The women Bonapartes: the mother and three sisters of Napoléon I . sintentions, and instructed her man of businessin Paris to put so extravagant a price uponthe property that the negotiations came to no-thing. On the arrival of Madame Bonaparte in Rome,Paulines conduct became more circumspect; butshe did not cease to sigh for the delights of herbeloved Paris, and made no attempt to concealthe ennui which possessed her. The proclama-tion of the Empire, and the news that she hadbecome a princess in her own right, was naturallyvery gratifying to her vanity, but, at the sametime, served but to int
The women Bonapartes: the mother and three sisters of Napoléon I . sintentions, and instructed her man of businessin Paris to put so extravagant a price uponthe property that the negotiations came to no-thing. On the arrival of Madame Bonaparte in Rome,Paulines conduct became more circumspect; butshe did not cease to sigh for the delights of herbeloved Paris, and made no attempt to concealthe ennui which possessed her. The proclama-tion of the Empire, and the news that she hadbecome a princess in her own right, was naturallyvery gratifying to her vanity, but, at the sametime, served but to intensify her longing to returnto France. Was it not exasperating that Elisaand Caroline should be enjoying all the gaietiesof the Imperial Court, while she, who was farmore fitted to shine amid such surroundino-s thaneither of them, should be condemned to spendher life entertaining pompous cardinals and dulldiplomatists, under the censorious eye of a prudishmother-in-law ? At the beginning of June, she persuaded herhusband to take her to Pisa, on the plea that she. THE WOMEN BONAPARTES 9 was ill and wished to try the baths. A fewdays, however, sufficed to convince her that thebaths did not agree with her constitution, andshe accordingly betook herself to Florence, where,for the first time, she tasted the pleasure of beingreceived with all the honours due to remaining a fortnight at Florence, andbewilderino- the little Etrurian Court, as muchby the splendour and variety of her toilettes asby her beauty, her Imperial Highness proceededto Bagni di Lucca, where, towards the middle ofJuly, she was joined by her mother. The baths of Lucca, or, more probably, themany distinguished visitors whom their fameattracted thither, suited Pauline much better thanthose of Pisa ; she appears to have thoroughlyenjoyed herself. Every one was charmed by heramiability and condescension, which she carriedso far as not only to attend a ball given by themayor, but even to dance with some o
Size: 1323px × 1889px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublishernewyorkcscribnerss
