memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v12-第14节

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been　voluntarily　chosen　Prince　Royal　of　Sweden；　may　he　not　also　be　raised
to　the　same　rank　in　France？　　He　is　your　countryman；　surely　then　you　may
choose　him；　since　the　Swedes　took　him；　though　a　foreigner。〃　　General
Reynier；　who　was　a　man　of　firm　character；　started　some　objections；　which
I　thought　at　the　time　well　founded；　and　Alexander　put　an　end　to　the
conversation　by　saving；　rather　in　a　tone　of　dissatisfaction；　〃Well；
General；　the　fate　of　arms　will　decide。〃

The　campaign　of　France　forced　Napoleon　to　adopt　a　kind　of　operations
quite　new　to　him。　　He　had　been　accustomed　to　attack；　but　he　was　now
obliged　to　stand　on　his　defence；　so　that；　instead　of　having　to　execute　a
previously　conceived　plan；　as　when；　in　the　Cabinet　of　the　Tuileries；　he
traced　out　to　me　the　field　of　Marengo；　he　had　now　to　determine　his
movements　according　to　those　of　his　numerous　enemies。　　When　the　Emperor
arrived　at　Chalons…sur…Marne　the　Prussian　army　was　advancing　by　the　road
of　Lorraine。　　He　drove　it　back　beyond　St。　Dizier。　　Meanwhile　the　Grand
Austro…Russian　army　passed　the　Seine　and　the　Yonne　at　Montereau；　and　even
sent　forward　a　corps　which　advanced　as　far　as　Fontainebleau。　　Napoleon
then　made　a　movement　to　the　right　in　order　to　drive　back　the　troops　which
threatened　to　march　on　Paris；　and　by　a　curious　chance　he　came　up　with　the
troops　in　the　very　place　where　he　passed　the　boyish　years　in　which　he
cherished　what　then　seemed　wild　and　fabulous　dreams　of　his　future　fate。
What　thoughts　and　recollections　must　have　crowded　on　his　mind　when　he
found　himself　an　Emperor　and　a　King；　at　the　head　of　a　yet　powerful　army；
in　the　chateau　of　the　Comte　de　Brienne；　to　whom　he　had　so　often　paid　his
homage！　　It　was　at　Brienne　that　he　had　said　to　me；　thirty…four　years
before；　〃I　will　do　these　Frenchman　all　the　harm　I　can。〃　　Since　then　he
had　certainly　changed　his　mind；　but　it　might　be　said　that　fate　persisted
in　forcing　the　man　to　realise　the　design　of　the　boy　in　spite　of　himself。
No　sooner　had　Napoleon　revisited　Brienne　as　a　conqueror　than　he　was
repulsed　and　hurried　to　his　fall；　which　became　every　moment　more
certain。'

I　shall　not　enter　into　any　details　of　the　campaign　of　France；　because　the
description　of　battles　forms　no　part　of　my　plan。　　Still；　I　think　it
indispensable　briefly　to　describe　Napoleon's　miraculous　activity　from　the
time　of　his　leaving　Paris　to　the　entrance　of　the　Allies　into　the　capital。
Few　successful　campaigns　have　enabled　our　Generals　and　the　French　army　to
reap　so　much　glory　as　they　gained　during　this　great　reverse　of　fortune。
For　it　is　possible　to　triumph　without　honour；　and　to　fall　with　glory。
The　chances　of　the　war　were　not　doubtful；　but　certainly　the　numerous
hosts　of　the　Allies　could　never　have　anticipated　so　long　and　brilliant　a
resistance。　　The　theatre　of　the　military　operations　soon　approached　so
near　to　Paris　that　the　general　eagerness　for　news　from　the　army　was
speedily　satisfied；　and　when　any　advantage　was　gained　by　the　Emperor　his
partisans　saw　the　enemy　already　repulsed　from　the　French　territory。
I　was　not　for　a　moment　deceived　by　these　illusions；　as　I　well　knew　the
determination　and　the　resources　of　the　Allied　sovereigns。　　Besides；
events　were　so　rapid　and　various　in　this　war　of　extermination　that　the
guns　of　the　Invalides　announcing　a　victory　were　sometimes　immediately
followed　by　the　distant　rolling　of　artillery；　denoting　the　enemy's　near
approach　to　the　capital。

The　Emperor　left　Paris　on　the　25th　of　January；　at　which　time　the　Emperors
of　Russia　and　Austria　and　the　King　of　Prussia　were　assembled　at　Langres。
Napoleon　rejoined　his　Guard　at　Vitry…le…Francais。　　On　the　second　day
after　his　departure　he　drove　before　him　the　Prussian　army；　which　he　had
forced　to　evacuate　St。　Dizier。　　Two　days　after　this　the　battle　of　Brienne
was　fought；　and　on　the　1st　of　February　between　70；000　and　80；000　French
and　Allied　troops　stood　face　to　face。　　On　this　occasion　the　commanders　on
both　sides　were　exposed　to　personal　danger；　for　Napoleon　had　a　horse
killed　under　him；　and　a　Cossack　fell　dead　by　the　side　of　Marshal　Blucher。

A　few　days　after　this　battle　Napoleon　entered　Troves；　where　he　stayed　but
a　short　time；　and　then　advanced　to　Champaubert。　　At　the　latter　place　was
fought　the　battle　which　bears　its　name。　　The　Russians　were　defeated；
General　Alsufieff　was　made　prisoner；　and　2000　men　and　30　guns　fell　into
the　hands　of　the　French。　　After　this　battle　the　Emperor　was　under　such　a
delusion　as　to　his　situation　that　while　supping　with　Berthier；　Marmont；
and　his　prisoner；　General　Alsufieff；　the　Emperor　said；　〃Another　such
victory　as　this；　gentlemen；　and　I　shall　be　on　the　Vistula。〃

Finding　that　no　one　replied；　and　reading　in　the　countenances　of　his
Marshals　that　they　did　not　share　his　hopes；　〃I　see　how　it　is；〃　he　added；
〃every　one　is　growing　tired　of　war；　there　is　no　more　enthusiasm。　　The
sacred　fire　is　extinct。〃　　Then　rising　from　the　table；　and　stepping　up　to
General　Drouot；　with　the　marked　intention　of　paying　him　a　compliment
which　should　at　the　same　time　convey　a　censure　on　the　Marshals；
〃General；〃　said　he；　patting　him　on　the　shoulder；　〃we　only　want　a　hundred
men　like　you；　and　we　should　succeed。〃　　Drouot　replied；　with　great
presence　of　mind　and　modesty；　〃Rather　say　a　hundred　thousand；　Sire。〃
This　anecdote　was　related　to　me　by　the　two　principal　persons　who　were
present　on　the　occasion。

Napoleon　soon　began　to　have　other　subjects　of　disquietude　besides　the
fate　of　battles。　　He　was　aware　that　since　the　beginning　of　February　the
Duc　d'Angouleme　had　arrived　at　St。　Jean　de　Luz；　whence　he　had　addressed　s
proclamation　to　the　French　armies　in　the　name　of　his　uncle；　Louis　XVIII。；
and　he　speedily　heard　of　the　Comte　d'Artois'　arrival　at　Yesoul；　on　the
21st　of　February；　which　place　he　did　not　leave　until　the　16th　of　March
following。

Meanwhile　hostilities　were　maintained　with　increased　vigor　over　a　vast
line　of　operations。　　How　much　useless　glory　did　not　our　soldiers　gain　in
these　conflicts！　　In　spite　of　prodigies　of　valour　the　enemy's　masses
advanced；　and　gradually　concentrated；　so　that　this　war　might　be　compared
to　the　battles　of　the　ravens　and　the　eagle　in　the　Alps。　　The　eagle　slays
hundreds　of　his　assailantsevery　blow　of　his　beak　is　the　death　of　an
enemy；　but　still　the　vultures　return　to　the　charge；　and　press　upon　the
eagle　until　they　destroy　him。

As　the　month　of　February　drew　to　its　close　the　Allies　were　in　retreat　on
several　points；　but　their　retreat　was　not　a　rout。　　After　experiencing
reverses　they　fell　back　without　disorder；　and　retired　behind　the　Aube；
where　they　rallied　and　obtained　numerous　reinforcements；　which　daily
arrived；　and　which　soon　enabled　them　to　resume　the　offensive。

Still　Napoleon　continued　astonishing　Europe；　leagued　as　it　was　against
him。　　At　Craonne；　on　the　7th　of　March；　he　destroyed　Blucher's　corps　in　a
severe　action；　but　the　victory　was　attended　by　great　loss　to　the
conqueror。　　Marshal　Victor　was　seriously　wounded；　as　well　as　Generals
Grouchy　and　La　Ferriere。

While　Napoleon　was　resisting　the　numerous　enemies　assembled　to　destroy
him　it　might　be　said　that　he　was　also　his　own　enemy；　either　from　false
calculation　or　from　negligence　with　respect　to　his　illustrious　prisoners；
who；　on　his　departure　from　Paris；　had　not　yet　been　sent　to　their　States。
The　Pope　was　then　at　Fontainebleau；　and　the　Princes　of　Spain　at　Valencay。
The　Pope；　however；　was　the　first　to　be　allowed　to　depart。　　Surely
Bonaparte　could　never　have　thought　of　the　service　which　the　Pope　might
have　rendered　him　at　Rome；　into　which　Murat's　troops　would　never　have
dared　to　march　had　his　Holiness　been　present　there。　　With　regard　to　the
Spanish　Princes　Napoleon　must　have　been　greatly　blinded　by　confidence　in
his　fortune　to　have　so　long　believed　it　possible　to　retain　in　France
those　useless　trophies　of　defeated　pretensions。　　It　was；　besides；　so　easy
to　get　rid　of　the　exiles　of　Valencay　by　sending　them　back　to　the　place
from　whence　they　had　been　brought！　　It　was　so　natural　to　recall　with　all
speed　the　troops　from　the　south　when　our　armies　in　Germany　began　to　be
repulsed　on　the　Rhine　and　even　driven　into　France！　　With　the　aid　of　these
veteran　troops　Napoleon　and　his　genius　might　have　again　turned　the　scale
of　fortune。　　But　Napoleon　reckoned　on　the　nation；　and　he　was　wrong；　for
the　nation　was　tired　of　him。　　His　cause　had　ceased　to　be　the　cause　of
France。

The　latter　days　of　March　were　filled　up　by　a　series　of　calamities　to
Napoleon。　　On　the　23d　the　rear…guard　of　the　French　army　suffered
considerable　loss。　　To　hear　of　attacks　on　his　rear…guard　must　indeed　have
been　mortifying　to　Napoleon；　whose　advanced　guards　had　been　so　long
accustomed　to　open　the　path　of　victory！　　Prince　Schwartzenberg　soon
passed　the　Aube　and　marched　upon　Vitry　and　Chalons。　　Napoleon；　counting
on　the　possibility　of　defending　Paris；　threw　himself；　with　the　velocity
of　the　eagle；　on　Schwartzenberg's　rear　by　passing　by　Doulevant　and　Bar…
sur…Aube。　　He　pushed　forward　his　advanced　guards　to　Chaumont；　and　there
saw　the　Austrian　army　make　a　movement　which　he　took　to　be　a　retreat；　but
it　was　no　such　thing。　　The　movement　was　directed　on　Paris；　while　Blucher；
who　had　re…occupied　Chalons…sur…Maine；　march