napoleon bonaparte, v1-第1节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






Recollections　of　the　Private　Life　of　Napoleon　Bonaparte；　V1

by　Constant

TRANSLATED　BY　WALTER　CLARK






CONTENTS：
CHAPTER　I。　　to　　CHAPTER　VI。





PREFACE


Though　this　work　was　first　published　in　1830；　it　has　never　before　been
translated　into　English。　　Indeed；　the　volumes　are　almost　out　of　print。
When　in　Paris　a　few　years　ago　the　writer　secured；　with　much　difficulty；
a　copy；　from　which　this　translation　has　been　made。　　Notes　have　been　added
by　the　translator；　and　illustrations　by　the　publishers；　which；　it　is
believed；　will　enhance　the　interest　of　the　original　work　by　Constant。

〃To　paint　Caesar　in　undress　is　not　to　paint　Caesar；〃　some　one　has　said。
Yet　men　will　always　like　to　see　the　great　'en　deshabille'。　　In　these
volumes　the　hero　is　painted　in　undress。　　His　foibles；　his　peculiarities；
his　vices；　are　here　depicted　without　reserve。　　But　so　also　are　his
kindness　of　heart；　his　vast　intellect；　his　knowledge　of　men；　his
extraordinary　energy；　his　public　spirit。　　The　shutters　are　taken　down；
and　the　workings　of　the　mighty　machinery　are　laid　bare。

The　late　Prince　Napoleon　（who　was　more　truly　〃the　nephew　of　his　uncle〃
than　was　Napoleon　III。）；　in　his　Napoleon　and　His　Detractors；　bitterly
assails　this　work　of　Constants　attacking　both　its　authenticity　and　the
correctness　of　its　statements。　　But　there　appears　no　good　reason　to　doubt
its　genuineness；　and　the　truthfulness　of　many　of　its　details　is　amply
supported　by　other　authorities。　　Notwithstanding　its　excesses　and
follies；　the　great　French　Revolution　will　ever　have　an　absorbing　interest
for　mankind；　because　it　began　as　a　struggle　for　the　advancement　of　the
cause　of　manhood；　liberty；　and　equal　rights。　　It　was　a　terribly　earnest
movement；　and；　after　the　lapse　of　a　century；　interest　continues　unabated
in　the　great　soldier　who　restored　order；　and　organized　and　preserved　the
new　ideas　by　means　of　his　Civil　Code　and　a　firm　government。

Countless　memoirs　have　been　published　by　those　who　lived　in　those　heroic
times。　　Yet　everything　which　will　cast　new　light　upon　the　chief　actors　in
that　great　drama　of　humanity　is　still　seized　upon　with　avidity；
especially　whatever　concerns　the　Emperor。

This　is　not　merely　because　he　was　a　great　conqueror；　for　such　were；　after
their　fashion；　Genghis　Khan　and　Timour；　and　hundreds　of　others。　　But　it
is　because　of　the　human　interest　which　attaches　to　the　wonderful　career
of　Napoleon　and　the　events　of　which　he　was　the　central　figure。

Never　did　poet　or　novelist　imagine　scenes　so　improbable。　　The　son　of　an
obscure　lawyer　in　an　unimportant　island　becomes　Emperor　of　the　French　and
King　of　Italy。　　His　brothers　and　sisters　become　kings　and　queens。　　The
sons　of　innkeepers；　notaries；　lawyers；　and　peasants　become　marshals　of
the　empire。　　The　Emperor；　first　making　a　West　India　Creole　his　wife　and
Empress；　puts　her　away；　and　marries　a　daughter　of　the　haughtiest　and
oldest　royal　house　in　Europe；　the　niece　of　a　queen　whom　the　people　of
France　had　beheaded　a　few　years　before。　　Their　son　is　born　a　kingKing
of　Rome。　　Then　suddenly　the　pageantry　dissolves；　and　Emperor；　kings；　and
queens　become　subjects　again。　　Has　imagination　ever　dreamed　anything
wilder　than　this？　　The　dramatic　interest　of　this　story　will　always
attract；　but　there　is　a　deeper　one。　　The　secret　spring　of　all　those　rapid
changes；　and　the　real　cause　of　the　great　interest　humanity　will　always
feel　in　the　story　of　those　eventful　times；　is　to　be　found　in　Napoleon's
own　explanation〃A　career　open　to　talents；　without　distinction　of
birth。〃　　Till　that　day　the　accident　of　birth　was　the　key　to　every　honor
and　every　position。　　No　man　could　hold　even　a　lieutenancy　in　the　army　who
could　not　show　four　quarterings　on　his　coat　of　arms。

It　was　as　the　〃armed　apostle　of　democracy　〃　that　Napoleon　went　forth
conquering　and　to　conquer。　　He　declared　at　St。　Helena　that　he　〃had　always
marched　supported　by　the　opinions　of　six　millions　of　men。〃

The　old　woman　who　met　him　incognito　climbing　the　hill　of　Tarare；　and
replying　to　his　assertion　that　〃Napoleon　was　only　a　tyrant　like　the
rest；〃　exclaimed；　〃It　may　be　so；　but　the　others　are　the　kings　of　the
nobility；　while　he　is　one　of　us；　and　we　have　chosen　him　ourselves；〃
expressed　a　great　truth。　　As　long　as　Napoleon　represented　popular
sovereignty　he　was　invincible；　but　when；　deeming　himself　strong　enough　to
stand　alone；　he　endeavored　to　conciliate　the　old　order　of　things；　and；
divorcing　the　daughter　of　the　people；　took　for　a　bride　the　daughter　of
kings　and　allied　himself　with　themat　that　moment；　like　another　Samson；
〃his　strength　departed　from　him。〃　　Disasters　came　as　they　had　come　to　him
before；　but　this　time　the　heart　of　the　people　was　no　longer　with　him。　　He
fell。

This　man　has　been　studied　as　a　soldier；　a　statesman；　an　organizer；　a
politician。　　In　all　he　was　undeniably　great。　　But　men　will　always　like　to
know　something　about　him　as　a　man。　　Can　he　stand　that　ordeal？　　These
volumes　will　answer　that　question。　　They　are　written　by　one　who　joined
the　First　Consul　at　the　Hospice　on　Mt。　St。　Bernard；　on　his　way　to
Marengo；　in　June；　1800；　and　who　was　with　him　as　his　chief　personal
attendant；　day　and　night；　never　leaving　him　〃any　more　than　his　shadow〃
（eight　days　only　excepted　until　that　eventful　day；　fourteen　years　later；
when；　laying　aside　the　sceptre　of　the　greatest　empire　the　world　had　known
for　seventeen　centuries；　he　walked　down　the　horseshoe　steps　at
Fontainebleau　in　the　presence　of　the　soldiers　whom　he　had　led　to　victory
from　Madrid　to　Moscow；　once　more　a　private　citizen。

That　men　of　Anglo…Saxon　speech　may　have　an　opportunity　to　see　and　judge
the　Emperor　from　〃close　at　hand；〃　and　view　him　as　he　appeared　in　the　eyes
of　his　personal　attendants；　these　volumes　have　been　translated；　and　are
now　submitted　to　the　public。　　Though　the　remark　of　Frederick　the　Great
that　〃No　man　is　a　hero　to　his　valet〃　is　not　altogether　borne　out　in　this
instance；　still　it　will　be　seen　that　there　is　here　nothing　of　that
〃divinity　which　doth　hedge　a　king。〃　　In　these　volumes　Napoleon　appears　as
a　man；　a　very　great　man；　still　a　mere　man；　not；　a　demigod。　　Their　perusal
will　doubtless　lead　to　a　truer　conception　of　his　character；　as　manifested
both　in　his　good　and　in　his　evil　traits。　　The　former　were　natural　to　him；
the　latter　were　often　produced　by　the　exceptional　circumstances　which
surrounded　him；　and　the　extraordinary　temptations　to　which　he　was
subjected。

Certainly　a　truer　and　fuller　light　is　cast　by　these　volumes；　upon　the
colossal　figure　which　will　always　remain　one　of　the　most　interesting
studies　in　all　human　history。


THE　TRANSLATOR






INTRODUCTION

By　Constant。

The　career　of　a　man　compelled　to　make　his　own　way；　who　is　not　an　artisan
or　in　some　trade；　does　not　usually　begin　till　he　is　about　twenty　years　of
age。　　Till　then　he　vegetates；　uncertain　of　his　future；　neither　having；
nor　being　able　to　have；　any　well…defined　purpose。　　It　is　only　when　he　has
arrived　at　the　full　development　of　his　powers；　and　his　character　and　bent
of　mind　are　shown；　that　he　can　determine　his　profession　or　calling。　　Not
till　then　does　he　know　himself；　and　see　his　way　open　before　him。　　In
fact；　it　is　only　then　that　he　begins　to　live。

Reasoning　in　this　manner；　my　life　from　my　twentieth　year　has　been　thirty
years；　which　can　be　divided　into　equal　parts；　so　far　as　days　and　months
are　counted；　but　very　unequal　parts；　considering　the　events　which
transpired　in　each　of　those　two　periods　of　my　life。

Attached　to　the　person　of　the　Emperor　Napoleon　for　fifteen　years；　I　have
seen　all　the　men；　and　witnessed　all　the　important　events；　which　centered
around　him。　　I　have　seen　far　more　than　that；　for　I　have　had　under　my　eyes
all　the　circumstances　of　his　life；　the　least　as　well　as　the　greatest；　the
most　secret　as　well　as　those　which　are　known　to　history；I　have　had；　I
repeat；　incessantly　under　my　eyes　the　man　whose　name；　solitary　and　alone；
fills　the　most　glorious　pages　of　our　history。　　Fifteen　years　I　followed
him　in　his　travels　and　his　campaigns；　was　at　his　court；　and　saw　him　in
the　privacy　of　his　family。　　Whatever　step　he　wished　to　take；　whatever
order　he　gave；　it　was　necessarily　very　difficult　for　the　Emperor　not　to
admit　me；　even　though　involuntarily；　into　his　confidence；　so　that　without
desiring　it；　I　have　more　than　once　found　myself　in　the　possession　of
secrets　I　should　have　preferred　not　to　know。　　What　wonderful　things
happened　during　those　fifteen　years！　　Those　near　the　Emperor　lived　as　if
in　the　center　of　a　whirlwind；　and　so　quick　was　the　succession　of
overwhelming　events；　that　one　felt　dazed；　as　it　were；　and　if　he　wished　to
pause　and　fix　his　attention　for　a　moment；　there　instantly　came；　like
another　flood；　a　succession　of　events　which　carried　him　along　with　them
without　giving　him　time　to　fix　his　thoughts。

Succeeding　these　times　of　activity　which　made　one's　brain　whirl；　there
came　to　me　the　most　absolute　repose　in　an　isolated　retreat　where　I　passed
another　interval　of　fifteen　years　after　leaving　the　Emperor。　　But　what　a
contrast！　　To　those　who　have　lived；　like　myself；　amid　the　conquests　and
wonders　of　the　Empire；　what　is　left　to…day？　　If　the　strength　of　our
manhood　was　pass