“Nevertheless,” continued the Emperor, “this woman, who was so reluctant to part with a single crown, would willingly have given me her all, on my return from the Island of Elba; and after the battle of Waterloo, she would have surrendered to me all she possessed in the world, to assist me in re-establishing my affairs. This she offered to do; and would, without a murmur, have doomed herself to live on brown bread.[16] Loftiness of sentiment still reigned paramount in her heart: pride and noble ambition were not yet subdued by avarice.”
How justly did the Emperor paint his mother’s character! On my return to Europe I was delighted to witness the literal confirmation of all that he had said respecting her.
As soon as I disclosed to Madame Mère the Emperor’s real situation, and declared my resolution to exert all my efforts to alleviate his misery, the answer returned to me by the courier was, that her whole fortune was at her son’s disposal, and that she would earn her livelihood if necessary by going to service. She at the same time, authorised me, though I was not personally known to her, to draw immediately in her name for any sum that I might think necessary for the Emperor’s use. Cardinal Fesch also tendered his services in the most affectionate way; and I must take this opportunity of mentioning that all the different members of the Emperor’s family evinced equal love, zeal, and devotedness. So long as my health permitted me to keep up a correspondence with them, I received a multitude of letters, which form altogether a most interesting collection. They reflect honour on the hearts of the writers, and they would have proved a source of consolation to the Emperor, had the restrictions of the English government permitted me to submit them to his perusal.
Here the Emperor observed that he had still present in his memory the lessons of pride which he had received from his mother in his childhood, and which had influenced his conduct through life. The naturally powerful mind of Madame Mère had been exalted by the great events of which she had been a witness; she had seen five or six revolutions; and her house had been thrice burnt to the ground by factions in Corsica.