BONAPARTE JEROME: (1784-1860) King of Westphalia 1807-13. Younger brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. An excellent content and very fine A.L.S. `Jerome´, three pages, 8vo, mourning paper, Florence, 18th September 1846, to his daughter Princess Mathilde, in French. A lengthy letter by Jérôme Bonaparte explaining how the important affair related to her letters to the Emperor was sorted out, referring to Tsar Nicholas I, and stating in part ` C'est le prince Gregori Wolkonsky qui était présent chez Orloff avec Kozackowsky lorsque tout a été convenu… Personne à St-Petersburg n'a eu soupçon de tes lettres à l'Empereur et à Orloff, Sa Majesté ayant voulu par-là faire voir que ce n'était pas par l'autorité souveraine que D[emidoff] signait les arrangements dont je vais te parler : Orloff a pris le plus grand intérêt à toi, et Kozackowsky s'est conduit comme aurait pu le faire un de tes frères…´ (“It was Prince Gregori Wolkonsky who was present at Orloff's with Kozackowsky when everything was agreed… Nobody in St-Petersburg had any suspicion of your letters to the Emperor and Orloff, His Majesty having wanted this way to show that it was not by sovereign authority that D[emidoff] signed the arrangements I am going to tell you about: Orloff took the greatest interest in you, and Kozackowsky behaved as one of your brothers…”) Bonaparte further reports in detail on the terms of the friendly agreement approved by the Tsar, and stating that when Demidoff will pass away she will receive `…cinq millions à prendre sur sa fortune dont tu pouvais disposer à ton gré, ainsi que les propriétés qui sont à l'étranger & tes diamants… Orloff alors lui a demandé en cas de séparation quel serait le sort de la Princesse ? A cette question il a paru abassourdi et après bien des discussions il a été convenu qu'il t'assurait 250 mille francs de pension viagère et une partie ou la totalité des diamants…´ (“… five millions to be taken from his fortune which you could dispose of as you wish, as well as the properties which are abroad & your diamonds… Orloff then asked him in the event of divorce what would be the fate of the Princess? At this question he seemed stunned and after many discussions it was agreed that he would guarantee you 250 thousand francs of life pension and part or all of the diamonds...”) Jérôme continues with further explanations regarding the terms of the agreement and before concluding sends a serious and precise advice, stating `…il n'y aurait d'autre parti à prendre qu'une séparation à l'amiable, en lui donnant la couleur d'une incompatibilité de caractère et faire la chose sans scandale et sans haine… Tu comprendras d'après cela, ma bien aimée Mathilde, qu'il faut que pendant les premiers temps surtout, tu mettes dans ta conduite une excessive prudence, afin que la calomnie ne puisse pas t'atteindre…´ (“…there would be no other course to take than an amicable separation, presenting it as an incompatibility of characters and doing the whole without scandal and without hatred… You will understand from that, my beloved Mathilde, that during the first times especially, you must exercise excessive prudence in your conduct, so that calumny cannot affect you...”) VG

 

Mathilde Bonaparte (1820-1904) Princess of San Donato. Daughter of Jérôme Bonaparte.

Nicholas I (1796-1855) Emperor of Russia 1825-55.

Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov (1813-1870) Prince of San Donato. Russian Diplomat and Arts Patron. First husband of Princess Mathilde.

Grigory Wolkinsky (1808-1882) Russian Prince. Married to Maria Alexandrovna von Benckendorff, daughter of Alexander Benckendorff, Minister of the Police and of the Secret Police under Nicholas I.

Alexei Feodorovich Orlov (1787-1862) Russian Diplomat and military Officer. He took part in the capture of Paris in 1814.

Stanislaw Kossakowski (1795-1872) General of French Army and aide-de-camp of Napoleon