napoleon bonaparte, v11-第8节

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the　same　fate。　　It　was　one　of　those　events　which　never　failed　to　make　a
deep　impression　on　the　mind　of　his　Majesty；　since　it　strengthened　his
ideas　of　fatality。　　It　was　also　at　Mayence　that　the　Emperor　gave　orders
for　the　assembling　of　the　Corps　Legislatif　on　the　2d　of　December。　　The
opening　was　delayed；　as　we　shall　see；　and　far　better　would　it　have　been
had　it　been　indefinitely　postponed；　since　in　that　case　his　Majesty　would
not　have　experienced　the　misfortunes　he　afterwards　endured　from　their
opposition；　symptoms　of　which　now　manifested　themselves　for　the　first
time　in　a　manner　which　was；　to　say　the　least；　intemperate。

One　of　the　things　which　astonished　me　most　at　the　time；　and　which　still
astonishes　me　when　I　recall　it　now；　was　the　incredible　activity　of　the
Emperor；　which；　far　from　diminishing；　seemed　to　increase　each　day；　as　if
the　very　exercise　of　his　strength　redoubled　it。　　At　the　period　of　which　I
now　speak；　it　is　impossible　to　describe　how　completely　every　moment　of
his　Majesty's　time　was　filled。　　Since　he　had　again　met　the　Empress　and
his　son；　the　Emperor　had　resumed　his　accustomed　serenity；　and　I　rarely
surprised　him　in　that　open　abandonment　to　dejection　to　which　he　sometimes
gave　way；　in　the　retirement　of　his　chamber；　immediately　after　our　return
from　Moscow。　　He　was　occupied　more　ostensibly　than　usual　in　the　numerous
public　works　which　were　being　prosecuted　in　Paris；　and　which　formed　a
useful　distraction　to　his　engrossing　thoughts　of　war　and　the　distressing
news　which　reached　him　from　the　army。　　Almost　every　day；　troops；　equipped
as　if　by　magic；　were　reviewed　by　his　Majesty；　and　ordered　immediately　to
the　Rhine；　nearly　the　whole　course　of　which　was　threatened；　and　the
danger；　which　we　then　scarcely　thought　possible；　must　have　appeared　most
imminent　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　capital；　not　infatuated；　like
ourselves；　by　the　kind　of　charm　the　Emperor　exercised　over　all　those　who
had　the　honor　of　approaching　his　august　person。　　In　fact；　for　the　first
time　he　was　compelled　to　demand　of　the　senate　to　anticipate　the　levy　for
the　ensuing　year；　and　each　day　also　brought　depressing　news。　　The　prince
arch…treasurer　returned　the　following　autumn；　forced　to　quit　Holland
after　the　evacuation　of　this　kingdom　by　our　troops；　whilst　Marshal
Gouvion　Saint…Cyr　was　compelled　at　Dresden　to　sign　a　capitulation　for
himself　and　the　thirty　thousand　men　whom　he　had　held　in　reserve　at　that
place。

The　capitulation　of　Marshal　Saint…Cyr　will　never；　surely；　occupy　an
honorable　place　in　the　history　of　the　cabinet　of　Vienna。　　It　is　not　my
province　to　pass　judgment　on　these　political　combinations；　but　I　cannot
forget　the　indignation　which　was　generally　manifested　at　the　palace　when
it　was　learned　that　this　capitulation　had　been　shamelessly　violated　by
those　who　had　now　become　the　stronger　party。　　It　was　stated　in　this
capitulation　that　the　marshal　should　return　to　France　with　the　troops
under　his　command；　carrying　with　him　a　part　of　his　artillery；　and　that
these　troops　should　be　exchanged　for　a　like　number　of　the　allied　troops；
that　the　wounded　French　who　remained　at　Dresden　should　be　returned　to
France　on　their　restoration　to　health；　and　that；　finally；　the　marshal
should　begin　these　movements　on　the　16th　of　November。　　No　part　of　this
agreement　was　complied　with。　　Imagine；　then；　the　indignation　of　the
Emperor；　already　so　deeply　afflicted　by　the　capitulation　of　Dresden；　when
he　learned　that；　contrary　to　every　stipulation　agreed　upon；　these　troops
had　been　made　prisoners　by　the　Prince　von　Swarzenberg。　　I　remember　one
day　the　Prince　de　Neuchatel　being　in　his　Majesty's　cabinet；　which　I
happened　to　enter　at　the　moment；　the　Emperor　remarked　to　him；　with
considerable　vehemence；　〃You　speak　to　me　of　peace。　　How　can　I　believe　in
the　good　faith　of　those　people？　　You　see　what　happened　at　Dresden。　　No；
I　tell　you；　they　do　not　wish　to　treat　with　us；　they　are　only　endeavoring
to　gain　time；　and　it　is　our　business　not　to　lose　it。〃　　The　prince　did　not
reply；　or；　at　least；　I　heard　no　more；　as　I　just　then　left　the　cabinet；
having　executed　the　duty　which　had　taken　me　there。　　Moreover；　I　can　add；
as　an　additional　proof　of　the　confidence　with　which　his　Majesty　honored
me；　that　when　I　entered　he　never　interrupted　himself　in　what　he　was
saying；　however　important　it　might　be；　and　I　dare　to　affirm　that　if　my
memory　were　better；　these　souvenirs　would　contain　much　more　valuable
information。

Since　I　have　spoken　of　the　evil　tidings　which　overwhelmed　the　Emperor　in
such　quick　succession　during　the　last　months　of　the　year　1813；　there　is
one　I　should　not　omit；　since　it　affected　his　Majesty　so　painfully。　　I
refer　to　the　death　of　Count　Louis　de　Narbonne。　　Of　all　those　who　had　not
begun　their　careers　under　the　eyes　of　the　Emperor；　M。　de　Narbonne　was　the
one　for　whom　he　felt　the　deepest　affection；　and　it　must　be　admitted　that
it　was　impossible　to　find　a　man　in　whom　genuine　merit　was　united　to　more
attractive　manners。　　The　Emperor　regarded　him　as　a　most　proper　person　to
conduct　a　negotiation；　and　said　of　him　one　day；　〃Narbonne　is　a　born
ambassador。〃　　It　was　known　in　the　palace　why　the　Emperor　had　appointed
him　his　aide…decamp　at　the　time　he　formed　the　household　of　the　Empress
Marie　Louise。　　The　Emperor　had　at　first　intended　to　appoint　him　chevalier
of　honor　to　the　new　Empress；　but　a　skillfully　concocted　intrigue　caused
him　to　refuse　this　position；　and　it　was　in　some　degree　to　make　amends　for
this　that　he　received　the　appointment　of　aide…de…camp　to　his　Majesty。
There　was　not　at　that　time　a　position　more　highly　valued　in　all　France；
many　foreign　and　even　sovereign　princes　had　solicited　in　vain　this　high
mark　of　favor；　and　amongst　these　I　can　name　Prince　Leopold　de　Saxe…
Coburg；

　　　　　＇Later　he　became　King　of　the　Belgians　（in　1831）；　and　the　next　year
　　　　　married　the　daughter　of　Louis　Philippe。　　His　first　wife；　Princess
　　　　　Charlotte　of　England；　whom　he　married　in　1816；　died　the　same　year。
　　　　　Leopold　was　born　1790；　and　died　1865。＇

who　married　Princess　Charlotte　of　England；　and　who　refused　to　be　King　of
Greece；　after　failing　to　obtain　the　position　of　aide…de…camp　to　the
Emperor。

I　would　not　dare　to　say；　according　to　my　recollection；　that　no　one　at　the
court　was　jealous　on　seeing　M。　de　Narbonne　appointed　aide…de…camp　to　the
Emperor；　but　if　there　were　any　I　have　forgotten　their　names。　　However
that　may　have　been；　he　soon　became　very　popular；　and　each　day　the　Emperor
appreciated　more　highly　his　character　and　services。　　I　remember　on　one
occasion　to　have　heard　his　Majesty　sayI　think　it　was　at　Dresdenthat
he　had　never　thoroughly　known　the　cabinet　of　Vienna　until　the　fine　nose
of　Narbonnethat　was　the　Emperor's　expressionhad　scented　out　those　old
diplomats。　　After　the　pretended　negotiations；　of　which　I　have　spoken
above；　and　which　occupied　the　entire　time　of　the　armistice　at　Dresden；
M。　de　Narbonne　had　remained　in　Germany；　where　the　Emperor　had　committed
to　him　the　government　of　Torgau；　and　it　was　there　he　died；　on　the　17th　of
November；　in　consequence　of　a　fall　from　his　horse；　in　spite　of　all　the
attentions　lavished　on　him　by　Baron　Desgenettes。　　With　the　exception　of
the　death　of　Marshal　Duroc　and　Prince　Poniatowski；　I　do　not　remember　to
have　ever　seen　the　Emperor　show　more　sincere　sorrow　than　on　this
occasion。　　Meanwhile；　almost　at　the　very　moment　he　lost　M。　de　Narbonne；
but　before　he　had　heard　of　his　death；　the　Emperor　had　made　arrangements
to　fill　the　place　near　his　person　of　the　man　he　had　loved　most；　not　even
excepting　General　Desaix。　　He　had　just　called　General　Bertrand　to　the
high　position　of　grand　marshal　of　the　palace；　and　this　choice　was
generally　approved　by　all　who　had　the　honor　of　Count　Bertrand's
acquaintance。　　But　what　is　there　for　me　to　say　here　of　a　man　whose　name
in　history　will　never　be　separated　from　that　of　the　Emperor？　　This　same
period　had　seen　the　fall　of　the　Duke　of　Istria；　one　of　the　four　colonel…
generals　of　the　guard；　and　Marshal　Duroc：　and　this　same　appointment
included　the　names　of　their　successors；　for　Marshal　Suchet　was　appointed
at　the　same　time　as　General　Bertrand；　and　took　the　place　of　Marshal
Bessieres　as　colonel…general　of　the　guard。

　　　　　＇Louis　Gabriel　Suchet；　born　at　Lyons；　1770。　　Served　in　the　Italian
　　　　　campaign　in　1796。　　Brigadier…general；　1797；　general　of　division；
　　　　　1799。　　Governor　of　Genoa；　1800；　and　served　at　Austerlitz；　1805。　　For
　　　　　his　brilliant　services　in　Spain　he　was　created　Duke　of　Albufera　and
　　　　　marshal；　1811。　　At　St。　Helena；　Napoleon　stated　he　was　the　ablest　of
　　　　　his　generals　then　surviving。　　Suchet　married　the　niece　of　the　wives
　　　　　of　Joseph　Bonaparte　and　Bernadotte；　and　his　widow　died　as　recently
　　　　　as　1891。　　Suchet　died　1826。＇


At　the　same　time　his　Majesty　made　several　other　changes　in　the　higher
offices　of　the　Empire。　　A　committee　of　the　senate　having　conferred　on　the
Emperor　the　right　to　appoint；　of　his　own　choice；　the　president　of　the
Corps　Legislatif；　his　Majesty　bestowed　this　presidency　on　the　Duke　of
Massa；　who　was　replaced　in　his　former　position　as　grand　judge　by　Count
Mole；　　the　youngest　of　the　Emperor's　ministers。　　The　Duke　of　Bassano
became　the　secretary　of　state；　and　the　Duke