636 
ried him, and spent her life in contributing 
to his comfort. Her affection for him found 
a thousand resources of enjoyment. During 
the wars, she stuck pins of different sizes 
upon paper, and traced with him the cam- 
paigns. She contrived a little machine to 
enable him to write. She modelled, in re- 
lief, the neighbourhood of their residence 
for miles around, Huber’s taste had led 
him to Natural History, and even in this 
pursuit she facilitated and promoted his 
wishes. She read indefatigably to him 
books on the subject, and, particularly, such 
as regarded bees. Under his direction, she 
examined, with a microscope, the several 
parts of the bee ; and, through her eyes, he 
was finally enabled to draw up his very 
curious history of the bee, which is very 
highly and deservedly valued. “ If [had not 
been blind,” said he, “ I should never have 
known the happiness love is capable of pro- 
ducing. My wife, too, is always young, 
fresh, and lovely—shat is something.” 
At Nayarre, the country seat of the Em- 
press, in the neighbourhood of Evreux, the 
author found Madame Gazani, who held 
the office of reader to the Empress. This 
lady was a Genoese, the daughter of a public 
dancer.’ Buonaparte had seen her in Italy, 
and was so enchanted with her beautiful 
figure, that he undertook to provide for her 
and her husband, and she was accordingly 
placed, to save appearances, on the Em- 
press’s establishment. The ladies of honour 
reftised to associate—she appealed to the 
Emperor, and he insisted on their receiving 
her. But he resisted her blandishments. 
Two months after her arrival, fearing, says 
the writer, she was getting too great a hold 
upon him, he came suddenly to the Em- 
press—<‘‘ Send away Madame Gazani—she 
must go back to Italy.’’ “ No, Sir, I willkeep 
hernear me; you must not plunge into despair 
a young woman, whom you have torn from 
her duties. I shall myself soon, perhaps, be 
as unhappy as she (there were already whis- 
-pers of the intended divorce). We shall 
weep together—she will understand me—I 
will keep her with me, which will certainly 
prevent your Majesty meeting with her.”*— 
“¢ Well; 2s you please, but let me see her 
no more.”” The Empress, after her divorce, 
is represented as finding consolation in the 
society of this ladys—as one who had the 
same feelings for her husband as herself. 
This is really a very droll story, and could 
have entered into the head of nobody but a 
young French girl, The nonsense of 
modern sentiment, among ourselves, shews 
at least, a little more healthy vigour. 
Of Maria Louise, it is observed, no one 
phrase, or sentiment, was ever quoted, 
which shews distinctly there was really 
nothing to quote. Her conduct in 1814 
sufficiently measures the extent of her sen- 
sibilities. 
Several music composers are spoken of. 
Paesiello once said, singing required taking 
a hundred parts—ninety-nine voice, and 
Monthly Review of Literature, 
[ Dxc. 
one skilj. How many are singing without 
any voice, and yet think they are doing ad- 
mirably. Napoleon once made some re- 
marks to Cherubini on his music, as being, 
probably, too learned. ‘‘ General,”’ said he, 
(it was in the time of the Consulate)—‘ do 
you win battles—that is your business ; leave 
mine, about which you know nothing, to 
me.’’ Napoleon never forgot this rudeness 5 
and long after, peremptorily refused Mehul, 
who wished to associate Cherubini with him- 
self in the office of maitre de chapelle—“ do 
not name him—I cannot bear him.” 
“¢ Science, science, nothing but science— 
that is all you give us,” said Napoleon, to 
Mehul; “of grace, gaiety, melody, you 
French know no more than the Germans.” 
Marsollier and Mehul got up a little plot. 
Mehul composed a new piece. Marsollier 
presented it as a charming thing he had 
just received from Italy. The Consul en- 
gaged to be present at the first performance, 
and took Mehul with him. He was de- 
lighted with the music, and exulted over 
Mehul, till the- end of the performance, 
when the author was called for, and Mehul 
presented himself. The Consul met the 
dénouement very well. ‘‘ Catch me always 
in the same way, and I shall enjoy your 
glory, and my own pleasure.”” Mehul, in 
repeating this story, used to speak of Napo- 
leon’s astonishment, and the sort of hesita- 
tion which preceded the compliment. 
The old story is here repeated, and from 
the mouth of Josephine, of the prophecy 
given by the old negress. It was in these 
terms. * You will marry very soon, and your 
marriage will be happy. You will become 
a widow, and then—then you will be queen 
of France ;. you will spend some glorious 
years, and then you will perish in a com- 
motion.”? In prison, with other royalists, 
she heard of Beauharnois’ death, and the 
prophecy seems then to have seized her. 
The ninth thermidor came—“ I am not guil- 
lotined yousee—I shall be queen of France.” 
When relating these things to her suite, at 
Navarre, she said, ‘‘ This is exactly the pro- 
phecy. The end troubles me. I am here 
calm and retired; I concern myself with 
no public matters—I do all the good I can, 
and so I hope I shall die in my bed. | It is 
true, Marie Antoinette’’—here she stopped, 
and her attendants hastened to change the 
conversation. 
The mention of the guillotin reminds us 
of what is said of the inventor. M. Guillos 
tin, an intelligent physician, invented it 
about two years before the revolution, -to 
abridge the sufferings of criminals. It was 
seized by the revolution to accelerate the 
dispatch of the unfortunate. ‘I knew 
him,” says the writer, ‘in his old age 
—he could never console himself for the in- 
voluntary stain upon his name. His vener~ 
able figure bore the impression of deep 
sorrow, and his hair, perfectly white, attest- 
ed his sufferings. He wished to relieve, and 
he contributed to destruction.’? Had execu. 
