The Court of Napoleon: Or, Society Under the First Empire; with Portraits of Its Beauties, Wits and Heroines |
Other editions - View all
The Court of Napoleon: Or, Society Under the First Empire; With Portraits of ... Frank Boott Goodrich No preview available - 2016 |
The Court of Napoleon; Or, Society Under the First Empire; With Portraits of ... Frank B 1826-1894 Goodrich No preview available - 2023 |
Common terms and phrases
admiration afterwards army Beauharnais beauty became Bonaparte Bonaparte's Bourbons Bourrienne Caroline Bonaparte ceremony chamberlain Comédie Française Consul costume court d'Abr daughter divorce dress Duchess Duroc Emperor Empire epoch etiquette exile expressed francs French gave grace Grand Marshal Grand Master hand heart horses Hortense household husband imperial influence Josephine Josephine's Junot lady of honor latter Legion of Honor Louis Louis XVIII M'lle M'lle Lenormand Madame de Chevreuse Madame de Genlis Madame de Permon Madame de Staël Madame Junot Madame Récamier Madame Roland Madame Tallien Majesty Marie Louise marriage married Minister mother Murat Napo Napoleon nation never obtained occasion once opinion palace Paris passion Pauline period person portrait prefect present Prince princess received refused religion rendered replied restored returned Revolution Robespierre Rome Salary says sent sister society soon Talleyrand Talma thousand francs throne tion Tuileries wife woman women young
Popular passages
Page 145 - This requisite Madame Recamier possessed in perfection ; the expression of her eyes was mild and intellectual, her smile was gracious, her language interesting ; her whole person possessed the charm of native grace, goodness, and intelligence. She reminded me at first sight of the Madonnas of the pious Italian painters ; but the resemblance consisted wholly in expression — not in regularity of features. It was the mind which animated her eyes and blushed in her cheek ; the smile which so frequently...
Page 356 - At least I shall die regretted; I have always desired the happiness of France ; I did all in my power to contribute to it ; and I can say with truth to all of you now present at my last moments, that the first wife of Napoleon never caused a single tear to flow.
Page 203 - It has been asserted that the artist corrected defects in the leg and bust. I have seen the legs of the princess, as I believe all have who were moderately intimate with her, and I have observed no such defects ; indeed, the perfection of their make may be inferred from her walk. It was slow, because she was indisposed, but the grace of her movement showed that the members were happily formed. How finely her head was inclined, and how beautifully it turned upon her shoulders ! The only imperfection...
Page 367 - ... Certainly she did not discover in the shy boy in the corner her future biographer. She was tall and slender, yet fully rounded, with rich, dark hair, and large Spanish eyes — now seeming blue, and now black, and changing with the objects on which she looked, or the play of emotions within her breast. In complexion she was a brunette, yet with a melting glow in her cheek, as if she had stolen from the sun the generous hues which are reserved for the finest of fruit and flowers. Her beauty was...
Page 146 - ... Recamier's house was a delightful residence; nothing was comparable to the fetes he gave to foreigners recommended to him, and whose choice of M. Recamier for their banker, was no doubt fixed by the desire of an introduction to his wife. Curiosity attracted them to his house, they were retained there by a charm which acted equally upon old and young, male and female. Madame Recamier is an essential character in...
Page 380 - Every one knows the manner in which his court circle was formed ; the triple row of ladies, behind whom were ranged also a triple row of gentlemen, all listening with as much curiosity as the females to hear the speeches, polite or impolite which the Emperor should address to them. It is easy now to speak as we please upon this subject, and to affect courage when the battle is over ; but I will affirm that when on a court-day the Emperor appeared at the door, which is in the angle of the throne room,...
Page 267 - Duchess occupy your boxes at the theatres ? Why does she go thither in your carriage ? Hey ! M. Junot ! you are surprised that I should be so well acquainted with your affairs and those of that little fool Madame Murat.
Page 267 - All the other connections which he formed acted only upon my own happiness, and in no way upon his destiny. Here the case was totally different. I do not hesitate to ascribe all my husband's misfortunes, and even his death, to his unhappy entanglement with the Queen of Naples. I do not charge this connection with real criminality ; I even believe that there was only the appearance of it ; but the suspicious appearances which really did exist, led to the most fatal consequences : they kindled the...
Page 380 - England, covered with jewels and chivalrous orders, and trembling before the little man who entered with a quick step, dressed simply in the uniform of a colonel of chasseurs. I have known women, and I have a right to place myself among the number, who preserved in his presence a dignity of manner, which pleased him better than silly fear or base flattery. When he made an unpleasant speech to a lady, and it was received with respect and spirit, he never returned to the charge.
Page 341 - Napoleon," said she, when she had done laughing, " let us talk seriously. You fancy you are acquainted with my age. The truth is, you know nothing about it. I shall not tell it you, because it is one of my little weaknesses. I shall merely say that I am old enough to be not only your mother, but Joseph's too. Spare me this kind of joke ; it distresses me, coming from you.