memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v11-第9部分

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the　natural　lightness　of　her　character；　I　should　have　been　surprised　to
find　her　grief　so　acute；　after　the　lapse　of　a　year；　had　I　not　been　aware
that　there　are　certain　chords　which；　when　struck；　do　not　speedily　cease
to　vibrate　in　the　heart　of　a　woman。　　I　sincerely　pitied　Josephine；　and
among　all　the　things　I　said　to　assuage　her　sorrow；　the　consolation　to
which　she　appeared　most　sensible　was　the　reprobation　which　public　opinion
had　pronounced　on　Bonaparte's　divorce；　and　on　this　subject　I　said　nothing
but　the　truth；　for　Josephine　was　generally　beloved。　　I　reminded　her　of　a
prediction　I　had　made　under　happier　circumstances；　viz。　on　the　day　that
she　came　to　visit　us　in　our　little　house　at　Ruel。　　〃My　dear　friend；〃　said
she；　〃I　have　not　forgotten　it；　and　I　have　often　thought　of　all　you　then
said。　　For　my　part；　I　knew　he　was　lost　from　the　day　he　made　himself
Emperor。　　Adieu！　　Bourrienne；　come　and　see　me　soon　again；　come　often；　for
we　have　a　great　deal　to　talk　about；　you　know　how　happy　I　always　am　to　see
you。〃　　Such　was；　to　the　best　of　my　recollection；　what　passed　at　my　first
interview　with　Josephine　after　my　return　from　Hamburg。




CHAPTER　XXIV

1811

　　　　　Arrest　of　La　SahlaMy　visit　to　himHis　confinement　at　Vincennes
　　　　　Subsequent　history　of　La　SahlaHis　second　journey　to　France
　　　　　Detonating　powderPlot　hatched　against　me　by　the　Prince　of　Eckmuhl
　　　　　Friendly　offices　of　the　Due　de　RovigoBugbears　of　the　police
　　　　　Savary；　Minister　of　Police。

I　had　been　in　Paris　about　two　months　when　a　young　man　of　the　name　of　La
Sahla　was　arrested　on　the　suspicion　of　having　come　from　Saxony　to　attempt
the　life　of　the　Emperor。　　La　Sahla　informed　the　Duo　de　Rovigo；　then
Minister　of　the　Police；　that　he　wished　to　see　me；　assigning　as　a　reason
for　this　the　reputation　I　had　left　behind　me　in　Germany。　　The　Emperor；　I
presume；　had　no　objection　to　the　interview；　for　I　received　an　invitation
to　visit　the　prisoner。　　I　accordingly　repaired　to　the　branch　office　of
the　Minister　of　the　Police；　in　the　Rue　des　St。　Peres；　where　I　was
introduced　to　a　young　man　between　seventeen　and　eighteen　years　of　age。

My　conversation　with　the　young　man；　whose　uncle　was；　I　believe；　Minister
to　the　King　of　Saxony；　interested　me　greatly　in　his　behalf；　I　determined；
if　possible；　to　save　La　Sahla；　and　I　succeeded。　　I　proceeded　immediately
to　the　Duo　de　Rovigo；　and　I　convinced　him　that　under　the　circumstances　of
the　case　it　was　important　to　make　it　be　believed　that　the　young　man　was
insane。　　I　observed　that　if　he　were　brought　before　a　court　he　would
repeat　all　that　he　had　stated　to　me；　and　probably　enter　into　disclosures
which　might　instigate　fresh　attempts　at　assassination。　　Perhaps　an
avenger　of　La　Sahla　might　rise　up　amongst　the　students　of　Leipzig；　at
which　university　he　had　spent　his　youth。　　These　reasons；　together　with
others；　had　the　success　I　hoped　for。　　The　Emperor　afterwards　acknowledged
the　prudent　course　which　had　been　adopted　respecting　La　Sahla；　when
speaking　at　St。　Helena　of　the　conspiracies　against　his　life　he　said；
〃I　carefully　concealed　all　that　I　could。〃

In　conformity　with　my　advice　La　Sahla　was　sent　to　Vincennes；　where　he
remained　until　the　end　of　March　1814；　He　was　then　removed　to　the　castle
of　Saumur；　from　which　he　was　liberated　at　the　beginning　of　April。　　I　had
heard　nothing　of　him　for　three　years；　when　one　day；　shortly　after　the
Restoration；　whilst　sitting　at　breakfast　with　my　family　at　my　house　in
the　Rue　Hauteville；　I　heard　an　extraordinary　noise　in　the　antechamber；
and　before　I　had　time　to　ascertain　its　cause　I　found　myself　in　the　arms。
of　a　young　man；　who　embraced　me　with　extraordinary　ardour。　　It　was　La
Sahla。　　He　was　in　a　transport　of　gratitude　and　joy　at　his　liberation；　and
at　the　accomplishment　of　the　events　which　he　had　wished　to　accelerate　by
assassination。　　La　Sahla　returned　to　Saxony　and　I　saw　no　more　of　him；　but
while　I　was　in　Hamburg　in　1815；　whither　I　was　seat　by　Louis　XVIII。；　I
learned　that　on　the　5th　of　June　a　violent　explosion　was　heard　in　the
Chamber　of　Representatives　at　Paris；　which　was　at　first　supposed　to　be　a
clap　of　thunder；　but　was　soon　ascertained　to　have　been　occasioned　by　a
young　Samson　having　fallen　with　a　packet　of　detonating　powder　in　his
pocket。

On　receiving　this　intelligence　I　imagined；　I　know　not　why；　that　this
young　Saxon　was　La　Sahla；　and　that　he　had　probably　intended　to　blow　up
Napoleon　and　even　the　Legislative　Body；　but　I　have　since　ascertained　that
I　was　under　a　mistake　as　to　his　intentions。　　My　knowledge　of　La　Sahla's
candour　induces　me　to　believe　the　truth　of　his　declarations　to　the
police；　and　if　there　be　any　inaccuracies　in　the　report　of　these
declarations　I　do　not　hesitate　to　attribute　them　to　the　police　itself；
of　which　Fouche　was　the　head　at　the　period　in　question。

It　is　the　latter　part　of　the　report　which　induced　me　to　observe　above；
that　if　there　were　any　inaccuracies　in　the　statement　they　were　more
likely　to　proceed　from　Fouche's　police　than　the　false　representations　of
young　La　Sahla。　　It　is　difficult　to　give　credit　without　proof　to　such
accusations。　　However；　I　decide　nothing；　but　I　consider　it　my　duty　to
express　doubts　of　the　truth　of　these　charges　brought　against　the　two
Prussian　ministers；　of　whom　the　Prince　of　Wittgenstein；　a　man　of
undoubted　honour；　has　always　spoken　to　me　in　the　best　of　terms。

There　is　nothing　to　prove　that　La　Sahla　returned　to　France　the　second
time　with　the　same　intentions　as　before。　　This　project；　however；　is　a
mystery　to　me；　and　his　detonating　powder　gives　rise　to　many　conjectures。

I　had　scarcely　left　Hamburg　when　the　Prince　of　Eckmuhl　（Marshal　Davoust）
was　appointed　Governor…General　of　that　place　on　the　union　of　the　Hanse
Towns　with　the　Empire。　　From　that　period　I　was　constantly　occupied　in
contending　against　the　persecutions　and　denunciations　which　he　racked　his
imagination　to　invent。　　I　cannot　help　attributing　to　those　persecutions
the　Emperor's　coolness　towards　me　on　my　arrival　in　Paris。　　But　as
Davoust's　calumnies　were　devoid　of　proof；　he　resorted　to　a　scheme　by
which　a　certain　appearance　of　probability　might　supply　the　place　of
truth。　　When　I　arrived　in　Paris；　at　the　commencement　of　1811；　I　was
informed　by　an　excellent　friend　I　had　left　at　Hamburg；　M。　Bouvier；　an
emigrant；　and　one　of　the　hostages　of　Louis　XVI。；　that　in　a　few　days　I
would　receive　a　letter　which　would　commit　me；　and　likewise　M。　de
Talleyrand　and　General　Rapp。　　I　had　never　had　any　connection　on　matters
of　business；　with　either　of　these　individuals；　for　whom　I　entertained　the
most　sincere　attachment。　　They；　like　myself；　were　not　in　the　good　graces
of　Marshal　Davoust；　who　could　not　pardon　the　one　for　his　incontestable
superiority　of　talent；　and　the　other　for　his　blunt　honesty。　　On　the
receipt　of　M。　Bouvier's　letter　I　carried　it　to　the　Due　de　Rovigo；　whose
situation　made　him　perfectly　aware　of　the　intrigues　which　had　been
carried　on　against　me　since　I　had　left　Hamburg　by　one　whose　ambition
aspired　to　the　Viceroyalty　of　Poland。　　On　that；　as　on　many　other　similar
occasions；　the　Duc　de　Rovigo　advocated　my　cause　with　Napoleon。　　We　agreed
that　it　would　be　best　to　await　the　arrival　of　the　letter　which　M。　Bouvier
had　announced。　　Three　weeks　elapsed；　and　the　letter　did　not　appear。　　The
Duc　de　Rovigo；　therefore；　told　me　that　I　must　have　been　misinformed。
However；　I　was　certain　that　M。　Bouvier　would　not　have　sent　me　the
information　on　slight　grounds；　and　I　therefore　supposed　that　the　project
had　only　been　delayed。　　I　was　not　wrong　in　my　conjecture；　for　at　length
the　letter　arrived。　　To　what　a　depth　of　infamy　men　can　descend！　　The。
letter　was　from　a　man　whom　I　had　known　at　Hamburg；　whom　I　had　obliged；
whom　I　had　employed　as　a　spy。　　His　epistle　was　a　miracle　of　impudence。
After　relating　some　extraordinary　transactions　which　he　said　had　taken
place　between　us；　and　which　all　bore　the　stamp　of　falsehood；　he　requested
me　to　send　him　by　return　of　post　the　sum　of　60；000　francs　on　account　of
what　I　had　promised　him　for　some　business　he　executed　in　England　by　the
direction　of　M。　de　Talleyrand；　General　Rapp；　and　myself。　　Such　miserable
wretches　are　often　caught　in　the　snares　they　spread　for　others。　　This　was
the　case　in　the　present　instance；　for　the　fellow　had　committed；　the
blunder　of　fixing　upon　the　year　1802　as　the　period　of　this　pretended
business　in　England；　that　is　to　say；　two　years　before　my　appointment　as
Minister…Plenipotentiary　to　the　Hanse　Towns。　　This　anachronism　was　not
the　only　one　I　discovered　in　the　letter。

I　took　a　copy　of　the　letter；　and　immediately　carried　the　original　to　the
Duc　de　Rovigo；　as　had　been　agreed　between　us。　　When　I　waited　on　the
Minister　he　was　just　preparing　to　go　to　the　Emperor。　　He　took　with　him
the　letter　which　I　brought；　and　also　the　letter　which　announced　its
arrival。　　As　the　Duc　de　Rovigo　entered　the　audience…chamber　Napoleon
advanced　to　meet　him；　and　apostrophised　him　thus：　〃Well；　I　have　learned
fine　things　of　your　Bourrienne；　whom　you　are　always　defending。〃　　The　fact
was；　the　Emperor　had　already　received　a　copy　of　the　letter；　which　had
been　opened　at　the　Hamburg　post…office。　　The　Due　de　Rovigo　told　the
Emperor　that　he　had　long　known　what　his　Majesty　had　communicated　to　him。
He　then　entered　into　a　full　explanation　of　the　intrigue；　of　which　it　was
wished　to　render　me　the　victim；　and　proved　to　him　the　more　easily　the
falsehood　of　my　accusers　by　reminding　him　that　in　1802　I　was　not　in
Hamburg；　but　was　still　in　his　service　at　home。

It　may　be　supposed　that　I　was　too　much　interested　in　knowing　what　had
passed　at　the　Tuileries　not　to　return　to　the　Duc　de　Rovigo　the　same　day。
I　learned　from　him　the　particulars　which　I　have　already　related。　　He
added　that　he　had　observed　to　the　Emperor　that　there　was　no　connection
between　Rapp　and　M。　Talleyrand　which　could　warrant　the　suspicion　of　their
being　concerned　in　the　affair　in　question。　　〃When　Napoleon　saw　the　matter
in　its　true　light；〃　said　Savary；　〃when　I　proved　to　him　the　palpable
existence　of　the　odious　machination；　he　could　not　find　terms　to　express
his　indignation。　　'What　baseness；　what　horrible　villainy！'　he　exclaimed；
and　gave　me　orders　to　arrest　and　bring　to　Paris　the　infamous　writer　of
the　letter；　a