Verona, the 29th, noon.

At length, my adored Josephine, I live again.  Death is no longer before me, and glory and honour are still in my breast.  The enemy is beaten at Arcola.  To-morrow we will repair the blunder of Vaubois, who abandoned Rivoli.  In eight days Mantua will be ours, and then thy husband will fold thee in his arms, and give thee a thousand proofs of his ardent affection.  I shall proceed to Milan as soon as I can:  I am a little fatigued.  I have received letters from Eugene and Hortense.  I am delighted with the children.  I will send you their letters as soon as I am joined by my household, which is now somewhat dispersed.

We have made five thousand prisoners, and killed at least six thousand of the enemy.  Adieu, my adorable Josephine.  Think of me often.  When you cease to love your Achilles, when your heart grows cool towards him, you wilt be very cruel, very unjust.  But I am sure you will always continue my faithful mistress, as I shall ever remain your fond lover (’tendre amie’).  Death alone can break the union which sympathy, love, and sentiment have formed.  Let me have news of your health.  A thousand and a thousand kisses.

It is impossible for me to avoid occasionally placing myself in the foreground in the course of these Memoirs.  I owe it to myself to answer, though indirectly, to certain charges which, on various occasions, have been made against me.  Some of the documents which I am about to insert belong, perhaps, less to the history of the General-in-Chief of the army of-Italy than to that of his secretary; but I must confess I wish to show that I was not an intruder, nor yet pursuing, as an obscure intriguer, the path of fortune.  I was influenced much more by friendship than by ambition when I took a part on the scene where the rising-glory of the future Emperor already shed a lustre on all who were attached to his destiny.  It will be seen by the following letters with what confidence I was then honoured; but these letters, dictated by friendship, and not written for history, speak also of our military achievements; and whatever brings to recollection the events of that heroic period must still be interesting to many.

                    Headquartersat Milan,
               20th Prairial, year iv. (8th June 1796).

The General-in-Chief has ordered me, my dear Bourrienne, to make known to you the pleasure he experienced on hearing of you, and his ardent desire that you should join us.  Take your departure, then, my dear Bourrienne, and arrive quickly.  You may be certain of obtaining the testimonies of affection which are your due from all who know you; and we much regret that you were not with us to have a share in our success.  The campaign which we have just concluded will be celebrated in the records of history.  With less than 30,000 men, in a state of almost complete destitution,