ng roast goose and
apple sauce!"
Not disheartened by this ominous venture, in a few weeks they again
embarked for Lisbon, where, after Jerome's desertion, his wife remained
for seven days, and then sailed for Amsterdam. As the Erin lay in Texel
Roads, the captain of a French frigate came daily to present "ses
hommages a Mademoiselle Patterson," and to ascertain her orders for the
day. "Prisoners, sir, have no orders to give," was her reply. Perceiving
the futility of opposing the emperor's decrees, and justly apprehensive
of personal peril should she force a landing on the Continent, she
sailed for Dover, but here again she was immeshed in Bonaparte
restrictions, as no member of that family could enter England without
permission of the government. Mr. Pitt, then prime minister, sent a
military escort, which lined the way, keeping off the crowd that strove
to get a glimpse of her as she disembarked and entered her carriage. At
Camberwell, her son, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, was born, eighteen
months after her marriage. Two months later she sailed for the United
States. Her father in the marriage contract had guaranteed to her
certain property and one thousand dollars per annum, but on her return
he declined to redeem his promise, on the plea that her rejection by the
First Consul, by invalidating the marriage, had nullified his agreement
with his child, whose misfortune he resented as a crime. Prince Jerome
at the birth of their son sent her a thousand guineas, and with this
paltry sum she began life anew.
Neither poverty nor the humiliating overthrow of her happiness daunted
this young creature's spirit, which rose always to the occasion. When
King Jerome, after his marriage with the princess of Wuertemberg, offered
his repudiated wife the principality of Smalcand with forty thousand
dollars per annum, her witty reply, that "Westphalia no doubt was a
considerable kingdom, but not large enough to hold two queens," so
pleased the emperor that he directed the French minister at Washington,
M. Serrurier, to intimate his wish to serve her. "Tell the emperor that
I am ambitious: I wish to be made a duchess of France." This the emperor
promised to do at a later moment, and offered her twenty thousand
dollars down and a life annuity of twelve thousand dollars, which she
accepted, "proud to be indebted to the greatest man of modern times,"
but with the proviso that the receipt for payment should be signed by
her as _Elizabet
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