memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v14-第3部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


little　room　to　doubt　that　the　plan　would　have　succeeded；　and　that　the
daughter　of　Austria　and　the　titular　King　of　home　would　have　given　such；
prestige　as　their　presence　could　give　at　the　Tuileries　and　he　Champs…de…
Mai。　　No　sooner　had　the　Emperor　of　Austria　discovered　this　plot；　which；
had　it　been　successful；　would　have　placed　him　in　a　very　awkward
predicament；　than　he　dismissed　all　the　French　people　about　his　daughter；
compelled　her　to　lay　aside　the　armorial　bearings　and　liveries　of
Napoleon；　and　even　to　relinquish　the　title　of　Empress　of　the　French：　No
force；　no　art；　no　police　could　conceal　these　things　from　the　people　of
Paris；　who；　moreover；　and　at　nearly　the　same　time；　were　made　very　uneasy
by　the　failure　of　Murat's　attempt　in　Italy；　which　greatly　increased　the
power　and　political　influence　of　Austria。　　Murat　being　disposed　of；　the
Emperor　Francis　was　enabled　to　concentrate　all　his　forces　in　Italy；　and
to　hold　them　in　readiness　for　the　re…invasion　of　France。

〃Napoleon；〃　says　Lavallette；　〃had　undoubtedly　expected　that　the　Empress
and　his　son　would　be　restored　to　him；　he　had　published　his　wishes　as　a
certainty；　and　to　prevent　it　was；　in　fact；　the　worst　injury　the　Emperor
of　Austria　could　have　done；　him。　　His　hope　was；　however；　soon　destroyed。

〃One　evening　I　was　summoned　to　the　palace。　　I　found　the　Emperor　in　a
dimly…lighted　closet；　warming　himself　in　a　corner　of　the　fireplace；　and
appearing　to　suffer　already　from　the　complaint　which　never　afterwards
left　him。　　'Here　is　a　letter；'　he　said；　'which　the　courier　from　Vienna
says　is　meant　for　youread　it。'　　On　first　casting　my　eyes　on　the　letter
I　thought　I　knew　the　handwriting；　but　as　it　was　long　I　read　it　slowly；
and　came　at　last　to　the　principal　object。　　The　writer　said　that　we　ought
not　to　reckon　upon　the　Empress；　as　she　did　not　even　attempt　to　conceal
her　dislike　of　the　Emperor；　and　was　disposed　to　approve　all　the　measures
that　could　be　taken　against　him；　that　her　return　was　not　to　be　thought
of；　as　she　herself　would　raise　the　greatest　obstacles　in　the　way　of　it；
in　case　it　should　be　proposed；　finally；　that　it　was　not　possible　for　him
to　dissemble　his　indignation　that　the　Empress；　wholly　enamoured　of　；
did　not　even　take　pains　to　hide　her　ridiculous　partiality　for　him。　The
handwriting　of　the　letter　was　disguised；　yet　not　so　much　but　that　I　was
able　to　discover　whose　it　was。　　I　found；　however；　in　the　manner　in　which
the　secret　was　expressed　a　warmth　of　zeal　and　a　picturesque　style　that
did　not　belong　to　the　author　of　the　letter。　　While　reading　it；　I　all　of　a
sudden　suspected　it　was　a　counterfeit；　and　intended　to　mislead　the
Emperor。　　I　communicated　ms　idea　to　him；　and　the　danger　I　perceived　in
this　fraud。　　As　I　grew　more　and　more　animated　I　found　plausible　reasons
enough　to　throw　the　Emperor　himself　into　some　uncertainty。　　'How　is　it
possible；'　I　said；　'that　…　should　have　been　imprudent　enough　to　write
such　things　to　me；　who　am　not　his　friend；　and　who　have　had　so　little
connection　with　him？　　How　can　one　suppose　that　the　Empress　should　forget
herself；　in　such　circumstances；　so　far　as　to　manifest　aversion　to　you；
and；　still　more；　to　cast　herself　away　upon　a　man　who　undoubtedly　still
possesses　some　power　to　please；　but　who　is　no　longer　young；　whose　face　is
disfigured；　and　whose　person；　altogether；　has　nothing　agreeable　in　it？'
'But；'　answered　the　Emperor；　…　is　attached　to　me；　and　though　he　is
not　your　friend；　the　postscript　sufficiently　explains　the　motive　of　the
confidence　he　places　in　you。'　　The　following　words　were；　in　fact；　written
at　the　bottom　of　the　letter：　'I　do　not　think　you　ought　to　mention　the
truth　to　the　Emperor；　but　make　whatever　use　of　it　you　think　proper。'
I　persisted；　however；　in　maintaining　that　the　letter　was　a　counterfeit；
and　the　Emperor　then　said　to　me；　'Go　to　Caulaincourt。　　He　possesses　a
great　many　others　in　the　same　handwriting。　　Let　the　comparison　decide
between　your　opinion　and　mine。'

〃I　went　to　Caulaincourt；　who　said　eagerly　to　me；　'I　am　sure　the　letter　is
from　…；　and　I　have　not　the　least　doubt　of　the　truth　of　the
particulars　it　contains。　　The　best　thing　the　Emperor　can　do　is　to　be
comforted；　there　is　no　help　to　be　expected　from　that　side。'

〃So　sad　a　discovery　was　very　painful　to　the　Emperor；　for　he　was　sincerely
attached　to　the　Empress；　and　still　hoped　again　to　see　his　son；　whom　he
loved　most　tenderly。'

〃Fouche　had　been　far　from　wishing　the　return　of　the　Emperor。　　He　was　long
tired　of　obeying；　and　had；　besides；　undertaken　another　plan；　which
Napoleon's　arrival　had　broken　off。　　The　Emperor；　however；　put　him　again
at　the　head　of　the　police；　because　Savary　was　worn　out　in　that
employment；　and　a　skillful　man　was　wanted　there。　　Fouche　accepted　the
office；　but　without　giving　up　his　plan　of　deposing　the　Emperor；　to　put　in
his　place　either　his　son　or　a　Republic　under　a　President。　　He　had　never
ceased　to　correspond　with　Prince　Metternich；　and；　if　he　is　to　be
believed；　　he　tried　to　persuade　the　Emperor　to　abdicate　in　favour　of　his
son。　　That　was　also　my　opinion；　but；　coming　from　such　a　quarter；　the
advice　was　not　without　danger　for　the　person　to　whom　it　was　given。
Besides；　that　advice　having　been　rejected；　it：　was　the　duty　of　the
Minister　either　to　think　no　more　of　his　plan　or　to　resign　his　office。
Fouche；　however；　remained　in　the　Cabinet；　and　continued　his
correspondence。　　The　Emperor；　who　placed　but　little　confidence　in　him；
kept　a　careful　eye　upon　him。　　One　evening　the　Emperor：　had　a　great　deal
of　company　at　the　Elysee；　he　told　me　not　to　go　home；　because　he　wished　to
speak　to　me。　　When　everybody　was　gone　the　Emperor　stopped　with　Fouche　in
the　apartment　next　to　the　one　I　was　in。　　The　door　remained　half　open。
They　walked　up　and　down　together　talking　very　calmly。　　I　was　therefore
greatly　astonished　when；　after　a　quarter　of；　an　hour；　I　heard　the　Emperor
say　to　him'　gravely；　'You　are　a　traitor！　　Why　do　you　remain　Minister　of
the　Police　if　you　wish　to　betray　me？　　It　rests　with　me　to　have　you
hanged；　and　everybody　would　rejoice　at　your　death！'　　I　did　not　hear
Fouche's　reply；　but　the　conversation　lasted　above　half　an　hour　longer；
the　parties　all　the　time　walking　up　and　down。　　When　Fouche　went　away　he
bade　me　cheerfully；　good…night；　and　said　that　the　Emperor　had　gone　back
to　his　apartments。

〃The　next　day　the　Emperor　spoke　to　me　of　the　previous　night's
conversation。　　'I　suspected；'　he　said；　'that　the　wretch　was　in
correspondence　with　Vienna。　　I　have　had　a　banker's　clerk　arrested　on　his
return　from　that　city。　　He　has　acknowledged　that　he　brought　a　letter　for
Fouche　from　Metternich；　and　that　the　answer　was　to　be　sent　at　a　fixed
time　to　Bale；　where　a　man　was　to　wait　for　the　bearer　on　the　bridge：　I
sent　for　Fouche　a　few　days　ago；　and　kept　him　three　hours　long　in　my
garden；　hoping　that　in　the　course　of　a　friendly　conversation　he　would
mention　that　letter　to　me；　but　he　said　nothing。　　At　last；　yesterday
evening；　I　myself　opened　the　subject。'　（Here　the　Emperor　repeated　to　me
the　words　I　had　heard　the　night　before；　'You　are　a　traitor；'　etc。）　　He
acknowledged；　in　fact；　　continued　the　Emperor；　'that　he　had　received　such
a　letter；　but　that　it　was　not　signed　and　that　he　had　looked　upon　it　as　a
mystification。　　He　showed　it　me。　　Now　that　letter　was　evidently　an
answer；　in　which　the　writer　again　declared　that　he　would　listen　to
nothing　more　concerning　the　Emperor；　but　that；　his　person　excepted；　it
would　be　easy　to　agree　to　all　the　rest。　　I　expected　that　the　Emperor
would　conclude　his　narrative　by　expressing　his　anger　against　Fouche；　but
our　conversation　turned　on　some　other　subject；　and　he　talked　no　more　of
him。

〃Two　days　afterwards　I　went　to　Fouche　to　solicit　the　return　to　Paris　of
an　officer　of　musqueteers　who　had　been　banished　far　from　his　family。　　I
found　him　at　breakfast；　and　sat　down　next　to　him。　　Facing　him　sat　a
stranger。　　'Do　you　see　this　man？'　he　said　to　me；　pointing　with　his　spoon
to　the　stranger；　'he　is　an　aristocrat；　a　Bourbonist；　a　Chouan；　it　is　the
Abbe　…；　one　of　the　editors　of　the　Journal　des　Debatsa　sworn　enemy
to　Napoleon；　a　fanatic　partisan　of　the　Bourbons；　he　is　one　of　our　men。
I　looked；　at　him。　　At　every　fresh　epithet　of　the　Minister　the　Abbe　bowed
his　head　down　to　his　plate　with　a　smile　of　cheerfulness　and　self…
complacency；　and　with　a　sort　of　leer。　　I　never　saw　a　more　ignoble
countenance。　　Fouche　explained　to　me；　on　leaving　the　breakfast　table；
in　what　manner　all　these　valets　of　literature　were　men　of　his；　and　while
I　acknowledged　to　myself　that　the　system　might　be　necessary；　I　scarcely
knew　who　were　really　more　despicablethe　wretches　who　thus　sold
themselves　to　the　highest　bidder；　or　the　minister　who　boasted　of　having
bought　them；　as　if　their　acquisition　were　a　glorious　conquest。　　Judging
that　the　Emperor　had　spoken　to　me　of　the　scene　I　have　described　above；
Fouche　said　to　me；　'The　Emperor's　temper　is　soured　by　the　resistance　he
finds；　and　he　thinks　it　is　my　fault。　　He　does　not　know　that　I　have　no
power　but　by　public　opinion。　　To　morrow　I　might　hang　before　my　door
twenty　persons　obnoxious　to　public　opinion；　though　I　should　not　be　able
to　imprison　for　four…and…twenty　hours　any　individual　favoured　by　it。
As　I　am　never　in　a　hurry　to　speak　I　remained　silent；　but　reflecting　on
what　the　Emperor　had　said　concerning　Fouche　I　found　the　comparison　of
their　two　speeches　remarkable。　　The　master　could　have　his　minister　hanged
with　public　applause；　and　the　minister　could　hangwhom？　　Perhaps　the
master　himself；　and　with　the　same　approbation。　　What　a　singular
situation！and　I　believe　they　were　both　in　the　right；　so　far　public
opinion；　equitable　in　regard　to　Fouche；　had　swerved　concerning　the
Emperor。〃

The　wrath　of　Napoleon　was　confined　to　the　Lower　House；　the　Peers；　from
the　nature　of　their　composition；　being　complacent　and　passive　enough。
The　vast　majority　of　them　were　in　fact　mere　shadows　gathered　round　the
solid　persons　of　Joseph；　Lucien；　Louis；　and　Jerome　Bonaparte；　and　Sieyes；
Carnot；　and　the　military　men　of　the　Revolution。　　As　a　political　body
Napoleon　despised　them　himself；　and　yet　he　wanted　the　nation　to　respect
them。　　But　respect　was　impossible；　and　the　volatile　Parisians　made　the
Peers　a　constant　object　of　their　witticisms。