The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-07-17
NApOLEON'S SON.
The Emperor's Nature Seemed to BE Trans
formed by the Birth.

The Emperor's Nature Seemed to BE Trans
formed by the Birth.
During the season of lSlO-ll the en-
peror's private life was virtually deyot.
ed to beneficence lii addition to the
favors granted to Carnot he lavlshed
money on other objects, some not so
worthy. Canova, who had been called
from Rome to make Il portrait statue OF
the empress, obtained substantial
grant for the learned societies OF that
city. Chenier, like Carnot, had been
pronounced adversary of the empire. he
now sought employment under 1t, and
was made inspector general of the uni
yersity, an office which he did not live
long to enjoy. All the old favorites We're
remembered i'll general distribution OF
good things. Talleyrand having just
lost an immense sum by the failure OF
trusted bank, the emperor came to his
relief by purchasing one OF his most
splendid palaces for more than 2,OoO,-
600 francs. The court resided some
times ut st. Cloud, sometimes ut Ram
bouillet, sometimes mt the Tr1anon, but
for the most part at FOntalneblcau,
Wnpfe Int ll1tt W "hl'h
all concerned We're now well accus-
toned, was marked by none of the old
awkwardness, but ran AS brilliantly as
lavish expenditure could make 1t. The
pregnancy of the empress was celebrat-
ed with great festivities, during which
Napoleon performed one of his most APP
plauded acts-the endowment of vast
maternity hospital. The empress was
brought into great prominence as the
president of society consisting OF a
thousand noble ladies, under whose pat
ronage the charity was placed.
The unconcealed and ecstatic delight
of the prospective father found vent Ill
delicat6 and tender attention to the
mother of his child, and until her deliv-
erance he was gentle, devoted and
considerable husband. His whole nature
seemed transformed. When i'll the early
morning of March 20, 1911, word was
brought that the empress was in her
labor, and that false presentation
made it of instant necessity to choose
between the life of the mother alHi that
of tho child thGfcelings Of the. emperor
can betterSse imagined than described.
If the expected Heir should de. his dy
nasty would I've jeopardized. his cnemfs
would once more be making appoint
ments over his grave, the hopes of 4
lifetime might be shattered. But there
was not IL moments wavcring. ''Think
only of the mother" he cried.
The fears of the attending physician
We're vain, after all, and the man child,
coming without cry into the world,
and lying brcathless for seven minutes,
as if hcsitating TO accept or dechnc his
destiny, finally gave wall us he caught
the breath of life. Napoleon turned,
caught up his treasure and pressed it to
his bosom. y hundred guns announced
the birth, and the city burst into jubi-
lationS, which were rc-cchOcd through
out Europe from Dantzig to Cadiz Frs
tival succeeded festival, and for an in
terval men believed that the temple Of
Janus would be again closed. No boy
ever came on tho earthly stage amid
such SplcndOrs OF seemed destined to
hOnors such az appeared to await this
one. The passionate devotion of the ia
Their was constant from the beginning.
1t lasted even after he had been deserted
and betrayed by the mother, after the
child had been cStrangcd and turned
into an Austrian prince. Life of Ma
poleon" by Professor William NJ
Sloane, in Century.