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Born 1780.

Married 1796.

An authentic portrait engraved exclusively for the Court Magazine.

N. 99

99 of the series of ancient portraits.

Non, Carey street Lincoln's Inn, London.

1840

VOL. XX

THE COURT, LADY'S MAGAZINE,

MONTHLY CRITIC AND MUSEUM.

A Family Journal

OF ORIGINAL TALES, REViews of litERATURE, THE FINE ARTS, MUSIC, DRAMA, FASHIONS, &c., &c.

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ILLUSTRATED BY A FULL LENGTH AUTHENTIC PORTRAIT, EXHIBITING THAT HEROIC LADY IN THE DRESS IN WHICH SHE INSURED HER HUSBAND'S ESCAPE FROM THE CONCIERgerie.'

Embellished with a full-length Portrait (No. 99 of the Series of full-length Authentic Ancient and modern Portraits).

LOUISA-EMILY DE BEAUHARNAIS was niece, by marriage, to the subject of one of our previous memoirs-the amiable Empress Josephine, her father-the Marquis de Beauharnais-being elder brother to the Viscount Alexander, married to Mademoiselle Josephine Tascher de la Pagerie, who, it will be recollected, fell a victim to the horrors of the revolution, and perished upon the scaffold in July 1793, five days previous to the downfall of Robespierre. He himself was united to a daughter of the Countess Fanny de Beauharnais, a first cousin of his own, and niece to the Count de Beauharnais, whose daughter, Stephanie, was wedded by Napoleon to the grand duke of Baden. Louisa-Emily, the only surviving child of the marriage between the cousins, was born in 1780. Like many other children, the offspring of the French nobility of that day, the childhood of the little Emily was exposed to many of the vicissitudes attendant upon that period of violence and carnage. At the time of the convocation of the States-General, when Alexander de Beauharnais became one of its leading members, his brother, Francis, was appointed suppléant to the assembly of the nobility of Paris; he did not, however, take his seat in the chamber until after the sixth of October, in the year 1789, when he replaced M. de *The artist of his own authority, has, unwittingly, added a veil to the bonnet. 2 C-MAY, 1841.

Lally Tollendal, who quitted France at that epoch. The younger brother died the partisan of liberty, whilst the elder, who constantly voted with the Côté Droit, quitted France in 1792, for the purpose of joining the princes at Coblentz. He was no sooner gone, than his wife was seized and thrown into prison, where she remained during the period of two years, whilst her only child was left to the care of menials. At the period when Josephine placed her own daughter, Hortense, under the care of Madame Campan, Emily Beauharnais accompanied her cousin, and soon became distinguished for her beauty, virtues and accomplishments: but neither of her parents returned from emigration, and the poor girl might have been doomed to a life of suffering, had not General Bonaparte, with his usual sagacity, come to the resolution of uniting her to a man worthy of her in every sense of the word. It is true, she had no choice in the matter, for her union with M. Lavallette was brought about and concluded as hastily as all the other marriages contracted under the auspices of Napoleon. It was in 1796, and about three weeks previous to the departure of the expedition to Egypt, that M. de Lavallette, then one of the aides-de-camp of General Bonaparte, joined him in Paris on his return from the congress of Radstadt. Numerous promotions had just taken place in the army, and the General, desirous of rewarding the services of his aide-de-camp, and being at the same time unwilling to expose himself to a refusal on the part of the directory (with whose members, as we have elsewhere remarked,* he was far from being on amicable terms), bethought himself of uniting him to the niece of madame Bonaparte, a step that he was aware, his own gigantic, though hidden views would one day lead to greater honors than any advancement on the part of the Council of Five. Accordingly, having required the attendance of Lavallette one day, in a visit to the treasury, the General, on his return, ordered his coachman to drive towards the new Boulevards, for the purpose of conversing more freely with his companion. "I have brought you hither," said Bonaparte, as soon as the smooth rolling of the wheels announced that they were off the pavé of the ill-paved streets of Paris, "I have brought you hither, to tell you that I cannot give you the command of a squadron, but that I can give you a wife. You shall marry Emily de Beauharnais: she is handsome and well educated. you know her?"—and he paused for a reply from his astonished companion.

Do

"I think I remember to have seen her," answered Lavallette, half smiling, and at a loss to know, at first, whether the General were not in jest; but soon perceiving by the inflexibility of his features that Bonaparte was downright serious, he added to his acknowledgment of having seen the young lady-" But General, I have no fortune, and I may be killed in this expedition, and then what would become of the poor young widow? Besides, I confess to you, candidly, that I have no inclination to marry.'

"We marry for the sake of having children," returned Bonaparte, "that is the great object of life;" and he paused, but after brief resumed:space "It is possible you may be killed; Emily will then be the widow of one of my aides-de-camp-of a defender of her country; she will be entitled to a pension, and may be able to form a future advantageous alliance. As she is the daughter of an emigrant — no one will propose for her, my wife cannot take her into society, and the poor girl is worthy of a better fate. You understand; let this affair be terminated without delay-you will talk it over with Madame Bonaparte to-night, she will tell you that Emily's mother has given her consent, therefore, the marriage shall take place by this day week, and you shall have a whole fortnight's congé. This is the 9th, you will join me at Toulon on the 29th."

M. de Lavallette had already seen sufficient of the despotic character of his General-in-Chief, to teach him that a murmur against his orders must be the death blow to his own hopes of advancement in the career he was destined to follow: he therefore wisely concealed his own feelings on the subject, and assuming an air of satisfaction and gratitude replied-" you shall be obeyed, but suffer me to ask, will the young lady consent as cheerfully as I do, for never will I force myself upon her acceptance." "Pshaw!" returned Bonaparte, "Emily is a child, heartily sick of remaining * Vide Memoir of the Empress Josephine, published January 1st, 1841.

at school, and would be wretched if she went to her mother. During your absence she will reside with her grand-father at Fontainebleau. There's no danger of your being killed, and in two years, at furthest, you will return to her. Come, 'tis a settled affair. Tell the coachman to drive home."

The same evening, as previously arranged, Madame Bonaparte and the aide-decamp talked over the business; the amiable Josephine testified the most lively satisfaction at Bonaparte's selection of him as a husband for her niece, and, playfully, calling him her nephew, promised to introduce him, on the following day, to his intended: "We will all go to Saint-Germain with you," gaily exclaimed Madame Bonaparte," and you will be delighted with my niece, "for she is a charming girl." Accordingly, early on the ensuing morning, General and Madame Bonaparte, Eugene Beauharnais, and M. de Lavallette, arrived at Madame Campan's establishment at Saint-Germain, where, a few minutes after, the blushing bride elect was introduced to their presence by her cousin Hortense de Beauharnais, and it was not without some secret misgivings, on the score of his own want of rank and fortune, that her future lord beheld a tall, graceful girl, of the most elegant deportment, possessing considerable beauty of features, and a lovely complexion, heightened at that moment by her bashful timidity to a degree of the most dazzling brilliancy. M. de Lavallette admitted afterwards to a friend, that, during the first half-hour of this important interview, his feelings were in a state of the most indescribable excitement; that the questions: "will she accept me? and if she does, will it be without repugnance?" unceasingly recurred to his mind, together with thoughts of the disadvantages liable to result from their marriage being too hastily concluded, and the notion of his immediate and prolonged absence—an absence that might perhaps be eternal.

Fortunately, to the relief of all parties, General Bonaparte proposed their partaking of a collation under the shade of a clump of trees on the lawn; a proposition that was eagerly seconded by all present, and, as soon as the repast was concluded, Eugene Beauharnais, as had been previously concerted, led his cousin towards an avenue of lime trees, where, being speedily joined by the young aide-de-camp, Eugene retired, leaving them to a tête-à-tête discussion of their love affairs. No time was lost by M. Lavallette in acquainting Mademoiselle de Beauharnais with his want of fortune, nor did he conceal from her the obscurity of his birth. "My sword," said he," together with my General's favor, is all that I possess; and I shall be forced to quit you almost immediately after our marriage. Be candid with me: I feel disposed to love you with my whole heart and soul; but that is not sufficient. I must know if you have objections to our union: confide in me, and, without betraying the trust you repose in me, I promise you to find means to break it off; you shall not be blamed, and your secret will be for ever safe with me." And Lavallette anxiously awaited the reply of his fair companion. Emily smiled, hesitated for an instant, raised her eyes to his, and, without speaking, placed in his hand the bouquet she held in her own. This was sufficient, the accepted lover caught her to his bosom and embraced her, and after another turn or two, led her back again to her friends. On that day week their marriage took place at the Municipality, and, on the following morning, at an early hour, at the earnest entreaty of the young bride, they repaired to a little convent in the Rue Saint-Honoré, where their union was consecrated at the altar by a poor priest who consented for a trifle to run the dangerous risk. Our readers will recollect that, at this period of the revolution, the rites of marriage, as well as all other offices of religion were strictly prohibited.

Very few days after his marriage, M. de Lavallette saw himself forced to hasten the preparations for his departure for Toulon, whither Bonaparte had already arrived. It was, therefore, arranged that Madame de Lavallette should divide her time between her aunt, and her grandfather who was at that time in the eighty-sixth year of his age, and who doted upon his grand-daughter. M. de Lavallette, who had learnt to love most fondly the wife who had been in a measure thrust upon him, departed without Emily's knowledge, unwilling, as well on her account as his own, to add additional pangs to this sorrowful leave-taking. Contrary to all his sad presentiments, M. de Lavallette returned to Paris eighteen months after his departure. Out

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