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good of the country." The instrument for dissolving the marriage was then signed by the following personages:- Napoleon, Josephine, Madame, (the mother of Bonaparte) Louis, Jerome Napoleon, Joachim Napoleon, Eugene Napoleon, Julie, Hortense, Catherine, Pauline, Caroline.
Josephine now withdrew from the palace of the Tuilleries, and retired once more to Malmaison, where she was visited daily by Bonaparte until the period of his nuptials.
Henceforward, Josephine's life was passed alterately at Malmaison and Navarre, and glided away in an equal tenor of benevolent exertion and elegant employment, offering but few incidents. A description of one is the account of all. The villa of Malmaison, to which she first retired, from its vicinity to Paris, might be regarded as her residence of ceremony. Here she received the visits, almost the homage of the members of the court of Napoleon and Maria Lousia; for it was quickly discovered that however unpleasant they might be to her new rival, such visits were recommendations to the emperor's favour. A little after nine, these receptions took place; and from the visitors of the morning were retained, or previously invited, some ten or twelve guests to breakfast at eleven. After breakfast the empress adjourned to the saloon, where she conversed for about an hour, or walked in the delightful gallery adjoining, which contained many of the masterpieces of painting and sculpture. Of these, a few were ancient, but the greater number were the works of living artists, the most distinguished of whom were not without obligations to the patronage of Josephine.
The arrival of the carriages at the palace was the signal for the departure of the crowd of
