Napoleon and the Queen of Prussia

by L. Mühlbach

  CHAPTER VIII.

  NAPOLEON IN POTSDAM.

  The unheard-of and never-expected event had taken place; the son of theCorsican lawyer, the general of the Revolution, had defeated thePrussian army, compelled the royal family to flee to the easternprovinces, and now made his triumphal entry into their capital! On theafternoon of the 24th of October he arrived in Potsdam; the royal palacehad to open its doors to him; the royal servants had to receive him asreverentially as though he had been their sovereign!

  Napoleon was now master of Prussia as well as of all Germany. But hisclassic face remained as cold and calm in these days of proud triumph asit had been in the days of adversity. His successes seemed to surprisehim as little as his early misfortunes had discouraged him. Whenascending the broad carpeted staircase, he turned to Duroc, his grandmarshal and beckoned him to his side. "Just notice, grand marshal," hesaid, in so loud a voice that it resounded through the palace, "justnotice the strange coincidence. If I remember rightly, it is just a yearto-day since the fine-looking Emperor Alexander of Russia arrived herein Potsdam, and paid a visit to the queen. Please ask the steward whoreceived us at the foot of the stairs, whether it is not so."

  Duroc went away, and soon returned with the answer that his majesty hadnot been mistaken; it was just a year to-day since the Emperor of Russiaarrived in Potsdam.

  A faint smile overspread Napoleon's face. "I will occupy the same roomswhich Alexander then occupied," he said, passing on.

  Duroc hastened back, to give the necessary orders. Napoleon walked downthe corridor with ringing, soldier-like footsteps, followed by hismarshals, and entered the large portrait-gallery of the Prussianmonarchs, who looked down on him with grave eyes.

  The emperor paused in the middle of the hall and glanced over theportraits with a gloomy air. "All those men had a high opinion ofthemselves," he said, in a sullen tone; "they were proud of their highbirth and of their royal crown, and yet death has trampled them all inthe dust. I will now take upon myself the task of death: I willannihilate this Prussia which dared to take up arms against me, and whoknows whether this gallery of Prussian kings will not close withFrederick William III.? Nothing on earth is lasting, and sovereignsnow-a-days fall from their thrones as over-ripe apples from trees. Thecrown of Prussia fell to the ground on the battle-fields of Jena andAuerstadt!"

  The portraits of the Prussian rulers looked down silently on thetriumphant conqueror, and neither his scornful voice, nor the haughtyglances with which he contemplated them, disturbed their tranquillity.Not a voice answered these arrogant and insulting words; the marshalsstood silent and respectful, and still seemed to listen to the voice ofthe oracle which had just announced to the portraits of the royalancestors of the present king the downfall of their house. ButNapoleon's brow, which had momentarily beamed with proud thoughts, wasagain clouded. Joining his hands on his back, he crossed the hall to thelarge central window, from which there was a fine and extensive view ofthe lawn, with its old trees and splendid statues, and beyond, of theHavel and its hilly banks. He gazed gloomily at this landscape, thenturned and looked again at the pictures, but only for a moment, asthough he would threaten them once more, and make them feel again theangry glance of him who had come to dethrone their descendant andappropriate his crown. Then he fixed his eyes on the portrait of ahandsome woman whose large blue eyes seemed to gaze at him, and hercrimson lips to greet him with a winning smile. Quite involuntarily, andas if attracted by the beauty of this likeness, he approached andcontemplated it long and admiringly.

  "Truly," he said, "that is a charming creature. That lady must have beenwondrously lovely, and at the same time surpassingly graceful andhigh-spirited."

  "Sire," said Duroc, who had followed him and overheard his words, "sire,she is still wondrously lovely, and, as your majesty says, surpassinglygraceful and high-spirited. It is the portrait of Queen Louisa ofPrussia."

  A dark expression mantled Napoleon's face, and, bending an angry glanceon Duroc, he said, "It is well known that you were always foolishly inlove with the Queen of Prussia, and, according to your statement, onemight believe there was no woman in the whole world so beautiful as sheis." He turned his back on the painting and stepped to the next one:"And this, then, doubtless, is Frederick William III.?"

  "Yes, sire, it is the portrait of the reigning king."

  "Of the reigning king?" repeated the emperor, with a scornful smile. "Itis a very good-natured face," he added, looking at the full-sizedportrait; "and as I behold his gentle, timid air, I comprehend that heallows himself to be directed by advisers, and follows the will ofothers rather than his own. But this little King of Prussia is tallerthan I thought!"

  "Sire, he is about as tall as the Grand-duke of Berg," said Duroc.

  "As Murat?" asked Napoleon. "It never seemed to me that he was as tallas that. Is not Murat of my own height?"

  "No, sire, he is higher than you!"

  "You mean he is taller than I," said Napoleon, shrugging his shoulders."Height of stature is of no consequence. Frederick II. was much smallerthan his grand-nephew, and yet he was the greatest of Prussia's kings.We will afterward pay him a visit at Sans-souci. Until then, adieu,gentlemen. Come, Duroc, conduct me to the rooms of the EmperorAlexander!"

  He greeted the marshals with a quick nod, and then followed Duroc intothe long suite of halls and brilliant rooms which, only a year ago, hadbeen newly decorated and furnished with royal magnificence for thereception of the czar.

  "These kings and princes 'by the grace of God' live here verypleasantly," muttered Napoleon in an undertone; "they know better how tobuild and furnish their residences than to preserve them to theirchildren. Well, I am a good architect, and have come to reconstruct theroyal palace of Prussia. Do you think, Duroc, those ingrates will thankme for it?"

  "They will see that the lion must have his share," said Duroc, "and theywill, doubtless, be thankful if any thing is left to them. Sire, here weare in the czar's bedroom! The steward told me every thing was arrangedin it precisely the same as in the days when the Russian emperor washere. Nobody has slept in this bed since."

  "I must sleep in it," said Napoleon, quickly, "and I believe I shallsleep in the royal Prussian palace, and in the bed of the Russianemperor, as comfortably as I did in the Tuileries and in the bed ofLouis XVI."

  He threw his small three-cornered hat with a contemptuous gesture on thebed, which was surmounted by a velvet canopy, embroidered with gold, andthen, his arms crossed behind him, commenced slowly pacing the room.Duroc dared not disturb him, and turned toward the paintings andengravings hanging on the walls. The emperor walked a long while gravelyand musingly; his brow grew more clouded, and he pressed his lips morefirmly together. Suddenly he paused before Duroc, and, being alone,spoke to him no longer in the tone of a master, but with theunreservedness of a friend.

  "Legitimacy is a terrible power, Duroc," said he, hastily; "it is what Icannot vanquish with all my cannon. Sovereigns and princes know it fullwell, and that is the reason of their obstinacy. They oppose theirancestors to my victorious eagles, and when, by virtue of my right asconqueror, I enter their palaces and take possession of them, I findthere the proud company of their forefathers, who seem to lookscornfully down on me, and tell me, 'You are after all but an intruderand usurper, while we are and shall remain here the rightful owners.' Iam sick and tired of playing this part of usurper. I shall overthrow alldynasties, expel all legitimate sovereigns--and there shall be no otherthrone than mine. I shall be at least the first legitimate monarch ofthe new era!"

  "And expelled princes will sit in some nook of your immense empire,"said Duroc, laughing, "and sing to the people the same song oflegitimacy; and it will be listened to as one of the fairy stories ofchildhood, in which they believe no more."

  "But they shall believe in _my_ legitimacy!" exclaimed Napoleon,quickly. "I will be the first of the Napoleonic sovereigns." His browwas clouded again. "But it is true," he murmured, "in order to found adynasty, I need a son. I must hav
e legitimate children. It will be nofault of mine if circumstances compel me to divorce Josephine; for Iwill not, like Alexander of Macedon, conquer exclusively for the benefitof my generals. I need an heir to my empire."

  "Sire, you have one in the son of the empress, noble King Eugene."

  "No," exclaimed the emperor, gloomily, "the son of the Viscount deBeauharnais cannot be heir to my throne. My blood does not flow in hisveins. Oh, why did the young Napoleon die! I had destined him to succeedme, because he was of my blood, and a scion of my family.[12] PoorJosephine! if her tears and prayers could have saved the child's life, Ishould never have thought of taking another wife."

  [Footnote 12: The oldest son of the King of Holland, Napoleon's brother,and of Hortense, Josephine's daughter, had been declared Napoleon'ssuccessor and adopted son. He died of croup, in 1805, in his seventhyear.]

  "What!" exclaimed Duroc, in dismay, "your majesty thinks of repudiatingthe empress!"

  "My heart never will repudiate her," replied Napoleon, drawing a sigh."I shall always love her, for she deserves it. She is generous andhigh-minded, good and graceful. I never loved another woman as I loveher--and never shall. Judge, therefore, what a cruel blow it will be tomy heart, should I be compelled to separate from her."

  "If you should, sire," said Duroc, in a voice quivering withemotion,--"if you repudiate the empress, you would thereby sign your owndeath-warrant, and Josephine would not survive it."

  "She will have to survive it like myself," exclaimed the emperor,impetuously. "I shall suffer no less--nay, I shall suffer more than she,for she never loved me as I love her. Her tears will fall for the lostsplendor of the throne--not for her husband. But I shall bewail thebeloved wife."

  "No, sire," said Duroc, almost indignantly, "you are unjust. The empressloves you--you alone. She accepted the crown reluctantly and withtearful eyes, and will not weep when she loses it. She will mourn forher husband only, whom she adores, and not for the crown which adornsbut also oppresses her brow."

  "Ah, what a warm advocate the empress has!" exclaimed Napoleon, smiling."Do you really believe that she loves me so disinterestedly?"

  "Sire, I am convinced of it, and so is your majesty. The empress lovesin you her dear Bonaparte, and not the emperor. She loves you moreardently than any other woman could do. Sire, permit an old, well-triedfriend and servant to warn you. Do not banish Josephine from your heart,for she is your guardian angel."

  Napoleon did not reply immediately, but looked melancholy andabstracted.

  "It is true," he said, after a long pause, "Josephine brought success;until I married her every thing around me was forbidding and dark. Sheappeared like a sun by my side, and we rose together."

  "Sire, all will darken again, if you suffer your sun to set."

  "Ah, bah! these are nothing but fantastic dreams!" exclaimed Napoleon,after a brief silence. "I am the architect of my fortune--I alone.Josephine did not assist me in erecting my edifice; she only adorned itwith her smiling grace. I shall do what fate and my people have a rightto expect of me, but I do not say that it must be done immediately. Ihave time enough to wait; for as yet I do not stand on the pinnacle towhich I am aspiring. My plans are not yet accomplished. I hope that Ishall not die at so early an age as my father. I need ten years more tocarry out my purposes. A sovereign ought not to set too narrow limits tohis wishes; but mine--they are boundless. Like the conqueror of Darius,I must rule the world, and I hope that my desire will one day befulfilled. Nay, I feel convinced that I and my family will occupy allthe thrones of Europe. Then it will be time for me to have a wife whowill give an heir to my empire, and a son to my heart. Until then, myfriend, keep the matter secret; do not mention what I have told you. Theportraits of the old kings, with their surly faces, have impressed mevery disagreeably, and it is in defiance of them that I say, I will oneday have a wife--a daughter of the Caesars--who will think it an honor tobear a son to the modern Caesar! When the time comes, however, I shallremind you of this hour, and then request you, in the name of theconfidence which I have reposed in you, to prepare my poor, belovedJosephine for the blow that is menacing her and myself, and which I thenshall ward off no longer. But a truce to these matters! Let us go toSans-souci. Come!"

  "Sire, before your majesty has dined?"

  "Ah, you are hungry, then? You would like to dine?"

  "Sire, I believe all the gentlemen entertain the same desire. None of ushave tasted food for eight hours."

  "Eight hours, and you are already hungry again? Truly, this German airexerts a bad effect upon my brave marshals. Like the Germans, you wantto eat all the time. Well, let it so be; as we are in Germany, I willcomply with your wishes. Let us dine, therefore, and afterward go to thecountry-palace of Frederick II. Be kind enough to issue your orders,grand-marshal. Let the horses be ready; we shall set out as soon as wehave dined. Tell Roustan to come to me!"

  Napoleon was now again the sovereign, and it was in this capacity thathe dismissed Duroc, who left the room with a respectful bow. Roustan,who had already heard the order in the anteroom, glided past him, toassist Constant in the emperor's toilet.