THE QUEEN OF FOLLY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3355, 3 January 1927, Page 7

THE QUEEN OF FOLLY.

NAPOLEON'S BEAUTIFUL SISTER. The genius and 1 eccentricity of the iOouaparte blood were not concentrated a Napoleon, but were shared in considerable measure by his sister Pauline, Mat “wayward Florentine creature, ‘naif jewel, half siren,” whose looks ; .vere line that “classic beauty seen in jreek statues,” was Napoleon’s favor.ce sister and the enfant terrible of the Bonaparte family, Napoleon himself declared that sti© was the prettiest • .voman in all Pans, whilst tiie great sculptor, Canova, immortalised her in fins “Venus Victoneuse.” Can one Men wonder that this Corsician beauty was the most prodigious lover of her ! day ? From the age of 14 to- the day of her death, Pauline made one long butterfly flight amongst the hearts oi; • ill sorts and conditions ■ of men. Paoletta, as she was christened, was *a baby when the Bonapartes fled from Corsica. Her early days were snenfc at Marseilles, where at J. 4 she horrified -he ladies by bathing stark naked in the harbor. A year later she wrote; “1 should so like to have a hat ail to myself; Eliza and I have only one between us 1” The hatless girl was destined to possess and squander fortunes, and to have a coachful of her .diamonds captured at Waterloo! Her first lover was Stanislas Freron. an ugly roue with hands bloodstained ‘in the Terror. Nevertheless, he was influential. Barras records that they were seen everywhere together “on Terms of familiarity far from what even our customs consider proper.” All went smoothly untd Napoleon discover,ed that Freron had a mistress elscIwhere. The marriage was sternly forbidden, and the oroken-hearted girl of 16 had to content herself with swearing eternal faithfulness to Freron’s memory. But though the “faithful” Pauline did not reciprocate the delirious passion of Junot, she eagerly encouraged La Salcatte, who unfortunate- { ly decided that “Mademoiselle Bonaparte’s beauty was a sore temptation, ' uUt her deficiencies in the more solid qualities attracted less,” The Little 'corporal was at his wits end how to prevent further escapades. He must and her a desirable husband forthwith! The man upon whom choice fell was Victor Emmanuel Leclerc, a promising young staff-officer. Pauline was orl iered to join the Court that surround/ jed Napoleon at Milan after his Italian j .ictones. The poet Arnault gives an insight into Pauline’s character and behaviour there: — I Napoleon’s schemes were rudely j hastened. According to Baron Mourner, i the General discovered Leclerc making love to Pauline in too unceremonious a fashion; the wedding was celebrated j without delay. ; The happy pair lived together for a i short while. After the birth of a son, Leclerc left for active service, whilst | Pauline was sent to school in Paris, for her education had been sadly negi looted! During her idle hours, she ! horrified half Paris by appearing at la Carnival as a Bacchante. Then came ;orders for leclerc to proceed to Haiti. Pauline refused to accompany him. “1 am accustomed to wives preferring to |be with their husbands!” ordered Napoleon. So Pauline, her trunks 1 laden with innumerable dresses, set sail. On Mhe ship was Freron—amor redivivus! i! An orgy of flirtations in Haiti followed. Then Leclerc died. Pauline escorted his corpse back to“ France with every sign of grieL Back in Paris, the mourner soon became the merry widow. She intrigued with Generals Moreau, Mac Donald, and Humbert, then fell violently in love with an actor named Lafon. This last was too much for Napoleon, who took alvantage of a liaison between Pauline and Prince Borghese to order the pair to marry. So “The Queen of Folly” became a Princess. Borghese was to play the shameful role of complacent husband, for Paulino, created Princess of Guastalla, divided her time between her Italian e’s-, itales, her Parisian fialace, and the fashionable watering-places, of Europe, indulging in a string of loveaffairs. At last came her deepest Jove —Talma, the actor; and her most lasting love —Captain de Canouville. Poor jCanouville’s coup de grace came in unexpected fashion. Alexander 1. had i presented Napoleon with three exquisite sable pelisses. Napoleon gave ; one to Pauline, who passed it on to | Canouville. At a review, the young 1 officer’s horse backed against the 12mjperor, whose eye fell upon the pelisse. I Canouville was sent on active service, whence he never returned. His place was soon filled! At the watering-places Pauline was ;carried about sometimes in a palanquin by negroes, sometimes in a litter by liveried servants. She held court even in her baths of milk. Asked how she could have brought herself to pose : naked before Canova, she replied: '“There was a. fire in the studio.” ,i Time was to show Pauline’s nobler i side. When disaster fell, she accompaned her brother to Elba. It was only her failing health that kept her from St. Helena. When the last hoir of illness came, she asked for a mi ror. “Thank God, I’m still beautiful I she sighed, as she turned to breath her last.