_March 12, 1810._

_My Dear_,--I trust that you will be pleased with what I have done for Navarre. You must see from that how anxious I am to make myself agreeable to you.

Get ready to take possession of Navarre; you will go there on March 25, to pa.s.s the month of April.

Adieu, dear.

NAPOLEON.

_April 1.--Civil marriage of Napoleon and Marie Louise._ (_Religious marriage, April 2._)

FOOTNOTES

[36] The Empress, with Hortense, had been to dine at Trianon.

[37] General Treasurer of the Crown.

SERIES N

1810

APRIL 2ND--DECEMBER 31ST

(_after the Marriage with Marie Louise_).

"Bella gerant alii, tu, felix Austria! nube."

SERIES N

(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 304-310.)

LETTER PAGE

No. 1. _Navarre_ 304 _To Malmaison_ 305

No. 1_a_. _It is written in a bad style_ 305

No. 2. Josephine's wishes 305

No. 2_a_. _Two letters_ 306

No. 3. The northern tour of 1810 306 _I will come to see you_ 307

No. 4. _July 8th_ 308 _You will have seen Eugene_ 308 _That unfortunate daughter_ 308

No. 5. _The conduct of the King of Holland_ 308

No. 6. _To die in a lake_ 309

No. 8. _Paris, this Friday_ 309

No. 9. _The only suitable places_ 310

No. 10. Malmaison 310 _The Empress progresses satisfactorily_ 310

No. 1.

LETTER OF THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE TO THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON.

_Navarre, April 19, 1810._

_Sire_,-I have received, by my son, the a.s.surance that your Majesty consents to my return to Malmaison, and grants to me the advances asked for in order to make the chateau of Navarre habitable. This double favour, Sire, dispels to a great extent the uneasiness, nay, even the fears which your Majesty's long silence had inspired. I was afraid that I might be entirely banished from your memory; I see that I am not. I am therefore less wretched to-day, and even as happy as henceforward it will be possible for me to be.

I shall go at the end of the month to Malmaison, since your Majesty sees no objection to it. But I ought to tell you, Sire, that I should not so soon have taken advantage of the lat.i.tude which your Majesty left me in this respect had the house of Navarre not required, for my health's sake and for that of my household, repairs which are urgent.

My idea is to stay at Malmaison a very short time; I shall soon leave it in order to go to the waters. But while I am at Malmaison, your Majesty may be sure that I shall live there as if I were a thousand leagues from Paris. I have made a great sacrifice, Sire, and every day I realise more its full extent. Yet that sacrifice will be, as it ought to be, a complete one on my part. Your Highness, amid your happiness, shall be troubled by no expression of my regret.

I shall pray unceasingly for your Majesty's happiness, perhaps even I shall pray that I may see you again; but your Majesty may be a.s.sured that I shall always respect our new relationship. I shall respect it in silence, relying on the attachment that you had to me formerly; I shall call for no new proof; I shall trust to everything from your justice and your heart.

I limit myself to asking from you one favour: it is, that you will deign to find a way of sometimes convincing both myself and my _entourage_ that I have still a small place in your memory and a great place in your esteem and friendship. By this means, whatever happens, my sorrows will be mitigated without, as it seems to me, compromising that which is of permanent importance to me, the happiness of your Majesty.

JOSEPHINE.

No. 1A.

(_Reply of the Emperor Napoleon to the preceding._)

TO THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE, AT NAVARRE.

_Compiegne, April 21, 1810._

_My Dear_,--I have yours of April 18th; it is written in a bad style.

I am always the same; people like me do not change. I know not what Eugene has told you. I have not written to you because you have not written to me, and my sole desire is to fulfil your slightest inclination.

I see with pleasure that you are going to Malmaison and that you are contented; as for me, I shall be so likewise on hearing news from you and in giving you mine. I say no more about it until you have compared this letter with yours, and after that I will leave you to judge which of us two is the better friend.

Adieu, dear; keep well, and be just for your sake and mine.