The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-11 00:00:00

LITBR.42URE.

Memoirs of Queen Hortense, Mother of Napo-
leon 111. Compiled by Lascelles Wraxall and
Robert Wehrhan. Two Vols. Hurst and

Blackett.

Memoirs of this interesting and unfortunate lady
can hardly fail to be attractive, and those before
us have all the interest of a romance. It is true
there is not much in these volumes that the student
of history is not already acquainted with, but the
general reader will follow with attention the story
of a life whose details are probably unknown to
him. The Queen is represented throughout in the
most pleasing colours ; wise beyond her years,
moderate in prosperity, firm and collected in adver-
sity, a dutiful daughter, a devoted mother, a faith-
ful friend, and magnanimous foe. Certainly every-
thing is represented on its most favourable side,
for the authors are decided Bonapartists. But,
setting aside all partiality, Queen Hortense had no
ordinary career. The strange and startling vicis-
situdes to which Fortune sometimes subjects those
who seem least to court her interference are
seldom more strikingly exemplified than in the ex-
traordinary changes of her lot. Beginning life as
one of the only links that bound together her un-
happy and ill-assorted parents, she was often the
means of checking recriminations and reconciling
feuds. Afterwards she was her mother's companion
during her residence at Martinique, and in her
hurried flight from the dangers of the sudden in-
surrection of the slaves. She shared her mother's
privations during the confiscation of her property,
and participated with her brother Eugene in the
kind protection of an old friend of Josephine's
during the gloomy period of her mother's
imprisonment and danger. At this time,
suspicion, avoid suicion, the young Eugene was ap-
prenticed to a carpenter, and the future Vice-
roy of Italy might have been seen walkieg through
Paris in a workman's blouse with a plank upon
his shoulder. After her mother's marriage with
the young general, "who filled the world with
fame," Hortense passed some tranquil years in com-
pleting her education. A great sorrow was, however
soon in store for her—the disappointment of her
first love. She returned the affection of General
Duroc, Napoleon's aide-decamp, and the First Con-
sill would willingly have consented to the marriage,
Josephine, however, interfered, being anxious that
Hortense should marry one of Napoleon's brothers.
She persuaded the First Consul to subject General
Duroc to a severe test, under which his ambition
overcame his love, end Hortense's fate was fixed.
Her marriage was a most unhappy one, for Louis
was no less averse to it than his bride. After a
few years they agreed to separate amicably, which
they did. Hortense was the mother of three sons,
the first of whom, Napoleon Charles, died in infancy,
thereby causing the deepest grief to his grandmother
Josephine, who saw in him the long-desired heir to
the empire, who rendered unnecessary the dreaded
divorce. The second, Napoleon Louis, reached the age
of manhood and died in 1832, during an Italian in-
surrection. Thus the affectionate mother, who found
her only consolation in her maternal duties, was
doomed to experience two bitter losses. Had she a
prevision that the blind goddess would turn her
wheel once again, and that Louis Napo-
leon should fill the proud position she
had once anticipated for Napoleon Charles ?
Perhaps the vision of the future would scarcely
have consoled her after she had so bitter:y proved
that

" The glories of our birth and state
Are shadows, not substantial things."

Great as wore the vicissitudes of her public career,
the troubles of the Queen of Holland were perhaps
greater when she was surrounded by all the splen-
dour of the empire, admired, honoured, and envied.
Her unhappy marriage ill replaced the loss of her
first love, while her mother's divorce must have
been a terrible grief and humiliation. Few need
have envied the Queen of Holland's rank and gor-
geous state as in accordance with the Emperor's
commands (who dared to disobey them P) she as-
sisted in bearing the train of Marie Louise, on
the wedding-day, which invested her with the
rights and dignities of her beloved mother. She
must have learned long before the terrible years of
1814-15 how little real happiness there was in a
state and power that demanded such fearful sacri-
fices. But even after her fall Queen Hortense was
long before she found peace. She and her two
sons, alone and unfriended, bore a name which
struck terror into the hearts of Bourbons and
Orleanists. tier two sons, with the adventurous
spirit of youth, often caused her anxiety, and one
of them she was doomed to lose in the flower of his
years. The other she bronght through the most
imminent peril, at great risk to herself, and had the
consolation of seeing him survive her. In the affec-
tion of her sons she found consolation for her mis-
fortunes as a daughter and unhappiness as a wife,
and if the Emperor Napoleon 111. still retains his
early love for his mother, he will read with plea-
sure these volumes, in which there is nothing that
does not do honour to her memory.

A deputation from the departments of the Meuse
and the Vosges waited lately on the Prince Imperial to
offer him bonbons and comfits, for which those departments
are famous. The persons who brought the offering were
exceedingly well received by the Prince, and they ventured
to ask what they should say respecting the sweetmeats to
the parties represented. " Tell them," said the Prince,
" that I am fothiddeu to eat any."