Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-03-10
TIE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

I hhh bNNh WY DIG was DOil
in the West Indies, and it had been early
iprophecied by an old negress, that she should
loose her first husband, be extremely unlor.
tunate, but she should afterwards be greater
than queen. (The author heard thl
prophecy long before NapoIeon's elevation
to the throne, from the late Countess oil
Ancram, who was educated in the same con-
vent with Josephine, and had repeatedly
heard her mention the circumstances in ear.
ly youth.) This prophecy, the authenticity
of which is placed beyond doubt, was
fulfilled in most singular manner. Her
first husband, Alexander Beauharnois, a gen
eral Of the army on the Rhine, had been
guiIlotined during the reign of terror and
she herself who was also imprisoned at the
time, was only saved from impending death
by the fall Of Robespierre* SO strongly
was prophecy impressed on her mind that
while lying in the dungeon of Conciergerie,
expecting every hour to be summoned TO the
revolutionary tribunal, she mentioned it to
her fellow prisoners: and to amuse them,
named some of them as ladies' of the bed
chamber Jest which she afterwards lived
to realize on one oftheir number.
Josephine herself narrated this extraordi-
nary passage in her life, in the following
terms, in her memoirs:
Zone morning the jailor entered the
chamber where | slept, with the Duches
d AguIllon and two other ladies', and told
me he was going TO take my mattress to give
it to another prisoner. Why, said d'Aguil-
lon eagerly, will not Madame d. Beauharnois
obtain better one No, no, he replied,
with fendsh smile, she will have no need
of one for she is about TO be led to the Con-
ciergerle, aud thence to the guilotine. At
these words, my companions in misfortune
uttered piercing shrieks | consoed them
as well as could and at length, worn out
with their eternal lamentations, | told them
that their grief was utterly unreasonable :
that not only should not die, but live TO be
Queen of France Why then do YOU name
your maids Of honor, said Madame d'Agul-
Ion, rritated at such expressions at such a
moment Very true, said !, | did not think
of that: well my dear, make you one of
them. Upon this the tears of one of these
ladies fell apace, for they never doubted |
was mad. But the truth was was not oif-
ted with any extraordinary courage, but
internally persuaded of the truth of the
oracle.
MADAME dAguillon soon after became
un'vol, and drow bor towards the window
which opened to admit through the bars
little fresh air, there perceived a poor
woman who knew US, and who was making
a number Of signs which could not at first
understand. She constantly held up her
gown, (robe,) and seeing she had some OBJ
Iect in view, called out "robes" to which
she answered yes. She then lifted up
stone and put it in her lap, which she lifted
up second time. | called out "picrre.-
Upon which she evinced the greatest iov,
perceiyng that her signs were understood.
Joining then the stone in her robe, she ca
gerly initiated the motion Of cutting Off the
neck, and Immediately began to dance and
evnce the most extravagant joyf This
singular pantomime awakened in the mind
a vague hope that possibly Robespierre
might be no more.
AT this moment, when we were floating
between hope and fear, we heard great
noise in the corridor, and the terrible voice
of our jailor, who said to his dog, giving him
at the same time kick Get out YOU
cursed Robespierre." The course phrase
at once taught us that we had nothing to
fear, and that France was saved. "-AMSon's
History Of Europe.
Her family name is not stated. "A ,r,s NYor;a l..