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Napoleon's Three Warnings

Napoleon's Three Warnings image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
March
Year
1883
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The celebra ted Fonche, Duke of Otranto, somc time chicf oí pólice to Napoleon, was retaineil but a short time, ït is well-known, in the sei-vicc of the Bourbons, aftcr their restoration to the throne of France. He retireö to the town of Aix, in l'rovence. and there lived in affluunee and easc upon the gains of his long and busy career. On onc occasion the conipany assembled in his salon, licard from his lipa tho following stoiy: By deareos, as Napoleon assumed the KUthoritv of a Wng, everything about him, even in the days of Üifc Consulate, bep-an to vvear a coiirt-like appearance. All the oíd, monarchial habitudes were vevivetl, ono by one. Among otlier revivals of this kind, the custoni of attending maas provious to the hour of audience was rostored by Bonaparte, and hc liimself was punctual in his appearance at the chapel of St. Cloud on sueh occasions. Nothing could be more mundane than the mode of performing these religious services. The actresses of the opera were the chorists.andgreat crowds o? busy talkative people were in the habit of frequenting the gallery of the chapel, from the windows of whieh the First Consul and Jossphine could always be seen with their suiles and friends. The whole formed merely a daily exhibition of the consular court lor tac peopiu. At onc particular time the punctuaül.y of Bonaparte in his atteiulance on mass was ratber istressing to his wifo. The quick and jealous Josephine bad discovered thal the eye of lier husband was too much dirècten to a window in the gallory where there regularly appeared the form and faeo of :i gir! of nncommon beauty. The öïïéslhut tressos, the brilliant eyea and graceful figure oí this personage caused the moro uaeasinesa to the Consul's wife, as the strano-er's glaucos werc bout not loss nftfin mwii Bonaüarte than his were on lier. "Wbo is tbatyoung giri?" sa! Josephinc, onc day, at the close of the service; "wliat eau she seek from thè First Consul? I observed her drop a billet just now at his feet. He pieked it up- I saw him." No one could teil Josephine wlio the object of her notice precisely was, though therc were some who declaren hor to bc an "emigroe" lately returned, and who was probably desirous of the intervention of the First Consul in favor of her family. With such guesses as tliis, the cpnsul's wife was obliged to rest satisüed for the time. After the audience of the same day had passed, Bonaparte exprcs3ed a wish for a drive in the park, and accordingly went out attended by his wife, his er Joseph, Uuroc, and Hortense i'.eauharnais, Tlie Klng of Erussia had just presented Napoleon with a supcrb set of horses, four in number, and they were harnossed to an opon chariot for the party. The Cousul took it into nis head to 'drive on person, and mountcd into the ooachman's seat. Tlie chariot set off, bul, Just as it was turning into the park, it went crash against :i stone at the gate, and the ttrst Consul was tlirown to the ground. He attempted to rise, but again feil prostrate in astunned aml insensible condition. Meanwhile the l.r.rto ci-tviiTnv -frTtrQl'í1 W'ítVl f llí P.híll'iot. IlWlÖUö 5 I IL 11-1" íKJt, Ld i "-t. MlfcU VJJ.VV ui .■ -U-..J and wore only stoppod when Duroc, at the risk of kis lifc, thiw himself and seized tho reina. Josephine was taken out in a swooning condition. The rest of tho party spoodüy returned to Napoleon, and carricd him back to his apartments. On recovering liis scnses fully, the iirst thing which he did was to put his hand into his pocket and pull out the slip ot paper dropped at his foet in the chapel. Looking over his shoulder, Josephine read upon it these words: "Do not drive out in your cftrriage this day." "This can have no Ilusión toour late accident," said Bonaparte. "No one could forsce that I was to play the part of eoaehman to-day, or that i SllOUKl I-IC BWKWarU muugii lij umc against a stone. fio, Duroc,:tncl examine tlie chariot." Duroc obeycd. Soon aftcr bc returncd, very pale, anti took the ürst Consui asido. "Citizeii.Consul," said he, "had you not struek the stone and stoppcd our drive, we had all been lost." "How so?" was the reply. "Thcre was in the carriage, conccaled bchind the rearseat, a massivc bomb, r-lmrornil witll nUWIíd DieCOB OÍ il'Oll. , J í . Ir i. j VI. T ■ - I1. ■ ■ h 1 - - - - witli a slow match attached to it, and kiiidlod. Tilines had been so arranged, that in a quarter oí an hour we should liavc been scattered the trees of the Park of Saint Cloud. Fonehe must be told of this; Dubois must be warncd!" "Not a word to them," replied Bonaparte. -'The knowledge of one plot only eugenders a senond. Let Josephine remain [gnorant oí thedangershe has escaped. Hortense, Joseph, Camaceres - teil none of them, and let the government journals say uot a wonl about my f all." The iirst Consul was thcii silenl for some time. "Uuroe," hc said, at length, " you will come to-morrow at mass and examine with attontion the young givl vvhom I shall puint out to yon. Shc will occupy the fourth windovv in the gallery on the right. Follow her home, or causa hei to be followed, and bring me intelligence of her name, her abode, and her eireumstances. It will be better to do this yourself ; I would nol have the pólice interfere in this matter. On the morrow the eyes of more than one person werc turnea to the window in the gallery. But the jealoua Josephine sought in vain for the graceful ligure of the young girl. She was npt there. Tle Lmpatient First Uonsnl, am his eonfidant, Duroc, were greatly an noyed at her non-appcarance, and smal was the ftttention paid by them to the Í3U1 V IVU 1,11 ÍV Li vlíJ - IH1A1VVJ ".-i fruitless. Tho girl was sco-.i at taM no move. ir. The summcrs of Napoleon wei-espen jhlefly at Malmaison - the winters at Saint 'Cloud and tho Tuileries. Winter had como on, and the First Consul had been holding opurt in the greut apart ments of the tast of these palaces. I was the third of that month which th Republicana well called Kivose, and in the evéning Bonaparte enterod his tai riage to go to the opera, accompaniei by nis aia-de-camp, Lauriston,and (en erais Lannes and Berthier. The vehio] was about to start, whon a female, wrapped in a black mantlc, rushcd out apon the Place Caröusol, made herway] into the mulst of tho' guarcfi about to areompany Bonparie, and beid fortli a paper to the latter, crying: ■■Citizen Consul, Cilizen(.'ounsiil,ïcad! i-oad!" Bonaparte, with that smile which Bourrienne describes as irresistible, salutèd the petitioncr, stretchpd out his hand for the missive. "A petition madam?" said lic inquiringly, and then continucd: "Fcar nothing; I shall persue, it and sec justice dono." "Citizen Consul" eriedthewoman, imploringly joiainji lier hands. What she would further have said Was lost. The coadunan, who, it was after vvard said, was intoxicated, gave the lash to his horses, and they sprang ofF with the spoed of lightning. The Consul, throwing into his hst the paper he had received, remarked to his coïupanions: '■! could not well nee her figure, butïthink ïliè wóman is young." The earriage dashed along rapidly. It was just issuing f rom the street of St. Nicholas, when a frightfnl detonation was e ara, mingling with and followed by the crash of broken v.indows and the cries of injured passersby. The inferna! machine had exploded. Uninjured, the earriage of the Consul and its inmates was whirled with midiminished rapidity to thcoponi. Bonaparte entorcd his box with serene brow and unrufHed deportnient. He salnted, as usual, the assembled spectators, to whom the news oí' the explosie carac, with all ÍÉe speed whfcb rumor exercises upon such occasions. All were slunned and stupciied. Bonaparte only was perfectly calm. He stood "with orossed anus, listcning attentively to the oratorio of Haydn, which was executed on that e vening. Suddenly, howevcr, he remembored the paper put into his hands. He took it out and read these lines: 'ín Ihe name of lieaven. Citizen sul, do npt go to the opera to night, or ii you dogo, pass notttiiwighthestreetof St. Nicholas.'1 On ronding these words the Consul chanccd to mise Lis oyes. Exactly opposite to him, in a box on the thira tier, sal the young girl of the Oiapel of Saint Cloud, who, with joined hands, secmed to utter prayers of gratitude for the escape which liad taken place. Her Kead had no coveriug bul 'her tlowing and beantiful cheslnut hair, and her pet%on was wrapped in a dark mantle, wjjich the Consul reeognizcd as identical wilh that worn by the woman who had deivered lift; paper to him at the carriagc oor ou me nace uarousei. "Go," said he, quictly but quickh , ti Lannos; "go to 1lü' box exaetly opposite .) ns, 011 tbc tiiixd tier. You will lind -uring girl in :i black mantle. Bring ler to tin' ïuilenes. I muse sce her, vithoutclelay." Bon aparte spofcc thus, vithont raising his efes, but to mako janr.es certain of the person, he took rcneral's arm andsaid, pointiügnpvard, "Soo tliero- look!" Bonaparte stöpöcd suddenly. Tho irl was gR'. No black mantle was 'o bc sec?). Annovoi! at this boyond measure, lic hurnedly scat uil' Lannes o intercept lier. lt was in yrun. 111c jox-kcepev had seen sucli au individual, jul knew nothing about lier. Bonajarto applied to Fouche and Dubois, but ill the zeal of tliese functionariea failed n discovering her. [II. Ycars ran oh after the explosiMi of he infernal machine and the strango iceompanying drciimstances whicli endcd to make the occurence more renn.rkabic in the eycs of Bonaparte. To he Consulate sneeccdod the Empire, and victoi'v marfced the career of the rreat uorsican. ai tengin me nour 01 changó camc. Alliod Europe poured ils ,roops into France, and compelled tho Smperor to lay down the soeptre which ïad been so long shaken in terrov over ialf the pivjlized world. ïhe Isle of ilba becaniB for a few ttays I.he most remarkablü spot on the globe, and linaly 1 hc resuscitated empire feil to pieces mew on the iield of Waterlop. Bonaparte was about to quit France. The moment had come for him to set loot in the bark which was to convey urn to tiioEnglish vessel. FriendstSliO ïad followed tlic fallen chief to the yery ast vvcre standing by to givo him a final adien. He waved lus baad to those iround, and a smilc was on the lip wnicn luxa given tne larewen kis iu uiu imperial cag-le. At this instant a woinan broke through te band that stood tef ore Napoleon. Sho was in tho primo of woman's lite; not a girl, yct young enough to retain uñímpairod that beauty for which she had been remarkabfe ampng acrowdofbeauties. Her features werc i'ull of anxiety and sadness, afiding interest to lier appearinue oven at siich a moment. "Sire! sirc!" said ,s!ic presenting a paper hurriedly: "reaiÜ rcad!" The Kniperor took tlie paper present - ed to him. Ho shook . hls head, and held up the piwer to bia eyes. After perusing its contente he took ït between Jll.-i UUUUB UUl LU1O lt LU piUUUfl, niHLüiing tUe fragmenta in the air. 'Stop, sire!"' cried the woman. "FolIow tlic advicc! Be warned- it is yet liinc!" "No!" replied Napoleon. And, taking f rom bis finger a beautifnl orien tía] ruby, a valuable souvenir of hfeEgyptian campaigns, lie held it out tö the woin-.in. She took it, knceling, and kissed the hand wliicli presented it. Turning hia head, Napoleon then stepped into thé boat whicli awaited to take l'im to the 1 Tl „,- r n j- t I 4 -K Sk -r ) i L ■ t h 4"V Til f t O 1 ren rock of St. Helena. And there hc dicd. Tluis of three warnings, two werc uscless böcange neglected until the danaer luid oeaurred, and the third - wbich prognostidated the fate of Napoleon, if onee in the power of hts adversariès - the third was rejected. "I5ut who was this woma'n, Duke of Otranto?" "That,', replied Fouche, "1 know not with certainty. The, Kmperor, if lie knew ultimately, seenis :o have kept the aecret All that i known respecting the matter is that a femalo related to Saint Kegent, one of the, au thora of the explosión of the street St. fichólas died at Ihe hospital Hotel Dióu, in 1837. and that around herneck was suspended, by a silk ribbon, the exquisite oriental ruby of Napoleon."

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat