1823.] Anecdotes of modern Diplomacy — Maria Louisa. 



before, in haste, by tlie imperial fa- 

 mily. 



Tlie tale is simple, and turns on one 

 incident. Napoleon, the hero of it, 

 attended only by Meyer, one of the 

 castle inspectors, entering one of the 

 apartments, observed the portraits of 

 the Emperor's children, — Maria Loui- 

 sa, Leopoldina, and Clementina. Na- 

 poleon's attention was most power- 

 fully attracted to the first, and ho 

 demanded of the inspector, if Maria 

 Louisa was as handsome and agree- 

 able as there represented, telling him 

 to state his opinion fairly and clearly. 

 The answer he received was satisfac- 

 tory : " Sir, (replied the old man,) she 

 is, indeed, as beautiful as lier portrait ; 

 and, what is still more excellent and 

 engaging, she possesses the amiable 

 qualities of theheartin avery eminent 



the day and hour appointed, accompa- 

 nied by his daughters Leopoldina and 

 Clementina, he repaired to the apart- 

 ments of the princess ; and, with that 

 paternal affection which characterises 

 this sovereign, with candour and sin- 

 cerity stated the necessity of such an 

 alliance, as being the only means left 

 to save the imperial family, and the 

 whole country from subjection ; that, 

 should she persist in her refusal, they 

 would be obliged to abandon the em- 

 pire a second time to the conqueror. 



This conversation took place in a 

 room, the windows of which opened 

 upon the ruined walls and demolished 

 fortifications of Vienna. Maria Louisa, 

 taking her father by the hand, led him 

 to the view of what that devoted city 

 had already experienced, — a scene of 

 wide-extended desolation. " Can you 



degree : she is virtue herself, and her (said she,) give the hand of your be- 



goodness makes her beloved by every 

 one that approaches her," ' Well, 

 then, (said the Emperor,) let the por- 

 trait be put in my cabinet, and placed 

 before my writing-table.' This order 

 was instantly obeyed; and, when he 

 left Vienna, he carried the portrait 

 with him, and the Princess found it in 

 his rooms on her arrival at Paris, at 

 the time of her marriage. 



When the Emperor Francis had de- 

 termined upon the union between 

 Maria Louisa and Napoleon, he was 

 not ignorant of the animosity borne by 

 his daughter, wife, and mother-in-law, 

 (Maria Beatrix d'Este,) against his 

 intended son-in-law. He had not the 

 courage to make the first overture to 

 his daughter ; but charged the Coun- 

 tess Chanclos, governess to the Prin- 

 cess, to use every persuasion to prepare 

 her for a close and near alliance with 

 the French emperor. 



The countess, thinking she had 

 found one evening a proper occasion 

 for introducing this subject, informed 

 the princess, that the emperof her 

 father had affianced her to the l''mperor 

 Napoleon iionaparte. No words could 

 do justice to the princ(.'ss's emotions 

 upon hearing this declaration : she fell 

 down upon the sofa, screaming, faint- 

 ing, and crying, " No, no, never will I 

 be married to such a monster ;" and 

 she forbade the countess, once for 

 all, ever to repeat his name in her 

 presence. 



The countess having reported to the 

 emperor the ill success of her overture, 

 his wislics and feelings inclined him 

 to undertake the matter himself. On 



loved child to such a destroyer 

 'True, (said Francis,) but the evils 

 which you deplore,— all the tnisfor- 

 tunes of the country,~arise from the 

 laws of war ; the destructive machina- 

 tions of which will begin with more 

 fury than ever, involving the state, 

 and all of us, perhaps, in one common 

 ruin.' 



The emperor, observing the repug- 

 nance of his daughter, yet feeling the 

 necessity of this sacrifice, besought 

 the princess with tears, and with so 

 much importunity, that she could no 

 longer resist. "Be composed, my 

 beloved father, (said she ;) and weep 

 not so bitterly, my good sisters ; you 

 shall be obeyed : from this moment I 

 will do every thing that you require of 

 me." 



It is asserted by the Countess Chan- 

 clos, who was present, that when the 

 Princess Leopoldina (then between 

 thirteen and fourteen years of age,) 

 had seen the aversion of her eldest 

 sister to this union, she said she would 

 be married to the Emperor Napoleon^ 

 to deliver them all out of their painful 

 situation. The Emperor Francis, ten- 

 derly smiling, replied, " You are a 

 child ; you don't understand what you 

 say." 



The Princess Maria Louisa was 

 then married by proxy to her uncle, 

 the Archduke Charles ; after which 

 she was accompanied by the whole 

 imperial family to Branau, the frontier 

 town. There she was confided to the 

 care of the Queen of Naples, Napo- 

 leon's sister, and Murat's wi/c. Pro- 

 ceeding on her wav through France. 



tht 



