with tears the hands of this excellent princess.
Josephine added many touching remarks, trying to alleviate
her sorrow by sharing it, and thus restore resignation
to the heart of the poor mother. The remembrance
of this kindness helped to calm our grief, and I confess
that it is at once both an honor and a consolation
to recall the august sympathy which the loss of this
dear child excited in the hearts of Napoleon and Josephine.
The world will never know how much sensibility and
compassion Josephine felt for the sorrows of others,
and all the treasures of goodness contained in her
beautiful soul.
Napoleon was accustomed to compare Marie Louise with
Josephine, attributing to the latter all the advantages
of art and grace, and to the former all the charms
of simplicity, modesty, and innocence. Sometimes,
however, this simplicity had in it something childish,
an instance of which I received from good authority.
The young Empress, thinking herself sick, consulted
M. Corvisart, who, finding that her imagination alone
was at fault, and that she was suffering simply from
the nervousness natural to a young woman, ordered,
as his only prescription, a box of pills composed
of bread and sugar, which the Empress was to take
regularly; after doing which Marie Louise found herself
better, and thanked M. Corvisart, who did not think
proper, as may well be believed, to enlighten her
as to his little deception. Having been educated
in a German court, and having learned French only
from masters, Marie Louise spoke the language with
the difficulty usually found in expressing one’s
self in a foreign tongue. Among the awkward expressions
she often used, but which in her graceful mouth were
not without a certain charm, the one which struck
me especially, because it often recurred, was this:
“Napoleon qu’est ce que veux-to?”
The Emperor showed the deepest affection for his young
wife, and at the same time made her conform to all
the rules of etiquette, to which the Empress submitted
with the utmost grace. In the month of May, 1811,
their Majesties made a journey into the departments
of Calvados and La Manche, where they were received
with enthusiasm by all the towns; and the Emperor made
his stay at Caen memorable by his gifts, favors, and
acts of benevolence. Many young men belonging
to good families received sub-lieutenancies, and one
hundred and thirty thousand francs were devoted to
various charities. From Caen their Majesties
went to Cherbourg. The day after their arrival
the Emperor set out on horseback early in the morning,
visited the heights of the town, and embarked on several
vessels, while the populace pressed around him crying
“Vive l’Empereur!” The following
day his Majesty held several Councils, and in the
evening visited all the marine buildings, and descended
to the bottom of the basin which is cut out of the
solid rock in order to allow the passage of vessels
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