This young lady had an agreeable person, but unlike her sister Pauline she was not satisfied with mere external charms ; she spared no pains to improve her mind; so that her understanding was remarkable for its capacity as well as its solidity. Beyond comparison superior in talents to all her relatives, with the exception of Napoleon and Lucien, she could not fail to win the esteem of the former ; yet he dreaded her ambition, which, according to his account, was unbounded.

In 1800 she became the wife of General Murat, and in the sequel Grand Duchess of Berg and Queen of Naples. In the latter station she is admitted on all hands to have shown great ability, an engaging condescension, an incessant activity in promoting the industry and consequent comfort of the people, and in establishing useful institutions; above all, a firmness of purpose which contrasted favourably with the lamentable vacillation of her husband. When, after the flight of that fickle-minded soldier, Naples was exposed to all the horrors of anarchy, she adopted measures equally prompt, wise, and energetic, for preserving the public tranquillity. She assembled the national guard, which she placed at different points to overawe a licentious populace; and by this means some hundreds of the ruffians were lodged in prison. She had her eye on every thing; nor would she leave the city until she had concluded an honourable treaty with Commodore Campbell, and the Austrians were on the point of entering. With passports from the emperor Francis, she then proceeded to her destination in his dominions, where she has ever since been obliged to remain.

The morality of Caroline, no less than her general ability, appears to great advantage when contrasted with the depravity of her sisters. While they have rendered themselves infamous by a total disregard of their conjugal duties, Caroline's attachment to Murat has been distinguished alike for warmth and fidelity. Scandal has, indeed, asserted that Metternich was her lover; but the rumour obtained no credit with any except the most zealous partisans of the Bourbons. The family of Buonaparte labours under enough of deserved odium; there is neither generosity nor justice in adding to the load. Of all its members, Caroline is, with the single exception of Louis, the least to be censured, -- perhaps the only one to be praised: both, indeed, are worthy of a better name. Her services to her husband were signal: her advice always directed him for the best; and had it been uniformly followed, he might have remained on his throne. The chief defect in her character was the ambition which never ceased to rule her, and which made her anxious to share the public authority of her husband. If she loved him much, power she loved even more; and of power no man could be more jealous, though few were less capable of exercising it. Hence the origin of some painful scenes, which much embittered their domestic life.

Of the mental superiority of the ex-queen no less a judge than Talleyrand has borne this testimony: "She has Cromwell's head on the shoulders of a pretty woman!" Nothing mortified her more, when only Grand-duchess of Berg, than to be constrained to address the wife of her brother Joseph as your majesty, and she often complained to the emperor of what she called his undue partiality to that prince, and his forgetfulness of herself and husband. "Your complaints surprise me," said Napoleon on one occasion; "from your words any one might imagine that I had deprived you of your succession to the inheritance of the late king your father!"