Page:History of the Empress Josephine (2).pdf/19

 HISTORY OD THE EXPRESS JOSEPHINE. 19

At first, he had merely said that she had had a nervous attack, but in his increasing agitation allowed me expressions to escape, whence the count first clearly perceived the nature of Josephine's calamity. When they had thus attained the private staircase, it appeared too steep and narrow for M. de Beaumont, unassisted, to attempt to bear the empress down with safety. Napoleon then called the keeper of the port- folio, whose duty it was to be in constant attendance at the door of the cabinet, which also opened upon the corridor. Giving the taper to this attendant, and directing him to precede, the emperor himself supported Josephine's limbs. and, deseending last, the party thus attained the door of her bedroom. Here Napoleon dismissed both his companions, and laying the empress on the bed, rang fur her women, who, on entering, found him hanging over her with an expression of the deepest anxiety. On the 16th of the following December, Napoleon assem- bled all the members of the senate, including the kings of Westphalia and Naples, the grand admiral, the prince viceroy of Italy, the arch-chancellor of state, the prince vice-con- stable, &c. After the usual ceremonies, a project of a "Sena- tus Consultum" was read, respecting a dissolution of the marriage between the emperor Napoleon and the empress Josephine. This deed of separation required by the two high contract- ing parties themselves, and approved of hy a family council, at which all the princes and princesses of the imperial family then at Paris had assisted, received, on the same day, the as- sent of the senate, after having been duly examined by a special commission. Jean-Jaques Regis Cambaccres, prince areh-chancellor of the empire, then stated, that, on the pre- ceding day, he had visited the palace of the Tuilleries, attend- ed by Michael Louis Etienne Regnault de St. Jean d'Angeley, count of the empire, minister of state, and secretary of state to the imperial family. On being introduced to the grand cabinet of the emperor, he there found his majesty the em- peror and king, with her majesty the empress, attended by their majesties the kings of Holland, Westphalia, and Naples.