napoleon bonaparte, v5-第5节

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account　of　the　firmness　of　his　character；　which　was　so　remarkable　that；
notwithstanding　his　extreme　youth；　nothing　could　make　him　break　his　word。
The　following　anecdote　which　I　recall　furnishes　an　instance　of　this。

He　was　very　fond　of　strawberries；　but　they　caused　him　such　long　and
frequent　attacks　of　vomiting　that　his　mother　became　alarmed；　and
positively　forbade　his　eating　them；　expressing　a　wish　that　every
precaution　should　be　taken　to　keep　out　of　the　young　prince's　sight　a
fruit　which　was　so　injurious　to　him。　　The　little　Napoleon；　whom　the
injurious　effects　of　the　strawberries　had　not　disgusted　with　them；　was
surprised　to　no　more　see　his　favorite　dish；　but　bore　the　deprivation
patiently；　until　one　day　he　questioned　his　nurse；　and　very　seriously
demanded　an　explanation　on　this　subject；　which　the　good　woman　was　unable
to　give；　for　she　indulged　him　even　to　the　point　of　spoiling　him。　　He　knew
her　weakness；　and　often　took　advantage　of　it；　as　in　this　instance　for
example。　　He　became　angry；　and　said　to　his　nurse　in　a　tone　which　had　as
much　and　even　more　effect　on　her　than　the　Emperor　or　the　King　of　Holland
could　have　had；　〃I　will　have　the　strawberries。　　Give　them　to　me　at　once。〃
The　poor　nurse　begged　him　to　be　quiet；　and　said　that　she　would　give　them
to　him；　but　she　was　afraid　that　if　anything　happened　he　would　tell　the
queen　who　had　done　this。　　〃Is　that　all？〃　replied　Napoleon　eagerly。　　Have
no　fear；　I　promise　not　to　tell。〃

The　nurse　yielded；　and　the　strawberries　had　their　usual　effect。　　The
queen　entered　while　he　was　undergoing　the　punishment　for　his　self…
indulgence；　and　he　could　not　deny　that　he　had　eaten　the　forbidden　fruit；
as　the　proofs　were　too　evident。　　The　queen　was　much　incensed；　and　wished
to　know　who　had　disobeyed　her；　she　alternately　entreated　and　threatened
the　child；　who　still　continued　to　reply　with　the　greatest　composure；
〃I　promised　not　to　tell。〃　　And　in　spite　of　the　great　influence　she　had
over　him；　she　could　not　force　him　to　tell　her　the　name　of　the　guilty
person。

Young　Napoleon　was　devoted　to　his　uncle；　and　manifested　in　his　presence　a
patience　and　self…control　very　foreign　to　his　usual　character。　　The
Emperor　often　took　him　on　his　knee　during　breakfast；　and　amused　himself
making　him　eat　lentils　one　by　one。　　The　pretty　face　of　the　child　became
crimson；　his　whole　countenance　manifested　disgust　and　impatience；　but　his
Majesty　could　prolong　this　sport　without　fearing　that　his　nephew　would
become　angry；　which　he　would　have　infallibly　done　with　any　one　else。

At　such　a　tender　age　could　he　have　been　conscious　of　his　uncle's
superiority　to　all　those　who　surrounded　him？　　King　Louis；　his　father；
gave　him　each　day　a　new　plaything；　chosen　exactly　to　suit　his　fancy：　but
the　child　preferred　those　he　received　from　his　uncle；　and　when　his　father
said　to　him；　　But；　see　here；　Napoleon；　those　are　ugly　things；　mine　are
prettier。〃〃　No；〃　said　the　young　prince；　〃they　are　very　nice；　my　uncle
gave　them　to　me。〃

One　morning　when　he　visited　his　Majesty；　he　crossed　a　saloon　where　amid
many　great　personages　was　Prince　Murat；　at　that　time；　I　think；　Grand　Duke
of　Berg。　　The　child　passed　through　without　saluting　any　one；　when　the
prince　stopped　him　and　said；　〃Will　you　not　tell　me　goodmorning？〃〃No；〃
replied　Napoleon；　disengaging　himself　from　the　arms　of　the　Grand　Duke；
〃not　before　my　uncle　the　Emperor。〃

At　the　end　of　a　review　which　had　taken　place　in　the　court　of　the
Tuileries；　and　on　the　Place　du　Carrousel；　the　Emperor　went　up　to　his
apartments；　and　threw　his　hat　on　one　sofa；　his　sword　on　another。　　Little
Napoleon　entered；　took　his　uncle's　sword；　passed　the　belt　round　his　neck；
put　the　hat　on　his　head；　and　then　kept　step　gravely；　humming　a　march
behind　the　Emperor　and　Empress。　　Her　Majesty；　turning　round；　saw　him；　and
caught　him　in　her　arms；　exclaiming；　〃What　a　pretty　picture！〃　　Ingenious
in　seizing　every　occasion　to　please　her　husband；　the　Empress　summoned　M。
Gerard；　and　ordered　a　portrait　of　the　young　prince　in　this　costume；　and
the　picture　was　brought　to　the　palace　of　Saint…Cloud　the　very　day　on
which　the　Empress　heard　of　the　death　of　this　beloved　child。

He　was　hardly　three　years　old　when；　seeing　his　shoemaker's　bill　paid　with
five…franc　pieces；　he　screamed　loudly；　not　wishing　that　they　should　give
away　the　picture　of　his　Uncle　Bibiche。　　The　name　of　Bibiche　thus　given　by
the　young　prince　to　his　Majesty　originated　in　this　manner。　　The　Empress
had　several　gazelles　placed　in　the　park　of　Saint…Cloud；　which　were　very
much　afraid　of　all　the　inhabitants　of　the　palace　except　the　Emperor；　who
allowed　them　to　eat　tobacco　out　of　his　snuff…box；　and　thus　induced　them
to　follow　him；　and　took　much　pleasure　in　giving　them　the　tobacco　by　the
hands　of　the　little　Napoleon；　whom　he　also　put　on　the　back　of　one　of
them。　　The　latter　designated　these　pretty　animals　by　no　other　name　than
that　of　Bibiche；　and　amused　himself　by　giving　the　same　name　to　his　uncle。

This　charming　child；　who　was　adored　by　both　father　and　mother；　used　his
almost　magical　influence　over　each　in　order　to　reconcile　them　to　each
other。　　He　took　his　father　by　the　hand；　who　allowed　himself　to　be　thus
conducted　by　this　angel　of　peace　to　Queen　Hortense；　and　then　said　to　him；
〃Kiss　her；　papa；　I　beg　you；〃　and　was　perfectly　overjoyed　when　he　had　thus
succeeded　in　reconciling　these　two　beings　whom　he　loved　with　an　equal
affection。

How　could　such　a　beautiful　character　fail　to　make　this　angel　beloved　by
all　who　knew　him？　　How　could　the　Emperor；　who　loved　all　children；　fail　to
be　devoted　to　him；　even　had　he　not　been　his　nephew；　and　the　godson　of
that　good　Josephine　whom　he　never　ceased　to　love　for　a　single　instant？
At　the　age　of　seven　years；　when　that　malady；　the　croup；　so　dangerous　to
children；　snatched　him　from　his　heart…broken　family；　he　already　gave
evidence　of　remarkable　traits　of　character；　which　were　the　foundation　of
most　brilliant　hopes。　　His　proud　and　haughty　character；　while　rendering
him　susceptible　of　the　noblest　impressions；　was　not　incompatible　with
obedience　and　docility。　　The　idea　of　injustice　was　revolting　to　him；　but
he　readily　submitted　to　reasonable　advice　and　rightful　authority。

First…born　of　the　new　dynasty；　it　was　fitting　he　should　attract　as　he　did
the　deepest　tenderness　and　solicitude　of　the　chief。　　Malignity　and　envy；
which　ever　seek　to　defame　and　villify　the　great；　gave　slanderous
explanations　of　this　almost　paternal　attachment；　but　wise　and　thoughtful
men　saw　in　this　adoptive　tenderness　only　what　it　plainly　evinced；the
desire　and　hope　of　transmitting　his　immense　power；　and　the　grandest　name
in　the　universe；　to　an　heir；　indirect　it　is　true；　but　of　imperial　blood；
and　who；　reared　under　the　eyes；　and　by　the　direction　of　the　Emperor；
would　have　been　to　him　all　that　a　son　could　be。　　The　death　of　the　young
Napoleon　appeared　as　a　forerunner　of　misfortunes　in　the　midst　of　his
glorious　career；　disarranging　all　the　plans　which　the　monarch　had
conceived；　and　decided　him　to　concentrate　all　his　hopes　on　an　heir　in　a
direct　line。

It　was　then　that　the　first　thoughts　of　divorce　arose　in　his　mind；　though
it　did　not　take　place　until　two　years　later；　and　only　began　to　be　the
subject　of　private　conversation　during　the　stay　at　Fontainebleau。　　The
Empress　readily　saw　the　fatal　results　to　her　of　the　death　of　this　godson；
and　from　that　time　she　dwelt　upon　the　idea　of　this　terrible　event　which
ruined　her　life。　　This　premature　death　was　to　her　an　inconsolable　grief；
and　she　shut　herself　up　for　three　days；　weeping　bitterly；　seeing　no　one
except　her　women；　and　taking　almost　no　nourishment。　　It　even　seemed　that
she　feared　to　be　distracted　from　her　grief；　as　she　surrounded　herself
with　a　sort　of　avidity　with　all　that　could　recall　her　irreparable　loss。
She　obtained　with　some　difficulty　from　Queen　Hortense　some　of　the　young
prince's　hair；　which　his　heart…broken　mother　religiously　preserved；　and
the　Empress　had　this　hair　framed　on　a　cushion　of　black　velvet；　and　kept
it　always　near　her。　　I　often　saw　it　at　Malmaison；　and　never　without　deep
emotion。

But　how　can　I　attempt　to　describe　the　despair　of　Queen　Hortense；　of　that
woman　who　became　as　perfect　a　mother　as　she　had　been　a　daughter。　　She
never　left　her　son　a　moment　during　his　illness；　and　when　he　expired　in
her　arms；　still　wishing　to　remain　near　his　lifeless　body；　she　fastened
her　arms　through　those　of　her　chair；　in　order　that　she　might　not　be　torn
from　this　heartrending　scene。　　At　last　nature　succumbed　to　such　poignant
grief：　the　unhappy　mother　fainted；　and　the　opportunity　was　taken　to
remove　her　to　her　own　apartment；　still　in　the　chair　which　she　had　not
left；　and　which　her　arms　clasped　convulsively。　　On　awaking；　the　queen
uttered　piercing　screams；　and　her　dry　and　staring　eyes　and　white　lips
gave　reason　to　fear　that　she　was　near　her　end。　　Nothing　could　bring　tears
to　her　eyes；　until　at　last　a　chamberlain　conceived　the　idea　of　bringing
the　young　prince's　body；　and　placing　it　on　his　mother's　knees；　and　this
had　such　an　effect　on　her　that　her　tears　burst　forth　and　saved　her　life；
while　she　covered　with　kisses　the　cold　and　adored　remains。　　All　France
shared　the　grief　of　the　Queen　of　Holland。




CHAPTER　IV。

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