This is part of a series why Hortense broke the law. When we last left off, Hortense was fleeing Rome and trying to make sure that her sons would not get manipulated through their noble sentiments into joining a revolution that could not be won and that might really involve infiltrator plots to get them killed.
Napoleon Louis Bonaparte.
Also note that Napoleon’s 2nd wife Marie Louise and her 2nd husband Count Neipperg, who had recently died in 1829, are the types of Austrian rulers that are at this time facing revolts in their fiefdoms. Marie Louise was the Duchess of Parma, Guastalla and Piacenza and she by then had more children with Neipperg who were not taken from her by the people running the Austrian government. Her son with Napoleon was removed from her as a condition of her taking this duchy with Neipperg. Neipperg also left 4 children behind when his wife died just at the moment when it was time for him to take over business and amorous affairs in regards to Marie Louise. This is all covered in Meneval’s memoirs. Like Hortense’s son, Napoleon’s son, also named Napoleon, would be dead in not too long.
Napoleon who was called Franz in Austria.
Hortense writes:
[Hortense’s travel companion, M. de Bressieux spoke of] his flight with Charles X and his family, who, by an extraordinary chance, he found himself saved from yet another misfortune. He used all his efforts to reassure me. I was even more obligated to him for leaving Rome to help me.
A young widow whom he loved arrived there at the same time he was leaving. When M. de Bressieux’s imminent departure was announced, the young widow could not hide her secret feelings, and, on finding himself loved in return, he left her when she was happy. So he told me, in order to distract me, about his love affairs and his retirement with Charles X.
I listened to him with interest, and I urged him to return immediately to Rome to marry. I was grieved to be the cause of a delay in his happiness. “No," he said to me; “without this departure, I would not have known for a long time that I was loved by her: you therefore brought me happiness.”
The night was advancing: even at the Gate of Florence, I still hoped to see my children coming, as usual, to greet me. But it is in vain.
I arrive at the inn, I can barely get out of the carriage, my legs trembled under me. I'm talking about them, we don't know what to say about them, we believe them at their father's house. I haven't given up hope yet.
M. de Bressieux runs to my husband's. This moment of uncertainty is awful. He finally returns, and it is to strike me the most cruel blow. They are gone! ... I would describe badly all the fears which assailed me, and all the pains which I immediately felt. I was overwhelmed.
A servant, left by my youngest son, brings me a letter from him. “Your affection will understand us” he wrote to me: “we have made commitments, we cannot fail to do what we are doing, and the name we bear obliges us to rescue the unhappy people who call for us.”
Show this letter to my sister-in-law [Joseph’s daughter Zénaïde] for my brother who suffers from having hidden an action from her.
On reading this letter, which broke my heart and left me no longer in uncertainty, I laughed: "Come on! It is not a question of surrendering to despair, I need courage now!” I collected all of mine. They are therefore exposed to all dangers, to all misfortunes. If we can't get them out, at least our -
To be continued.
Napoleon’s older brother Joseph’s daughters, Charlotte and Zénaïde (left to right) .
Cela fait partie d'une série pour laquelle Hortense a enfreint la loi. Quand nous nous sommes arrêtés pour la dernière fois, Hortense fuyait Rome et essayait de s'assurer que ses fils ne seraient pas manipulés par leurs nobles sentiments pour rejoindre une révolution qui ne pourrait pas être gagnée et qui pourrait vraiment impliquer des complots d'infiltration pour les faire tuer.
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte.
Notez également que la 2e épouse de Napoléon, Marie Louise, et son 2e mari, le comte Neipperg, sont les types de dirigeants autrichiens qui sont actuellement confrontés à des révoltes dans leurs fiefs. Marie Louise était la duchesse de Parme, Guastalla et Plaisance et elle avait alors plus d'enfants avec Neipperg qui ne lui ont pas été enlevés par les responsables du gouvernement autrichien. Son fils avec Napoléon lui a été retiré comme condition pour qu'elle prenne cette duché avec Neipperg. Neipperg a également laissé 4 enfants derrière lui lorsque sa femme est décédée juste au moment où il était temps pour lui de reprendre les affaires et les affaires amoureuses concernant Marie Louise. Tout cela est couvert dans les mémoires de Meneval.
Hortense écrit:
