in his wife. He reproached her in languages of the utmost 
severity, took Eugene from her, and resolved to endeavor, by 
legal process, to obtain a divorce. She implored him, for the 
sake of her children, not to proclaim their difficulties to the 
world. He, however, reckless of consequences, made applica- 
tions to the courts for the annulment of the matrimonial bond, 
whereupon Josephine was compelled to defend her own char- 
acter; thus, she again retired with Hortense to the convent, 
where, through dreary months of solitude, silence, and dejec- 
tion, awaited the result of the trial upon which her reputation 
as a virtuous woman was staked. Hence, the decree of the 
court was triumphantly in her favor, which made her return to 
her friends to receive their congratulations, being impressed 
with the conviction that the earth had no longer a joy in store 
for her. Her friends did all in their power to cheer her despond- 
ing spirit; but the wound she had received was too deep to be 
speedily healed. On the other hand, one day her friends, to 
divert her mind from brooding over irreparable sorrows, took 
her, almost by violence, to Versailles. 
In 1793, the soldiers seized Josephine rudely and took pos- 
Session of all the property in the house, in the name of the 
Republic, then took her to the Convent of the Carmelites, and 
she was immured in that prison, where, but a few months be- 
fore, more than eight thousand had been massacred by the 
mob of Paris. 
Here she was led from her prison to the hall, 
where the blood stained tribunal held its session, and, with 
many others, was placed in an ante-room, to await her turn 
for an examination of a few minutes, upon the issues of which 
life or death was suspended. 
In 1799, for political purposes, there were many who wished 
to destroy the influence which Josephine had acquired over the 
mind of her illustrious husband. In the accomplishment of 
this plan, they endeavored, in every way in their power, to 
excite the jealousy of Napoleon. The very efforts which 
Josephine was making to attract the most influential men in 
Paris to her saloon were represented to him as indications of 
levity of character, and of a spirit of unpardonable coquetry. 
Hence, the enemies 
of Josephine had their influential agents in 
the camp of Napoleon, and with malice, never weary, they 
whispered these suspicions into his ear. The jealousy of his 
impassioned nature was strongly aroused. And, in his indigna- 
tion he wrote to Josephine in terms of great severity, accusing 
her of “playing the coquette with all the world.” She was 
deeply wounded 
1 _because of these unjust suspicions, and wrote 
to him a letter in reply, 
; which, for tenderness and delicacy of 
sentiment, and the expression of conscious innocence, is hardly 
surpassed by anything which has ever been written, whereupon 
her letter was intercepted, N apoleon not receiving it; then, 
