New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
UNE 1DYLLE SOUS NAPOLEON 1

10 those of the Empress Josephines conndentiai
maid that one might have been tempted 70 be-
Neve that the subject was exhausted and that
nothing more remained to be told of this extraor-
binary epoch The impression which perusal OF
these innumerable works leaves upon the mind is
one OF warfare and OF bloodshed. OF brilliant
victories and terrible defeats. of rapid rise and
equally sudden fall OF domestic tragedies and
matrimonial dramas. Of treachery. crime, dis
honor and cowardice the central figure through
out the brilliant sun around which all the minor
planets revolved. being that astonishing man OF
diminutve stature and frail physique who. after
overshadowing for a time the whole world Win
his greatness, died alone. abandoned and In cap
tivity the dismal island OF st. Helena But
what strikes the ordinary. unpreJudced reader
more than anything else in all these stories or
the Napoleonc era are the records OF the base
ingratitude manifested by those who owed every
thing to the Emperor. Those most deeply In his
debt for favors received were the very first 10
leave him when his sun began to set; and they
smirched the fair name of patriotism by putting
II forward as a pretext for their treachery. when
the only object that they had in view was to
retain by betraying him the rank, the dignities
and the riches which they had received at his
hands.
standing forth from among all these time
servers who included among their number even
Napoleon's own nearest blood relations. there APP
pears one noble figure whose memory looms forth
with undiminished brilancy from the atmos-
phere of conspiracy, ignominy and duplicity that
darkened the close of the First Empire. There
was one notable exception to the ingrates who
formed the court Of the nineteenth-century
Caesar; one splendid example of loyalty, Of UNI
selfshness and of honor in the very highest
sense Of the word. And that is Eugene de Beau
harnais, whose story is related in simple. un-
affected yet withal touching manner, by Mr. Al
bert Pulitzer in the book just published by
Firmin Ddot at Paris. A perusal Of the pages of
this volume. written in such graceful French
that one is led to forget the American nationality
Of the author serves to remove from the palate
of the reader the bitter taste left there by the
tales of infamy contained in every other work
dealing with the Napoeonic era.
In making use of the word Roman" in con-
necton with the title of his book Mr.. Albert
Pulitzer does not intend to convey the idea that
II Is in any sense Of the word a novel but merely
seeks to draw attention to the remarkably ro-
mantle career Of his hero. The son Of the VI
comte de Beauharnas, who was guotned by
the Terrorists in 1874 Eugene was apprenticed to
a carpenter shortly after his fathers death. his
sister Hortense. who subsequently became Queen
OF Holland and mother of Napoleon ILL., being at
the same time indentured 10 a dressmaker; and IT
was thus that both children employed when
their mother made the acquaintance Of Napoleon
Bonaparte. On the widowed Nine. de Beauharnais
becoming the wife Of the already famous General,
the latter transferred his stepson from the car
penter shop 10 a crack cavalry regiment, appoint
ing him sub-lieutenant of Hussars. although the
lad was only in his fourteenth year 1t was on
his fifteenth birthday that Eugene wounded
at the battle of ROveredo. when he conducted
himself with so much gallantry TO win his pro-
motion to the rank of lieutenant AT seventeen
the boy was sent as Ambassador Of the French
Republic to the Ionian Islands and then accom-
panied his stepfather TO Egypt. Almost every
one OF the victories won by Napoleon after his re-
turn to Europe brought Eugene step upward in
rank as a reward for bravery and resource He
was created a colonel at the age Of twenty. ana
a couple of years afterward. on the day Following
the battle Of MarenSo, he became general
when barely twenty-five. Before twelve months
more had elapsed he had been created Nlceroy
If italy. Prince Of the new-hedged Imperial
House Of France and Archchancelor OF the En-
njra Eugene had not been Viceroy of Italy for
more than year when his stepfather married
him at eleven DAYS notice to Princess Augusta
Of Bavaria whom he had never seen before Inc
Princess had been affianced to Prince Charles of
King. to sacrifice what at the time were her In
cllnations 10 her countrys interests. which de-
manded that Napoleon's projects should meet
with no obstacle at Munich.
One might imagine that a union thus arranged
without the slightest regard to the inclinations
of either bridegroom or bride would nave turned
out badly Far. however from this being the
case il is impossible To find in the annals Oh
ROYALTY a more attractive picture OF undiioEel
domestic happiness than that presented by fu-
gene de Beauharnas and Princess Augusta oi
bavaria They seemed TO have been created loi
one another 80 remarkable was their community
of tastes and ideas. Both were mbued with the
Hottest principles with horror OF everything
moan underhand and dishOnorable, both were
disposed to look at everything from the hooies'
and most unselfsh point Of view. Iney were
u,,,hal sinple and unaffected to such degree
as to call several times for aifecuonate pro'es'S
on the part of the splendor loving Napoleon the.I
life together showing in striking contrast 10 'he
vulgar ostentation and Inbred arrogance OF the
brothers and sisters OF the great conqueror.
II is in the correspondence that passed between
This model couple during the absence OF Eugene
on the battlefelds of Austria Germany ano
Russia that Mr.. Pulitzer has found the chiel
material for what he has so justly entitled an
"Idyl Of the Reign OF Napoleon They are let
ters that lead people to take a brighter ana more
wholesome view OF life when reading them. III
order TO present them in the shape OF cohsecu
tive story the author has searched the archNe'
OF the Royal House Of Bavaria, OF the French
Government and of the family OF Leuchtenoers
Romanowshi. whose chief, Duke Eugene Prince
81 the Imperial House Of Russia, is grahosor
OF the former Viceroy Of Italy. That MT runner
was accorded unusual privileges anu enJo!e'
, special facilities in the pursui, OF MS hVesuBA
ton is manifest from the fact that ne Is ao'e =
place before his readers documents never Deior'
published, and which shed new light on the nh
swerving loyalty and devotion displayed DN
Eugene to Napoleon at the moment of his fall
L,yer,. inducement held out to him TO abnm