From The Times, July 1, 1815
This little snippet came from my bestie who has collected these sorts of little gems since forever--well, since 1987, which is long enough--and shares them with me whenever we launch into one of our "What if...?" or "Do you think...? regarding the Lovely Louise and her five little rugrats. But this one is useful as an exemplar of the apparent precursor to The Daily Mail regarding gaslighting, invective, and just plain lies. The slime tossed at Hortense is particularly amusing, as well as the mention of Savary's wife and the Lovely Louise. Those of you who know about Hortense, please jump in. For context: this refers to the disruptions post-Waterloo.
From The Times, 1 July 1815:
“Among the shameless women, who have had a great share in the late atrocious conspiracy, is the wife of Lous Buonaparte, who, by the liberality of the King, was allowed to bear the title of Duchess of St. Leu, with a large revenue: which with the basest ingratitude she dedicated to the fomenting of those treasons that led to the late bloody scenes. This woman is noticed to be still at Malmaison.
“We trust that she, as well as the soi-disant duchesses of Rovigo, Montebello, &c., at whose houses the late plots were formed, will be sent to end their days at the House of Correction, with the females whom they resemble in depravity.
“We some time ago spoke of sending these worthless people of both sexes to Botany Bay; but a correspondent justly observes, that this would be to endanger the morals of our own transports who, however degraded in character here, still retain something of English feeling, and are strangers to that extreme turpitude which marks the heroes and heroines of the Revolutionary drama. The hopes held out by the Rebel Government of rallying the troops are exceedingly slight.”