Part 3 (1/2)
”As you will, but pardonhe took the bread, which Margarita, at her ave hie of a hich surrounded the house, or rather the cabin An hour had scarcely passed, when musket-shots were heard close by, and the unknown reappeared, deadly pale, and bleeding froiving pieces of gold to his late host; ”they are forpages]
deadly agency, which it had power to exert Even the roadway leading up and down the erous intruders It is rocky and solitary, and is bordered every where with glooled thickets, in which, and in the cavernous rocks of which the strata of the mountain are composed, wild beast and noxious animals of every kind find a secure retreat The o a servant of the convent, who had been sent down the mountain to Haifa, to accompany a traveler, was attacked and seized by a panther on his return The panther, however, instead of putting his victian to play with him as a cat plays with a ently with her claws, for a tiain, as if to repeat and renew the pleasure of capturing such a prize This was continued so long, that the cries of the terrified captive brought to the spot some persons that chanced to be near, when the panther was terrified in her turn, and fled into the forests; and then the man was rescued from his horrible situation unharmed
For these and similar reasons, travelers who ascend to the convent of Mt Carmel, enjoy but little liberty there, but s of the monks, and to some of the nearest caves of the ancient recluses Still the spot is rendered so attractive by the salubrity of the air, the intrinsic beauty of the situation, the nificence of the prospect, and the kind and attentive demeanor of the monks, that some visitors have recommended it as a place of permanent resort for those who leave their homes in the West in pursuit of health, or in search of retireuests of the convent ive place to others more recently arrived, proves in facto be no serious difficulty Soeh it is seldom that any occasion arises that requires it The quarters, too, though plain and sih the visitor is somewhat restricted, from causes that have already been named, in respect to explorations of the mountain itself, there are many excursions that can be made in the country below, of a very attractive character He can visit Haifa, he can ride or walk along the beach to Acre; he can go to Nazareth, or journey down the coast, passing round the western declivity of the mountain In these and similar rambles he will find scenes of continual novelty to attract hies of Oriental life
The traveler who comes to Mt Carmel by the wayof Nazareth and the plain of Esdraelon, in going away froenerally passes round the western declivity of the mountain, and thence proceeds to the south, by the way of the sea On reaching the foot of the descent, where the mountain mule-path comes out into the main road, as shown upon the map near the cooes on round the base of the promontory, with the lofty declivities of the mountain on one hand, and abetween the road and the shore As he passes on, the road, picturesque and roradually wild, solitary, and desolate
It leads hi rocks, and sos him out unexpectedly to the shore of the sea, where he sees the surf rolling in upon the beach at his feet, and far over the water the setting sun going down to his rest beneath the western horizon At length the twilight gradually disappears, and as the shades of the evening coes that he passes on his way; but there is no welcoth when he dee his day's journey to an end, he pitches his tent by the wayside in some unfrequented spot, and before he retires to rest for the night, comes out to take one more view of the dark and sombre mountain which he is about to leave forever He stands at the door of his tent, and gazes at it long and earnestly, before he bids it farewell, equally inificence of its situation and forrandeur of its history
France was now at peace with all the world It was universally adreat pacificator He was the idol of France The arded him as their advocate and friend, the enereat chaer deladly to relinquish the boon They only desired a ruler ould take care of theovern theive theh Napoleon had now but the title of First Consul, and France was nominally a republic, he was in reality the most powerful monarch in Europe His throne was established in the hearts of nearly forty millions of people
His as law
It will be rerandeur to which her husband had attained, with intense solicitude
She saw that al power had passed into his hands, and she was not a stranger to the intense desire which animated his heart to have an heir to wholory She knew thatto him that an heir was essential to the repose of France She was fully infored upon him as one of the stern necessities of state One day, when Napoleon was busy in his cabinet, Josephine entered softly, by a side door, and seating herself affectionately upon his knee, and passing her hand gently through his hair, said to him, with a burst of tenderness, ”I entreat you, es you to it Do not listen to him” Napoleon smiled upon her kindly, and said, ”Why, my poor Josephine, you are ers, tell you But you interrupt me now; I am very busy; leave est to Josephine that a law higher than the law of ordinary morality required that she must become a mother, even were it necessary, for the attainment of that end, that she should violate her nuptial vows Brutalizing and vulgar infidelity had obliterated in France, nearly all the sacredness of do the religion of her childhood, which her husband had reinstated, bursting into tears, indignantly exclaimed, ”This is dreadful Wretched should I be were any one to suppose , without horror, to your infae horrible” ”Well, then, madame,”
responded Lucien, ”all that I can say is, that from my heart I pity you”
Josephine was at times almost delirious in apprehension of the awful calamity which threatened her She knew the intensity of her husband's love She also knew the boundlessness of his ambition
She could not be blind to the apparent importance, as a matter of state policy that Napoleon should possess an heir She also was fully aware that throughout France arded but as a partnershi+p of convenience, to be fore,” said Madame de Stael, has become but the sacrament of adultery” The nation, under the influence of these vieould condeement apparently essential to the repose of France and of Europe Never was a woman placed in a situation of more terrible trial Never was an a aside the authority of Christianity, and conteht of mere expediency, it seeloriously does it illustrate the ience as this, the path which the Bible pointed out was the only path of safety and of peace ”In separating myself fro Maria Louisa, I placed my foot upon an abyss which was covered with flowers”
Josephine's daughter, Hortense, beautiful, brilliant, and aly attached to Duroc, one of Napoleon's aids, a very fashi+onable and handso Hortense to Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon's younger brother She said, one day, to Bourrienne, ”My two brothers-in-law are ues You kno e with Duroc, leaves me without any support Duroc, independent of Bonaparte's friendshi+p, is nothing He has neither fortune, rank, nor even reputation He can afford ainst the enmity of the brothers I must have some more certain reliance for the future My husband loves Louis very hter to hi counterpoise to the calumnies and persecutions of my brothers-in-law”
These remarks were reported to Napoleon He replied, ”Josephine labors in vain Duroc and Hortense love each other, and they shall be iven Caroline to Murat, and Pauline to Le Clerc I can as well give Hortense to Duroc He is brave He is as good as the others He is general of division Besides, I have other views for Louis”
In the palace the heart e In anticipation of the projected e Duroc was sent on a special mission to compliment the Emperor Alexander on his accession to the throne Duroc wrote often to Hortense while absent When the private secretary whispered in her ears, in theof the Tuileries, ”I have a letter,”
she would immediately retire to her apartment Upon her return her friends could see that her eyes were moistened with the tears of affection and joy Josephine cherished the hope that could she succeed in uniting Hortense with Louis Bonaparte, should Hortense give birth to a son, Napoleon would regard him as his heir The child would bear the name of Bonaparte; the blood of the Bonapartes would circulate in his veins; and he would be the offspring of Hortense, whohter, and whoest parental affection Thus the terrible divorce ed by motives so powerful, Josephine left no means untried to accomplish her purpose
Louis Bonaparte was a studious, pensive, i but little force of character He had been bitterly disappointed in his affections, and eary of the world When but nineteen years of age he had for lady whorant noble, and his whole being because absorbed in the passion of love Napoleon, then in the midst of those victories which paved his way to the throne of France, was apprehensive that the alliance of his brother with one of the old royalist faer his own ambitious projects He therefore sent him away on a military commission, and secured, by his powerful instru lady to another person The disappoint man All ambition died within him He loved solitude, and studiously avoided the cares and po been aware of the extreth of his brother's attachment, when he saw the wound which he had inflicted upon him, endeavored to make all the arace and vivacity At last Napoleon fell in with the views of Josephine, and resolved, having united the two, to recoreat favors upon the before Louis would listen to the proposition of histo the lost object of his idolatry, and he could not, without pain, think of union with another Indeed a ined In no one thing were their tastes similar
But who could resist the combined tact of Josephine and power of Napoleon All obstacles were swept away, and the ayest scenes of festivity and splendor, was reluctantly led to the silent, pensive scholar, who as reluctantly received her as his bride Hortense had becoree reconciled to the h positions of wealth and rank Louis resigned hi the earth had no further joy in store for hie, at which all the splendors of the ancient royalty were revived
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, who, as President of the French Republic, succeeded Louis Philippe, the King of the French, was the only child of this anized in the heart of Italy a republic containing about five millions of inhabitants This republic could by no ainst the monarchies of Europe, unaided by France Napoleon, surrounded by hostile kings, deemed it essential to the safety of France, to secure in Italy a nation of congenial sympathies and interests, hom he could form the alliance of cordial friendshi+p The Italians, all inexperienced in self-govern Napoleon as their benefactor and their sole supporter, looked to him for a constitution Three of the most influential ates to Paris, to consult with the First Consul upon the organization of their government Under the direction of Napoleon a constitution was drafted, which, considering the character of the Italian people, and the hostile hly liberal A President was Vice-President were to be chosen for ten years There was to be a Senate of eight members and a House of Representatives of seventy-five members There were all to be selected froy and prominent literary men Thus all the important interests of the state were represented
In Italy, as in all the other countries of Europe at that tiht the restoration of s and nobles The Moderate Republicans wished to establish a firovernhts The Jacobins wished to break down all distinctions, divide property, and to govern by the blind energies of thebeen held in subjection by the spiritual terrors of the priests and by the bayonets of the Austrians Ages of bondage had enervated the people and there were no Italian statesovernment in such a turbulent sea of troubles Napoleon resolved to have hi to hiate the details of affairs to distinguished Italians, until they should, in soree, be trained to duties so new to them Says Theirs ”This plan was not, on his part, the inspiration of aood sense His views on this occasion were unquestionably both pure and exalted” But nothing can ies of Napoleon's mind, and his perfect self-reliance, than the readiness hich, in addition to the cares of the E and developing another nation of five millions of inhabitants This was in 1802
Napoleon was then but thirty-three years of age
To have surrendered those Italians, who had rallied around the arain to Austrian domination, would have been an act of treachery To have abandoned them, in their inexperience, to the Jacobin ues on the other, would have insured the ruin of the Republic
But by leaving the details of government to be ad the constitution by his oerful hand, there was a probability that the republic ht attain prosperity and independence As the press of business rendered it extremely difficult for Napoleon to leave France, a plan was forress of the Italians, to be assembled in Lyons, about half way between Paris and Milan, for the i adoption of the republican constitution Four hundred and fifty-two deputies were elected to cross the frozen Alps, in the month of Deceht of the First Consul, had prepared every comfort for them on the way In Lyons sunificent halls were decorated in the highest style of earthly splendor for the soleypt, which had recently landed, bronzed by an African sun was gorgeously attired to add to the nificence of the spectacle The Lyonese youth, exultant with pride, were for body of cavalry On the 11th of January, 1802, Napoleon, accompanied by Josephine, arrived in Lyons The whole population of the adjoining country had assee At night i upon every hill side and in every valley One continuous shout of ”Live Bonaparte,” rolled along with the carriage fro when Napoleon arrived in Lyons The brilliant city flae of the First Consul passed under a triu lion, the emblem of France, and Napoleon took up his residence in the Hotel deVille, which, in most princely sumptuousness had been decorated for his reception The Italians adored Napoleon They felt personally ennobled by his renown, for they considered hie was his native tongue, and he spoke it with the ance The ested to the deputies as President of the Republic, it was received with shouts of enthusiastic acclamation A deputation was immediately send to the First Consul to express the unanimous and cordial wish of the convention that he would accept the office