Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-09-04

nudity, and resignation. Nature will pity
though history may accuse her.
Thisis true portraiture Of Marie Louise
| wrote 1t IN her presence ten years after
wards. She had developed at that period
during her liberty and her widowhood, al
the hidden graces of her youth. The,
wished her TO play part-ihe actress wa,
wanting. but the woman remained Hisfo
ry should award her--what the partial vcr
diet Of Napolcon's courticrs had refused
pity, tenderness, and grace.
She has been condemned for not having
been the theatrical heroine Of an affection
she never felt. Overlooking the feeling.
of a woman, her accusers forgot that the
heart will make itself heard even in the
drama Of such an unparalleled destiny; and
If the heart is not always Justification, it is
at least an excuse. Justice should weigh
| such excuses, even when she condemns
Marie Louise never loved Napoleon.-
How could she love himl He had grow,i
old in camps, and ariidst the tolls of ambi.
ton; she was only nineteen His soldiers
heart was cold and inhexiblc as the spirit
of calculation which accomplished his
greatness; that of the German princess
was gentle, timid, and pensivc as the poet
ic dreams Of her native land. Sho had
fallen from the steps Of an ancient throne;
he had mounted upon his by the force Of
arms, and by trampling hereditary rights
under foot. Her early prejudice and ed
ucation had taught her to consider Napo-
leon as the scourgc of God, the Attila of
modern Kingdoms, the oppressor of Ger
many. the murderer of princes, the rava-
ger of nations, the incendiary Of capitals
in word, the enemy against whom her
prayers had been raised to Heaven from
her cradle in the palace Of her ancestors.
She regarded herself as hostage concc-
dcd through fear to the conqueror, after
the ungrateful and tolerated Reputation of
a wife who had been the very instrument
of his fortunes. She felt that she had been
sold, not given. She looked upon herself
as the cruel ransom Of her father and her
country. She had resigned to her fate as
an immolation. The sr!cndors ofnn In
perial throne We're to her as the flowers
decking a victim for sacrifice. Cast alone
anu Wltnoul lIftHts lf1lO IL COuTI COfI1DOS-
cd of parvenu soldiers. revolutionary cou-
ricrs. and bantering women, whose names,
manners and language, were unknown
to her; her youth was consumed in
silent etiquette. Even her husbands
first addresses were not calculated to
inspire confidence. There was some
thing disrcspcctiul and violent in his
affection, he wounded even whcnhc sought
to please. His very love was rough and
lmperious; terror interposcd between him
and the heart of his young wife, even the
birth of an ardently desired son could not
unite such opposite natures. Marie Louise
felt that to Napoleon she was onl y mcdi.
um of postcrity-not a wife and mother,
but merely the root of a hereditary dynas-
ty. This master of the world could not
boast even the inherent virtues of love-
faith and constancy to the one woman
His attachments were transient and nu-
merous. He respected not the .jealousics
natural to the. bosom of the wife, and
though he did not openly proclaim his a.
mours like Louis XIV, neither did he pos
scss that moharch's courtesy and refine
mcnt. The most noted beauties Of his
own and of foreign courts were not to
him objects of passionate love, but of ire
sistiblc, transient desire; thus even min
Cling his contempt with his love. Napo-
Icons long and frequent absences, his Sc
we're and minute orders so strictly observ-
ed by household Of spies, instead Of
friends, chosen rather to control than to
execute the will of the Empress; his pet
tishness of temper on his frequent abrupt
returns; morosc and melancholy after cx-
periencing reverscs, (her only recreation
being ostentatious, tiresomc, and frivolous
ccrcmonics;) nothing of such life of such
a character, ofsnch man, was calculated
to inspire Marie Louise with love. Her
heart and her imagination cxpatriatcd in
France, aud remained beyond the Rhine
The splcndors of the Empire might have
consoled another; but Marie Louise was
better formed for the tender attachment of
private life. and the simple pleasures ola
German home.
A still more private passage of Napo-
Icons life is touched upon in the next quo
tation, which must be our last:
THE YOUNG COUNTESS waLEsKI.
But while victory and Indifference thus
removed from him the wife which policy
had given him, but which empire could
not attach TO him, adversely brought back
10 hlm at Fontainbleau young and bean
tiful foreigner, whose love. neither defeat
nor exile could cxtinguish. Among the
numerous and fugitive objects Of his ca
PRECIOUS and illcgitimate attachments, Ma
polcon had loved once perhaps with ten
der and durable passion. Al the summit
ofhis success ond glory, at a fcte at War
saw, the beauty Of young Polish lady,
intoxicated with enthusiasm for his name,
had made lively impression on him
She was the young wife of a noble Sar-
matian already advanced in years. She
shonc for the first time amid the pomps Of
court. She had adorcd in Napoleon
as what Pole thcndid not?-genius, victory
and the fallacious hope Of the independence
of her country.
Her countcnance bcamcd with the ado
ration she internally felt. Napoleon saw
her, understood her, loved her. Long re-
sistance. violent struggles between pas
sion and duty, and tears famed the fame
into passion. The Emperor carried of
the Countess Waleski from her husband,
from her country. Hcconveyed her TO his
camps and to his conquered capitals. A
son was born, the result Of this attachment.
A handsome residence at Paris, often visi-
ted at night by Napoleon, concealed from
public view the ever ImPassioned mother
of this child.
Adversely almost rendered her fault sa-
cred, and his love more dear 10 her She
wished by devoiing herself 10 the exile, to
atone for her weakness to the conqucror
Of Europe. She wrote TO Napoleon to
ask for an interview, and to offer to accom-
pany him wherever misfortune might lead
him. He consented to the interview; and