

No. 9. _Munich_ 239 _Lemarois_ 239 _I was grieved_ 239 _Amuse yourself_ 239 _Talleyrand has come_ 240

No. 10. _We are always in forests_ 240 _My enemies_ 240

No. 11. Lintz 240

No. 12. Schoenbrunn 241

No. 13. _They owe everything to you_ 241

No. 14. _Austerlitz_ 241 _December 2nd_ 241

No. 17. _A long time since I had news of you_ 241

No. 19. _I await events_ 242 _I, for my part, am sufficiently busy_ 242

LETTERS OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE, DURING THE AUSTERLITZ CAMPAIGN, 1805.

EVENTS OF 1805.

_March 13th.--Napoleon proclaimed King of Italy._

_May 26th.--Crowned at Milan._