These letters, like the letters we’ve been showing about Napoleon, really highlight the writer’s personality. Hortense is constrained in her memoirs compared to these letters. Here she is in her warm and melancholy colors. This letter includes a second reference that I’ve seen to the “castle she is building in Spain”. Both times it seems these castles are things she wishes would happen or perhaps delusions she’s joking about.
Hortense also tells of how important it is to her to attend Eugene’s wedding. In her memoirs, she blames her husband for excluding her from this event and she expresses a lot of sadness about it.
Hortense and Josephine Bonaparte’s Letters are available here.
This 18th Brumaire [year XIV, November 9, 1805].
Dear Eugene,
Louis has just received the bulletin that you send him, my dear Eugène, but he seemed to me angry at the whole ceremony that you employed there. He told me that he had written to you like he used to, but that you no longer treated him like your brother-in-law and your old friend, which angered him.
You probably know already that I saw someone who interests you. I needed to know how you were doing and I was happy to see someone who loves you and whom you love. She is very kind and very interesting. There will come a time when this poor little girl will be very sad, but, then, I will take her under my protection, because she is really honest. She sees no one here and, without her little trip, she would have died of grief at not seeing you any more.
We are very sad in Paris. We only see war on all sides. I believe that Louis will not be long in leaving, because there is much talk of an expedition into Holland. It is even said that Marshal Augereau has orders to go there, but all this is not official.
The Empress is still in Strasbourg. I believe that the Emperor still intends to bring her to Munich, but only when everything is more peaceful. I make a small castle in Spain, but I do not despair that it does not succeed.
You know we're still talking about your marriage. I think that if there were a truce, it would be time to do it. I wrote something about it to Mom, but above all that I am not to be forgotten and that all the authorities are to put forward to make me attend. We don't want them to be able to refuse me and I would be too sad if I were alone far from you at that time.
Without vanity, I believe that there will be people who, if they are there, will be happy to have me and then I will bring you happiness. Your marriage will not be like mine and I hope that yours will be happier. I kiss you.
HORTENSE.
P. S. Napoleon wants me to send Eugène his doodle writing to "Non-nonque". You will see a letter there that is from him alone, but you will have trouble guessing what he wanted to say to you.
