The Josephine B. Trilogy (145 page)

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All of these were popular abortive measures. Uterus powder is likely ergot, a black, hard fungus that grows on stalks of rye, an abortive widely used for “bringing on the flowers.” Powder made from the leaves of a savin bush, which was often to be seen in the garden of a village midwife, was commonly used. Tea made from rue was considered just as powerful and more reliable than savin, however.

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The Trust would be made up almost in its entirety of the estimated eight million francs Bonaparte is thought to have brought back from Italy.

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It wasn’t unusual for a young married woman to go to a boarding school when her husband was away.

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On June 20, Josephine and three acquaintances were on her balcony when it collapsed. Josephine’s injuries were critical. She was immediately wrapped in the skin of a newly slaughtered lamb. For a time it was not known whether she would live, and Hortense was sent for. Josephine’s treatment, which was published in a medical journal, consisted of a punishing regime of enemas and douches.
Dr. Martinet’s initial report stated: “Citoyenne Bonaparte was the most seriously injured of the group. She was given a drink of infusion of arnica to stop the bleeding and an enema, which she evacuated, urinating as well. She was immediately put in a warm bath, after which leeches were applied to the most severely bruised parts of her body, as well as to her haemorrhoids, which were swollen. Warm topical remedies and emollients were put on her bruises (apples cooked in water had a good effect). This was followed by compresses soaked in camphor.”

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The command of the Army of Italy passed from Napoleon to General Berthier, Napoleon’s former chief of staff, and then to General Brune. Berthier had favoured the Bodin Company (it is possible he was in on the financial rewards), but General Brune did not and was threatening to cancel the contract.

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Lahorie blamed Josephine for Barras’s rejection. Consequently, in 1812, he joined a conspiracy to overthrow Napoleon and was shot for treason.

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Lancette (lance), laitue (lettuce), rat: a play on the words
l’an sept les tuera.

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The article in the
London Morning Chronicle
read: “It is not very creditable…that the private letters…which were intercepted, should be published. It derogates from the character of a nation to descend to such gossiping. One of these letters is from Bonaparte to his brother, complaining of the profligacy of his wife; another from young Beauharnais, expressing his hopes that his dear Mama is not so wicked as she is represented! Such are the precious secrets which, to breed mischief in private families, is to be published in French and English.”

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Backgammon dice were initially tumbled in a noisy iron container and for that reason (some claim) the game was considered ideal by men wishing an opportunity to converse privately with a married woman without arousing suspicion. During the noisy game for two, they would not be overheard.

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A message relayed from one vantage point to another by means of flags.

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Sauveur
means saviour;
sauvage
means savage.

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On August 22, four ships slipped out of Alexandria harbour. By staying close to the coast, they luckily managed to evade the British for six weeks.

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The young considered it fashionable to look old as well as rumpled: shirts were slept in to give the right effect, servants given new clothes to “break in.”

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Bernadotte had married Eugenie-Désirée Clary, Joseph’s wife’s sister (and Napoleon’s former fiancée). Bernadotte will be crowned King of Sweden, and their son will marry one of Eugène’s daughters.

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In Egypt Tallien became blinded in one eye, possibly due to untreated syphilis. On his return he is captured by the English. He does not arrive back in France until 1801, only to discover that his wife Thérèse is living openly with Ouvrard. They divorce and he ends his days in poverty.

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The stone slab found near the city of Rosetta provided the key to scholars on how to translate Egyptian hieroglyphics. The Rosetta Stone is now in the British Museum.

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Thérèse believed that the play was about her.

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It’s not known whether Barras ever received this money; it is possible Talleyrand did in fact keep it.

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Napoleon was expecting a decree from the Council of the Ancients giving him control of the troops in Paris. This was the first step in the plan.

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In his memoirs
—
published one hundred years later
—
Barras confessed that he had in fact arranged for assassins to kill Bonaparte, but had called them off at the last minute.

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Josephine was said to have a low, musical voice. When she read to Napoleon, the servants would hover outside the door to listen.

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The actual vote was 3,009,445 in favour, 1,562 against. Sieyès and Ducos stepped down to be replaced by Cambacérès as Second Consul and Lebrun as Third.

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Grisette: a lady of easy virtue.

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The marriage ended poorly and Lisette died in misery.

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The Launderesses Guild, one of the most powerful in Paris, had been lobbying for the return of the Mardi Gras because of all the laundry work the festivities generated.

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Josephine’s childhood name was Rose and her nickname Yeyette. Mimi had been a slave on Josephine’s family’s sugar plantation in Martinique (“Martinico”). She and Josephine grew up together and had a sisterly relationship. It is possible that they were, in fact, half-sisters; Josephine’s father may have been Mimi’s father. Josephine had purchased Mimi’s freedom a few years previously.

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“Italy” in 1800 comprised various independent states, including several northern territories claimed by Austria.

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May 10. A new calendar had been established during the Revolution. The months were named after the natural world. (Floréal, for example, meant month of flowers.) The weeks were ten days long and ended with “Décadi,” the day of rest. Confusion resulted because people continued to use the traditional calendar.

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Thérèse was separated from her husband (Tallien) and living openly with a married man (Ouvrard), by whom she had a number of children. Publicly, she was perceived as a “fallen woman,” and Napoleon did not want Josephine to associate with her. Nevertheless, the two friends continued to meet secretly at Malmaison.

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Spanish Red: red dye in a horsehair pad, used as a blusher.

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It was not uncommon for a woman to wear a leather mask to protect her skin from the weather.

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Due to an injury, Signora Letizia could not bend her index finger.

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Hortense and her cousin Émilie composed the following letter about the journey: “Never has there been a more agonizing journey to Plombières. Bonaparte
mère
showed courage. Madame Josephine trembled in fear. Mademoiselle Hortense and Madame Lavalette argued over a bottle of eau de Cologne. Colonel Rapp made us stop frequently in order to ease his bile. He slept while we forgot our troubles in the wine of Champagne.
“The second day was easier, but the good Colonel Rapp was suffering still. We encouraged him to have a good meal, but our hopes crumbled when, arriving in Toul, we found only a miserable auberge which offered nothing but a little spinach in lamp oil and red asparagus simmered in sour milk. (We would have loved to see the gourmets of our household seated at this disgusting meal!) We left Toul in order to eat at Nancy because we ‘d been starved for two days.
“We were joyfully welcomed when we arrived in Plombières. The illuminated village, the booming cannon, all the pretty women standing in the windows helped us not to feel sorry about being away from Malmaison.
“This is the exact story of our trip, certified to be true.”

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Josephine began menopause in her early thirties, likely due to the trauma of her imprisonment during the Terror.

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The preliminary peace treaty with England opened up the Atlantic Ocean, which had been previously controlled by England’s fleet. Saint-Domingue (Haiti now) had been in French hands for some time, but France had been unable to sail there. Troops were required in order to quell an insurrection.

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Catholicism had been outlawed during the Revolution.

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The Duchess d’Aiguillon had shared a prison cell with Josephine during the Terror. She was not permitted to hold a position at court because she had been divorced.

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Not long after the Marquis’s death, Désirée married the mayor of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Pierre Danès de Montardat.

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Etruria was an independent principality along the Mediterranean coast. A family alliance would have given Napoleon control over the port of Genoa
—
strategically important in the war against England.
November 24.

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Ceruse was a thick paste made with white lead
—
and consequently corrosive and poisonous. It was used for several centuries as a make-up base, with devastating consequences.

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Napoleon had sent the Prefect of Police a letter saying that he wished to talk to the Duke d’Enghien, but the letter wasn’t delivered until after Enghien had been executed. Fouché was later to say that the Duke d’Enghien’s execution was “worse than a mistake, it was a blunder.”

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The Civil Code (
Code Civile des Français
, later renamed
Code Napoléon
): a combination of Roman law, existing French law and the egalitarian principles of the Revolution. It remains the basis for jurisprudence in many countries of the world today.

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18 Brumaire: date of the coup in 1799 which overthrew the government of France and instituted Napoleon as First Consul.

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Before General Moreau
—
who was exiled to America after being found guilty of involvement in the Cadoudal conspiracy
—
the ancient château had been owned by Josephine and Napoleon’s friend Paul Barras, who had conspired with the Royalists and was overthrown by Napoleon.

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Josephine refused the bone fragment, saying that she had for her own support an arm as strong as Charlemagne’s.

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Queen Marie Antoinette and queens before her had been required to give birth in a room crowded with gawking witnesses.

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The Pope was initially reluctant to crown “the murderer of the Duke d’Enghien.” He only agreed after promises of concessions to the Church
—
though these were never fulfilled.