NAPOLEON AND THE QUEEN OF PRUSSIA.

DURING the period that the sovereigns were sojourning in the little town of Til sit, where they were employed in arranging various matters of the highest importance, -more especially to the King of Prussia, -the French Emperor several times expressed a strong desire to see her Majesty the Queen, who was then with her children at Memel. This lady's repugnance to Napoleon was, however, so great, that they were obliged to put him off, from day to day, with feigned excuses for the delay of her arrival; until his natural impetuosity, no longer to be restrained, led him to say to the Emperor Alexander, "Eh bien Sire! it would seem that, in order to be ingulged with an introduction to this beautiful Queen, I should send Marshal Davoust with his corps d'armée to fetch her."

Alexander saw that there was no more room for trifling; and it was concerted between him and Frederick that a chamberlain should be forthwith despatched to Memel, to represent to her Majesty the absolute necessity for her appearance. Upon the receipt of this intelligence, she reluctantly fixed an hour upon which to commence the journey, and was met at a certain point of the road by the three Sovereigns.

Napoleon was captivated at sight of this lovely woman, and took an opportunity just after of observing to Marshal Duroc, You have told me true, Duroc; she is indeed a beautiful creature." Next day, he gave a dinner to her Majesty of the most sumptuous description. On bringing in the dessert, an open letter appeared on a salver, which was placed before the Queen of Prussia, addressed to her Majesty. "A letter for me?" exclaimed the Queen, on perceiving it, in great surprise. "Yes, Madame," replied Buonaparte; "be pleased to look at it." Her Majesty took it up, and found enclosed another, addressed to Jerome Buonaparte, then commanding the French forces in Prussian Silesia. This epistle contained an autograph order from Napoleon, directing the King of Westphalia to deliver up immediately to the nearest Prussian chief, that part af Silesia which had been reserved by the French Emperor, in the secret treaty of Tilsit; which territory was to be placed under the sole controul of the Queen of Prussia.

Her Majesty, deeply affected by this delicate and noble behaviour, exclaimed, "Certainly, never did monarch bestow a gift with so much dignity and grace. I pray your Majesty to accept my best thanks."-" Nay, Madam," rejoined

Napoleon," is it not just that I should indemnify you for the expenses of a jour ney from Memel to Tilsit?"

THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR AND

NAPOLEON.

Of the stern unbending character of the Russians, we have a forcible example in the behaviour of Count Markow to Napoleon Buonaparte, at whose court he was ambassador.

In the year 1803, the Marquis d'Entraigues, a French emigrant, but counsellor of state in the Russian service, was sent on a mission from St. Petersburgh to Rome, where he was arrested and thrown into prison by order of Napoleon. As soon as the Emperor Alexander was made aware of this circumstance, he sent an express to Count Markow, to demand the liberation of Entraigues. The Count made official representations accordingly; but these were wholly disregarded. Sunday, when there was public audience given to the diplomatic body at the Tuilleries, the First Consul, addressing himself to the Marquis de Lucchecini, ambassador from Prussia :-" What think you, Marquis?" said he; "Russia is striving even to protect the emigrants.' Count Markow, immediately interposing, observed,

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Sir, if his Majesty the Emperor of Russia, my august master, wills to extend protection to any one, I am sure he has both fight and reason.' Upon this, Buonaparte, looking at Markow, with an air of extreme disdain, said, "It was not to you, Count, I spoke.”—“ Sir," answered the Russian, "if any one speaks in my presence of my Sovereign, I always reply." Having said this, he turned his back upon the First Consul, and left the audience.

Buonaparte, extremely irritated, gave orders to his minister that Count Markow should be forthwith sent back to Russia : but the latter, on this command being signified to him, at once refused, saying that he would not stir from Paris until his master recalled him. Both he and the First Consul despatched respectively messengers to St. Petersburgh with details of this affair; Buonaparte requiring the recal of the ambassador: whereupon Alexander sent M. Oubriel to replace him; but, as a mark of his Majesty's satisfaction at the spirited conduct of Markow, he transmitted to the Count, by the hands of his successor, the insignia of a Russian order, (enriched with diamonds,) and an ukase, conferring on him a pension of fifty thousand rubles. Oubriel was instructed to demand anew the release of the Marquis d'Entraigues, which was ultimately con ceded by Buonaparte.

When, subsequently, Count Markow met the Grand-duke Constantine at a party at St. Petersburgh, that Prince said to him :-" Upon my horour, Count, you must possess great courage, to speak in such terms to Buonaparte. They say that man jokes not; what would you have done, had he by any chance laid hands upon you?""I would have chastised him on the spot," replied the courageous Markow.

MARRIAGE OF NAPOLEON WITH MARIA

LOUISA.

WHEN the Emperor visited Vienna, in 1809, as a conqueror, he took up his residence in the beautiful castle of Schoenbrunn, in the environs of the capital. One morning, accompanied by Meyer, one of the castle inspectors, he went over the apartments of this magnificent edifice, which had been hastily quitted, some weeks before, by the imperial family. In one apartment, hung the portraits of the Emperor Francis's daughters, Maria-Louisa, Leopoldina, and Clementina. Napoleon, after a short pause, pointing to that of Maria-Louisa, which he considered with the deepest attention, asked of the inspector, if her Imperial Highness was really so handsome as there represented. The old man replied, "Oh yes, your Ma jesty, she is indeed: and, what is more, as amiable as handsome.' "Well," rejoined Napoleon, "let the picture be placed in my cabinet, immediately fronting the writing table." He subsequently took it with him to Paris, and it was found in the Emperor's closet by the Archduchess Maria-Louisa, on her marriage.

The Emperor Francis, at the time he concluded upon consenting to this match, was not ignorant of the animosity enter tained by his daughter and wife towards his intended son-in-law. He consequently had not courage to open the matter to Maria-Louisa herself, and the first governess to the Archduchess, was commisioned to make it known to her.

The lady, however, had no success whatever in her attempts to reconcile Maria-Louisa to her destiny, for the Archduchess had no sooner been told that her father had affianced her to Napoleon Buonaparte, than she fell upon the sofa, screaming and crying out, that she would never consent to marry such a monster! Francis was now fain to make personal endeavours to prevail on his daughter to comply with the proposed arrangement, and for that purpose announced his wish to have an interview with Maria-Louisa at a given hour.

He repaired to the Princess's apartment, attended by his two youngest daughters, and with the candour and tenderness characteristic of him, represented the necessity of such an alliance, as the only means left to save the imperial Family, and the whole Austrian dominions from subjection. The windows of the room in which they were, looked out upon the ruined walls and demolished forts of Vienna; MariaLouisa took the Emperor by the hand, led him to the view of this desolate scene, and said "Father, can you give the hand of your beloved child to the author of all this destruction?" "It is to prevent still greater horrors," answered Francis, deeply moved, "that I require this sacrifice from you;" and he urged his solicitations in so powerful and affecting a way, that his daughter at length exclaimed, "Tranquillize yourself, my dear father to procure you peace, I will do whatever you ask of me.'

Maria Louisa, however, subsequently found that her sacrifice turned out to be not quite so heroic; she seemed, on the contrary, to have been greatly pleased with her new situation. A letter addressed by her, in the month of June, 1810, to the old Count Edlin, her late Governor, gives an interesting statement of her feelings soon after her marriage. The following are extracts :

"I confess to you, my dear Count, that from the first moment I met and saw the Emperor Napoleon, my august and most beloved husband, he has shewn me on every occasion the highest attention. Indeed, I should be unjust and ungrateful, were I insensible to all his care, regard, and truly noble behaviour to me. In one word, my dear Count, I am happier than you can conceive.

"Believe not that this letter is written by any order or compulsion on the part of my august spouse, who, although at this very moment by my side, will not look at it. No! these sentiments are dictated by my own heart; and' the letter goes from my hands into those of Count Joseph Metternich, by whom it will be handed to you."-Anecdotes of foreign Courts.

It is asserted by the Princess's governess, who was present at this interesting interview, that the young Princess, Leopoldina, then about twelve years old, saw her sister so much averse to the proposed match, that she said with extreme naivete, "Dear papa, since my good sister seems so greatly shocked at this union, I will go in her place, and be married to Napoleon, I have no dislike to the Emperor, and I dare say it will be the same thing to him.""You are a little fool," replied Francis, tenderly smiling, "and know not what you say."

LONG ages ago, when the whole of Northern Europe was sunk in barbarism and dark idolatry, a young and beautiful maiden was found at sun-rise upon the rugged coast of Norway. There she stood, and looked wistfully over the retiring waves, which had left their fringes of silvery surf at her small naked feet.

The night had been stormy, and a vessel lay wrecked among the rocks. All the crew had perished but that gentle lady. The savage people gathered about her, wondering much at the rare fashion and the richness of her flowing garments, and at her fresh and delicate beauty; but most of all at the sweetness and dignity of her demeanour.*

It was this maiden who became the wife of Regnar, the young Prince of Norway; she was of equal birth with him, being a king's daughter, but obliged to flee from the usurper of her father's throne. The Princess Gurith (for so she was called) was not an idolater, yet for nearly a year after her marriage few persons but her husband knew the name of her religion. They soon learned, however, that in her it was pure and peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy and so she was loved by all, and might have been happy, had not Queen Temora, the widow of the king's eldest son, visited the court of Norway. Now, this Temora was very beautiful, but proud and revengeful, and so skilled in magic, that by many she was named the Sorceress. Temora was queen, in her own right, of the far Orkney Isles; and, notwithstanding her husband's sudden death, she had cherished the hope to reign in Norway also; for Regnar, then the younger

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See the Embellishment, illustrative of the above, page 33.

brother, though now the heir, had wooed her, when, from ambition, she preferred the elder prince.

When Temora came to court, hiding her fiery passions with a smiling face, and saw the beauty of the innocent Gurith, and the influence she had won in the hearts of those around her, she devoted her to ruin. It is said that she went at midnight, far up among the hills, into the depths of a black pine forest, where stood a rude but famous temple of the idol Woden (the ruins are now scattered about the place), and there sprinkling her own blood upon the altar, vowed to accomplish a deep and horrible revenge. From that hour she left no way untried to reach her ends. At first, she sought, under the mask of friendship, to introduce into the heart of Gurith some dark suspicion of her husband's faith, and so, at length, to break that gentle heart; but the young princess was above suspicion; love, and her perfect confidence in him she loved, were as a breast-plate of adamant to her, from which every weapon that was aimed against it, fell off, not only blunted, but leaving no trace to show where it had struck. Thus Temora was confounded and perplexed, for she had judged the princess by her own principles and feelings.

Still, notwithstanding all these deep devices, the guileless Lady Gurith grew in favour and tender love with all who knew her, and the sorceress inwardly cursed herself, when she beheld the effect of Gurith's presence upon the barbarous Norwegians; an effect, far more grateful to her woman's heart than the most awful influence of her own magic spells. When Gurith came forth into the banquet-hall, they met her with a reverence only next to adoration. Their brutal manner caught for the time somewhat of her gentleness; their fierce disputings stopped; their coarse jests and roars of laughter sounded more faintly; the very minstrels touched their harps more lightly, and turned their war-songs to some plaintive lay, such as a gentle woman loves to hear. But the secret of this influence was a mystery to the consummate artfulness of Queen Temora : she could not comprehend that simple humility and unaffected kindness can win their way to the most savage bosom.

For instance, after a battle, when the wounded were brought home, a band of warriors came forward to the terrace, on which Gurith and Queen Temora sat, surrounded by their ladies. They had brought the richest spoil, and laid it at the feet of the two princesses. Temora snatched at once a coronet of gems, and placed it with a haughty smile upon her head. They that stood by shuddered as they saw Ler

bright eyes flashing, and the rich blush of pleasure on her cheek; for a few dark drops clung in the threads of yellow hair upon her brow, and then trickled down her face. There was human blood upon that coronet.-Gurith had scarcely looked upon the glittering baubles set before her; she had seen a wounded soldier fall exhausted at the gate, and she flew to raise him. They that stood by smiled with tender and admiring love, as they beheld her hands and garments stained with blood, for she had torn her long white veil to staunch the blood, dressing the wounds of the dying man with her own soft hands, and then as other wounded soldiers were brought from the field, she had forgot her rank, and the feebleness of her sex, to administer also to their relief. It was in such instances as these that the character of Gurith was discovered; was it strange that she should seem almost a being of a higher order to the untutored savages? But soon Temora began to fear that Gurith was herself an enchantress, for every withering spell of witchcraft had been tried in vain against her. She had met at midnight with the weird women in their murky caverns; there they sung their charmed rhymes together, and held their horrid incantations. Gurith was still unharmed, still lovely, still happy in the love of her husband, and of all the people.

By a mere chance, the sorceress at length discovered what she felt convinced to be the secret of Gurith's hidden strength. There was a chamber, in a small lonely tower that joined the palace, to which the young princess retired, not only at stated periods every day, but often, very often, at other times. There she would sometimes remain shut up for hours, and no one dared to break upon her privacy; even her husband humoured her wishes, and had never, since his marriage, visited that chamber. If sometimes she entered it mournful, dispirited, and with downcast looks, she never failed to come forth from her retirement with a new spirit, calm and smiling, and all the fair beauty of her face restored. This, then, was the chamber where those spells were woven which had baffled all the skill of the sorceress.

Not long after the queen had made the discovery of the chamber, the aged king, her father-in-law, while visiting the Princess Gurith, was struck with blindness. Temora began to rejoice, for an opportunity, well suited to her own dark purposes, had at last occurred.

There was a solemn festival held in honour of the goddess Freya. In the midst of the rejoicing, the sorceress, (her yellow hair streaming upon her shoulders, and her rich robes all rent,) rushed into

the hall. With frantic cries she bade the feasting cease, and, seizing from an aged scald the harp that he was striking, she tore away the strings, and then, in sullen silence, she sat her down before the idol's image. Again she rose, and with a dagger's point scratched a few rough characters upon the altar. The priests had gathered round her, and when they saw those letters, they also shrieked aloud with horror; they fell before the idol, and bowed their faces to the ground, howling, and heaping dust upon their heads. Upon this, with a fixed and dreamy stare, Temora arose, and, beating upon a sort of shapeless drum, commenced a low and melancholy chant.

She told them, that the nation had cause to mourn that heavy calamities had fallen upon them, that the gods had sent a curse among them. A monster had been cast up by the treacherous waves, and none had known their danger. Their king, their prince, nay, she herself, had been deceived; for that fearful monster had come among them in a human form, even as a beautiful maiden. They had cherished her, and now the judgment had fallen upon them: it had begun with the kinghe was struck with blindnesswhere would it fall next? with prophetic glance she could foresee. But here the drum dropt from her hands; at once her frantic violence was stilled: she sunk upon the ground, and her long hair fell like a veil over her stern features.-She had said enough. As she began, a smothered sound of cursing arose on all sides; now the whirlwind of furious passion burst forth, and knew no bounds. The tumult spread far and wide among the people. Led by the wizard priests, they rushed to the palace, and demanded that their king should come forth to them. Now the poor old king, being in his dotage, and almost governed by the priests, had been persuaded, and tutored, to think, and to answer, just as they suggested. Led by the sorceress, he came forth, sightless and trembling, and his few faltering words confirmed all that the artful Temora had declared.

All this time, Prince Regnar had been absent. He came in from hunting just when Temora had brought his father forth. Horror-struck, he soon perceived the purpose of the fiend-like woman; but in vain he sought to quell the furious tumult; his father was totally under the dominion of the priests, and when a cry was raised, demanding, as their victim, the young and innocent Gurith, the king's assent was given. As for the princess, she was not to be found. Two persons, however, who at once had guessed the place of her re

treat, met at the door of her mysterious chamber. For once that door was scarcely closed. It opened at the gentle touch of Regnar, but there was something, arrested him. "Stop, stop," he whispered, holding the door firmly with une hand, while he thrust forth the other to prevent Temora from advancing. "Stop but a little while. Let us not disturb her yet." Temora obeyed. Curiosity for a time mastered her vengeance. She wished to hear distinctly the words which were pronounced in that chamber; but what were the words that fell upon her ear? The low, sweet voice of Gurith, breathing forth prayers to the God she worshipped; pleading for her worst enemy, praying that He, whose favour is life, would give a new spirit, and sweet peace of mind, and every blessing to her sister Temora ! The voice of Gurith ceased, and Regnar entered softly. Temora had sunk upon the step where she had stood; she did not enter, though at last that chamber stood open before her; but with still greater astonishment than that with which she had listened, she gazed upon its in

mate.

Gurith had not heard the light step of her busband. She was kneeling, with both her hands covering her face. The tears that trickled through her fingers too well betrayed the anguish that had stopped her voice in prayer. And this, then, was the secret of the mysterious chamber. Gurith had trusted to no spell but that of innocence her strength had been in the confession of her utter weakness to Him, with whom she held her high and spiritual communion, to Him whose strength is made perfect in the weakness of his children. To him who hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, whose gracious invitation is to the weary and the heavy laden, she had gone in every time of trial; and from the foot of his cross, where she ever laid the burden of her griefs, she had brought forth into the world that sweet and holy cheerfulness which pssed even the understanding of the wretched Temora. Struck to the heart, the sorceress slunk silently away. Some feelings of remorse had seized upon her, and now she would have gladly stopped the tumult. Alas! she had no power to calm the storm which she had raised. The frantic multitude had burst the palace gates. Regnar was overpowered, and they were dragging their meek and innocent victim to the altar of the horrid idol, when suddenly, and it seemed miraculously, a higher power interposed and stopped their blind fury. The aged monarch fell dead into the arms of his attendants-the excitement of the last few hours had proved too much for his feeble frame. Instantly, and

ABOUT the centre of a deep winding and woody lane, in the secluded village of Aberleigh, stands an old farm-house, whose stables, out-buildings, and ample yard, have a peculiarly forlorn and deserted appearance; they can, in fact, scarcely be said to be occupied, the person who rents the land preferring to live at a large farm about a mile distant, leaving this lonely house to the care of a labourer and his wife, who reside in one end, and have the charge of a few colts