New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE.

TIE SSS a. SAINT kman6 Translated by Thomas
sergeant Perry. With Portrait. 1smo' pp. S'4'
Charles ecribner's Sons.
The nrr..nt volume Of NJ de Saint-Amnnds
,eries deals with the Imperial period OF Josephine
life. Il was q time of systematic paraoe anu
os,sntasion allowing of very little real enjoyment
.na scarcely ANYTHING that can be called happiness
NJ DE- Saint Armand enters into parlcui"is vni0n
shov in o striking manner how tne "lli'ary
,or,nal,.yr NJ Napoleons habits dominated ana
moulded the court Never before. not even In the
days Of the Sun King. was etiquette SO vigorously
enfortrl The courtlers were compeneo 10 STUDY
a complicated set OF rules and regulations, as
difficult to memorize as the disciplinary system oil
an army. From the establishment of che Empire
the master gave his mind to the working OUT Oh
ali these metty details. and he was ever vigilant
.. u.,k and nunish the least infraction of them.
He acted thus upon principle. The court was
vital part of the machinery by which he intended
IN impose respect and admiration upon the world;
and being in the nature of the parvenu
court. he held that il was all the more necessary
TO affect belief in the importance and solemmty
of its institutions and to give it splendor which
should cause people to forget or overlook its new
ness Age and legitimacy were two attributes which
neither the genius nor the power OF Napoleon
could supply. and he recognized and chafed against
the fact There was a SAVIOR of natural dignity
and aristocracy about the old regime which ne
could not initiate and the best he could do was
20 make his court as formal. stiff and magnificent
40 possible.
He fouLd presently that no amount OF super
vision or of pride could supply the place of real
habituation to this kind Of life, and on one occa-
sion, when be had been keeping great COM
pany at Saint Cloud. and had, as he supposed, done
everything t. make the entertainment go OF
brilliantly. he was surprised and annoyed by OBJ
serving that the guests and courtiers all appeared
bored to death. and that while they observed all
Imperial orders and regulations with mechanical
fidelity, they went about from one amusement to
another in the most sad and listless manner, and
evidently would have given much to be relieved
from their burdensome duties more thoroughly
artificial system than that of the Imperial Court
probably never existed NJ de Saint-Amand draws
an interesting parallel between it and the Second
Empire. Under Louis Napoleon everything was
free and easy. The Emperor never obtruded him
self upon his guests and did not hold his courtiers
to a strict discipline. Nobody afraid OF him,
though he was treated with great Difference Life
at the Imperial palaces was in fact, very much
like that at any great gentleman's house. People
were free TO amuse themselves rs they pleased.
The host and master did not secude himself.
The most important officers and visitors were in
Nltcu 10 zine al his taDle, anu the udnEerS Wert
generally natural and unconstrained. But at the
court of the first Napoleon fear counted for much.
Everybody really terrorized more less by
the Emperor. Even Talleyrand though he might
speak with some plainness in the privacy of the
Council. in public abject. obsequious and
anxious as any other courtcr When the Emperor
entered the room where the Court was assembled
all held their breath So real was the mastery he
exercised that gray headed veterans in war and
diplomacy literally trembled at his approach and
those to whom he spoke blushed or turned pale
according as his words were kind harsh
In reading the many examples of what now ap-
pears the most fulsome euogy, cited by the au-
thor is apt TO forget the extent and nature of
Napoleon's personal influence There was no
other man in the world of his time to be COM
pared with him in this respect The astounding
series of victories by which he had raised France
and himself to the pinnacle of military glory in
evitably fascinated and dazzled every one and
those who were nearest to him best appreciated
the immense and overpowering energy and master
funess which characterized him. As he rose
Josephine, who had been used to call him Bona
partc," grew afraid To do So and when he was
Emperor she often addressed him as :" Sire" but
never in the old familiar way. Though this book
is ostensibly devoted TO the life of the Empress,
it is inevitable that the Emperor should be the
most prominent figure in it, for everything flowed
from and was referred to him, and all the Court,
from Josephine downward, were but puppets
moved at his will The most faithful descrip
ton Of such life must contain very much that
is stiff and dry and merely theatrical. Perhaps
the most genuine sensations experienced at the
Court were those which reflect the least credit
upon human nature the hatreds, envies, jeal-
ousie, and honors. When the coronation took
off fho Of 10
brothers by not proclaiming them Imperial
Princesses. His brothers and their wives, in
Decd were from the first greedy for promotion and
enrichment: so much so that occasion the
Empcror sarcastically observed that, to see how
they went on, il might be thought that he had
inherited the throne in due course from his royal
father.
Napoleon claimed and took everything for him
SELF as by right of conquest. but lie did not like
others TO show themselves equally rapaciouS
Josephine at no time offended in this way She
was timid and inclined to self-eiracement IN his
presence, and her only fault in his eyes. beside
her childlessncss, was her extravaganza. This,
Indeed, was boundess, and it closely linked
with her amiabilty. Crowds of sbOpkeepers, manu.
facturers and all who had anything to sell. were
constantly pressing upon her all kinds OF costly
things, and she, not liking TO disappont them,
accepted whatever was ohereG Wheh the piiis
came i'm the Emperor whose bent was economical,
would storm, but il always ended in his paying,
and since il was directly to his interest that his En-
press should stimulate and maintain the splcndor
Of his court he had not much ground for complaint
especially as France paid his debts. lie insisted
that his marshals and great officers should live
with magni6cence. and TO that end paid them
literally Many of the old soldiers. however,
found IT, impossible to make both ends meet, and
used to apply to Napoleon for occasional extra
aid, which he always granted when he was satisfied
that the applicant had not been trying to hoard.
NJ de Saint Amands pages comprise many descrip-
tions Of grcat court ceremoncs-particular.y those
l.ial raIara,dice Ito ealas