In Hortense’s sad letter, she looks forward to seeing Napoleon but we know from Hortense’s memoirs that when she does see him, it goes very badly.
Napoleon criticizes her for crying too much and storms off. Then Josephine tells her he had that scene planned to snap her out of her misery. This is the beginning of a cold time between Napoleon and Hortense.
Hortense, like many others in this saga, remarks about the suspicious people that managed to get near Napoleon. These people nudge Napoleon into one disaster after another until he is physically destroyed.
Lyon, Saturday 22 [August 18071 (1).
I received your letter, my dear Eugène, because I travel with the King with sadness in light of
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(1) After staying several months in Bagndres and Cauterots, the Queen left this last water resort town the 10th of August.
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his health which is however better. Me? I’m always very nervous, but we don’t feel so bad when we know we’re not to blame.
I always carry the hope of seeing you in Paris: it is impossible that the Emperor will not have you go there and I assure you that I will speak to him; but you know that I won't be able to do big things, if he decides that it cannot be, but, after having promised you so long, I cannot think that it cannot be anymore.
It would hurt me too much not to see you and your wife; It would make me happy, and you know that this word is not common with me.
I am with the King, we are getting along; I don't know if it will last; I hope so, because he wants to be better for me and you know I never did anything for him to be bad (1).
I will write often to you from Paris.
There will be a big meeting of remarkable people. I feel that, coming out of a deep retirement, the first moments will be painful for me and how much
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(1) August 12, the King and the Queen had reconciled in Toulouse. From this time dates the conception of Napoleon III who was born on April 20, 1808, eight months and eight days after this meeting, twenty days before term in the opinion of Baudelocque and Corvisart. We know how many malicious assumptions have arisen from this circumstance. The letter above brings a new confluence to the reality of the reconciliation of Louis and Hortense from which flows the certainty of the paternity of the King, which has, moreover, been overabundantly proven by M. Fréderic Masson and by Mr. Henry Bordeaux.
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I will need courage. It would have been very sweet to spend some time in Monza (1) with you; you know that I have duties and I must fulfill them.
Besides, I have a sweet one, which is to go see the Emperor. As I have always looked at him as my father, I hope to find in him the same esteem that I hold for him and that he granted me at other times; but he's so surrounded and sees us so little that I'm afraid he doesn't love us that much anymore.
However, he was very good to me in my misfortune, and he must do us justice that we have always put our happiness after doing what could please him; maybe this is an imaginary fear.
I’m sure he’s happy with you too, and if he doesn’t bring you in, it’s probably not going to be his heart that determines it.
Thus, it is easy to understand everything else.
Farewell, my dear Eugène, think it’s very sweet for me to think for that everything that can happen to me in life, my brother will share it with me.
I kiss my sister. I don’t want to forget my little niece, but when I talk about a child, I still can't help crying.
HORTENSE.
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Dans la triste lettre d'Hortense, elle a hâte de voir Napoléon, mais nous savons par les mémoires d'Hortense que lorsqu'elle le voit, ça se passe très mal.
Napoléon lui reproche de trop pleurer et s'en va. Ensuite, Joséphine lui dit qu'il avait prévu cette scène pour la sortir de sa misère.
C'est le début d'une période froide entre Napoléon et Hortense.
Hortense, comme beaucoup d'autres dans cette saga, fait des remarques sur les personnes suspectes qui ont réussi à s'approcher de Napoléon.
Ces personnes poussent Napoléon dans une catastrophe après l'autre jusqu'à ce qu'il soit physiquement détruit.
