The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1843-04-01
THE EMPRESS JosEpHINE'S,
PROPHECY.


in the West Indies, and it had early been
prophes,ed by an old negress that she
should lose her frs, husband and be ex.
tremely unfortunate, bot she should after.
wards be greater than queen. ('rhe au-
thor heard the prophecy long before Ma.
poleon's elevation to The throne, from the
Use Countess of Ancram, who was educated
in the same convent with Josephine, and
had repeatedly heard her mention the cir.
cumsianees in early yountb. )This prophecy
The authenticity of which is placed beyond
a doubt, was fulfilled in the mos! singular
manner. Her first husband Alexander
Beauharnois, gentleman Of the srmy Of
Rhine, had been guilo,ined during the
reign of terror; and she herself, who was
also imprisoned al the same time, was only
saved from impending death By the fall Of
Robesperre. So strongly was the prophe.
cy impressed upon ker mind that while
lying in the dungeon of the Conciergerie,
expecting every hour to be summoned to
The revolutionary tribunal, she mentioned
il TO her fellow prisoners: and 10 amuse
them, named some Of them as ladies 10
the bed chamber, jest which she after.
wards lived 10 realize on one of their mum.
ber.
Josephine herself narrated this extraor.
binary passage in her life, in the following
terms, in her memoirs:
'One morning the jailor entered the
chamber where | slept. with the Duchess d.
Agullon and two other ladies, and told m
was ge;ng TO take my maltrass 10 give it 10
anO, her prisoner. Why, said d'Aguillon
eageny, VIII no. naua,no u-DoauuaruuIs
obtain better one. No no, he replied, with
a fendish smile, she will have no need O
one, for she is about to be led 10 the Con.
ciergerle, and thence to the gulio.ne. Al
these words, my companions in misfor
time uttered piercing shrieks, consoled
them as well as could; and, at length,
worn ou, with their eternal lamentations,
told them that their grief was utterly IN.
reasonable; that not only should not die,
but live 10 be Queen Of France. Why,
then, do you not name your maids OF honor
said Madame d'Aguilion. irrilated at such
a moment. Very true, said /, Gid not
think of that; well, my dear, make you
one of them. Upon this the tears Of these
aides fell apacs, for they never doubted
was mad. But the truth was, was
not gifled with any extraordinary courage.
bu! internally persuaded Of the truth of the
oracle.
Madame d'Auilion soon after became
unwell & drew her towards the window,
which l opened to admit through the bars
little fresh air. there perceived poor
woman who knew us, and who was making
number Of signs which could not at frs,
understand. She constantly held up her
gown, (ro5e. aid seeing she had some
object in view, called out robes, 10 which
she answered yes. She then lifted up
stone and put it in her lap, which she lifted
up second time-l called out pierre, upon
which she evinced the greatest joy, pei
ceving that her signs were understood.
Joining then the stone in her role, she ca.
gerly initiated the motion of cutting off lhe
neck, and Immediately began to dance and
evince the most exlravagant joy. This
singular paatomime awakened in our minds
vague hope tha. possibly Robesplerre
might be no more.
AT this moment, when we were floating
between hope and fear, we heard a 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!' That course phrase
al once taught US that we had nothing 10
fear, and that France was saved.'-.4isen'S
History Of Europe.
That's my business, as the butcher said