This part of a series of letters by Hortense to her brother Eugene. When we last left off Hortense was inconsolable for being left out of her brother’s wedding because her husband was jealous.
When Hortense was driven out of France, after the fall of Napoleon in 1815, she decided to take the offer she received of Austrian military protection - which she eventually came to view as a subversion scheme.
It is also worth noting that the same subversion scheme worked to perfection on Marie Louise. Both Hortense and Marie Louise were offered “knights” to protect them - courtesy the Austrian government. Marie Louise married hers and started having children with him even though she was still married to Napoleon. This occurred while, in the past, she had indicated no desire to have more children with Napoleon. Marie Louise also made no serious effort to protect Napoleon’s son from those who might murder him. Their son was removed from her and she went on to take her new dominion with her new lover.
I don’t personally think that Marie Louise was actually such a bad person but she was made to look like one from these facts. That’s how subversion works. Marie Louise had her weaknesses and they were preyed upon. If Marie Louise had married her uncle like she really wanted to, she probably would have been seen as a bland okay nutty person during her time and no one would have ever heard about her all that much after that. It was because she was used to take down a hero, that she seems so awful.
Let’s return back to Hortense.
Hortense hoped this protection from the Austrian military would afford her the best chance of keeping her sons alive.
When Hortense was leaving France, she remarked about a man she saw.
“Yes, we must submit," said a man standing at the gate of a farm and wearing the blouse of a wagoner, "but our day will come, and then it will be the awakening of a lion."
On another occasion, Hortense’s Austrian military escort told her the following:
“Madame," said Monsieur de Woyna as he was leaving, "I understand now how mistaken the general opinion of you is. People do not know that you possess this spirit of resignation, this ineffable gentleness, which I have been able to judge myself. For your own good I shall not say what I think of you. People would declare I had fallen under your spell. You can trust me. I shall wind up your business affairs and I shall return to conduct you where you wish to retire."
This man was then taken off the job of protecting Hortense by the authorities.
My point in writing about Count de Woyna is that he alluded to a well known “spell of Hortense”. Throughout the memoirs we see many who admired Hortense to that degree. In recent memoir reading, Napoleon described Duroc as a man of “concealed passions”. Napoleon was likely speaking of Duroc’s passion for Hortense. Lavalette who comes up in this letter, may be another devoté. Lavalette and Hortense had a lot of respect for each other. They both also shared a love of Lavalette’s wife Émilie - who was Hortense’s dear cousin. They both praised her to the skies. Some of my favorite memoirs are by Lavalette.
Dear Eugene,
This 6th January, 1806.
Lavallette must have written to you, my dear Eugène, and told you all about our little party yesterday. Several of your Chasseurs, your trumpeters, your apartment and your portrait, it didn't take too much to make me cry. However, the party was very pleasant for me. I thought of it as a day of happiness for you and that I should rejoice. No longer think about our separation, although it is very painful at this time.
The Emperor has had the goodness to write to me. He tells me that you are marrying a charming woman and that I will have, in all, a sister worthy of me. You see that it would spoil me and give me vanity if I did not know his indulgence for me. I hope your wife will write me a note.
I can't wait to be in accord with her. Speak as if I like her or rather as if I already like her, because now she is my sister and my attachment will be shared between the two of you. I think you'd better write a note to Louis.
I will tell you that I did not tell him anything about your marriage. He will find out in the newspapers. I would have had too many reproaches to make to him and I preferred silence. If he feels it, it is quite expressive. But you must ignore all of this and, as the Emperor included the whole family except Louis. I think it would be appropriate to write him.
Write to me, therefore, what becomes of you. Your house is charming. It is the most beautiful in Paris and the most neat. The lower apartment, which is the least beautiful, had the greatest success yesterday. I danced with one of your Chasseurs. He’s a captain with a nose injury. They all talk about you and always ask when they will see you. You would have seen that you are not loved by me alone, if you had been with us yesterday. Everyone was touched to find themselves in this pretty gallery where we had so much fun and to see you there only in painting, because your portrait was a little illusion. It is so similar! It's Gérard's. It was crowned with myrtles. We were only missing a portrait of Princess Auguste, but I hope you will send one to me. Adieu, my dear Eugène. Send me all your news. Think how sad I am and how much I need this consolation.
HORTENSE.
P.S. I don't write to Mom anymore because I think she'll be here soon. Tell me where I need to send you my letters.
The memoirs so far are available here.