The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-07-05
NAPOLEON'S THREE WARNINGS.


ranto, sometimes chief of police to Ma
poleon, was retained but short time,
it is known, in the service of the Bour-
bons after their restoration to the throne
of France. He retired to the town Of
AK, in Provence, and there lived in af-
fiuence and ease upon the gains of his
long and busy career. On one occasion
the company assembled in his salon
heard from his lips the following story:
BY degrees, as Napoleon assumed
the power and authority of a king, ev-
erything about him, even in the days
of the Consulate, began to wear court
like appearance. All the old monar-
chical habitudes were revived, one by
one. Among otherrevivals of this kind,
the custom of attending mass previous
to the hou of audience was restored by
Bonaparte, and he himself was punct
ual in his appearance at the Chapel of
ST. Cloud on such occasions. Nothing
could be more mundane than the mode
of performing these religious services.
The actresses of the opera were the
choirists, and great crowds of busy,
talkative people were in the habit of
frequenting the gallery of the chapel,
from the windows of which the First
Consul and Josephine could be seen
with their suites and friends. The
whole formed merely daily exhibition
of the consular court for the people.
At one particular time the punctual-
ity of Bonaparte in his attendance on
mass was rather distressing to his wife
The quick and jealous Josephine had
discovered that the eye of her husband
was too much directed to window
in the gallery where there regularly APP
peared the form and face of a young
girl of uncommon beauty. The chest
nut tresses, the brilliant eyes, and grace
full figure of this parsonage caused the
more uneasiness to the Consuls wife,
as the strangers chances were bent not
less often upon Bonaparte than his were
upon her.
"Nho is that young grip" said Jo-
sephine, one day at the close of the SER
vice; 'what can she seek from the First
Consul? observed her drop billet
just now at his feet. He picked it up-I
saw him."
No one could tell Josephine who the
object of her notice precisely was, though
there were some who declared her to be
an emigree lately returned, and who
probably was DESTROYS of the interven-
ton of the First Consul in favor of her
family. With such guesses as this the
Consul's wife was obliged to rest salts
fed for the time.
After the audience of that same day
had passed Bonaparte expressed wish
for drive in the park, and according
ly went out attended by his wife, his
brother Joseph, Duroc and Hortense
Beauharnais. The Kingof Prussia had
just presented Napoleon with superb
set of horses, four in number, and they
were harnessed to an open chariot for
the party. The Consul took it into his
head to drive in person, and mounted
into the coachman's seat. The chariot
set off, but just as it was turning into
the park, it went crash against stone
at the gate, and the First Consul was
thrown to the ground. He attempted
to rise but again fell PROSTATE in a
stunned and insensible condition
Meanwhile the horses sprang forward
with the chariot, and were only stopped
when Duroc, at the risk of his life, threw
himself out and seized the loose rein.
Josephine was taken out in a swooning
condition. The rest of the party speed
lily returned to Napoleon, and took him
back to his apartments. On recover
ing his senses fully, the first thing he
did was to put his hand into his pocket
and pull out the slip of paper dropped
at his feet in the chapel, Looking over
his shoulder Josephine read on it these
words:
"Do not drive out in your carriage
this day."
This can have no allusion to our
late accident" said Bonaparte, mo
one could foresee that was to play the
part of coachman to-day, or that 1
should be awkward enough to drive
against a stone. Go, Duroc, and ex-
anime the chariot"
Duroc obeyed. Soon after he re-
turned, very pale, and took the First
Consul aside. ''Citizen Consul" said
he, chad you not struck the stone, and
stopped our drive, we had all been lost -
''How sop was the reply
There was in the carriage. concealed
behind the rear seat, massive bomb,
charged with ragged pieces of iron,
with a slow match and kindled Things
had been so arranged that in quarter
of an hour we should have been scat
tered among the trees of the Park of ST.
Cloud. Fouche must be told of this.
Dubois must be warned"
Not word to them," replied Bona
parte. 1.-THE knowledge of one plot
only engenders asecond. Let Josephine
remain ignorant of the danger she has
escaped. Hortense, Joseph Gambia
ceres-ten none of them; and let the
government jour ndis say not a word
about my fall. !"
The First Consul was then silent for
some time.
'Duroc," he said at length, "you
will come tomorrow at mass and ex-
anime with attention q young girl whom