Smyrna times., 1866-08-15
NJ | S CELLAN NEOUS.
Descendants of the Empress Josephine.

When the beautiful Creole, Rose Josephe
Iascher de la Pagene, atterward better known
as the Empress Josephine, was Young girl in
her West Indian home, it is said that one day
she had her fortune told by an Obeah woman.
who predicted that she and her descendants
should sit on thrones. Such fortune seemed
tar enough off at the time, and seemed even
further OF at later period, when she was the
widow of the Vicomte de Beauharnais, and
stood in relation which we had better not try
to define toward the Director (some time the
dancing master) Barras. About this time we
find her in the train of Madam Tallien, lin
tent, as Mr.. Carlyle says, ITO blandish down
the grimness of Republican aisterity, and re-
clvilize mankind. " And by-and-by comes to
these reunions THAT little bronzed-complex-
Toned artillery officer of Toulon, home from the
Italian wars. Grim enough-of lean, almost
cruel aspect; for he has been in trouble. in i'll
health also in ill-favor, as a man promoted.
deservingly or not, by the Terrorists and Robes
pierre, Junior. But does not Barras know
him? Will not Barras speak word for him :?
1es-lf at any time it will serve Barras so to
do Somewhat forlon of fortune for the pre-
sent, stands that artillery officer; looks, with
those deep earnest eyes Of his, into future as
waste as the most Taciturn, yet with the
strongest utterances in him if you awaken him,
the whole, rather dangerous A 'dissociaP
man? DissOcial enough natural terror and
horror to all phantasms, being himself of the
genus reality He stands here, without work
or outlook in this fOrsaken manner ;-glances
nevertheless 1t would seem, at the kind glance
OF Josephine Beauharnais; and, for the rest,
with severe cOuntenance, with open eyes, and
closed lips, waits what will betide. :"
Madam Beauharnais soon became Madam
Bonaparte, and not long after the Obeah wo-
mans prophecy began to be fulfilled An even
ing contemporary, whose toned paper and ar
chaic type convey to the world of the more en-
llghtened great variety of transformation,
stated some time ago, in an article on the Mar
riage Laws, that Napoleon was a bgamist
when he was crowned by Plus VII. But every
one who is not absolutely ignorant of modern
history is aware that Napoleon had no wife but
Josephine at the time Of his coronation Rome,
in fact, never acknowledged the validity of his
subsequent marriage with Maria Louisa. 1t
would seem that the Obeah woman prophecy
mad made some impression not only on Jose
phlne mind but also on Napoleon 8; for it is
recorded that she said to him at one time when
the project OF divorce had reached her ears.
Remember, Bonaparte, that it is to mn de-
scendants the thrones have been promised. -
However this may be, it is certain at least that
the klng of Rome (whOm BOnapartists call
Napoleon III. died Duke of Reichstadt. ,Jo-
sephine' Hortense, daughter on the other hand,
became Queen Of Holland and mother of the
present Emperor of the French. Josephine
son, Eugine Beauharnais, did not attain any
higher dignity than that of Viceroy of Italy,
but he married daughter of the King of Ba-
varia, and assumed, after Napoleon s downfall
the title of Duke of Leuchtenburg and Prince
OF Eichstadt. His eldest son married Donna
Maria da Gloria, and shared with her for few
short months the throne of Portugal. His Sec
Ond son, Maximilian, married the Grand
Duchess Mary of Russia. His daughter jose
phine married King Oscar of Sweden. His
daughter Amelia was the second wife of Don
Pedro, Emperor of Brazil. His daughter
Theodolinda did not make as great match as
either of her sisters she married Count VIII
liam of Wurtemberg.
The children of Maximilian, Duke of Leuch-
tenberg, received from their grandfather, the
Emperor Nicholas, the name of RomanOwski
and the title of Imperial Highness. One
of them, the Princess Mary, is married to Duke
William of Baden. The second daughter, the
Princess Eugene, has been spoken of, proba-
bIy without sufficient authority, as likely to be
married to Prince Humbert of Italy. 1t will
be remembered that the eldest son, Nicholas,
has been put forward, from time to time, by
the Russian party in the Principalities, a0 a
candidate for the throne of Roumania. If the
interests of nations did not class with those of
families, the claims of a candidate who is at
once the nephew of the Emperor Alexander
III. and the cousin of the Emperor Napoleon
Ill, would seem to be irresistible. Queen Jo-
sephine, Dowager of Sweden, is still alive
Her eldest son, Charles XIV, is the relgnIn!g
king. 1t is considered very probable that his
only child, the Princess Louisa, now in her
fifteenth year, will become the wife OF the Crown
Prince Frederick of Denmark Thus, then,
when the crown of the First Napoleon has
come, not to descendant of his own, but to
the grandson Of his discarded wife, his great
grandson sits at the same time on the throne
OF Sweden, and the connection of her descen-
dants with nearly all the great and little royal
ties OF Europe is extending every day.
But It was not merely in the person of her
own children that Josephine made the Beau-
harnais family illustrious Two orphan girls
Of the name, nieces of her first husband and
cousin of Eugene and Hortense, were adopted
by her. One of them married the Grand Duke
Charles of Baden the other married the Comte
de Layalette, to whose romantIe escape from
L. Al. l.. NJ n