FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   579   580   581   582   583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   596   597   598   599   600   601   602   603  
604   605   606   607   608   609   610   611   612   613   614   615   616   617   618   619   620   621   622   623   624   625   626   627   628   >>   >|  
d to the generals Kellerman, Lefebvre, Perignon, and Serrurier, as having served as commander-in-chief. The reader cannot have failed to observe that the name of Lucien has not been mentioned among the individuals of Bonaparte's family on whom dignities were conferred. The fact is, the two brothers were no longer on good terms with each other. Not, as it has been alleged, because Lucien wished to play the part of a Republican, but because he would not submit to the imperious will of Napoleon in a circumstance in which the latter counted on his brother's docility to serve the interests of his policy. In the conferences which preceded the great change in the form of government it was not Lucien but Joseph who, probably for the sake of sounding opinion, affected an opposition, which was by some mistaken for Republicanism. With regard to Lucien, as he had really rendered great services to Napoleon on the 19th Brumaire at St. Cloud, and as he himself exaggerated the value of those services, he saw no reward worthy of his ambition but a throne independent of his brother. It is certain that when at Madrid he had aspired to win the good graces of a Spanish Infanta, and on that subject reports were circulated with which I have nothing to do, because I never had any opportunity of ascertaining their truth. All I know is that, Lucien's first wife being dead, Bonaparte, wished him to marry a German Princess, by way of forming the first great alliance in the family. Lucien, however, refused to comply with Napoleon's wishes, and he secretly married the wife of an agent, named, I believe, Joubertou, who for the sake of convenience was sent to the West Indies, where he: died shortly after. When Bonaparte heard of this marriage from the priest by whom it had been clandestinely performed, he fell into a furious passion, and resolved not to confer on Lucien the title of French Prince, on account of what he termed his unequal match. Lucien, therefore, obtained no other dignity than that of Senator. --[According to Lucien himself, Napoleon wished him to marry the Queen of Etruria Maria-Louise, daughter of Charles IV. of Spain, who had married, 1795 Louie de Bourbon, Prince of Parma, son of the Duke of Parma, to whom Napoleon had given Tuscany in 1801 as the Kingdom of, Etruria. Her husband had died in May 1808, and she governed in the name of her son. Lucien, whose first wife, Anne Christine Boyer, had died in 1801,
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   579   580   581   582   583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   596   597   598   599   600   601   602   603  
604   605   606   607   608   609   610   611   612   613   614   615   616   617   618   619   620   621   622   623   624   625   626   627   628   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Lucien
 

Napoleon

 

wished

 

Bonaparte

 
Etruria
 
brother
 

services

 

married

 

Prince

 

family


husband

 

Indies

 

marriage

 

Christine

 

shortly

 

convenience

 

Joubertou

 

Princess

 

forming

 

German


Tuscany

 

alliance

 

secretly

 

refused

 

comply

 
wishes
 
dignity
 

Senator

 

According

 

obtained


Louise

 

daughter

 

governed

 

Bourbon

 

furious

 

performed

 

priest

 

Charles

 

clandestinely

 

passion


resolved
 

termed

 
unequal
 
account
 

Kingdom

 

confer

 

French

 

Republican

 

submit

 

imperious