The women Bonapartes: the mother and three sisters of Napoléon I . de colera-morbus^ andwas for some time very ill. In the meanwhile,signs of unrest had begun to manifest themselveson the coast of Tuscany, and particularly atLeghorn, where the hostility of the inhabitantsto French domination was industriously fosteredby British agents. Napoleon, from Dresden,wrote to the Grand-Duchess, enjoining her totake vigorous measures to suppress the firstsymptoms of insurrection, and to deport theleaders to Elba; but Elisa replied that violentmeasures were alien to her nature, and con-tented herself by
The women Bonapartes: the mother and three sisters of Napoléon I . de colera-morbus^ andwas for some time very ill. In the meanwhile,signs of unrest had begun to manifest themselveson the coast of Tuscany, and particularly atLeghorn, where the hostility of the inhabitantsto French domination was industriously fosteredby British agents. Napoleon, from Dresden,wrote to the Grand-Duchess, enjoining her totake vigorous measures to suppress the firstsymptoms of insurrection, and to deport theleaders to Elba; but Elisa replied that violentmeasures were alien to her nature, and con-tented herself by ordering the arrest of twoprominent citizens of Leghorn, who had made 1 This painting, a reproduction of which, thanks to the courtesyof M. Paul Marmottan, we have been enabled to reproduce inthese volumes, was purchased, in 1857, by Napoleon III from thePepoli family, in whose possession it had been for many years,and placed in the Tuileries. It was long believed to have beendestroyed in the fire of 1S71, but some years ago it was discoveredin the 3 > THE WOMEN BONAPARTES 267 use of insulting language respecting the Em-peror. She seems, indeed, whether from ignor-ance of the real state of affairs, or owing to thefond belief that her own authority was sufficientto curb any insurrectionary movement, to havepersistently underrated the danger, and permitteda deputation, headed by Cardinal Zondadari, togo to Saxony to assure his Majesty that Tuscanywould remain faithful. The Emperor, reassured by these protesta-tions, instead of reinforcing the French troopsin Central Italy, recalled the most of thosestationed there, and ordered their place to besupplied by a newly-raised corps of Italians,whose efficiency and loyalty were more thandoubtful. The consequence was that, afterLeipzig, Elisa found herself threatened both bythe Austrians and the English, with practically noreliable troops to make head against them ; andthe Austrian general, Nugent, who, on Novem-ber 15
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