Napoleon's Divorce

Napoleon at this rnoment stood on the very highosl jünnaclo of his grentness.He was now, in facf, the EmperorofEuropc, and all the kings who surrounded him wore but ihe governors of the remote proviuces of his empire. But he was childless. He lnd no heir ta per-, pctuate his name, and to inherit his power, He therefure resolved, most insanely for his influence and his fama, to divorpe Josephine, the wife of his youth, and seek a bride of royai blood, who would associate with his name all the pride of ancestral lonown. For Napoleon was wel! awa.ro that mankind are generally even more fascinaled by ancostral glory, than by individual heroism. Inthia caso he, howover, grievoqsly misinterpreted his own posilion, and by the vepudiation of Josephine, who had greatly aided in ihe advancement af his tortunes, he acceler ated his own downfall. The grandeur of Napoleon'? fortune, and the soüdity af his throne wpre now suoh, that he could choose at his ploasure iVom all the princesses of continental Europe,The divorce. for the sake of mawiage with a,n,othpr, was howovpr a fearful subjocl for Napoleon to break to Josephinp, The rumor of her npproaching dgradation had for a long time filled the heart of the E:npress with the most terrible forebodings. Stl!, ncilher veutured to introduce the topic, which now filled the ears and ocoupicd the tongues of all Europe. Tliey dinod together one day, in tho deepest embnrrassment ; and not one word was spoken by oither, during the rppast, Napoleon exhibiied marks of the suongest agitation ; a convulsivo movemenl, accompanied with a heotio ftush,ofien nnasedover his fenturea; I and he 5Demed alraid to raise his oyesto 'he Empress, except by stealth. Josephine was equajly embarrossed a.nrt agitated, and had all the day been weeping. Thp dinner was finally removed untouched, npither ha.ving tasted a morsel, Josephiue hns described the scène which ensued. " We dined togrther as uu.al. I struggled wiih my tears, which, notwithsi.inding every efTrt, overflowed my eycs j l uttered not a singlo word during that sorrowfvi! racal ; and he broke the silence but once, to ask an attcndanl abnut tho weather. My sunshine I saw hi passed awayj the storm burstquickly.ectly afier cofTee, Bonaparte dismissed very one and I remained alone with him. j wotched in the changir.g expression of L lis countenancc, that struggle wh'ich was nhissoul. At lengih his features setiled nlo a stern resol ve. Isawmy hour was ] ome. His whole frame trembled ; he ( pproached, and l fek a shiddering or come over me. He took my hand, , laced it upon his heart, gazcd on me or a moment ; then pronounced these earful words - ' Josephine my excellent osephine ! thou knowest f I have loved hee ! To thee, io thee alone, do I owe , ie on]y rnomentsof happin,ess l have enoyod In this world. Josephine ! my desïny overmasters my will. My denrest fêeetiuns mu$t be silent before the intersts of France.' Say no more.' 1 had till strength suííicicnt to reply ; ' 1 ws jrepared for this, but the blow is no.t less mortal.' Morel could not utter. I cannot teil. what passed within me. beieve my screams yere loud. ogú eason had fied. I became unponscious of everything, and on returning to my senses, found I had been carried to my qhamber. On recovering, I perceivod that Corvisart was in atteudance and my poor daughter weeping over me. No !no ! I cannct describí; the honor of rny situation during that night. Even the interest which he afiecied to tnko in my suflerings, seerned to me additional cruelty. Oh, my God! how justly h,ad I reason to dread becoming an Emprcss ! " The fatal day of separation al length arrived. Afier the painful scène was over, Josephine, in silenoa and sorrow, retired. to her chamber. The u -ui al hour of Nnpaleon's retiring cqme. " He had just placed himself in bed, silent and meU nncholy, while his favorhe atlendant waited to reccive orders, whe.n suddenly the private door opened, and ihe Empresá appeared, her hnir in disorder, and her lace swoolen with weeping. Advan-: cing wïtli a tottering siep, she stood, as if irresolute, abut a pacp fron the bed, clasped her hands and burst into an agony of tears. Deücacy - a feeling as if she had njv no right to bethere - seemcd at first to have arrested her progress ; but forgetting evcrything in the fullness of her grief, she threw horsolf on t}e bed, clasped her husband's neck, and sobhed as f her heart hrvd been breaking. Napo-. !eon also wepl while he endeavored to console her, and they remained for some time locked in each othsr's arms, silently mingling the'r tcars togeiher. Afior aq interview of about an hour, Josephine parled forever wilh the man whom she had so Jong ond sq tenderly loved. - On seping the Empress retire, the alten ilant entered io remove the lights, und found the chamber silent aa death, and Napoleon so sunk among the bed clutlies as to be invisible. The next morning at 11, Jcsephine left the Tuileries foro ver.