296 NAPOLEON DIVORCED FROM JOSEPHINE. [A.D. mistakable enthusiasm at his safety. But it had an object to advance, and the feeling in his favour was ingeniously turned to the consideration of what would happen to France if Napoleon were to die without issue, or without some legitimate successor. Soon after he reached Paris, on the 14th of November, and after the fêtes which celebrated the termination of the campaign, the idea of accomplishing a divorce from the Empress Josephine, and of effecting a marriage with a daughter of one of the great Powers, which might establish the imperial dynasty of Bonaparte, began to be very generally circulated and discussed in the capital. The animal passions are rarely strong and ungovernable in men of high mental occupations, and Napoleon was not a man to sigh after a pretty face. It was "Ambition that filled every chink of his heart, He knew that the Kings who surrounded him, and whom, on one occasion, when they demanded audience, he had haughtily kept waiting, qu'ils attendent, bowed to his power but ridiculed his origin, and he had, consequently, turned in his mind how he could get rid of the Empress Josephine, who had been the earliest step in the ladder of his fortunes, and make an alliance with the old Imperial blood of Europe. He was conscious of the plenitude of his power, but felt that it yet wanted the prestige of the purple blood. So early as the 22nd, one week after his return, M. de Champagny was ordered by the Emperor to address a despatch to M. de Caulaincourt, at St. Petersburg, to ask the hand of the Emperor Alexander's sister; but the Czar showed no willingness whatever to concede such an honour. In the first place, however, it was necessary to bring about a divorce, and a plan was suggested and proceeded with to induce Josephine to consent to break the matrimonial bond, in furtherance of which Prince Eugène, her son, was sent for to Paris, where he arrived on the 9th of December, to endeavour to reconcile his own mother to an act which was to degrade and shame her. On the 15th of December, matters had been so advanced, that all the Imperial family assembled at the Tuileries, and signed, with the requisite formalities, the dissolution of the civil ties, which had bound for 14 years a hitherto attached couple; but how was the Autocrat to deal with the Church? The religious obligation was declared void, ab initio, from defect of form. The Russian princess was only 15 years of age, and of the Greek Church, and this occasioned new difficulties; for the Pope was impracticable, and would not sanction the breach of a Church sacrament. The Emperor, therefore, in his impatience to get a wife, assembled a council of his ministers on the 26th of January, each of whom was to deliver his individual advice to Napoleon. This was done, but the decision was not conclusive either way; the council rather leaned to the Russian alliance, but the man of power, exercising his right to be as capricious as he chose, adopted a decision for himself, and sent the same evening for the Austrian 1809.] MARRIAGE WITH THE ARCHDUCHESS MARIE LOUISE. 297 ambassador, Prince Schwartzenberg, from whom he understood that the Imperial Court of Vienna was perfectly ready to accept the alliance, with or without the sanction of the Pope. They therefore called together again his council, on the morning of the 7th, and at once signed his contract of marriage with the young Archduchess, Marie Louise. A courier was despatched with this the same day, and M. de Metternich received and laid it before the Emperor. On the 14th, he obtained his concurrence to the act, and that of his daughter. The Archduke Charles, the hero of Essling, accepted the duty of exercising the Emperor's procuration, and truckling to his adversary in a matter utterly unworthy of a man of his rectitude of principle. The ceremony was fixed for the first days of March, and on the 11th, Marshal Berthier, having arrived as Napoleon's ambassador, the marriage was solemnised at the palace of Schönbrunn, in the face of the assembled families of Lorraine and Hapsburg. On the 13th the new Empress set off for the French capital, and arrived at St. Cloud on the 30th, where she was married by the Civil Code on the 1st of April. The following day the Emperor, preceded by his Guard and surrounded by all his Marshals, made his public entry into Paris, under the triumphal arch de L'Etoile, and was married on the 2nd by Cardinal Fesch, in the great Hall, where a chapel was erected for the bestowal of the nuptial benediction. All the Kings of Europe, except one, were present at the ceremony, either in their own persons or by their representatives. Princes of inferior note were as common as hops. The sisters and sisters-in-law of Napoleon, whether crowned or uncrowned, were required to bear "la queue de L'Impératrice." But of 13 Cardinals who were summoned to Paris to assist at the marriage, and for whom seats were ostentatiously prepared, not one appeared! The Pope had proved as firm as he might have been expected to be, and neither by act nor deed would he sanction this high rite of the Church. The Conclave shared the feelings of his Holiness, who had now safely reached Savona, and was not at all disposed to assist at a marriage which violated the principles of the Church of which he was, without any question, the spiritual head. Notwithstanding the treaty of Vienna, the Tyrolese still persevered in their resistance to both the French and German troops, encouraged and led by Andreas Hofer, who would listen to no compromise, and continued a very formidable resistance. In vain did Napoleon pour a succession of fresh forces into the Tyrol, block up the mountain passes, and obstruct all the communications. At last, the brave, virtuous, and simple-minded people of the Tyrolese Alps were overcome; and on the 27th of January, at 4 in the morning, a party of French Grenadiers surprised Hofer in his cottage. On opening the door and seeing the soldiers, he at once surrendered, saying: "I am Andreas Hofer; I am at the mercy of the French. Let me suffer death instantly, but for Heaven's sake spare my wife and children, they cannot be made answerable for my conduct." Hofer was, however, seized with all his family, and 298 EXECUTION OF THE PATRIOT HOFER. [A.D carried off to Bolsenas, where he was separated from them, and conveyed to Mantua, and there, after a mock trial before a military commission, he was condemned to death on the 20th of February, and shot in the presence of many spectators. 46. NAVAL WAR-FRENCH FRIGATES SUCCESSFUL IN THE The British navy in 1809-10 arrived at its maximum height. The total of sea-service cruisers had reached the unparalleled amount of 728, and the seamen and marines attained the hitherto unexampled number of 145,000. In opposition, therefore, to the colossal military territorial Empire of France, now also at its acme of power, well might Great Britain exclaim, in the words of its noble poet : "These are our realms no limit to their sway; Our flag the sceptre all who meet obey." * At the commencement of the year, the British frigate "Proserpine," 32, Captain Otter, was ordered by Vice-Admiral Thornborough to take her station off the roadstead of Toulon, and the boldness of her approaches in observation of the French fleet in that port, determined Vice-Admiral Gantheaume to detach a force to drive her away. Accordingly, on the 27th, the French frigates "La Pénélope," 40, Captain Dubourdieu, and "La Pauline," 40, Captain Montfort, weighed and sailed out on that service. As soon as the "Proserpine" saw them she retired, but returned as soon as chase was given up, and actually went after some of the coastingcraft in their very sight. The French Admiral therefore formed an excellent plan for her capture. The two above-named_frigates, with "La Pomone," 40, and the two fast-sailing 74's "L'Ajax," Captain Petit, and "Le Suffren," Captain Louvals, set sail at midnight on the 28th, and came upon the "Proserpine," while lying becalmed near Cape Sicie. It was 4 in the morning when Captain Otter hailed "La Pénélope," who was leading, but his demand was answered by a broadside, which was immediately returned, after which "La Pauline" came up and raked the British frigate. In less than an hour and a half, the "Proserpine" had all her running rigging destroyed, her masts badly wounded, and an enemy on each side preparing to board her, she therefore hauled down her colours and surrendered. On the 1st of January, the British brig-sloop, " Onyx," 10, Captain Gill, discovered on her lee bow a strange sail, which proved to be the Dutch brig-sloop "Manly," 16, Captain-Lieutenant Honeyman, who hoisted her colours and hove to, as if prepared for battle. It was blowing hard, and a heavy sea running, when the two ships came into action, and, after fighting for 2 hours, the Manly" hauled down her colours, with the loss of 5 killed and 6 wounded. The British loss was only 3 wounded. On the 2nd, the British frigate " Amiable," 32, Captain Lord George Stuart, saw 66 * Byron. 1809.] NAVAL WAR. 299 a strange sail off the Texel and chased her, and, after a sail of 24 hours, came up on the 3rd, alongside the French corvette "Iris," 26, Captain Macquet, who, after a running fight of a few minutes, hauled down her colours. On the 5th, the British frigate "Loire," 38, Captain Schomberg, fell in with the French corvette "L'Hébé," 20, Lieutenant Botherel-Labretonnière, in the act of taking a ship and brig. The Frenchman immediately deserted his prizes and made sail, and the" Loire" went in chase after him. In about eight hours, the two vessels came into close action, and after a fight of 20 minutes, in which there was not a man hurt on either side, "L'Hébé" surrendered. On the 22nd, the British flag-sloop "Hazard," 18, Captain Cameron, when cruising off Guadaloupe, discovered a ship and schooner standing in for the land. The two ships immediately took different courses, but the "Hazard" followed the larger, which proved to be the French frigate "Le Topaze," 40, Captain Laballe, on her way from Cayenne, which she had found to be in the possession of the British. While the chase was in progress, the "Cleopatra," 32, Captain John Pechell, and the "Jason," 38, Captain Maude, made their appearance on the horizon, who coming up, hemmed in the "Topaze" so closely, that her only alternative was to haul close to the shore, near Pointe Noire, where she anchored under a battery. While, therefore, the "Hazard" cannonaded the battery, the "Cleopatra" and "Jason " took their chance with the frigate, who, in about three hours, hauled down her colours. On the 8th of February, off the Virgin Islands, the British brig-sloops "Asp," 16, and "Supérieure," 4, Captain Ferrie, discovered and chased a ship standing to the northward, which proved to be the French frigate " La Junon," 40, Captain Rousseau. The little "Supérieure " getting first up to the big ship, impertinently fired a shot across her bows, to bring her to, but she naturally disregarded the summons, and pursued her route. In the course of the night the "Asp" dropped completely out of sight, but the "Supérieure" and Junon" kept on with some harmless broadsides from the latter, until, in the afternoon of the 9th, the Latona," 38, Captain Pigott, joined in the chase. From her great superiority of sailing, the French frigate would no doubt have escaped, if two other British frigates had not now hove in sight, the "Horatio," 38, Captain George Scott, and ship-sloop " Driver,' Captain Claridge. The" Horatio" and "Junon" met and exchanged broadsides, and soon both frigates running on before the wind, became closely and warmly engaged. The Captain and First-lieutenant of the "Horatio" were both wounded, so that the command devolved on the Hon. Lieutenant Douglas, but her masts and rigging were so cut and wounded, that " La Junon was enabled, after two hours' contest, to range a-head, out of her adversary's fire. The little "Supérieure" was, however, near at hand, and gallantly buzzed about and raked the big ship, who had her three masts standing, but scarcely any rigging to support them. Many ships now came round, and by turns punished the frigate with their broadsides, so that when, after another hour's fighting, her masts had fallen over 66 300 NAVAL WAR. [A.D. her side, she struck her colours. She lost 130 killed and wounded, while in all the British ships taken together, there were just 40 casualties, 7 killed and 33 wounded. On the 8th, the British frigate " 'Amphion," 32, Captain William Hoste, cruising in the Adriatic, received information from the brigsloop "Redwing," 18, Captain Down, that an armed ship and a trabacculo were lying advantageously moored across a creek, in the island of Melida, having some 400 soldiers drawn up behind some houses and works to assist in the defence. The instant, however, that the British vessels brought their broadsides to bear, the soldiers fled, leaving the ships to their fate, and such was their panic that they allowed the boats, under the orders of Lieutenant Phillot, to carry off all they desired, without offering any opposition. On the 14th, the British frigate "Belle Poule," 38, Captain James Brisbane, near the island of Corfu, found the French frigatebuilt store-ship, " Var," 26, Captain Paulin, steering so as to enter the Gulf of Velona, and on the 15th she had succeeded in mooring herself with cables to the walls of the fortress. The "Belle Poule" took advantage of a breeze to run in near enough to open upon her an animated and well-directed fire, and, as the forts made no effort to protect her, and the few random shots fired by the "Var" did no harm to any one, she hauled down her colours; but, before she could be taken possession of, the crew escaped to shore. On the 5th of April, near the Cardovan lighthouse, off Bourdeaux, the British frigates "Amethyst," 36, Capt. Michael Seymour, and "Emerald," 36, Capt. Frederick Maitland, descried a ship which proved to be the French frigate "Le Niemen," 40, Capt. Dupotet. The ships forthwith made chase, but, just as it was getting dark, the "Amethyst" lost sight both of her consort and her antagonist. Surmising the probable course of the latter, Capt. Seymour followed it, and came again upon her at about 10 at night. A running fight commenced, which continued for three hours, when "Le Niemen" caught fire, and shortly afterwards the mainmasts of both ships fell, and they both ceased firing. Almost at the same moment the " Arethusa," 38, Capt. Mends, came in sight, and within signals. It was about 4 in the morning of the 6th when, under these circumstances, the last-named frigate opened her fire, and the "Niemen" gave notice of her submission by the lowering of her lights. For this action Capt. Seymour had the honour, and was created a Baronet, for Capt. Maitland had been unable to keep sight of the enemy, and got altogether off the track of the fight. About the end of February, when Admiral Willaumez escaped from Brest harbour into Basque Roads, three French 74's, "Le Courageux," "La Polonais." and "Le D' Hautpoul," sailed from Lorient under Commodore Troude, having under their convoy two frigates armed en flute, "La Furieuse" and "La Félicité," laden with troops and stores for the Antilles. On arriving in the Caribbean sea on the 29th of March, the Commodore learned that Martinique had surrendered to the British; he therefore entered |