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Intimate Memoirs of Napoleon III, Personal Reminiscences of the Man

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Intimate Memoirs of Napoleon III, Personal Reminiscences of the Man « to Asvasn SHi » o OF CAltfORNIA o > QC > 2 I » « <> o . SARaARA JO Asvaan 3hi o AiisajAiNn jHi VINSOJIIV^ JO INTIMATE MEMOIRS OF NAPOLEON III VOL. I -w * * INTIMATE MEMOIRS OF NAPOLEON III PERSONAL REMINISCENCES OF THE MAN AND THE EMPEROR * BY THE LATE BARON D'AMBES EDITED AND TRANSLATED BY A. R. ALLINSON, M.A. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE COLLECTION OF A. M. BROADLEY IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. I LONDON STANLEY PAUL & CO. 31 ESSEX STREET, STRAND, W.C. PRINTED BY HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD., LONDON AND AYLESBURY. CiViVKRsn ) ^ii « Afir.r)r?\ HAMA iiAliaAHA TRANSLATOR'S FOREWORD The book here presented to the English public is the private diary of a lifelong and intimate friend of Napoleon III. The Baron d'Amb^s, as the diarist chooses to call himself, first made the acquaintance of the future Emperor when scarcely more than a boy at Arenaberg, the Swiss home where he and his mother, Queen Hortense of Holland, were living in exile. Deeply impressed with the personality of Louis Napoleon, he began from the date of his earliest association with his hero jotting down incidents, conversations and re- flections as they occurred—a habit he maintained to the end of a long life. To these he added evidence from every source bearing on his subject—letters, documents, newspaper cuttings, which, after the Emperor's death and within a few years of his own, he sorted and pre- pared for publication. The book therefore supplies an enormous mass of first-hand material for a survey and study of the life and character of one of the most enigmatic figures in modern history. The Baron follows his hero from boyhood through the years of exile and adventure—as a conspirator as in Italy, a prisoner at Ham, as a refugee in London, as President of the Republic of 1848, finally as Emperor, down to the disasters of 1870, the fatal day of Sedan and the death at Chislehurst. In every phase of that chequered career this unique diary throws illuminating 5 6 TRANSLATOR'S FOREWORD sidelights on a vast number of interesting and hitherto imperfectly understood episodes. The thanks of the translator and publishers are due to MM. Charles Simond and M.-C. Poinsot, the joint editors of the original Memoirs in French, for kind assistance also to Mr. courteously given ; A. M. Broadley for his liberality in allowing them to illustrate the work from his unrivalled collection of prints and autographs. CONTENTS OF VOL. I translator's foreword . 5 chronological table of events II preface, by the editors, postscript ..... INTRODUCTION, BY THE BARON d'aMBES 21 PART I YOUTH AND EARLY MANHOOD; EXILE AND CONSPIRATOR CHAPTER I. WAS LOUIS NAPOLEON THE SON OF HIS FATHER ? . .25 II. BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD 1807— 1815 . 46 III. BOYHOOD AND YOUTH; ARENABERG, I 8 I 5— 1830. ...... 64 IV. NAPOLEON A "CARBONARo" IN ITALY 1830, 183I 72 V. IMPERIAL ambitions; THE BARON d'aMBES FIRST MAKES THE FUTURE EMPEROR's acquaintance— 1831-1833 . 80 vi. days of exile in switzerland . ; moesa 90 " " VII. l'aFFAIRE DE STRASBOURG OCTOBER 30TH, 1836 lOI VIII. IN NAPOLEON AMERICA ; DEATH OF QUEEN HORTENSE . II8 IX. SWITZERLAND AGAIN . I27 7 CONTENTS OF VOL. I CHAPTER X. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS NAPOLEON III. (photogravure) Frontispiece PAOB B^RANGER ..... • 33 LOUIS BONAPARTE, KING OF HOLLAND . • 33 NAPOLEON ON HORSEBACK IN LONDON . 51 From Count d'Orsay's sketch of 1840. QUEEN HORTENSE .... 51 From a contemporary print. THE EMPRESSES EUGENIE AND JOSEPHINE AND QUEEN HORTENSE 69 " From a print of 1854— I^s Anges de la France." MALMAISON, FROM THE SEINE 104 CARICATURES OF BARON HAUSSMANN AND OF DR. CONNEAU 121 AUTOGRAPH LETTER OF NAPOLEON-LOUIS BONAPARTE, ELDER BROTHER OF NAPOLEON III. .... 139 In the collection of A, M. Broadley, Esq. THE BOULOGNE PROCLAMATION .... 139 From an original copy in the collection of A. M, Broadley, Ex}. CHATEAU DE HAM, 1835 COUNT D'ORSAY 195 LADY BLESSINGTON 209 " " LE RETOUR DE L'AIGLE : NAPOLEONIC SONG OF 1848 1849 243 CARICATURE OF NAPOLEON III. 261 CARICATURE OF PIERRE BONAPARTE 261 9 lo LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAOB PALACE AND GARDENS OF SAINT-CLOUD .... 279 CARICATURE PORTRAIT OF THIERS AS THE NAPOLEON OF THE VENDOME COLUMN 313 NAPOLEON III 313 From the sketch of Count d'Orsay. CARICATURES OF M. ROUHER AND OF PRINCE NAPOLEON . 33I COMPIEGNE, FROM THE GARDENS 349 LAMARTINE 383 From an engraving by Pellet. GUIZOT 383 The Jacsimile of the signature of Napoleon III. used upon the binding has been taken from an original letter kindly lent by Messrs. Maggs Bros. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS 1808. April 20 . Birth of Louis Napoleon Bonaparte in the Rue Cerutti, Paris. 1810 . Abdication of Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland. 1 . of 8 14. April II Treaty of Fontainebleau ; deposition Napo- leon I. 1815. March 2-June 18. The "Hundred Days"; Waterloo and second exile of Napoleon I. 1815. July 19 . Queen Hortense expelled from France; takes in Switzerland. ^ refuge 1815-36 . Boyhood and youth in exile. Augsburg, Thun, and Arenaberg. 1821-23 . Fuh\ica.tion of the MSmoria/ de Sainfe-If//^ne by Las Cases, 1830. July . Revolution; Charles X. deposed. 1830, 1 83 1 . Adventures as "Carbonaro" in Italy; death of his elder brother. of the of Reichstadt Louis 1832. July 22 Death Duke ; Napo- leon head of the Napoleon family. 1833. Aug. The author first meets Louis Napoleon at Arena- berg. to 1836, Oct. 30 . Strassburg attempt ; deported America. 1839. Oct. 5 . Death of Queen Hortense. 1837, 1838 . In Switzerland again. Dec. 1838-Aug. 1840. First residence in London. 1840. Aug. Boulogne attempt; trial and imprisonment at Ham. Dec. 15 . Remains of Napoleon I. removed to the Invalides. 1840-46 . Imprisonment at Ham. 1846. May 25 . Escape. 1846-48 . Second residence in London. 1848. Feb. Revolution; Louis Philippe overthrown; Louis to to Napoleon Paris ; elected the Constituent Assembly. Dec. 10 . Plebiscite; elected President of the French Re- public. II 12 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS 1849 • • • J^meute in Paris (June 13). Occupation of Rouen by French troops. 1849, 1850, 185 1 Difficulties and disputes with Chambers. 1851. Dec. I Coup (TAtat. 1852 Dictator. Second plebiscite. Dec. 2 Proclaimed Emperor as Napoleon III. 1853. Jan. 30 . Marriage. Plots against the Emperor's life. Oct. Court at Compibgne for first time. 1854. Jan., Feb. Pourparlers with Russia. March 1854-Dec. 1855. Crimean War. 1854. July 12 . The Emperor at Boulogne. Battles of the Alma (Sept. 20); Balaclava (Oct. 25); Inkerman (Nov. 5), 1855. April 16-22. Emperor and Empress visit England. Exposition Universelle at Paris. Qiieen of England visits Paris. April 28 and Sept. 10. Attempts of Pianori and Delman on Emperor's life. Sept. 8 Taking of Sebastopol. 1856 . Apogee of the Empire. March 16 Birth of the Prince Imperial. Autumn . Great Floods in the Provinces. 1857. Jan. 3 . Assassination of Monseigneur Sibour, Archbishop of Paris. Haussman created a Baron. June 13 Attempt of Tebaldi and Bertolini on Emperor's life. June 19 . Elections to Legislative Assembly. 1858. June 14 . Attempt of Orsini. Aug. Emperor and Empress visit Normandy and Brittany. Queen of England at Cherbourg, 1859 . War in Italy. Battles of Montebello (May 20), Magenta (June 4), Solferino (June 24). Convention of Villa Franca. i860. March Annexation of—Savoy and Nice. Chinese War Sack of Summer Palace ; battle of Palikao ; Treaty of Tien-tsin. Syrian Expedition. 1 86 1. .A year of peace and prosperity. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF EVENTS 13 . decline of the 1861-70 . Gradual Empire ; Napoleon persists in his role of despotic ruler. 1862-67 • • Mexican imbroglio. 1862. First interference in affairs of Mexico. Prussian unrest for ; preparing war. 1863 . Hotly contested elections. of June Resignation Persigny Ministry ; Rouher suc- ceeds. 1864 . Armed intervention in Mexico. May 28 . Maximilian leads at Vera Cruz. Emperor visits Vichy for first time. Histoire de 1865. Feb. 28 Emperor's Jules Ctsar (vol. i.) pub- lished. March lo Death of the Comte de Morny. 1866 . Austro-Prussian War, ending with Sadowa (Konig- gratz), July 3. Emperor and Empress at Biarritz and Compifegne. 1867 . Second Exposition Universelle. July 19 . Maximilian shot at Queretaro (Mexico). 1868 . The Emperor in ill-health. Tragic interview with Empress Charlotte (Maxi- milian's widow) at Saint-Cloud. 1869. European complications increasing. 1870 Difficulties with Prussia ; Bismarck. May 20 Third plebiscite. " breaks out Berlin ! Aug. War ; "A Battles of Weissenburg (Aug. 4), Worth, Spi- cheren (Aug. 6), Gravelotte (Aug. 18), Bazaine shut up in Metz. 2 surrenders with Sept. Sedan ; Napoleon 83,000 men. declared at Paris Republic ; Empress and Prince Imperial fly to England. 1 . 187 . Napoleon joins them at Chislehurst. March i . Occupation of Paris. May 10 . Treaty of Frankfurt. 1872. Jan. Death at Chislehurst. PREFACE These Memoirs, by an intimate friend of the Emperor's, who followed the latter's fortunes from the exile at Arena- berg to the exile at Chislehurst, form a collection of documents of first-rate historical importance and supply a mass of highly piquant details of the seamy side of the Second throw a new on events which Empire ; they light popular passions and prejudices have often distorted, and reveal once and for all the strange personality of the nephew of the Great Napoleon. It is the first time any complete history of Napoleon III. of the sort has been published in French. It is now some years ago that there died in Alsace a personage who played an important part under the Second Empire, although pretty much forgotten nowadays. A bosom-friend of Napoleon III. and very nearly of an age with the Emperor, he was able to exert an influence that on more than one occasion out-balanced the Due de Morny's own.
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    By Monica Frim Photography by C o zeKasba John and Monica Frim ome with me to ah. The iconic meme evokes images of Pépé le Moko, the thieving character played by Charles Boyer in the 1938 movie, Algiers, dashing Hollywood-style through the narrow streets and blind alleyways of the medina (old city quarters), except that we were in Tunis, not Algiers, and the famous kasbah line attributed to Boyer never did make it into the movie. Instead, a lovesick cartoon skunk named Pepé le Pew, usurped the expression and gave it immorality. Pepé and his French-accented pick-up line are still making the rounds almost 80 years later. In my mind’s eye, the adorable cartoon skunk of my childhood perfectly sized up the historic heart of Tunis. In the strict sense of the word, a kasbah is a fortress or citadel, although in some North African countries kasbah can refer to the entire medina or any structure behind a defensive wall. In the capital city of Tunis, the Kasbah is a central district of spaciousness and relative quiet where modern government buildings and a large public square now occupy the historical sites that once bore the imprints of Turkish, Spanish, French and other conquests. It’s known a few protests, including the Arab Spring uprising of recent history, but remains, for the most part, an oasis of calm next to the hustle and bustle of the adjoining medina, one of North Africa’s best preserved. Hundreds of palaces, mosques, mausoleums, fountains and monuments from various dynasties and cultures surround the Kasbah.
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