napoleon bonaparte, v12-第4节

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marched　towards　Fere…Champenoise；　I　will　not　say　in　all　haste；　for　that
is　a　term　which　might　be　used　concerning　all　his　Majesty's　movements；　who
sprang　with　the　rapidity　of　an　eagle　on　the　point　where　his　presence
seemed　most　necessary。　　Nevertheless；　the　enemy's　army；　which　had　crossed
the　Seine　at　Pont　and　Nogent；　having　learned　of　the　re…occupation　of
Rheims　by　the　Emperor；　and　understanding　the　movement　he　wished　to　make
on　their　rear；　began　their　retreat　on　the　17th；　and　retook　successively
the　bridges　which　he　had　constructed　at　Pont；　Nogent；　and　Arcis…sur…Aube。
On　the　18th　occurred　the　battle　of　Fere…Champenoise；　which　his　Majesty
fought　to　clear　the　road　intervening　between　him　and　Arcis…sur…Aube；
where　were　the　Emperor　Alexander　and　the　King　of　Prussia；　who；　on
learning　of　this　new　success　of　the　Emperor；　quickly　fell　back　to　Troyes。
The　pronounced　intention　of　his　Majesty　was　then　to　go　as　far　as　Bar…sur…
Aube。　　We　had　already　passed　the　Aube　at　Plancy；　and　the　Seine　at　Mery；
but　it　was　necessary　to　return　to　Plancy。　　This　was　on　the　19th；　the　same
day　on　which　the　Count　d'Artois　arrived　at　Nancy；　and　on　which　the
rupture　of　the　Congress　of　Chatillon　occurred；　which　I　mentioned　in　the
preceding　chapter；　following　the　order　in　which　my　souvenirs　recurred　to
my　mind。

The　20th　March　was；　as　I　have　said；　an　eventful　date　in　the　Emperor's
life；　and　was　to　become　still　more　so　one　year　later。　　The　20th　March；
1814；　the　King　of　Rome　completed　his　third　year；　while　the　Emperor　was
exposing　himself；　if　it　were　possible；　even　more　than　was　his　usual
custom。　　At　the　battle　of　Arcis…sur…Aube；　which　took　place　on　that　day；
his　Majesty　saw　that　at　last　he　would　have　new　enemies　to　encounter。　　The
Austrians　themselves　entered　the　line　of　battle；　and　an　immense　army；
under　the　command　of　the　Prince　von　Schwarzenberg；　spread　itself　out
before　him；　when　he　supposed　he　had　only　an　advance　guard　to　resist。　　The
coincidence　may　not　perhaps　appear　unimportant　that　the　Austrian　army　did
not　begin　to　fight　seriously　or　attack　the　Emperor　in　person　until　the
day　after　the　rupture　of　the　Congress　of　Chatillon。　　Was　this　the　result
of　chance；　or　did　the　Emperor　of　Austria　indeed　prefer　to　remain　in　the
second　line；　and　spare　the　person　of　his　son…in…law；　so　long　as　peace
appeared　possible　to　him？　　This　is　a　question　which　it　is　not　my　province
to　answer。

The　battle　of　Arcis…sur…Aube　was　terrible；　and　ended　only　with　the　close
of　day。　　The　Emperor　still　occupied　the　city　in　spite　of　the　combined
efforts　of　an　army　of　one　hundred　and　thirty　thousand　fresh　troops；　who
attacked　thirty　thousand　worn　out　by　fatigue。　　The　battle　still　continued
during　the　night；　while　the　fire　of　the　faubourgs　lighted　our　defenses
and　the　works　of　the　besieging…party。　　It　was　at　last　found　impossible　to
hold　our　position　longer；　and　only　one　bridge　remained　by　which　the　army
could　effect　its　retreat。　　The　Emperor　had　another　constructed；　and　the
retreat　commenced；　but　in　good　order；　in　spite　of　the　numerous　masses
which　closely　threatened　us。　　This　unfortunate　affair　was　the　most
disastrous　his　Majesty　had　experienced　during　the　whole　campaign；　since
the　roads　leading　to　the　capital　had　been　left　uncovered；　and　the
prodigies　of　his　genius　and　valor　were　unavailing　against　such
overwhelming　numbers。　　An　instance　which　furnishes　an　excellent　proof　of
the　presence　of　mind　which　the　Emperor　preserved　in　the　most　critical
positions　was；　that　before　evacuating　Arcis　he　committed　to　the　Sisters
of　Charity　a　sum　sufficient　for　the　first　needs　of　the　wounded。

On　the　evening　of　the　21st　we　arrived　at　Sommepuis；　where　the　Emperor
passed　the　night。　　There　I　heard　him　for　the　first　time　pronounce　the
name　of　the　Bourbons。　　His　Majesty　was　extremely　agitated；　and　spoke　in
such　broken　tones　that　I　understood　only　these　words；　which　he　repeated
many　times：　〃Recall　them　myselfrecall　the　Bourbons！　　What　would　the
enemy　say？　　No；　no？　　it　is　impossible！　　Never！〃　　These　words　which
escaped　the　Emperor　in　one　of　those　attacks　of　preoccupation　to　which　he
was　subject　whenever　his　soul　was　deeply　moved　astonished　me
inexpressibly；　for　the　idea　had　never　once　entered　my　mind　that　there
could　be　any　other　government　in　France　than　that　of　his　Majesty。
Besides；　it　may　be　easily　understood　that　in　the　position　I　then　occupied
I　had　scarcely　heard　the　Bourbons　mentioned；　except　to　the　Empress
Josephine　in　the　early　days　of　the　Consulate；　while　I　was　still　in　her
service。

The　various　divisions　of　the　French　army　and　the　masses　of　the　enemy　were
then　so　closely　pressed　against　each　other；　that　the　enemy　occupied　each
point　the　moment　we　were　compelled　to　abandon　it；　thus；　on　the　22d　the
allies　seized　Epernay；　and；　in　order　to　punish　this　faithful　town　for　the
heroic　defense　it　had　previously　made；　orders　were　given　that　it　should
be　pillaged。　　Pillage？　　The　Emperor　called　it　the　crime　of　war；　and　I
heard　him　often　express　in　most　vehement　terms　the　horror　with　which　it
inspired　him；　which　was　so　extreme　that　at　no　time　did　he　authorize　it
during　his　long　series　of　triumphs。　　Pillage！　　And　yet　every　proclamation
of　our　devastators　declared　boldly　that　they　made　war　only　on　the
Emperor；　they　had　the　audacity　to　repeat　this　statement；　and　some　were
foolish　enough　to　believe　them。　　On　this　point　I　saw　too　plainly　what
actually　occurred　to　have　ever　believed　in　the　ideal　magnanimity　which
has　since　been　so　much　vaunted。

On　the　23d　we　were　at　Saint…Dizier；　where　the　Emperor　returned　to　his
first　plan　of　attacking　the　enemy's　rear。　　The　next　day；　just　as　his
Majesty　mounted　his　horse　to　go　to　Doulevent；　a　general　officer　of　the
Austrians　was　brought　to　him；　whose　arrival　caused　a　great　sensation　at
headquarters；　as　it　delayed　the　Emperor's　departure　for　a　few　moments。
I　soon　learned　that　it　was　Baron　de　Weissemberg；　ambassador　from　Austria
to　London；　who　was　returning　from　England。　　The　Emperor　ordered　that　he
should　follow　him　to　Doulevent；　where　his　Majesty　gave　him　a　verbal
message　to　the　Emperor　of　Austria；　while　Colonel　Galbois　was　charged　with
a　letter　which　the　Emperor　had　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　write。　　But　after　a
movement　by　the　French　army　towards　Chaumont；　by　the　road　of　Langres；　the
Emperor　of　Austria；　finding　himself　separated　from　the　Emperor　Alexander；
was　forced　to　fall　back　as　far　as　Dijon。　　I　remember　that　on　his　arrival
at　Doulevent　his　Majesty　received　secret　information　from　his　faithful
director…general　of　the　post；　M。　de　Lavalette。　　This　information；　the
purport　of　which　I　did　not　know；　appeared　to　produce　the　deepest
impression　on　the　Emperor；　but　he　soon　resumed　before　the　eyes　of　those
around　his　accustomed　serenity；　though　for　some　time　past　I　had　seen　that
this　was　only　assumed。　　I　have　learned　since　that　M。　de　Lavalette
informed　the　Emperor　that　there　was　not　a　moment　to　lose　if　he　would　save
the　capital。　　Such　an　opinion　from　such　a　man　could　only　be　an　expression
of　the　real　truth；　and　it　was　this　conviction　which　contributed　to
increase　the　Emperor's　anxiety。　　Until　then　the　news　from　Paris　had　been
favorable；　and　much　had　been　said　of　the　zeal　and　devotion　of　the
National　Guard；　which　nothing　could　dismay。　　At　the　various　theaters
patriotic　pieces　had　been　played；　and　notably　the　'Oriflamme'　at　the
Opera；　a　very　trivial　circumstance　apparently；　but　which　nevertheless
acted　very　powerfully　on　the　minds　of　enthusiasts；　and　for　this　reason
was　not　to　be　disdained。　　Indeed；　the　small　amount　of　news　that　we　had
received　represented　Paris　as　entirely　devoted　to　his　Majesty；　and　ready
to　defend　itself　against　any　attacks。　　And　in　fact；　this　news　was　not
untrue；　and　the　handsome　conduct　of　the　National　Guard　under　the　orders；
of　Marshal　Moncey；　the　enthusiasm　of　the　different　schools；　and　the
bravery　of　the　pupils　of　the　polytechnic　schools；　soon　furnished　proof　of
this。　　But　events　were　stronger　than　men。　　Meanwhile；　time　passed　on；　and
we　were　approaching　the　fatal　conclusion；　each　day；　each　moment；　saw
those　immense　masses　collecting　from　the　extremities　of　Europe；　inclosing
Paris；　and　pressing　it　with　a　thousand　arms；　and　during　these　last　days
it　might　well　be　said　that　the　battle　raged　incessantly。　　On　the　26th　the
Emperor；　led　by　the　noise　of　a　fierce　cannonade；　again　repaired　to　Saint…
Dizier；　where　his　rear…guard　was　attacked　by　very　superior　forces；　and
compelled　to　evacuate　the　town；　but　General　Milhaud　and　General
Sebastiani　repulsed　the　enemy　on　the　Marne　at　the　ford　of　Valcourt；　the
presence　of　the　Emperor　produced　its　accustomed　effect；　and　we　re…entered
Saint…Dizier；　while　the　enemy　fled　in　the　greatest　disorder　over　the　road
to　Vitry…le…Francais　and　that　of　Bar…sur…Ornain。　　The　Emperor　moved
towards　the　latter　town；　thinking　that　he　now　had　the　Prince　of
Schwarzenberg　in　his　power；　but　just　as　he　arrived　there　learned　that　it
was　not　the　Austrian　general…in…chief　whom　he　had　fought；　but　only　one　of
his　lieutenants；　Count　Witzingerode。　　Schwarzenberg　had　deceived　him；　on
the　23d　he　had　made　a　junction　with　General　Blucher；　and　these　two
generals　at　the　head　of　the　coalition　had　rushed　with　their　masses　of
soldiers　upon　the　capital。

How