[44] At nine o’clock on the evening of the 10th May 1809, shells are thrown into the city of Vienna. At that moment the young Archduchess Marie-Louise was lying stricken down with illness in the paternal palace. The circumstance having been brought to Napoleon’s knowledge, the direction of the projectiles was immediately changed and the palace respected. Oh, the happy day! Who would have told Marie-Louise then that in a few months’ time those same hands that caused Vienna to shake would be weaving crowns for her brow, that at the palace of the Tuileries she would reign over those Frenchmen who inspired such fear.—Las Cases, Mémorial de Sainte-Hélène.
[45] A couple of years often went by without his mother seeing him and scarcely concerning herself about him. The Comte de La Garde Chambonas sometimes out-Herods Herod as a courtier.—Transl.
[46] Those are not exactly the bases of M. Rostand’s Aiglon. He supports the contrary thesis. It would be well to strike an average with the chapters of Prokesch-Osten on the Duc de Reichstadt and with the book of Montbel on the same subject. The latter work is in turns inspired by Metternich and Prokesch.
[47] Sir Neil was one of the eye-witnesses of the heart-stirring scene at Fontainebleau when Napoleon, straining the imperial eagles to his breast, yielded to his own emotion and waved his hat, crying like the rest, ‘Long live the Emperor!’ The Revue Britannique published in 1894 Sir Neil Campbell’s narrative.
[48] The words are historical. See Recollections of Méneval, vol. iii.
[49] This is another statement of the author in direct contradiction to absolutely authenticated facts. The scene described must have taken place at the beginning of October. Napoleon abdicated at the latter end of April, and during that interval she made a journey of more than two months, visiting Aix, the Righi, Berne, in the latter of which places she fell in with George IV.‘s wife. The greater part of that time was spent in the society of Neipperg.—Transl.
[50] Constantine Ypsilanti was a Greek, of a family originally hailing from Trebizond, whose members performed the functions of dragoman at the court of the Sultans. Alexander entered the Russian service. He subsequently took part in the Greek insurrection and was compelled to take refuge in Transylvania (1783–1828). His son (younger brother?), Demetrius, was for a short time generalissimo of the insurgents of Morea.
[51] Two separate works have lately appeared within a short time of each other on Elisa Bacciochi, Princess of Lucca and Grand-Duchess of Tuscany. One is by M. Paul Marmottan (Champion) and the other by M. Rodocanachi (Flammarion).
[52] M. de Luchesini by his charming conversation enhanced that of the King of Prussia. He knew the subjects on which the king liked to be drawn out, and he also possessed the art of listening, an art never possessed by a fool. M. de Pinto advised the king to make an ambassador of M. de Luchesini, ‘because,’ as he expressed it, ‘Luchesini was a man of wit.’ ‘That’s why I keep him with me,’ was the answer.—Author’s Note.
[53] The sentence in French runs: ‘Mon frère est coiffé de main de maitre. It is impossible to give an English equivalent for this, except at the risk of making it coarse and spoiling it into the bargain. The deceived husband is said to be ‘coiffé’ by his wife’s lover.—Transl.