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of her whole conduct. Some letters she received were thus disclosed to him, which he pretended to regard as criminal, though she says they were but trifles; but his anger had the effect he intended to produce, which was to alarm her seriously. One day, he lost the command of his temper so far as to kill, with a blow of his foot, a favourite little dog that General Hoche had presented to her but in a few days he became ashamed of his brutality; his kindness returned, and to make all the reparation he could, he caused a monument to be erected over the little victim of his jealousy. He, in a short time after, in order to prosecute his military career, left her, and as he was compelled to be much absent, she reigned queen over the pleasures of Milan. Her balls, concerts, dinners and spectacles, of every gay description, were of the most costly and brilliant character; and the continued successes of the French arms, furnished her with almost daily occasions for public rejoicing. She exults in the recollection of having then made many happy, and declares she herself was certainly so. But the truth must be told-she played a double part, and was treacherous to the confiding Italians. Bonaparte heaped heavy imposts on the first houses of Italy; not that he wished directly to injure their fortunes, but in order to compel them to have recourse to him in their distress. He then gave them to understand they must address themselves to his wife. On this being complied with, Josephine would promise them much; but in a little while after she would say with feigned sorrow, "the General will not consent to it." They would then implore her to redouble her efforts, and she would adroitly take advantage of these moments of confidence to get at their secrets: she even succeeded in obtaining from them the archives of the state, which had disappeared on the entry of the French. In this manner Bonaparte found himself in possession of the documents necessary to establish a great administration. In public, he disapproved of Josephine's interesting herself for the Italian nobility; "she shall obtain nothing from me," said he to his generals; "I cannot favour the great; their fortunes will answer to me for their submission." But when he and his wife were alone, his language was changed-their policy was entirely confined to themselves. Josephine thus skilfully turned to account for him the conquest of Italy, and without the assistance of this admirable (we would say, deceitful) woman, remarks her biographer, perhaps he would not have succeeded in placing on his head a triple crown. To flatter and reward the mother, he afterwards appointed her son, Eugene, viceroy of Italy.

Bonaparte now turned his arms against the Venetian States, which soon submitted. Verona was saved from pillage by

1

Josephine's intercession, and on paying three million, six hundred thousand francs. The arguments by which she prevailed, are curious. She wrote thus-"The French pretender found in that city an asylum and protection—that is enough for you and me; you understand me, General!" She also tried to save some of the victims of whom it was necessary to make an example, but she failed. At Venice she again joined him, carrying mirth and hilarity in her train. As soon as Italy was republicanized, Bonaparte was appointed by the Directory, Minister Plenipotentiary from France to the new Congress of Rastadt. His individual share of the spoils of Italy, it is stated, amounted to twenty-four millions; so that there was no occasion for him to husband his pecuniary resources. Accordingly, Josephine became the queen of the diplomatic circle-the centre of all attractions, and the dispenser of all favours. On his recall by the Directory, whose power was now tottering, he despatched his wife some days before him. On arriving at Paris, he exhibited himself to the people, crowned with laurel, and bearing an olive branch in his hand. He seemed to them to be animated with a love for the republic; but before his wife the mask fell, and he no longer concealed his ambitious aspirations. It was in vain that the Directory tried to keep him in the shade-his star had an ascendancy over their's. But from the period of his return, he had ceased to be happy at home. He lent a ready ear to the insinuations of his spy, who told him that Josephine very often received the visits of Botot. The fact was so," says Miss Le Normand, "but Madame Bonaparte used the ascendancy she had acquired over the mind of this man, to get at the secrets of the Directory. She thus discovered that they desired to dismiss the General, and she induced him to make some slight concessions to them, the better to attain his objects.. But her most trifling actions were often misinterpreted. She might have been excessively light in her behaviour, but as for being guilty, that she never was." This may be, and we charitably believe, was so. Her husband, however, suspected her truth, and shortly after being told that, under some false pretence, she went to visit a lady whose society he had expressly interdicted, his anger no longer knew any bounds; he now disregarded even appearances; and, at the termination of a violent quarrel with her, he was so vulgar as actually to turn her out of doors at eleven o'clock at night, and give orders to his servants not to suffer her to return. Josephine, in despair at finding herself in the streets of Paris at that hour, did not at first know where to go. Fortunately, she recol

lected her kind friend, Madame Chat-Ren-, sought her out, and related to her, what she termed her mischance!

"She might well deem it such, (says her apologist,) for it was to save the life of a father of a family, condemned to be shot, that she had disobeyed her husband's injunctions. Remain here,' said the obliging Madame C-R-, as for me, I must negociate: only I beg you to be silent before my servants. I would not, for a great deal, that any one should spread the report that General Bonaparte had turned his wife out of doors. This spirit of jealousy might tarnish his glory, and you, Josephine, your reputation would suffer.' Madame Chat-Ren-, at day-break, became urgent to reconduct her to her hotel, though she was aware of the rigorous orders of the General. The Swiss refused at first to admit her, but some louis slipped into his hand, softened the Cerberus after some difficulty, Josephine regained her apartments. Madame Chat- Ren- was sorry that Bonaparte knew of her being aware of his odious conduct. After some hours, she returned to his hotel, as if nothing had disturbed its peace. In mounting the little stairs that led to Josephine's apartment, she met the husband. Where are you going, Madame?' To see your wife.' 'She is not visible.' 'She is for me.' Bonaparte looked earnestly at her, and said, 'It is you, too officious friend, who have received her at your house. You have rendered her a very pretty piece of service.' Madame C- R— stammered out some words, pretending to be absolutely ignorant of what had passed. You know it, Madame,' said he, fixing his eyes on her, but recollect these words, for life, for death.' 'Ah! of what consequence to me are your threats,' said Madame C― R—; 'Josephine is my friend; that title constitutes my happiness. As for your reproaches for having served her, I neither can, nor ought to hear you. Follow me, and I will explain myself in her presence.' This good woman then hastily entered Josephine's room. Heigh? good morning, mon amie,' said she, on seeing her still in bed, are you sick?' The too unjust husband was at her heels; but at these words, pronounced with such immoveable sang froid, he could not keep his countenance, and it ended with his consciousness that he was cozened by the two ladies. Apropos General,' said the witty friend, it is a delightful day-you must take a ride with your wife in the bois de Boulogne, and I'll go with you.' He easily saw through the trick, and being now disposed to repair the errors of the night, he felt the necessity of imposing on those who had been witnesses of the transaction. So he gave the orders immediately. Josephine remained mute with surprise at observing the ingenious expedients of Madame C-R- in her favour. The husband went out with the wife-calumny was arrested, and scandal at a loss what to think. Josephine was victorious. At the very moment that all the world was delighted at spreading the news that the conqueror of Italy was about to repudiate his wife, he appeared in public with her! You must confess, ladies,' said Josephine's husband, with a mortification he could not hide, you must confess that you have made me play a very strange part! And you, [said he to Madame Chat-Ren-] you are the most seducing, the most malignant,

in a word, the most amiable, the most detestable woman in the world, and one I shall from henceforth always distrust.' Notwithstanding all this, Madame Bonaparte was not entirely at her ease. She was alarmed; perhaps, on the eve of making some indiscreet disclosure; but a single look of her obliging friend, imposed upon her a rigorous silence.' Vol. i. p. 362.

This is very well told, and has an air of truth about it, that inclines us to give it credit. In a little while, and by degrees, Bonaparte recovered his serenity; but his wife could not prevail on him to let her accompany him to Brest, on his visit to Normandy, to inspect the army of England. After a little while, however, she found means to persuade him to consent to her joining him on his tour. Finding that no invasion could then be undertaken, he soon returned to Paris. There he began to embroil himself with the Directory, and to get rid of him, they, with one accord, determined that he should immortalize himself in Africa. Josephine wished to accompany him to Egypt; but after she had embarked, he changed his mind, and exacted from her attachment a promise to remain. She accordingly returned, and in parting, he said to her, "Josephine, my enemies are not in Asia or Africa-they are in France. I leave you in the midst of them to watch their movements, and to prepare, should it be necessary, for great events." She was much affected at his departure, because she was aware that the object with which he had been sent by the Directory, was his destruction; but happily for him, she says, she was an active and vigilant sentinel. Reports soon circulated that he was killed-she disbelieved them. One day she went to visit Barras, and there she heard him say aside to one of his colleagues, "here comes the wife of that rascal, Bonaparte; if he is not dead to Europe, he is, at least, to France." Her friends fell off, except the interesting Madame C-R-, and Josephine retired from society and superintended the education of her daughter at Malmaison, a seat she had purchased, and where she remained nearly the whole eight months that Bonaparte was absent; receiving, however, the visits of Barras, Botot and others, and, according to her own account, enjoying with rapture the tranquil scenes of nature. Though occasionally depressed in spirits, yet she felt a security in the prediction of the Sybil of the faubourg of Saint Germain, that she was on the point of seeing once more the most astonishing man of the age; and at the moment that all France was convinced of his loss, the conqueror landed at Frejus!

True to her mysterious calling, Miss Le Normand cannot suffer this Egyptian expedition to pass over, without detailing

Bonaparte's consultation, in that land of the Magi, with one of her weird sisters. She relates that an Egyptian female, born and grown old in the desert, unveiled to him the future, and marked distinctly the course and term of his prosperity. On his return to France, he soon forgot the Egyptian and her predictions; but when he came back from Elba, he recollected her strange prophecies, and spoke of them to the officer who accompanied him. "I have never wished to believe any thing about it," said Bonaparte; "but I must acknowledge, in candour, that there are some things above the reach of men." He then referred to the singular, ancient prophecies of Olivarius, printed in 1542, as it is said, evidently referring to himself, and to the restoration of the Bourbons, but we have no room for it, and we may add, nor inclination to insert it, if we had.

As soon as Josephine heard of his having landed, she set out to meet him. She advanced as far as Lyons, and then learnt that they had passed each other. She turned back to join him in Paris. In the meantime he had reached home, and finding her absent, he addressed himself to the major-domo, and with threats demanded whether his wife had not been visited by Botot in his absence? The man replied in the negative. "Go call the cooks and all the servants in the house," said he, "I will penetrate this mystery." Two days after, Josephine arrived from Lyons, and he addressed her on the subject of Botot; for Bonaparte's mother had written to him that she had received that young man at Malmaison. The sole object of his visits was now, it seems, to obtain the hand of Mademoiselle Beauharnais. This explanation, together with the assurances of Madame Chat- Ren-, of the important services Josephine had rendered him, without which, she observed, he could not have peaceably re-entered France, pacified him, and he restored his wife to his confidence. She, however, tenderly reproached him for degrading her character, by questioning her servants, and listening to interested reports of what passed in her apartments; and she added, "My dear, the wife of General Bonaparte, like Cæsar's, ought not even to be suspected." If he had admitted the similitude, it might have led to an unhappy result for Josephine.

She now busied herself with politics, and stimulated her husband to overthrow the Directorial Government. To subvert these Directors, was no very difficult task, for their ill cemented power was already dropping to pieces. They had to contend, at the same time, with internal conspiracies, embarrassed finances, the hatred of the people, and foreign war. The army was in favour of Bonaparte, and its general of