in the way of her proposal. Josephine began increasingly to be aware of
the thin ice on which she was skating, but calculated that to make scenes
would be counterproductive. When Napoleon left for an Italian tour in
November, she raised no objection when the Emperor did not invite her
to accompany him, even though it meant missing the chance of a reunion
with her son Eugene. Nor did she react noticeably when word was
received in the capital that Napoleon was consoling himself in Italy in the
arms of an old flame, Carlotta Gazzani.
Napoleon's trip to Italy was itself occasioned by a chance to view a
prospective bride, Princess Charlotte, sister of Princess Augusta of
Bavaria. Leaving Paris on 16 November 1807, he proceeded via Lyons
and Chambery to the Mont-Cenis pass, where he encountered a terrible
storm, then descended into the plains of Italy and arrived in Milan on 20
November. To his annoyance, he found that Charlotte was an ugly
woman and had to concoct a hasty excuse for the King of Bavaria. He
rationalized his advent in Milan with a trip to Venice, taking in Monza,
Brescia and Vicenza on the way. En route to Venice he met his brother
Lucien, with whom he was still at daggers drawn. On the strength of a
loan to Pius VII Lucien had acquired the papal fief of Canino and exulted
in the title of prince. Once again Napoleon offered him a crown if he
would give up his second wife, but once again Lucien refused. Arriving
in Venice on 29 November, the Emperor made a triumphant entry up the
Grand Canal and stayed in the palace of the Doges until 8 December. He
opted for a leisurely progress back through northern Italy to Milan,
which he quit on Christmas Eve fo r another strenuous journey, via
Turin, Mont-Cenis, Lyons, Macon and Chalon. He arrived back in Paris
on New Year's Day 1808.
The contretemps with Lucien was not the only family disappointment
fo r Napoleon. Every single one of his siblings continued to disappoint
him. Perhaps the most successful, though the least close to the Emperor
personally, was Elisa. Even her liaisons, as with the master violinist
Paganini, were discreetness itself in comparison with her sisters'. After
making a success of the minor territories her brother threw her way - she
turned Lucca into a showpiece and revived the Carrara marble quarries -
she was rewarded in 1808, when Napoleon annexed Tuscany and Parma,
by being made Duchess of Tuscany. She was a superb administrator and
a shrewd politician who knew exactly how to play the Emperor. It was
her misfortune that he never liked her and she could never please him
whatever she did.
Louis Bonaparte had all but disgraced himself by his abysmal
performance in the 1806 campaign and Napoleon had sent him home in
marcin
(Marcin)
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