The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-25
MALMAIsoN RESTORED.
Tho spiendor OF ~Jesephine's Day Given Back
to 1t by q Pnblic Beneractor.

TO III Dy = FnuhC hthehhctoF.
PARIS, July 13.-Malmnison. the Trianon Of
Josephine. the asylum of her sorrows, the last
corner of France in which Napoleon. driven to
bay, called upon his soldiers to repcl the Eng
fish and Prussians who advanced upon Paris,
Is soon to become the property OF the State
through the munifcence of n citizen, who has
spent millions in the restoration of the chateau,
with the object of making it a public museum
whore may DO gathered relics of the Consulate.
With Chantilly 1t rounds out the State posses.
sions 30 full Of historic interest-Versailles,
Fontainebleau, Compiegne, st. German, st.
Cloud, and Nincennes.
When the chateau was bought at public auc.
ton n year ago 1t was found to be in a state
of extreme dilapidation. Unfortunately very
little Of tho interior remained. Mono OF tho
old furniture was found, and very little Of the
valuable woodwork; even the knobs Of the
doors had been carried of to be sold to dealers
In curiosities. There remained still several
pictures tolcrably well preserved, some ale
goricsl frescos by Laflt:e, and some castings in
white marble, vestiges Of the decorations OF the
small salons OF The first floor, of the celebrated
circular bedroom, and the bath of Josephine.
The. moulded ceiling of the grand gallery was
intact. Drawings and detailed descriptions Of
the furnishings and decorations, however, were
found in the National Library, so that tho work
OF restoration has been not only comparatively
easy but also exact. Most of this work has
been done in the small apartments In the north.
east angle Of the first floor. and in the state
apartments Of the ground floor. where are stu
ated the reception rooms, the council chamber.
tho billiard room, and the library. 1t was in
this last room that the First Consul when he
wished to work had placed a long row OF tables,
S Spon Ine SH1Sn he m1 Rslk SeiI to Sf and fro 1 the ienrf6 "
the room, his hands behind his back, laying his
plans while consulting the maps. A small iso-
ton, lying to the south OF the chateau. in the
park, was the workshop to which he retired
when he wshod to be absolutely alone for any
,Gecordinr to.the memoirs OF Constant, the
First Consul passed at Maimaison the most de-
liXhtful years OF his life; he spent there. before
he became Emperor, every moment that ho
could spare from the work that engrossed him
Mt Paris. At Maiinaison. too, there were some
brave fetes, in which The ruling spirits were
Lauriston. teapp. Eugene de Beauharnais. and
his sister Hortense, jerome Bonaparte, lsabey,
and the demoiseles Anguie. of whom one laler
But even In those happy days, before Napoleon
was given over body and soul TO Qualification
and ostentation. there was u cankcr In the bud
He had already enemies. and whenever he wa,
TO appear att;his country seat Josephine took caro-
to hedge him with armed spies and servant
all the way from Paris. 1t was said that there
was q consp. racy on foot TO kidnap him-thc
boring quarry OF Nsnterre. They had even sue.
ceeded, 1t appears. In buying over some of tho
servants OF the chateau. Tor upon one occasion
a servant placed poisoned snuff on Napoleon
desk, which, being Used, made Citizen Bona
parte very LII.
Josephine gathered about her at Malmaison
many objects OF art OF great value. Upon her
death, several pictures from the gallery and two
pieces Of ~statuary by Chnoya were bought by
the Emperor OF Russia for 100000 The large
portrait OF Josephine by Gerard, which hung in
one OF the salons, is now at Munich. There was
also u collection Of Greek vases, Of antique
bronzes. and Of pictures from Pompeli, painted
upon stucco, given to Josephine by the King OF
Naples, which is at the Louvre.
The statues OF marble which ornamented the
facade are also 10 be seen ut the Louvre. They
have been replaced, in the restoration, by fig.
ures in terra Gotta. TN the park side, In front
of the drawbridGc, are two large pyramids OF
red granite, with hieroglyphics. which were
taken from the chateau OF Richelieu by Ju'
sephine. who wished 10 surprise Napoleon with
these Egyptian relics upon his return from his
Oriental campaign. In the park there are also
still standing some temples and fountains and
a gothic chapel brought from Metz. OF tho
entrance lodges formerly occupied by the grena.
diers OF the guard nothing remains but the
walls and the grilles. One of these is the gate
which Napoleon opened when, after Waterloo,
he left the chateau, his last refuge, TO go Ia
Rochefort. At this spot a stone marks the
place where the dethrOned Emperor set foot for
the last time upon the beloved ground TO which
he would never return.
Malmaison Is near the town Of Nanterre, and
but half an hour by steam tramway from Paris.
After It's opening 10 the public 1t will doubtless
| become as popular u resort for pilgrims us Yer
sailles and st. Cloud.