napoleon bonaparte, v11-第14节

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this　a　time　for　remonstrances；　when　two　hundred　thousand　Cossacks　are
crossing　our　frontiers？　　Is　this　the　moment　to　dispute　as　to　individual
liberty　and　safety；　when　the　question　is　the　preservation　of　political
liberty　and　national　independence？　　The　enemy　must　be　resisted；　you　must
follow　the　example　of　the　Alsatians；　Vosges；　and　inhabitants　of　Franche…
Comte；　who　wish　to　march　against　them；　and　have　applied　to　me…for　arms。
You　endeavor　in　your　address　to　separate　the　sovereign　from　the　nation。
It　is　I　who　here　represent　the　people；　who　have　given　me　four　million　of
their　suffrages。　　If　I　believed　you　I　should　cede　to　the　enemy　more　than
he　demands。　　You　shall　have　peace　in　three　months　or　I　shall　perish。
Your　address　was　an　insult　to　me　and　to　the　Corps　Legislatif。〃

Although　the　journals　were　forbidden　to　repeat　the　details　of　this　scene；
the　rumors　of　it　spread　through　Paris　with　the　rapidity　of　lightning。
The　Emperor's　words　were　repeated　and　commented　on；　the　dismissed
deputies　sounded　them　through　all　the　departments。　　I　remember　seeing　the
prime　arch…chancellor　next　day　come　to　the　Emperor　and　request　an
audience；　it　was　in　favor　of　M。　Deseze；　whose　protector　he　then　was。　　In
spite　of　the　threatening　words　of　his　Majesty；　he　found　him　not　disposed
to　take　severe　measures；　for　his　anger　had　already　exhausted　itself；　as
was　always　the　case　with　the　Emperor　when　he　had　abandoned　himself　to　his
first　emotions　of　fury。　　However；　the　fatal　misunderstanding　between　the
Corps　Legislatif　and　the　Emperor；　caused　by　the　report　of　the　committee
of　that　body；　produced　the　most　grievous　effects；　and　it　is　easy　to
conceive　how　much　the　enemy　must　have　rejoiced　over　this；　as　they　never
failed　to　be　promptly　informed　by　the　numerous　agents　whom　they　employed
in　France。　　It　was　under　these　sad　circumstances　that　the　year　1813
closed。　　We　will　see　in　future　what　were　the　consequences　of　it；　and　in
fact　the　history；　until　now　unwritten；　of　the　Emperor's　inner　life　at
Fontainebleau；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　most　painful　period　of　my　life。




CHAPTER；　XXI。

In　order　to　neutralize　the　effects　which　might　be　produced　in　the
provinces　by　the　reports　of　the　members　of　the　Corps　Legislatif　and　the
correspondence　of　the　alarmists；　his　Majesty　appointed　from　the　members
of　the　conservative　senate　a　certain　number　of　commissioners　whom　he
charged　to　visit　the　departments　and　restore　public　confidence。　　This　was
a　most　salutary　measure；　and　one　which　circumstances　imperiously
demanded；　for　discouragement　began　to　be　felt　among　the　masses　of　the
population；　and　as　is　well　known　in　such　cases　the　presence　of　superior
authority　restores　confidence　to　those　who　are　only　timid。　　Nevertheless；
the　enemy　were　advancing　at　several　points；　and　had　already　pressed　the
soil　of　Old　France。　　When　this　news　reached　the　Emperor；　it　afflicted　him
deeply　without　overcoming　him。　　At　times；　however；　his　indignation　broke
forth；　above　all；　when　he　learned　from　the　reports　that　French　emigrants
had　entered　the　enemy's　ranks；　whom　he　stigmatized　by　the　name　of
traitors；　infamous　and　wretched　creatures；　unworthy　of　pity。　　I　remember
that　on　the　occasion　of　the　capture　of　Huningen　he　thus　characterized　a
certain　M。　de　Montjoie；　who　was　now　serving　in　the　Bavarian　army　after
taking　a　German　name；　which　I　have　forgotten。　　The　Emperor　added；
however：　〃At　least；　he　has　had　the　modesty　not　to　keep　his　French　name。〃
In　general　easy　to　conciliate　on　nearly　all　points；　the　Emperor　was
pitiless　towards　all　those　who　bore　arms　against　their　country；　and
innumerable　times　I　have　heard　him　say　that　there　was　no　greater　crime　in
his　eyes。

In　order　not　to　add　to　the　complication　of　so　many　conflicting　interests
which　encountered　and　ran　contrary　to　each　other　still　more　each　day；　the
Emperor　already　had　the　thought　of　sending　Ferdinand　VII。　back　into
Spain。　　I　have　the　certainty　that　his　Majesty　had　even　made　some
overtures　to　him　on　this　subject　during　his　last　stay　in　Paris；　but　it
was　the　Spanish　prince　who　objected　to　this；　not　ceasing；　on　the
contrary；　to　demand　the　Emperor's　protection。　　He　desired　most　of　all　to
become　the　ally；　of　his　Majesty；　and　it　was　well　known　that　in　his
letters　to　his　Majesty　he　urged　him　incessantly　to　give　him　a　wife　of　the
Emperor's　selection。　　The　Emperor　had　seriously　thought　of　marrying　him
to　the　eldest　daughter　of　King　Joseph；　which　seemed　a　means　of
conciliating　at　the　same　time　the　rights　of　Prince　Joseph　and　those　of
Ferdinand　VII。；　and　King　Joseph　asked　nothing　better　than　to　be　made　a
party　to　this　arrangement；　and　from　the　manner　in　which　he　had　used　his
royalty　since　the　commencement　of　his　reign；　we　may　be　permitted　to　think
that　his　Majesty　did　not　greatly　object　to　this。　　Prince　Ferdinand　had
acquiesced　in　this　alliance；　which　appeared　very　agreeable　to　him；　when
suddenly　at　the　end　of　the　year　1813　he　demanded　time；　and　the　course　of
events　placed　this　affair　among　the　number　of　those　which　existed　only　in
intention。　　Prince　Ferdinand　left　Valencay　at　last；　but　later　than　the
Emperor　had　authorized　him　to　do；　and　for　some　time　his　presence　had　been
only　an　additional　embarrassment。　　However；　the　Emperor　had　no　reason　to
complain　of　his　conduct　towards　him　until　after　the　events　of
Fontainebleau。

At　any　rate；　in　the　serious　situation　of　affairs；　matters　concerning　the
Prince　of　Spain　were　only　an　incidental　matter；　no　more　important　than
the　stay　of　the　Pope　at　Fontainebleau；　the　great　point；　the　object　which
predominated　everything；　was　the　defense　of　the　soil　of　France；　which　the
first　days　of　January　found　invaded　at　many　points。　　This　was　the　one
thought　of　his　Majesty；　which　did　not　prevent　him；　nevertheless；　from
entering　according　to　custom　into　all　the　duties　of　his　administration；
and　we　will　soon　see　the　measures　he　took　to　re…establish　the　national
guard　of　Paris。　　I　have　on　this　subject　certain　documents　and　particulars
which　are　little　known；　from　a　person　whose　name　I　am　not　permitted　to
give；　but　whose　position　gave　him　the　opportunity　of　learning　all　the
intricacies　of　its　formation。　　As　all　these　duties　still　required　for
more　than　a　month　the　presence　of　his　Majesty　at　Paris；　he　remained　there
until　the　25th　of　January。

But　what　fatal　news　he　received　during　those　twenty…five　days！

First　the　Emperor　learned　that　the　Russians；　as　unscrupulous　as　the
Austrians　in　observing　the　conditions　of　a　capitulation　which　are　usually
considered　sacred；　had　just　trampled　under　their　feet　the　stipulations
made　at　Dantzic。　　In　the　name　of　the　Emperor　Alexander；　the　Prince　of
Wurtemberg　who　commanded　the　siege　had　acknowledged　and　guaranteed　to
General　Rapp　and　the　troops　placed　under　his　command　the　right　to　return
to　France；　which　agreement　was　no　more　respected　than　had　been　a　few
months　before　that　made　with　Marshal　Saint…Cyr　by　the　Prince　of
Schwarzenberg；　thus　the　garrison　of　Dantzic　were　made　prisoners　with　the
same　bad　faith　as　that　of　Dresden　had　been。　　This　news；　which　reached　him
at　almost　the　same　time　as　that　of　the　surrender　of　Torgau；　distressed
his　Majesty　so　much　the　more　as　it　contributed　to　prove　to　him　that　these
powerful　enemies　wished　to　treat　of　peace　only　in　name；　with　a　resolution
to　retire　always　before　a　definite　conclusion　was　reached。

At　the　same　period　the　news　from　Lyons　was　in　no　wise　reassuring。　　The
command　of　this　place　had　been　confided　to　Marshal　Augereau；　and　he　was
accused　of　having　lacked　the　energy　necessary　to　foresee　or　arrest　the
invasion　of　the　south　of　France。　　Further　I　will　not　now　dwell　on　this
circumstance；　proposing　in　the　following　chapter　to　collect　my　souvenirs
which　relate　more　especially　to　the　beginning　of　the　campaign　in　France；
and　some　circumstances　which　preceded　it。　　I　limit　myself　consequently　to
recalling；　as　far　as　my　memory　serves；　events　which　occurred　during　the
last　days　the　Emperor　passed　in　Paris。

From　the　4th　of　January　his　Majesty；　although　having　lost；　as　I　said　a
while　since；　all　hope　of　inducing　the　invaders　to　conclude　a　peace；　which
the　whole　world　so　much　needed；　gave　his　instructions　to　the　Duke　of
Vicenza；　and　sent　him　to　the　headquarters　of　the　allies；　but　he　was
compelled　to　wait　a　long　time　for　his　passports。　　At　the　same　time
special　orders　were　sent　to　the　prefects　of　departments　in　the　invaded
territory　as　to　the　conduct　they　should　pursue　under　such　difficult
circumstances。　　Thinking　at　the　same　time　that　it　was　indispensable　to
make　an　example　in　order　to　strengthen　the　courage　of　the　timid；　the
Emperor　ordered　the　creation　of　a　commission　of　inquiry；　charged　to
inquire　into　the　conduct　of　Baron　Capelle；　prefect　of　the　department　of
the　Leman　at　the　time　of　the　entrance　of　the　enemy　into　Geneva。　　Finally
a　decree　mobilized　one　hundred　and　twenty　battalions　of　the　National
Guard　of　the　Empire；　and　ordered　a　levy　en　masse　on　all　the　departments
of　the　east　of　all　men　capable　of　bearing　arms。　　Excellent　measures
doubtless；　but　vain！　　Destiny　was　stronger　than　even　the　genius　of　a
great　man。

Meanwhile　on　the　8th　of　January　appeared　the　decree　which　called　out　for
active　duty　thirty　thousand　men　of　the　National　Gua