napoleon bonaparte, v10-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hostilities；　had　consequently　divided　the　two　hundred　thousand　men　of　his
infantry　into　fourteen　army　corps；　the　command　of　which　was　given　to
Marshals　Victor；　Ney；　Marmont；　Augereau；　Macdonald；　Oudinot；　Davoust；　and
Gouvion　Saint…Cyr；　Prince　Poniatowski；　and　Generals　Reynier；　Rapp；
Lauriston；　Vandamme；　and　Bertrand；。　　The　forty　thousand　cavalry　formed
six　grand　divisions　under　the　command　of　Generals　Nansouty；　Latour…
Maubourg；　Sebastiani；　Arrighi；　Milhaud；　and　Kellermann；　and；　as　I　have
already　said；　the　King　of　Naples　had　the　command　of　the　Imperial　Guard。
Moreover；　in　this　campaign　appeared　for　the　first　time　on　our　fields　of
battle　the　guard　of　honor；　a　select　troop　recruited　from　the　richest　and
most　distinguished　families；　and　which　had　been　increased　to　more　than
ten　thousand　men；　divided　into　two　divisions　under　the　simple　title　of
regiments；　one　of　which　was　commanded　by　General　Count　of　Pully；　and　the
other；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　by　General　Segur。　　These　youths；　but　lately
idlers　given　up　to　repose　and　pleasure；　became　in　a　short　time　most
excellent　cavalry；　which　signalized　itself　on　various　occasions；　notably
at　the　battle　of　Dresden；　of　which　I　shall　soon　have　occasion　to　speak。

The　strength　of　the　French　army　has　been　previously　stated。　　The　combined
army　of　the　allies　amounted　to　four　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　infantry；
and　its　cavalry　to　hardly　less　than　one　hundred　thousand；　without
counting　a　reserve　army　corps　of　eighty　thousand　Russians；　in　readiness
to　leave　Poland　under　the　command　of　General　Beningsen。　　Thus　the　enemy's
army　outnumbered　ours　in　the　proportion　of　two　to　one。

At　the　time　we　entered　into　this　campaign；　Austria　had　just　declared　war
openly　against　us。　　This　blow；　although　not　unexpected；　struck　the
Emperor　deeply；　and　he　expressed　himself　freely　in　regard　to　it　before
all　persons　who　had　the　honor　to　approach　him。　　M。　de　Metternich；　I　have
heard　it　stated；　had　almost　certainly　forewarned　him　of　this　in　the　last
interviews　this　minister　had　at　Dresden　with　his　Majesty；　but　the　Emperor
had　been　entirely　unable　to　bring　himself　to　the　belief　that　the　Emperor
of　Austria　would　make　common　cause　with　the　coalition　of　the　north
against　his　own　daughter　and　grandson。　　Finally　all　doubts　were　solved　by
the　arrival　of　Count　Louis　de　Narbonne；　who　was　returning　from　Prague　to
Dresden；　as　bearer　of　a　declaration　of　war　from　Austria。　　Every　one
foresaw　that　France　must　soon　count　among　its　enemies　all　the　countries
no　longer　occupied　by　its　troops；　and　results　justified　this　prediction
only　too　well。　　Nevertheless；　everything　was　not　lost；　for　we　had　not　yet
been　compelled　to　take　the　defensive。




CHAPTER　XIV。

War　recommenced　before　negotiations　were　finally　broken；　for　the　Duke　of
Vicenza　was　still　in　communication　with　M。　de　Metternich。　　The　Emperor；
as　he　mounted　his　horse；　said　to　the　numerous　generals　surrounding　him
that　he　now　marched　to　conquer　a　peace。　　But　what　hope　could　remain　after
the　declaration　of　war　by　Austria；　and　above　all；　when　it　was　known　that
the　allied　sovereigns　had　incessantly　increased　their　pretensions　in
proportion　as　the　Emperor　granted　the　concessions　demanded？　　The　Emperor
left　Dresden　at　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　advancing　on　the　road　to
Koenigstein；　and　passed　the　next　day　at　Bautzen；　where　he　revisited　the
battlefield；　the　scene　of　his　last　victory。　　There　the　king　of　Naples；
who　did　not　wish　royal　honors　to　be　rendered　himself；　came　to　rejoin　the
Emperor　at　the　head　of　the　Imperial　Guard；　who　presented　as　imposing　an
appearance　as　in　its　pristine　days。

We　arrived　at　Gorlitz　on　the　18th；　where　the　Emperor　found　the　Duke　of
Vicenza；　who　was　returning　from　Bohemia。　　He　confirmed　the　truth　of　the
report　his　Majesty　had　already　received　at　Dresden；　that　the　Emperor　of
Austria　had　already　decided　to　make　common　cause　with　the　Emperor　of
Russia　and　the　Kings　of　Prussia　and　Sweden　against　the　husband　of　his
daughter；　the　princess　whom　he　had　given　to　the　Emperor　as　a　pledge　of
peace。　　It　was　also　through　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　that　the　Emperor　learned
that　General　Blucher　had　just　entered　Silesia　at　the　head　of　an　army　of
one　hundred　thousand　men；　and；　in　violation　of　most　sacred　promises；　had
seized　on　Breslau　the　evening　before　the　day　fixed　for　the　rupture　of　the
armistice。　　This　same　day　General　Jomini；　　Swiss　by　birth；　but　until
recently　in　the　service　of　France；　chief　of　staff　to　Marshal　Ney；　and
loaded　with　favors　by　the　Emperor；　had　deserted　his　post；　and　reported　at
the　headquarters　of　the　Emperor　Alexander；　who　had　welcomed　him　with
demonstrations　of　most　intense　satisfaction。

　　　　　＇Baron　Henri　Jomini；　author　of　the　celebrated　treatise　on　the　art
　　　　　of　war；　was　born　in　the　Canton　de　Vaud；　1779；　aide…de…camp　to　Ney；
　　　　　1804；　distinguished　himself　in　several　battles；　and　on　his　desertion
　　　　　was　made　lieutenant…general　and　aide　to　Emperor　Alexander；　died
　　　　　1869。＇

The　Duke　of　Vicenza　gave　the　particulars　of　this　desertion；　which　seemed
to　affect　his　Majesty　more　than　all　the　other　news。　　He　told　him；　among
other　things；　that　when　General　Jomini　had　entered　the　presence　of
Alexander；　he　found　this　monarch　surrounded　by　his　chiefs；　among　whom
Moreau　was　pointed　out　to　him。　　This　was　the　first　information　the
Emperor　had　received　of　General　Moreau's　presence　at　the　enemy's
headquarters。　　The　Duke　of　Vicenza　added；　that　when　the　Emperor　Alexander
presented　General　Jomini　to　Moreau　the　latter　saluted　him　coolly；　and
Jomini　replied　only　by　a　slight　inclination　of　his　head；　and　retired
without　uttering　a　word；　and　the　remainder　of　the　evening　remained　in
gloomy　silence　in　a　corner　of　the　saloon　opposite　to　that　occupied　by
General　Moreau。　　This　constraint　had　not　escaped　the　Emperor　Alexander's
observation；　and　the　next　morning；　as　he　was　making　his　toilet；　he
addressed　Marshal　Ney's　ex…chief　of　staff：　〃General　Jomini；〃　said　he；
〃what　is　the　cause　of　your　conduct　yesterday？　　It　seems　to　me　that　it
would　have　been　agreeable　to　you　to　meet　General　Moreau。〃〃Anywhere
else；　Sire。〃〃What！〃〃If　I　had　been　born　a　Frenchman；　like　the　general；
I　should　not　be　to…day　in　the　camp　of　your　Majesty。〃　　When　the　Duke　of
Vicenza　had　finished　his　report　to　the　Emperor；　his　Majesty　remarked　with
a　bitter　smile；　〃I　am　sure　that　wretch　Jomini　thinks　he　has　performed　a
fine　action！　　Ah；　Caulaincourt；　these　desertions　will　destroy　me！〃
Perhaps　Moreau；　in　welcoming　General　Jomini　so　coldly；　was　actuated　by
the　thought　that　were　he　still　serving　in　the　French　army　he　would　not
have　betrayed　it　with　arms　in　his　hand；　and　after　all　it　is　not　an
unusual　thing　to　see　two　traitors　each　blush　for　the　other；　deluding
themselves　at　the　same　time　in　regard　to　their　own　treachery；　not
comprehending　that　the　sentiments　they　feel　are　the　same　as　those　they
inspire。

However　that　may　be；　the　news　which　M。　de　Caulaincourt　brought　caused　the
Emperor　to　make　some　changes　in　his　plans　for　the　campaign。　　His　Majesty
entirely　abandoned　the　idea　of　repairing　in　person　to　Berlin；　as　he　had
expressed　his　intention　of　doing；　and；　realizing　the　necessity　of
ascertaining　first　of　all　the　contemplated　operations　of　the　grand　army
of　Austria；　commanded　by　the　Prince　of　Schwarzenberg；　penetrated　into
Bohemia；　but　learning　through　the　couriers　of　the　army　and　his　spies　that
eighty　thousand　Russians　still　remained　on　the　opposite　side　with　a
considerable　body　of　the　Austrian　army；　he　retraced　his　steps　after　a　few
engagements　in　which　his　presence　decided　the　victory；　and　on　the　24th　we
found　ourselves　again　at　Bautzen。　　His　Majesty　from　this　place　sent　the
King　of　Naples　to　Dresden；　in　order　to　restore　the　courage　of　the　King　of
Saxony　and　the　inhabitants　when　they　should　find　the　enemy　at　the　gates
of　their　city。　　The　Emperor　sent　them　the　assurance　that　the　enemy's
forces　would　not　enter；　since　he　had　returned　to　defend　its　approaches；
and　urged　them　at　the　same　time　not　to　allow　themselves　to　be　dismayed　by
any　sudden　or　unexpected　attack　made　by　isolated　detachments。　　Murat
arrived　at　a　most　opportune　moment；　for　we　learned　later　that
consternation　had　become　general　in　the　city；　but　such　was　the　prestige
attached　to　the　Emperor's　assurances　that　all　took　courage　again　on
learning　of　his　presence。

After　the　King　of　Naples　had　gone　to　fulfill　this　mission；　Colonel
Gourgaud　was　called　during　the　morning　into　the　Emperor's　tent；　where　I
then　was。　　〃I　will　be　tomorrow　on　the　road　to　Pirna；〃　said　his　Majesty；
〃but　I　shall　halt　at　Stolpen。　　As　for　you；　hasten　to　Dresden；　go　with　the
utmost　speed；　reach　it　this　night。　　Interview　on　your　arrival　the　King　of
Naples；　Durosnel；　the　Duke　of　Bassano；　and　Marshal　Gouvion　Saint…Cyr；
reassure　them　all。　　See　also　the　Saxon　minister　Gersdorf。　　Say　to　him
that　you　could　not　see　the　king　because　you　set　out　in　such　haste；　but
that　I　can　to…morrow　bring　forty　thousand　men　into　Dresden；　and　that　I　am
preparing　to　enter　with　all　the　army。　　Next　day　you　will　see　the
commandant　of　the　engineering　corps；　you　will　visit　the　redoubts　and　the
fortifications　of　the　town；　and　when　you　have　inspected　everything；　you
will　return　quickly　and　meet　me　at　Stolpe