memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v11-第1部分

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Memoirs　of　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　V11

by　Louis　Antoine　Fauvelet　de　Bourrienne

His　Private　Secretary




Edited　by　R。　W。　Phipps
Colonel；　Late　Royal　Artillery

1891




CONTENTS：
CHAPTER　XIX。　　to　　CHAPTER　　XXVII。　　1809…1812




CHAPTER　XIX。

1809。

　　　　　The　castle　of　DiernsteinRichard　Coeur　de　Lion　and　Marshal　Lannes；
　　　　　The　Emperor　at　the　gates　of　ViennaThe　Archduchess　Maria　Louisa
　　　　　Facility　of　correspondence　with　EnglandSmuggling　in　HamburgBrown
　　　　　sugar　and　sandHearses　filled　with　sugar　and　coffeeEmbargo　on　the
　　　　　publication　of　newsSupervision　of　the　'Hamburg　Correspondant'
　　　　　Festival　of　Saint　NapoleonEcclesiastical　adulationThe　King　of
　　　　　Westphalia's　journey　through　his　StatesAttempt　to　raise　a　loan
　　　　　Jerome's　present　to　meThe　present　returnedBonaparte's　unfounded
　　　　　suspicions。

Rapp；　who　during　the　campaign　of　Vienna　had　resumed　his　duties　as　aide　de
camp；　related　to　me　one　of　those　observations　of　Napoleon　which；　when　his
words　are　compared　with　the　events　that　followed　them；　seem　to　indicate　a
foresight　into　his　future　destiny。　　When　within　some　days'　march　of
Vienna　the　Emperor　procured　a　guide　to　explain　to　him　every　village　and
ruin　which　he　observed　on　the　road。　　The　guide　pointed　to　an　eminence　on
which　were　a　few　decayed　vestiges　of　an　old　fortified　castle。　　〃Those；〃
said　the　guide；　〃are　the　ruins　of　the　castle　of　Diernstein。〃　　Napoleon
suddenly　stopped；　and　stood　for　some　time　silently　contemplating　the
ruins；　then　turning　to　Lannes；　who　was　with　him；　he　raid；　〃See！　　yonder
is　the　prison　of　Richard　Coeur　de　Lion。　　He；　like　us；　went　to　Syria　and
Palestine。　　But；　my　brave　Lannes；　the　Coeur　de　Lion　was　not　braver　than
you。　　He　was　more　fortunate　than　I　at　St。　Jean　d'Acre。　　A　Duke　of　Austria
sold　him　to　an　Emperor　of　Germany；　who　imprisoned　him　in　that　castle。
Those　were　the　days　of　barbarism。　　How　different　from　the　civilisation　of
modern　times！　　Europe　has　seen　how　I　treated　the　Emperor　of　Austria；　whom
I　might　have　made　prisonerand　I　would　treat　him　so　again。　　I　claim　no
credit　for　this。　　In　the　present　age　crowned　heads　must　be　respected。　　A
conqueror　imprisoned！〃

A　few　days　after　the　Emperor　was　at　the　gates　of　Vienna；　but　on　this
occasion　his　access　to　the　Austrian　capital　was　not　so　easy　as　it　had
been　rendered　in　1805　by　the　ingenuity　and　courage　of　Lannes　and　Murat。
The　Archduke　Maximilian；　who　was　shut　up　in　the　capital；　wished　to　defend
it；　although　the　French　army　already　occupied　the　principal　suburbs。　　In
vain　were　flags　of　truce　sent　one　after　the　other　to　the　Archduke。　　They
were　not　only　dismissed　unheard；　but　were　even　ill…treated；　and　one　of
them　was　almost　killed　by　the　populace。　　The　city　was　then　bombarded；　and
would　speedily　have　been　destroyed　but　that　the　Emperor；　being　informed
that　one　of　the　Archduchesses　remained　in　Vienna　on　account　of　ill…
health；　ordered　the　firing　to　cease。　　By　a　singular　caprice　of　Napoleon's
destiny　this　Archduchess　was　no　other　than　Maria　Louisa。　　Vienna　at
length　opened　her　gates　to　Napoleon；　who　for　some　days　took　up　his
residence　at　Schoenbrunn。

The　Emperor　was　engaged　in　so　many　projects　at　once　that　they　could　not
all　succeed。　　Thus；　while　he　was　triumphant　in　the　Hereditary　States　his
Continental　system　was　experiencing　severe　checks。　　The　trade　with
England　on　the　coast　of　Oldenburg　was　carped　on　as　uninterruptedly　as　if
in　time　of　peace。　　English　letters　and　newspapers　arrived　on　the
Continent；　and　those　of　the　Continent　found　their　way　into　Great　Britain；
as　if　France　and　England　had　been　united　by　ties　of　the　firmest
friendship。　　In　short；　things　were　just　in　the　same　state　as　if　the
decree　for　the　blockade　of　the　British　Isles　had　not　existed。　　When　the
custom…house　officers　succeeded　in　seizing　contraband　goods　they　were
again　taken　from　them　by　main　force。　　On　the　2d　of　July　a　serious　contest
took　place　at　Brinskham　between　the　custom…house　officers　and　a　party　of
peasantry；　in　which　the　latter　remained　masters　of　eighteen　wagons　laden
with　English　goods：　many　were　wounded　on　both　sides。

If；　however；　trade　with　England　was　carried　on　freely　along　a　vast　extent
of　coast；　it　was　different　in　the　city　of　Hamburg；　where　English　goods
were　introduced　only　by　fraud；　and　I　verily　believe　that　the　art　of
smuggling　and　the　schemes　of　smugglers　were　never　before　carried　to　such
perfection。　　Above　6000　persons　of　the　lower　orders　went　backwards　and
forwards；　about　twenty　times　a　day；　from　Altona　to　Hamburg；　and　they
carried　on　their　contraband；　trade　by　many　ingenious　stratagems；　two　of
which　were　so　curious　that　they　are　worth　mentioning　here。

On　the　left　of　the　road　leading　from　Hamburg　to　Altona　there　was　a　piece
of　ground　where　pits　were　dug　for　the　purpose　of　procuring　sand　used　for
building　and　for　laying　down　in　the　streets。　　At　this　time　it　was
proposed　to　repair　the　great　street　of　Hamburg　leading　to　the　gate　of
Altona。　　The　smugglers　overnight　filled　the　sandpit　with　brown　sugar；　and
the　little　carts　which　usually　conveyed　the　sand　into　Hamburg　were　filled
with　the　sugar；　care　being　taken　to　cover　it　with　a　layer　of　sand　about
an　inch　thick。　　This　trick　was　carried　on　for　a　length　of　time；　but　no
progress　was　made　in　repairing　the　street。　　I　complained　greatly　of　the
delay；　even　before　I　was　aware　of　its　cause；　for　the　street　led　to　a
country…house　I　had　near　Altona；　whither　I　went　daily。　　The　officers　of
the　customs　at　length　perceived　that　the　work　did　not　proceed；　and　one
fine　morning　the　sugar…carts　were　stopped　and　seized。　　Another　expedient
was　then　to　be　devised。

Between　Hamburg　and　Altona　there　was　a　little　suburb　situated　on　the
right　bank　of　the　Elbe。　　This　suburb　was　inhabited；　by　sailors；　labourers
of　the　port；　and　landowners。　　The　inhabitants　were　interred　in　the
cemetery　of　Hamburg。　　It　was　observed　that　funeral　processions　passed
this　way　more　frequently　than　usual。　　The　customhouse　officers；　amazed　at
the　sudden　mortality　of　the　worthy　inhabitants　of　the　little　suburb；
insisted　on　searching　one　of　the　vehicles；　and　on　opening　the　hearse　it
was　found　to　be　filled　with　sugar；　coffee；　vanilla；　indigo；　etc。　　It　was
necessary　to　abandon　this　expedient；　but　others　were　soon　discovered。

Bonaparte　was　sensitive；　in　an　extraordinary　degree；　to　all　that　was　said
and　thought　of　him；　and　Heaven　knows　how　many　despatches　I　received　from
headquarters　during　the　campaign　of　Vienna　directing　me　not　only　to　watch
the　vigilant　execution　of　the　custom…house　laws；　but　to　lay　an　embargo　on
a　thing　which　alarmed　him　more　than　the　introduction　of　British
merchandise；　viz。　　the　publication　of　news。　　In　conformity　with　these
reiterated　instructions　I　directed　especial　attention　to　the　management
of　the　'Correspondant'。　　The　importance　of　this　journal；　with　its　60；000
readers；　may　easily　be　perceived。　　I　procured　the　insertion　of　everything
I　thought　desirable：　all　the　bulletins；　proclamations；　acts　of　the　French
Government；　notes　of　the　'Moniteur'；　and　the　semi…official　articles　of
the　French　journals：　these　were　all　given　'in　extenso'。　　On　the　other
hand；　I　often　suppressed　adverse　news；　which；　though　well　known；　would
have　received　additional　weight　from　its　insertion　in　so　widely
circulated　a　paper。　　If　by　chance　there　crept　in　some　Austrian　bulletin；
extracted　from　the　other　German　papers　published　in　the　States　of　the
Confederation　of　the　Rhine；　there　was　always　given　with　it　a　suitable
antidote　to　destroy；　or　at　least　to　mitigate；　its　ill　effect。　　But　this
was　not　all。　　The　King　of　Wurtemberg　having　reproached　the
'Correspondant'；　in　a　letter　to　the　Minister　for　Foreign　Affairs；　with
publishing　whatever　Austria　wished　should　be　made　known；　and　being
conducted　in　a　spirit　hostile　to　the　good　cause；　I　answered　these　unjust
reproaches　by　making　the　Syndic　censor　prohibit　the　Hamburg　papers　from
inserting　any　Austrian　order　of　the　day；　any　Archduke's　bulletins；　any
letter　from　Prague；　in　short；　anything　which　should　be　copied　from　the
other　German　journals　unless　those　articles　had　been　inserted　in　the
French　journals。

My　recollections　of　the　year　1809　at　Hamburg　carry　me　back　to　the
celebration　of　Napoleon's　fete；　which　was　on　the　15th　of　August；　for　he
had　interpolated　his　patron　saint　in　the　Imperial　calendar　at　the　date　of
his　birth。　　The　coincidence　of　this　festival　with　the　Assumption　gave
rise　to　adulatory　rodomontades　of　the　most　absurd　description。　　Certainly
the　Episcopal　circulars　under　the　Empire　would　form　a　curious　collection。

　　　　　＇It　will　perhaps　scarcely　be　believed　that　the　following　words
　　　　　were　actually　delivered　from　the　pulpit：　〃God　in　his　mercy　has
　　　　　chosen　Napoleon　to　be　his　representative　on　earth。　　The　Queen　of
　　　　　Heaven　has　marked；　by　the　most　magnificent　of　presents；　the
　　　　　anniversary　of　the　day　which　witnessed　his　glorious　entrance　into
　　　　　her　domains。　　Heavenly　Virgin！　as　a　special　testimony　of　your　love
　　　　　for　the　French；　and　your　all…powerful　influence　with　your　son；　you
　　　　　have　connected　the　first　of　your　solemnities　with　the　birth　of　the
　　　　　great　Napoleon。　　Heaven　ordained　that　the　hero　should　spring　from
　　　　　your　sepulchre；　〃Bourrienne。＇

Could　anything　be　more　revolting　than　the　sycophancy　of　those　Churchmen
who　declared　that　〃God　chose　Napoleon　for　his　representative　upon　earth；
and　that　God　created　Bonaparte；　and　then　rested；　that　he　was　more
fortunate　than　Augustus；　more　virtuous　than　Trajan；　that　he　deserved
altars　and　temples　to　be　raised　to　him！〃　etc。

Some　time　after　the　Festival　of　St。　Napoleon　the　King　of　Westphalia　made
a　journey　through　his　States。　　Of　all　Napoleon's　brothers　the　King　of
Westphalia　was　the　one　with　whom　I　was　least　acquainted；　and　he；　it　is
pretty　well　known；　was　the　most　worthless　of　the　family。　　His
correspondence　with　me　is　limited　to　two　letters；　one　of　which　he　wrote
while　he　commanded　the　'Epervier'；　and　another　seven　years　after；　dated
6th　September　1809。　　In　this　latter　he　said：

　　　　　〃I　shall　be　in　Hannover　on　the　10th。　If　you　can　make　it　convenient
　　　　　to　come　there　and　spend　a　day　with　me　it　will　give　me　great
　　　　　pleasure。　　I　shall　then　be　able　to　smooth　all　obst