"Sonnet To Empress Eugénie And Napoleon II The Upstart - Manuscript"
Curious drafts (5 pages, 4 of which are text), comprising a "Sonnet to Her Imperial Highness Empress Eugenie"; then "Napoleon III the Upstart" - and a paragraph celebrating the latter. Some parts are written in Latin, "Napoleon magnus"; probably critical or ironic. Sonnet to Her Imperial Highness Eugenie If brilliant language were within my domain, If I could use it with authority, I would paint, to the best of my ability, of our sovereign The graces, the favor, the virtues, the beauty. All adulation, in this case, would be vain, Or rather, would overshadow the clarity Which should never be given to the poor human spirit With more, with as much liberality. For Napoleon III, in favor of France, A model was needed in all things: Providence chose discretion and yielded to her wishes. The first of illustrious graces, virtues, genius, Belongs to God alone; Fate placed her in heaven, who performed this marvel, in creating Eugénie.