The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-05-26
Napoleon and Marie-Louise.

MARELouIsE was little known to the
/ Parisians, and but little beloved in
France Borne away from Vienna as a
trophy of victory, conquered more than
courted, succeeding. in the hcros couch.
the still living Empress Josephine, whose
Creole graces, apparent goodness, and
llght-heartcd disposition. made her. even
with these very defects. more popular
with so light and superficial people;
stranger in the midst of France. speak
ing its language with timidity. studying
its manners with embarrassment. Marie
Louise lived in seclusion, like captive
amidst the official circle with which the
Emperor surrounded her That court
of beautiful women, newly titled anxious
to repress every attraction except that
of their own rank and high favour al
lowed nothing to be known of the new
Empress. except the simplicity and the
awkwardness natural to one who was al
most child, and which was calculated
to render her unpopular in her own court.
That was the naughty slanderer of the
ana - silence against the malevolencc
that acted as SPY on her every word
and action Intimidated by the fame,
by the grandeur, and by the impetuous
tenderness of the ravisher, whom she
dared not to contemplate as a husband,
it is unknown whether her timidity per
mitted her to love him with nrestran-
ed affection Napoleon loved her with
feelings of superiority and pride She
was the blazon of his afliliation with great
dynasties she was the mother of his son,
, and the establishment of his ambition.
> But though he exalted no favorites, less
: from virtue than constitutional disdain,
= he was known to have had passing pred
. Elections for some of the beautiful women
' bv whom he was surrounded. Jealousy,
= therefore though she dared not accuse
r. her rivals might have chilled the heart
y of Maric-Louise The public were un-
t Just enough to require from her the most
t passionate and devoted love. when her
d nature could only inspire her with duty
r and respect for soldier who had mere
c ly recognised in her a hostage for Germa'
t, ny and pledge of posterity.
c This constraint obscured her natural
: charms, cloudcd her features, mtimida
d ted her mind, and depressed her heart
She was only regarded as a foreign or
d nament attached to the columns Of the
Il throne Even history, written in ignor
l. ance of the truth, and Influenced by the
l. resentment of Napolcon's courtiers has
slandcred this princess Those who have
It known her will award her. not the stoca
r and theatrical glory which people requir
ed of her. but her natural qualities She
p was a charming daughter Of the Tyrol
with blue eyes and fair hair. Her com
+ plexion varied with the whteness of it,
n SHOWS and the roses of its valleys hel
e. figure light and graceful, its attitude
l. Welding and languid, like those German
G. maidcns who seem to look for the sup
d port of some manly heart. Her dream,
Y, glance. full of internal visions, was yeile'
t by the silkcn fringes of her eyes. lie
r. lips were somewhat pouting-her bosom
Is full of sighs and fruitful affection; he
e. arms were of due length, fair and admi
IF rably moulded, and fell with graceful
v, languor on her robe, as if weary of In
rs burden of her destiny. Her neck habit
ID uallv inclined towards her shoulder Sh
ne appeared of northern melancholy, trans
e planted into the tumult of Gallio camI
The pretended insipdity of silence con
e- cealed thoughts delicately feminine, am
ny the mysteries of sentiment, which waite
n her in imagination far from that cour
ed TO her magnificent but rude place of eN
id lie. The moment she returned to he
tn private apartments, or to the solitude Z.
p- her gardens, she again became essential
c ly German She cultivated the arts c
IT. poetry, painting and music In thes
m accomplishments education had rendere
ac her perfect, as if to console her, when ia
cy from her native land, for the absence an
e the sorrows to which she would one da
M be exposed In these requirements sh
ed cxcelled but they were confined to he
at self alone She read and repeated, fro
he memory, the poetry of her native bard
ed BY nature, she was simple, but pleasin
he and absorbed within herself; externall
ey silent, but full of internal feelings forr
to- cd for domestic love in an obscure dest
ny; but, dazzled on a throne, she fe
id herself exposed to the gaze of the worl
al as the conquest of pride, not the love
his hero. She could dissemble nothin
or either during her grandeur, or after q
On reverses of her lord and this was h