In this journey to the Kingdom of Italy Napoleon had several important objects in view.  He was planning great alliances; and he loaded Eugene with favours for the purpose of sounding him and preparing him for his mother’s divorce.  At the same time he intended to have an interview with his brother Lucien, because, wishing to dispose of the hand of his brother’s daughter, he thought of making her marry the Prince of the Asturias (Ferdinand), who before the Spanish war, when the first dissensions between father and son had become manifest, had solicited an alliance with the Emperor in the hope of getting his support.  This was shortly after the eldest son of Louis had died in Holland of croup.  It has been wrongly believed that Napoleon had an affection for this child beyond that of an uncle for a nephew.  I have already said the truth about this.

However this may be, it is certain that Napoleon now seriously contemplated a divorce from Josephine.  If there had been no other proof of this I, who from long habit knew how to read Napoleon’s thoughts by his acts, found a sufficient one in the decree issued at Milan by which Napoleon adopted Eugene as his son and successor to the crown of Italy, in default of male and legitimate children directly descended from him.  Lucien went to Mantua on his brother’s invitation, and this was the last interview they had before the Cent Tours.  Lucien consented to give his daughter to the Prince of the Asturias, but this marriage did not take place.  I learned from Duroc to what a height the enmity of Lucien towards the Beauharnais family, an enmity which I have often had occasion to speak of, had been renewed on this occasion.  Lucien could not pardon Josephine for the rebuff of the counsels which he had given her, and which she had rejected with such proper indignation.  Lucien had besides another special reason for giving his daughter to the Prince of the Asturias.  He particularly wished to prevent that Prince marrying Mademoiselle de Tascher, the niece of Josephine, a marriage for which M. de Beauharnais, then Ambassador of France at Madrid, was working with all his might.  Lucien also, with his Republican stolidity, submitted without too much scruple to the idea of having a Bourbon King as son-in-law.  It was also during this journey of Napoleon that he annexed Tuscany to the Empire.

Bonaparte returned to Paris on the 1st of January 1808.  On his way he stopped for a short time at Chambery, where a young man had been waiting for him several days.  This was Madame de Stael’s son, who was then not more than seventeen years of age.  M. Auguste de Stael lodged at the house of the postmaster of Chambery, and as the Emperor was expected in the course of the night, he gave orders that he should be called up on the arrival of the first courier.  The couriers, who had been delayed on the road, did not arrive until six in the morning, and were almost immediately followed by the Emperor himself, so that M, de Stael was awakened by the cries