The New York herald., 1922-06-25
A Review by Firmin Dredd.

an Introduction and Commentary by
Frederic Mason of the Academic
Francaise. D. Appleton 6 Co.
"HE legend has curiously per-
sisted in the minds of super
fetal readers of history that
Napoleon's first wife. the Empress
Josephine, was the embodiment of
all the feminine virtues; that the
misfortunes that overlook him at the
end were heavens direct retribution
for his divorcing her, and that his
second wife. Marie Louise of Aus
tria, was ever reluctant victim to
a tyrant's yoke. AS matter Of fact.
when young Bonaparte married the
widow of the Vicomte de Beauhar-
nais he married very skittish
woman. If he became hard and Gym
ical in later life Josephine was much
to blame. There was a good deal of
boyish ardor and great tenderness in
the General in his twenties, who was
leading the armies of the Republic
to victory after victory. Upon Jose
phine, the woman years older than
himself whom he had married, he
poured out the devotion of a soul
that at one time must have been
tempered with high nobility. She re-
paid him by many infidelities. Fight
Ing his way across the Alps or
sweeping down into the plains of
Lombardy. his nights were embit-
tered by the perusal of letters from
Paris apprising him of some new
weakness on her part or by reading
letters from Josephine herself that
wounded him to the heart by their
coldness or frivolity Of tone. The
time eventually came when Jose
phine genuinely loved Napoleon. But
then it was little too late.
On the other hand, despite popular
belief. there was q time when Marie
Louise, the daughter of the Haps-
burgs, who. for reasons of state, had
been forced into union with the
"Corsican upstart," unquestionably
regarded her husband with senti-
ments of affection There is a GER
tain kind of letter which when we
read we know comes from the heart.
No cunning can force convincingly
the accents of sincerity. For exam
ole. only a desperate skeptic could
question the honesty of the follow
ing letter from Marie Louise to
Napoleon, who was then in Bou-
logne. written from Compiegne Sep
tember 1s. 1911:
/ am very sad. my dear. to think
that instead of talking to you I
must have recourse to my pen.
and it needs all my courage not
to give way entirely to the sorrow
your departure causes me; at this
moment l am more than fifty
leagues from you. and each day
will increase the distance between
us. You cannot imagine the feel
room and see the windows and
shutters closed. You must love as
I love you to understand this. I
beg you. my dear one. to be care
full of your health. If to the un-
easiness l feel were added the
anxiety of knowing you were ill 1
could not bear it.
tr ;,,a
come from him. Madame de Mon
tesquiou said that as 1 was giving
you news of him she would not
trouble you with a letter. l in
tend to leave on Saturday at four
o'clock and hope to reach Brussels
about midnight. / have not yet
written to Princess Pauline, who
wanted to go there. too, because I
did not know if you would like it.
1 beg you to send me your de-
cision. In half an hour 1 shall be
going to the play. while all my
thoughts will be in Boulogne.
Send me news of you very often.
I love you very tenderly. Do not
forget her who calls herself till
death,
Your tender and affectionate
wife and friend. LOUISE.
III.
The "Diary." which Frederic Mas
son believes to be entirely authentic,
is divided into three parts. The first
records the imperial journey in the
departments of northern France and