ed with that of Italy, and the
unsuspecting Beauharnais was instructed to have her new Portuguese
realm ready against her arrival.

But the real object of that winter journey to Italy seems to have been
the two interviews which the Emperor had with his brothers Joseph and
Lucien, the former being beckoned from Naples to Venice, the latter
from Rome to Mantua. The younger brother had, after the first juvenile
heats of radicalism, become a moderate republican, holding his
convictions resolutely. Having opposed a hereditary consulate for
Napoleon, and unmindful of any reward he might have claimed for his
services of Brumaire, he withdrew from public life to spend his time
in study and the gratification of his literary tastes. On the death of
his first wife, by whom he had two daughters, he married, in direct
opposition to Napoleon's wishes, the beautiful and accomplished Mme.
de Jauberthon. This was in 1803. Having been importuned to put her
away and lend himself to the project of buttressing the Empire by
accepting a crown and contracting a royal marriage, he had refused. By
far the ablest and most courageous of the Bonaparte brothers, he was
utterly indifferent to the rise of Napoleonic empire, for his
principles were fixed. It was with reluctance that he came to Mantua.
There are two accounts of what happened there: that which has long
been accepted--of Lucien hotly refusing the crown of Portugal, with
the hand of Prince Ferdinand for his daughter Charlotte; and that
which makes Napoleon's first offer to have been Etruria. Both accounts
agree, however, that the Emperor raised his bid to the promise of
Italy--always on condition that his brother should divorce his wife
and rule in the interest of the imperial power. Lucien disdained even
this bribe, declaring that he would accept the crown, but that he
would rule in the interests of his subjects, and that he would in no
case consider a divorce. Angry words were spoken. Napoleon crushed in
his hand a watch with which he had been toying, hissing out that thus
he would crush wills which opposed his. "I defy you to commit a
crime," retorted Lucien. Before parting there was a half
reconciliation, and Napoleon requested that at least his brother's
eldest daughter might be sent to Paris for use in the scheme of royal
alliances. Lucien assented, and the child, a clever girl of about
fourteen, was sent to live with Madame Mere. She was thoroughly
discontented, and wrote bright,