memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v13-第13部分

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Marshals　are　faithful　to　me。〃〃Sire；　I　suspect　no　man's　fidelity；　but　I
can　assure　your　Majesty　that；　as　Bonaparte　has　landed；　he　will　be　here
within　a　week。　　I　know　him；　and　your　Majesty　cannot　know　him　as　well　as　I
do；　but　I　can　venture　too　assure　your　Majesty　with　the　same　confidence
that　he　will　not　be　here　six　months　hence。　　He　will　be　hurried　into　acts
of　folly　which　will　ruin　him。　　〃De　Bourrienne；　I　hope　the　best　from
events；　but　if　misfortune　again　compel　me　to　leave　France；　and　your
second　prediction　be　fulfilled；　you　may　rely　on　me。〃　　During　this　short
conversation　the　King　appeared　perfectly　tranquil　and　resigned。

The　next　day　I　again　visited　the　Tuileries；　whither　I　had　at　those
perilous　times　frequent　occasion　to　repair。　　On　that　day　I　received　a
list　of　twenty…five　persons　whom　I　was　ordered　to　arrest。　　I　took　the
liberty　to　observe　that　such　a　proceeding　was　not　only　useless　but　likely
to　produce　a　very　injurious　effect　at　that　critical　moment。　　The　reasons
I　urged　had　not　all　the　effect　I　expected。　　However；　some　relaxation　as
to　twenty…three　of　the　twenty…five　was　conceded；　but　it　was　insisted　that
Fouche　and　Davoust　should　be　arrested　without　delay。　　The　King　repeatedly
said；　〃I　wish　you　to　arrest　Fouche。〃〃　Sire；　I　beseech　your　Majesty　to
consider　the　inutility　of　such　a　measure。〃〃　I　am　resolved　upon　Fouches
arrest。　　But　I　am　sure　you　will　miss　him；　for　Andre　could　not　catch　him。〃

My　nocturnal　installation　as　Prefect　of　the　Police　took　place　some　time
after　midnight。　　I　had　great　repugnance　to　the　arrest　of　Fouche；　but　the
order　having　been　given；　there　was　no　alternative　but　to　obey　it。　　I
communicated　the　order　to　M。　Foudras；　who　very　coolly　observed；　〃Since　we
are　to　arrest　him　you　need　not　be　afraid；　we　shall　have　him　fast
tomorrow。〃

The　next　day　my　agents　repaired　to　the　Duke　of　Otranto's　hotel；　in　the
Rue　d'Artois。　　On　showing　their　warrant　Fouche　said；　〃What　does　this
mean？　　Your　warrant　is　of　no　force；　it　is　mere　waste…paper。　　It　purports
to　come　from　the　Prefect　of　the　Police；　but　there　is　no　such　Prefect。〃
In　my　opinion　Fouche　was　right；　for　my　appointment；　which　took　place
during　the　night；　had　not　been　legally　announced。　　　Be　that　as　it　may；
on　his　refusal　to　surrender；　one　of　my　agents　applied　to　the　staff　of　the
National　Guard；　requesting　the　support；　in　case　of　need；　of　an　armed
force。　　General　Dessolles　repaired　to　the　Tuileries　to　take　the　King's
orders　on　the　subject。　　Meanwhile　Fouche；　who　never　lost　his　self…
possession；　after　talking　to　the　police　officers　who　remained　with　him；
pretended　to　step　aside　for　some　indispensable　purpose；　but　the　door
which　he　opened　led　into　a　dark　passage　through　which　he　slipped；　leaving
my　unfortunate　agents　groping　about　in　the　obscurity。　　As　for　himself；　he
speedily　gained　the　Rue　Taitbout；　where　he　stepped　into　a　coach；　and
drove　off。　　This　is　the　whole　history　of　the　notable　arrest　of　Fouche。

As　for　Davoust；　I　felt　my　hands　tied　with　respect　to　him。　　I　do　not　mean
to　affect　generosity；　for　I　acknowledge　the　enmity　I　bore　him；　but　I　did
not　wish　it　to　be　supposed　that　I　was　acting　towards　him　from　a　spirit　of
personal　vengeance。　　I　therefore　merely　ordered　him　to　be　watched。　　The
other　twenty…three　were　to　me　in　this　matter　as　if　they　had　never
existed；　and　some　of　them；　perhaps；　will　only　learn　in　reading　my　Memoirs
what　dangerous　characters　they　were　thought　to　be。

On　the　15th　of　March；　after　the　conversation　which；　as　I　have　already
related；　I　had　with　Louis　XVIII；　I　went　to　M。　de　Blacas　and　repeated　to
him　what　I　had　stated　to　the　King　on　the　certainty　of　Bonaparte's　speedy
arrival　in　Paris。　　I　told　him　that　I　found　it　necessary　to　devote　the
short　time　still　in　our　power　to　prevent　a　reaction　against　the
Royalists；　and　to　preserve　public　tranquillity　until　the　departure　of　the
Royal　family；　and　that　I　would　protect　the　departure　of　all　persons　who
had　reasons　for　withdrawing　themselves　from　the　scene　of　the　great　and
perhaps　disastrous　events　that　might　ensue。　　〃You　may　readily　believe；
Count；〃　added　I；　〃that　considering　the　great　interests　with　which　I　am
entrusted；　I　am　not　inclined　to　lose　valuable　time　in　arresting　the
persons　of　whose　names　I　have　received　a　list。　　The　execution　of　such　a
measure　would　be　useless；　it　would　lead　to　nothing；　or　rather　it　would
serve　to　irritate　public　feeling。　　My　conviction　of　this　fact　has
banished　from　me　all　idea　of　keeping　under　restraint　for　four　or　five
days　persons　whose　influence；　whether　real　or　supposed；　is　nil；　since
Bonaparte　is　at　Auxerre。　　Mere　supervision　appears　to　me　sufficient；　and
to　that　I　propose　confining　myself。〃〃The　King；〃　replied　M。　de　Blacas；
〃relies　on　you。　　He　knows　that　though　only　forty…eight　hours　have　elapsed
since　you　entered　upon　your　functions；　you　have　already　rendered　greater
services　than　you　are　perhaps　aware　of。〃　　I　then　asked　M。　de　Blacas
whether　he　had　not　received　any　intimation　of　Bonaparte's　intended
departure　from　the　island　of　Elba　by　letters　or　by　secret　agents。　　〃The
only　positive　information　we　received；〃　answered　the　Minister；　〃was　an
intercepted　letter；　dated　Elba；　6th　February。　　It　was　addressed　to
M。　…；　near　Grenoble。　　I　will　show　it　you。〃　　M。　de　Blacas　opened　a
drawer　of　his　writing…table　and　took　out　the　letter；　which　he　gave　to　me。
The　writer　thanked　his　correspondent　for　the　information　he　had
transmitted　to　〃the　inhabitant　of　Elba。〃　　He　was　informed　that　everything
was　ready　for　departure；　and　that　the　first　favourable　opportunity　would
be　seized；　but　that　it　would　be　desirable　first　to　receive　answers　to
some　questions　contained　in　the　letter。　　These　questions　related　to　the
regiments　which　had　been　sent　into　the　south；　and　the　places　of　their
cantonment。　　It　was　inquired　whether　the　choice　of　the　commanders　was
conformable　to　what　had　been　agreed　on　in　Paris；　and　whether　Labedoyere
was　at　his　post。　　The　letter　was　rather　long　and　it　impressed　me　by　the
way　in　which　the　plan　of　a　landing　on　the　coast　of　Provence　was
discussed。　　Precise　answers　were　requested　on　all　these　points。　　On
returning　the　letter　to　M。　de　Blacas　I　remarked　that　the　contents　of　the
letter　called　for　the　adoption　of　some　decided　measures；　and　I　asked　him
what　had　been　done。　　He　answered；　〃I　immediately　sent　a　copy　of　the
letter　to　M。　d'Andre；　that　he　might　give　orders　for　arresting　the
individual　to　whom　it　was　addressed。〃

Having　had　the　opportunity　of　closely　observing　the　machinery　of　a
vigilant　and　active　Government；　I　was；　I　must　confess；　not　a　little
amazed　at　the　insufficiency　of　the　measures　adopted　to　defeat　this　well…
planned　conspiracy。　　When　M。　de　Blacas　informed　me　of　all　that　had　been
done；　I　could　not　repress　an　exclamation　of　surprise。　　〃Well；〃　said　he；
〃and　what　would　you　have　done？〃〃In　the　first　place　I　would　not　have
lost　twenty…four　hours；　which　were　an　age　in　such　a　crisis。〃　　I　then
explained　the　plan　I　would　have　adopted。　　A　quarter　of　an　hour　after　the
receipt　of　the　letter　I　would　have　sent　trustworthy　men　to　Grenoble；　and
above　all　things　I　would　have　taken　care　not　to　let　the　matter　fall　into
the　hands　of　the　police。　　Having　obtained　all　information　from　the
correspondent　at　Grenoble；　I　would　have　made　him　write　a　letter　to　his
correspondent　at　Elba　to　quiet　the　eagerness　of　Napoleon；　telling　him
that　the　movement　of　troops　he　spoke　of　had　not　been　made；　that　it　would
take　eight　days　to　carry　it　out；　and　that　it　was　necessary　to　the　success
of　the　enterprise　to　delay　the　embarkation　for　some　days。　　While
Bonaparte　was　thus　delayed　I　would　have　sent　to　the　coast　of　Provence　a
sufficient　body　of　men　devoted　to　the　Royal　cause；　sending　off　in　another
direction　the　regiments　whose　chiefs　were　gained　over　by　Napoleon；　as　the
correspondence　should　reveal　their　names。　　〃You　are　perhaps　right；　sir；〃
said　M。　de　Blacas；　〃but　what　could　I　do？　　I　am　new　here。　　I　had　not　the
control　of　the　police；　and　I　trusted　to　M。　d'Andre。〃〃　Well；〃　said　I；
〃Bonaparte　will　be　here　on　the　20th　of　March。〃　　With　these　words　I　parted
from　M。　de　Blacas。　　I　remarked　a　great　change　in　him。　　He　had　already
lost　a　vast　deal　of　that　hauteur　of　favouritism　which　made　him　so　much
disliked。

When　I　entered　upon　my　duties　in　the　Prefecture　of　Police　the　evil　was
already　past　remedy。　　The　incorrigible　emigres　required　another　lesson；
and　the　temporary　resurrection　of　the　Empire　was　inevitable。　　But；　if
Bonaparte　was　recalled；　it　was　not　owing　to　any　attachment　to　him
personally；　it　was　not　from　any　fidelity　to　the　recollections　of　the
Empire。　　It　was　resolved　at　any　price　to　get　rid　of　those　imbecile
councillors；　who　thought　they　might　treat　France　like　a　country　conquered
by　the　emigrants。　　The　people　determined　to　free　themselves　from　a
Government　which　seemed　resolved　to　trample　on　all　that　was　dear　to
France。　　In　this　state　of　things　some　looked　upon　Bonaparte　as　a
liberator；　but　the　greater　number　regarded　him　as　an　instrument。　　In　this
last　character　he　was　viewed　by　the　old　Republicans；　and　by　a　new
generation；　who　thought　they　caught　a　glimpse　of　liberty　in　promises；　and
Who　were　blind　enough　to　believe　that　the　idol　of　France　would　be
restored　by　Napoleon。

In　February　1815；　while　everything　was　preparing　at　Elba　for　the
approaching　departure　of　Napoleon；　Murat　applied　to　the　Court　of　Vienna
for　leave　to　march　through　the　Austrian　Provinces　of　Upper　Italy　an　army
directed　on　France。　　It　was　on　the　26th　of　the　same　month　that　Bonaparte
escaped　from　Elba。　　These　two　facts　were　necessarily　connected　together；
for；　in　spite　of　Murat's　extravagant　ideas；　he　never　could　have
entertained　the　expectation　of　obliging　the　King　of　France；　by　the　mere
force　of　arms；　to　acknowledge　his　continued　possession　of　the　throne　of
Naples。　　Since　the　return　of　Louis　XVIII。　the　Cabinet　of　the　Tuileries
had　never　regarded　Murat　in　any　other　light　than　as　a　usurper；　and　I　know
from　good　authority　that　the　French　Plenipotentiaries　at　the　Congress　of
Vienna　were　especially　instructed　to　insist　that　the　restoration　of　the
throne　of　Naples　in　favour　of　the　Bourbons　of　the　Two　Sicilies　should　be
a　consequence　of　the　restoration　of　the　throne　of　France。　　I　also　know
that　the　pro