BONAPARTE, originally BUONAPARTE, the patronymic of the most remarkable Family or House of modern times. Although this is a dictionary not of history, but simply of biography, we have thought it right to construct a chart of the relations of this memorable House; nor is that chart irrelevant even to what is rightly expected of biographers, inasmuch as a glance over it will enable our readers to spare us tedious explanation and inevitable repetition. We have sought to penetrate no further into the past, than to the times of Carlo Bonaparte and Letizia Ramolino—the parents of the family which Napoleon made so conspicuous. It is averred, indeed, that a long and superb pedigree would reveal itself to minute research, and that Carlo Bonaparte could have linked himself with noble families of the party of the Ghibellines; but we prefer sympathizing with the proud words of the great soldier himself, when Francis of Austria inquired concerning his emblazonments—"Tell the emperor of Austria, that I am the Rŭdolf of Hapsburg of my Family." But it is not necessary to peer through antiquity, to secure for Napoleon and his brothers a most honourable origin. Carlo Buonaparte (he was the last who employed the orthography Buonaparte) was a Corsican lawyer of moderate but adequate means; and in the gallant contest under Paoli, he showed that he understood and could answer the call of patriotism. Letizia Ramolino was reputed the most beautiful young woman in Corsica of her time. Reflecting on the chiselled and stately symmetry of the countenance of Napoleon, and on the soft and exquisite loveliness of the Princess Borghese, one is little inclined to question the rightfulness of Letizia's fame; but—passing from beauty of mere feature—we are assured by the facts of history, that she was a woman excelled in nobility of mind by few, that she possessed an integrity which nothing could shake, a firmness which never wavered, and that temperance amid unlooked for prosperity, which cannot exist apart from greatness of soul. As with Goethe and other men like him, Napoleon was fond to trace whatever quality he considered good in himself or permanently great, to his having some resemblance to his mother; nor is the honour given to Madame Mère, or the fine traditions connected with her, yet wholly forgotten at the Parisian court. Alas! that her equanimity, her justice, her proud stainlessness, should have ever failed to find in these spacious palaces fitting representatives!—The chart we have spoken of is printed on the following page.
This Chart indicates not obscurely, the course that should be taken regarding the biographies which belong to it. Concerning the right hand portion of it, we need offer no special or elaborate memorials. Maria Anna, or Eliza, grand duchess of Tuscany, lived unobtrusively, without accomplishing anything that requires to be recorded. Of the Princess Borghese we have indeed stirring reminiscences. That could have been no ordinary beauty, which moved a Canova from his composure; but it is best perhaps, that, surrounded by the halo of so fine a myth, the exquisite Princess should be permitted to sleep in peace. Caroline had higher attributes; she bore misfortune as a heroine. Nor has her family passed out of the sphere of instant European interests: the name of her son is one of the few sounds that appear to move the present king of Naples.—Another group may at present also be dismissed: the dynasty of the Napoleons rightly falls to be portrayed under the name of its founder; and the events of the life of the mother of the present Emperor may best be narrated under Hortense. It remains, therefore, that in this place, we present short biographies of Joseph, Lucien, and Jerome:—the comparatively quiet life of Louis—apart from Hortense—being characterized in a very few sentences.—One general remark is of some importance. Joseph dying without male offspring, Lucien and his family were heirs of the Empire by right of primogeniture; but the elder Napoleon disinherited Lucien by a formal act of absolute power—named rather humorously, as some might think, a plebiscite—bequeathing the State to Joseph and Louis; so that—Joseph's claim having lapsed—the Imperial heritage lies with the existing wearer of the purple. Should the Prince Imperial not attain to manhood, the heredité, we presume, falls to Napoleon, son of Jerome. But it were worse than useless to speculate concerning the heritage of dominion in France!—We shall now take these sons of Carlo and Letizia, in the order of their birth.
I. BONAPARTE, Joseph, the eldest of the Bonaparte family: for the bare outlines of his life our chart will suffice. As a private citizen, Joseph must have been distinguished. In person he resembled Napoleon, only he was taller; and he preserved a graciousness to which, in his latter years, the Emperor was a stranger. Joseph himself tells us, that once on a time while the leaf was green, that stern soldier was gracious also, nor do those early letters to the "frere bien-aimé" belie the averment; but affection, love, and faith withered in the end under the cares of government and the lust of power. Previous to the consulate, Joseph was employed on delicate missions by the Directory; nor was the administration ever slow to avail "itself of the effect of his conciliatory manners, his devotion to the honour of his country, and his skill in diplomacy. It was he who virtually delivered Rome to General Berthier; he concluded treaties with the United States and Germany in 1800 and 1801; and he was chosen as representative of the French government during the negotiations that led to the so-called peace of Amiens. Joseph afterwards wore two crowns,—that of Naples, and that of Spain. On the shipwreck of his family he retired to the United States, where, as Count de Survilliers, he dispensed kindly and sumptuous hospitality on the banks of the Delaware. On the occurrence of the revolution of 1830 he repaired to England and thence to Italy, where he died at Florence in 1844.—The two important incidents of Joseph's life are those which, while revealing most concerning his personal qualities, throw the greatest light on the character and policy of Napoleon, and help us to the origin of those grand crimes that issued in his destruction. The incidents referred to are also very definite, nor can the illustration they afford be questioned. The ardour of French publicists has led them sometimes to impugn the fealty or at least the firmness of Joseph, during the sad events that ushered in the abdication at Fontainebleau and subsequently Napoleon's surrender at Rochefort. Impartial investigation is alone needed to establish his loyalty to his Brother, and to France. But it seems as if the history of his two Reigns were beyond reach of doubt; and if it is so, how strange a history! After declining the honour of a new kingdom of Upper Italy, Joseph was sent to Naples at the head of an army in 1806. The conquest of that misgoverned state was easy, nor does it appear that any order of persons belonging to it—nobles, clergy, or people—had a thought of regret because of the expulsion of Caroline and that wretched Sicilian branch of the Bourbons. Joseph entered on the functions of royalty, indeed, under conditions the reverse of unfavourable; and it has to be recorded, that the most favourable of all these conditions was his own resolve to govern well, to secure the safety of property, the stability of commerce, and that equity should characterize all public relations and transactions among the people he had undertaken to rule. In minor details connected with this enterprise he may sometimes have been injudicious, and sometimes have failed; but the obstacle of which his sagacity appears not to have warned him—the obstacle that neither wisdom nor philanthropy could remove—lay in the mind and objects of Napoleon. The letters published in Joseph's posthumous memoirs are among the most remarkable that have seen the light in any age. The activity of the Emperor—unless perhaps in the case of Cæsar—is unparalleled in history. In the midst of the morasses in the north of Europe, and requiring to deal every hour with pressing circumstances that bore directly on the destinies of the old world, he yet could think on the smallest details connected with the government of Naples, and felt disposed to issue regarding them very absolute decrees. If Joseph was uneasy under the eye of such an omniscience, he was grieved the more when he fully comprehended its object. Joseph desired to organize and govern Naples well. Napoleon held at the cheapest rate both Naples and the Neapolitan people. He had no idea save one—"The wealth, the power of every subjected state, must subserve the purposes of France; and all kings and governors are my lieutenants." Let us record a few characteristic extracts from these extraordinary letters:—"Mon frere, je vois que vous promettez de n’imposer aucune contribution de guerre...A mon avis, vous prenez des mesures trop etroites. Mettez trente millions des contributions sur le royaume de Naples, payez bien votre armée. ... Vos proclamations aux peuples de Naples ne sentent pas assez le maitre... Vous vous fiez beaucoup trop aux demonstrations qu’ils vous font... Quel amour voulez-vous qu'ait pour vous un peuple pour qui vous n’avez rien fait? ... Ces gens-la s’enorgueilleront et croiront n’être pas conquis... Tout peuple etranger qui à cette idée n'est pas conquis... Si vous gouvernez votre pays avec vigueur et que vous en retiriez cent quarante á cent
