The San Francisco call., 1909-02-21
'The Women Bonapartes''

By II. Noel Williams. author Of Madame
de Pompadour etc Published hy Charles
Price ST.
The reason is not yet quite clear for
the constantly increasing interest in
Napoleonic history, for the literature
on that period of France has certainly
increased enormously during the last
five years.
OF course the deep students are fa-
miliar with the history Of the women
of Bonapartes family. but for the av-
erage reader no more interesting story
of their lives can be found than The
Women Bona parties by II. Noel VIII
liams.
Mr. Williams needs no introduction to
American readers. He has already
written nine books which have q prom
inent place in the literature dealing
with France. This particular work
shows no great amount Of research; it
contains no now material. but it con
tains all the interesting and vital facts
concerning the women of this family
and it is written in pleasant and
readable style. No easier way to alb
sorb French history can be imagined
than the reading of Mr.. Williams
books.
Napoleon was always an easy mark
for women intriguers and his love- or
perhaps his pride, in his family made
him often the victim Of the ambition
of his mother and sister Mr. Williams
gives the best picture of Letizia Bona
parte. the mother of Napoleon, Nine.
Mere, as she is known to history. which
has yet been written She was a
woman Of remarkable strength OF
character and Napoleon always recog-
nized his Indebtedness to her. She
spent the months Immediately preced-
ing Napoleon's birth with her husband
on the field of battle, when Corsica
was struggling against Genoa She
was called a heroine when her son.
literally "son of battle was born
with the gift of great beauty she had
also what rarely accompanies 1t, su-
preme common sense. and UP to the
time of the rise of Napoleon shows no
weakness. She had lived through too
many years of poverty to endure with
equanimity her sudden wealth. and
from this point on her character
changed. She resented Napoieon's mar
riage to Josephine de Beauharnais and
was no better pleased after the divorce.
when he married Marie Louise She
seemed to fear the loss OF her own
prestige Her life story is pathetic
and yet rouses little sympathy.
The part OF the book which Mr.. VIII
lians gives to the sisters of Napoleon.
Pauline Caroline and Elisa is far too
of history make these women anything
but lovely but one feels on every page
that the author is reluctant to tell the
damaging story.
Elisa was woman of undoubted
ability, but her weakness was shown in
her demands for more than royal hon
ors. She accomplished some great re-
forms. as the grand duchess of Tus-
cany but win be soonest forgotten Of
the three.
Caroline. the wife of Murat, Is mex
cusable. She has not one admfrable
trait and one can not but wonder that
fate forgot to punish her for her MANY
crimes. her always traitorous conduct
toward the brother. to whom she was
indebted for everything; her really
fratricidal tendencies. and allowed her
TO spend her declining years in peace
and seeming happiness.
Pauline. the Princess Borghese. is the
heroine of at least one very famous
story. When asked how she could en-
eure to sit naked to Canova for his