Star.
London, England, 1822-12-28 00:00:00

BONAPARTE'S LOVE OF THE SEX.

In one of our nightly walks, the Emperor told me
that he had in the course of his life been much at-
tached to two women of very ditto ent characters.
The one was the votat y of art and the graces ; the
other was all innocence and simple nature: and each,
he observed, had a very high degree of merir.
The first, in no moment of her life ever assumed a
position or attitude that was not pleasing or capti-
vating ; it was impossible to take her by sot prise, or
make her feel the least inconvenience. She employed
every resource of art to heighten natural attractions;
but with such ingenuity.as to render every trace o(
allurement imperceptible. The other, on the con-
trary, never suspected that anything was lobe gained
by innocent artifice. The one was always somewhat
short of the truth of nature; the other sas alto-
gether frank and open, and was a stranger to sub-
terfuge. The first never asked her husband for any-.
thing, but she was in debt to every one; the second
freely asked whenever she wanted, which, however,
very seldom happened ; and,she never thought of re-
ceiving anything without imniediately paying for it.
Both were amiable and gentle in disposition, and
strongly attached to their husbands. But it must
already have been guessed who they are ; and those
who have ever seen them will not fail to recognise
the two Empresses.
The Emperor declared.that he had uniformly ex-
perienced from both the greatest equality of temper,
and most implicit obedience.
One day, immediately after dinner, the Emperor
walked in his favourite path. He had his coffee car-
tied down to him in the garden, and he drank it a,
the walked about. The conversation mined on love.
I must have made some very fine and sentimental re,
marks on this. important subject, for thep Emperor
laughed at what he styled my prattle, and said that he
•
understood none of my romantic vei biage. Then speak-
' ing with an air of levity, be wished to make me believe
that he was better acquainted with sensations than
sentiments. I made free to remark, that he was try-
ing to be thought worse than he.was described to be
in the authentic but very secret accounts that were
circulated about the palace. 44 And what was said
of me?" resumed he with an air of
.gaiety. " Sire,"
I replied, " It is understood., .that when in the sum-
mit of your power, you suffered yourself to be en-
slaved by the chains of love that you became a hero
of romance. In short, that you conceived an attach.'
ment for a lady in hunsble.cirenmstances; that you
wrote her above a dozen love letters; and that her
power over you prevailed so far as to compel you to
disguise yourself, and to visit her secretly and alone,
and at her own residence in -the heart of Paris."—
" And how came this to be known?" said he, smil-
ing, which of course amounted to an admission ofj
the fact. 44 And it was doubtless added," continued
.he, 66 that this was the most imprudent act of my'
whole life; for had my mistress proved treacherous,'
what might not have been my fate— alone and dis-
guised, in the circumstances in which I was placed,.
amidst the snares with which I was surrounded ?
, But what more is said of me?"-4, Sire, it is affirmed
that your Majesty's posterity_ is not confined to the
King of Borne. The secret chronicle states that he
has two elder brothers; one the offspring of a fair
foreigner, whom you loved in a distant country; the
other the fruit of a connexion nearer at hand, in the
bosom of your own capital. It was asserted that
both had been conveyed to Malmaison before our de-
parture ; the one brought by his mother, the other
introduced by his tutor ; and they were described to
be the living porvaite of their tetberr—Las Oases'
;Jogrrial.