Footnotes
Series J
“When he shows as seeking quarter, with paws like hands in prayer, That is the time of peril—the time of the truce of the Bear!”
—Kipling
Series J
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 269–273.)
Letter Page
No. 1. I have rather a cold 270 I am pleased with the Emperor 270
| No. 2. Shooting over the battlefield of Jena | 271 |
| The Weimar ball | 271 |
| A few trifling ailments | 271 |
| No. 3. I am pleased with Alexander | 272 |
| He ought to be with me | 272 |
| Erfurt | 273 |
No. 1.
To the Empress, at St. Cloud
Erfurt, September 29, 1808.
I have rather a cold. I have received your letter, dated Malmaison. I am well pleased with the Emperor and every one here.
It is an hour after midnight, and I am tired.
Adieu, dear; take care of yourself.
Napoleon
No. 2.
To the Empress, at St. Cloud
October 9, 1808.
My Dear,—I have received your letter. I note with pleasure that you are well. I have just been shooting over the battlefield of Jena. We had breakfast (dejeune) at the spot where I bivouacked on the night of the battle.
I assisted at the Weimar ball. The Emperor Alexander dances; but not I. Forty years are forty years.
My health is really sound, in spite of a few trifling ailments.
Adieu, dear; I hope to see you soon.—Yours ever,
Napoleon
No. 3.
To the Empress, at St. Cloud
My Dear,—I write you seldom; I am very busy. Conversations which last whole days, and which do not improve my cold. Still all goes well. I am pleased with Alexander; he ought to be with me. If he were a woman, I think I should make him my sweetheart.
I shall be back to you shortly; keep well and let me find you plump and rosy.
Adieu, dear.
Napoleon
Series K
“The winter campaign commenced on the 1st of November 1808, and terminated on the 1st of March 1809, to the advantage of the French, who, for that reason, denominate it the Imperial Campaign. The Spaniards were long before they could recover from the terror caused by the defeat of their armies, the capture of Madrid, the surrender of Saragossa, and the departure of the English from Corunna.”—Sarrazin’s History of the War in Spain and Portugal, 1815.
Series K
(For subjoined Notes to this Series see pages 273–278.)
LETTER PAGE
No. 5. Aranda 273
No. 6. Madrid 273 Parisian weather 273
No. 8. Kourakin 274
No. 9. The English appear to have received reinforcements 274
| No. 10. Benavente | 274 |
| The English flee panic-stricken | 274 |
| The weather | 274 |
| Lefebvre | 275 |
No. 11. Your letters 275–6
No. 12. The English are in utter rout 276
| Nos. 13 & 14. Valladolid | 277 |
| Eugene has a daughter | 277 |
| They are foolish in Paris | 277 |
October 29th.—English enter Spain.
October 31st.—Blake defeated by Lefebvre at Tornosa.
No. 1.
To the Empress, at Paris
November 3, 1808.
I arrived to-night30 with considerable trouble. I had ridden several stages at full speed. Still, I am well.
To-morrow I start for Spain.
My troops are arriving in force.
Adieu, dear.—Yours ever,
Napoleon
November 4th.—Napoleon enters Spain.
No. 2.
To the Empress, at Paris
Tolosa, November 5, 1808.
I am at Tolosa. I am starting for Vittoria, where I shall be in a few hours. I am fairly well, and I hope everything will soon be completed.
Napoleon
No. 3.
To the Empress, at Paris
Vittoria, November 7.
My Dear,—I have been the last two days at Vittoria. I am in good health. My troops are arriving daily; the Guard arrived to-day.
The King is in very good health. I am very busy.
I know that you are in Paris. Never doubt my affection.
Napoleon
November 10th.—Battle of Burgos. Soult and Bessieres defeat Spaniards, who lose 3000 killed and 3000 prisoners, and 20 cannon.
November 12th.—Battle of Espinosa. Marshal Victor defeats La Romana and Blake, who lose 20,000 men and 50 cannon.
No. 4.
November 14th.—Third revolution at Constantinople. Mahmoud IV. assassinated (November 15th).
To the Empress, at Paris
Burgos, November 14, 1808.
Matters here are progressing at a great rate. The weather is very fine. We are successful. My health is very good.
Napoleon
No. 5.
To the Empress, at Paris
November 26, 1808.
I have received your letter. I trust that your health be as good as mine is, although I am very busy. All goes well here.
I think you should return to the Tuileries on December 21st, and from that date give a concert daily for eight days.—Yours ever,
Napoleon
Kind regards to Hortense and to M. Napoleon.
December 3rd.—French voluntarily evacuate Berlin.
December 4th.—Surrender of Madrid. Napoleon abolishes the Inquisition and feudal rights. (“He regards the taking of a capital as decisive for the submission of a whole kingdom; thus in 1814 will act his adversaries, pale but judicious imitators of his strategy.”—Montgaillard.)
No. 6.
To the Empress, at Paris
December 7, 1808.
Your letter of the 28th to hand. I am glad to see that you are well. You will have seen that young Tascher has distinguished himself, which has pleased me. My health is good.
Here we are enjoying Parisian weather of the last fortnight in May. We are hot, and have no fires; but the nights are rather cool.
Madrid is quiet. All my affairs prosper.
Adieu, dear.—Yours ever,
Napoleon
Kind regards to Hortense and to M. Napoleon.
No. 7.
To the Empress, at Paris
Chamartin, December 10, 1808.
My Dear,—Yours to hand, in which you tell me what bad weather you are having in Paris; here it is the best weather imaginable. Please tell me what mean these alterations Hortense is making; I hear she is sending away her servants. Is it because they have refused to do what was required? Give me some particulars. Reforms are not desirable.
Adieu, dear. The weather here is delightful. All goes excellently, and I pray you to keep well.
Napoleon
No. 8.
To the Empress, at Paris
December 21, 1808.
You ought to have been at the Tuileries on the 12th. I trust you may have been pleased with your rooms.
I have authorised the presentation of Kourakin to you and the family; be kind to him, and let him take part in your plays.
Adieu, dear. I am well. The weather is rainy; it is rather cold.
Napoleon
No. 9.
December 22nd.—Napoleon quits Madrid.
To the Empress, at Paris
Madrid, December 22, 1808.
I start at once to outmanoeuvre the English, who appear to have received reinforcements and wish to look big.
The weather is fine, my health perfect; don’t be uneasy.
Napoleon
No. 10.
To the Empress, at Paris
Benavento, December 31, 1808.
My Dear,—The last few days I have been in pursuit of the English, but they flee panic-stricken. They have pusillanimously abandoned the remnant of La Romana’s army in order not to delay its retreat a single half day. More than a hundred waggons of their baggage have already been taken. The weather is very bad.
Lefebvre31 has been captured. He took part in a skirmish with 300 of his chasseurs; these idiots crossed a river by swimming and threw themselves in the midst of the English cavalry; they killed several, but on their return Lefebvre had his horse wounded; it was swimming, the current took him to the bank where the English were; he was taken. Console his wife.
Adieu, dear. Bessieres, with 10,000 cavalry, is at Astorga.
Napoleon
A happy New Year to everybody.
No. 11.
To the Empress, at Paris
January 3, 1809.
My Dear,—I have received your letters of the 18th and 21st. I am close behind the English.
The weather is cold and rigorous, but all goes well.
Adieu, dear.—Yours ever,
Napoleon
A happy New Year, and a very happy one, to my Josephine.
No. 12.
To the Empress, at Paris
Benavento, January 5, 1809.
My Dear,—I write you a line. The English are in utter rout; I have instructed the Duke of Dalmatia to pursue them closely (l’epee dans les reins). I am well; the weather bad.
Adieu, dear.
Napoleon
No. 13.
To the Empress, at Paris
January 8, 1809.
I have received yours of the 23rd and 26th. I am sorry to see you have toothache. I have been here two days. The weather is what we must expect at this season. The English are embarking. I am in good health.
Adieu, dear.
I am writing Hortense. Eugene has a daughter.
Yours ever,
Napoleon
No. 14.
To the Empress, at Paris
January 9, 1809.
Moustache brings me your letter of 31st December. I see from it, dear, that you are sad and have very gloomy disquietudes. Austria will not make war on me; if she does, I have 150,000 men in Germany and as many on the Rhine, and 400,000 Germans to reply to her. Russia will not separate herself from me. They are foolish in Paris; all goes well.
I shall be at Paris the moment I think it worth while. I advise you to beware of ghosts; one fine day, at two o’clock in the morning.
But adieu, dear; I am well, and am yours ever,
NAPOLEON.