napoleon bonaparte, v10-第3节

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before　his　Majesty。　　〃That　makes　no　difference；〃　replied　he；　〃the　Emperor
wishes　you　to　come　immediately；　just　as　you　are。〃　　I　obeyed　instantly；
and　went；　or　rather　ran；　to　the　Emperor's　cabinet；　where　I　found　him　with
the　Empress；　Queen　Hortense；　and　another　person　whose　name　I　do　not
perfectly　recall。　　The　Emperor　deigned　to　give　me　a　most　cordial　welcome；
and　as　the　Empress　seemed　to　pay　no　attention　to　me；　said　to　her　in　a
manner　whose　kindness　I　shall　never　forget；　〃Louise；　do　you　not　recognize
Constant？〃

〃I　perceived　him。〃　＇Elsewhere　Constant　has　stated　her　reply　was；　〃I　had
not　perceived　him。〃＇　This　was　the　only　reply　of　her　Majesty　the
Empress；　but　such　was　not　the　case　with　Queen　Hortense；　who　welcomed　me
as　kindly　as　her　adorable　mother　had　always　done。

The　Emperor　was　very　gay；　and　seemed　to　have　forgotten　all　his　fatigue。
I　was　about　to　retire　respectfully；　but　his　Majesty　said　to　me；　〃No；
Constant；　remain　a　minute　longer；　and　tell　me　what　you　saw　on　your　road。〃
Even　if　I　had　any　intention　to　conceal　from　the　Emperor　a　part　of　the
truth；　taken　thus　unawares　I　should　have　lacked　the　time　to　prepare　an
agreeable　falsehood；　so　I　said　to　him　that　everywhere；　even　in　Silesia；
my　eyes　had　been　struck　by　the　same　frightful　spectacle；　for　everywhere　I
had　seen　the　dead　and　the　dying；　and　poor　unfortunates　struggling
hopelessly　against　cold　and　hunger。　　〃That　is　true；　that　is　true；〃　he
said；　〃go　and　rest；　my　poor　boy；　you　must　be　in　need　of　it。　　To…morrow
you　will　resume　your　service。〃

The　next　day；　in　fact；　I　resumed　my　duties　near　the　Emperor；　and　I　found
him　exactly　the　same　as　he　had　been　before　entering　on　the　campaign；　the
same　placidity　was　evident　on　his　countenance。　　It　would　have　been　said
that　the　past　was　no　longer　anything　to　him；　and　living　ever　in　the
future；　he　already　saw　victory　perched　again　on　our　banner；　and　his
enemies　humiliated　and　vanquished。　　It　is　true　that　the　numerous
addresses　he　received；　and　discourses　which　were　pronounced　in　his
presence　by　the　presidents　of　the　senate　and　the　council　of　state；　were
no　less　flattering　than　formerly；　but　it　was　very　evident　in　his　replies
that　if　he　pretended　to　forget　this　disastrous　experience　in　Russia；　he
was　more　deeply　concerned　about　the　affair　of　General　Malet　than　anything
else。

　　　　　＇In　the　reply　of　the　Emperor　to　the　council　of　state　occurred　the
　　　　　following　remarkable　passage；　which　it　may　not　be　amiss　to　repeat　at
　　　　　this　period　as　very　singular：

　　　　　〃It　is　to　idealism　and　that　gloomy　species　of　metaphysics　which；
　　　　　seeking　subtilely　for　first　causes；　wishes　to　place　on　such
　　　　　foundations　the　legislation　of　a　people；　instead　of　adapting　the
　　　　　laws　to　their　knowledge　of　the　human　heart；　and　to　the　lessons　of
　　　　　history；　that　it　is　necessary　to　attribute　all　the　misfortunes　our
　　　　　beautiful　France　has　experienced。　　These　errors　have　necessarily　led
　　　　　to　the　rule　of　the　men　of　blood。　　In　fact；　who　has　proclaimed　the
　　　　　principle　of　insurrection　as　a　duty？　　Who　has　paid　adulation　to　the
　　　　　nation　while　claiming　for　it　a　sovereignty　which　it　was　incapable　of
　　　　　exercising？　　Who　has　destroyed　the　sanctity　and　respect　for　the
　　　　　laws；　in　making　them　depend；　not　on　the　sacred　principles　of
　　　　　justice；　or　the　nature　of　things　and　on　civil　justice；　but　simply　on
　　　　　the　will　of　an　assembly　of　men　strangers　to　the　knowledge　of　civil；
　　　　　criminal；　administrative；　political；　and　military　law？　　When　one　is
　　　　　called　on　to　regenerate　a　state；　there　are　directly　opposite
　　　　　principles　by　which　one　must　necessarily　be　guided。〃NOTE　BY　THE
　　　　　EDITOR　of　FRENCH　EDITION。

　　　　　Claude　Francois　de　Malet；　born　at　Dole；　1754。　　In　1806　was　a　general
　　　　　officer；　and　was　dismissed　the　service。　　Plotting　against　the
　　　　　Emperor；　he　was　imprisoned　from　1808　to　1812。　　On　October　24　he
　　　　　issued　a　proclamation　that　the　Emperor　had　died　in　Russia；　and　that
　　　　　he　（Malet）　had　been　appointed　Governor　of　Paris　by　the　senate。　　He
　　　　　made　Savary　prisoner；　and　shot　General　Hullin。　　He　was　made　prisoner
　　　　　in　turn　by　General　Laborde；　and　summarily　shot。…TRANS。　＇See　〃The
　　　　　Memoirs〃　by　Bourrienne　for　the　detail　of　this　plot。　　D。W。＇

As　for　myself　I　cannot　deny　the　painful　feelings　I　experienced　the　first
time　I　went　out　in　Paris；　and　passed　through　the　public　promenades　during
my　hours　of　leisure；　for　I　was　struck　with　the　large　number　of　persons　in
mourning　whom　I　met；the　wives　and　sisters　of　our　brave　soldiers　mowed
down　on　the　fields　of　Russia；　but　I　kept　these　disagreeable　impressions
to　myself。

A　few　days　after　my　return　to　Paris　their　Majesties　were　present　at　the
opera　where　'Jerusalem　Delivered'　was　presented。　　I　occupied　a　box　which
Count　de　Remusat　had　the　kindness　to　lend　me　for　that　evening　（he　was
first　chamberlain　of　the　Emperor；　and　superintendent　of　theaters）；　and
witnessed　the　reception　given　the　Emperor　and　Empress。　　Never　have　I　seen
more　enthusiasm　displayed；　and　I　must　avow　that　the　transition　seemed　to
me　most　sudden　from　the　recent　passage　of　the　Beresina　to　those　truly
magical　scenes。　　It　was　on　Sunday；　and　I　left　the　theater　a　little　before
the　close　in　order　to　reach　the　palace　before　the　Emperor's　return。　　I
was　there　in　time　to　undress　him；　and　I　well　remember　that　his　Majesty
spoke　to　me　that　evening　of　the　quarrel　between　Talma　and　Geoffroy　which
had　occurred　a　few　days　before　his　arrival。　　The　Emperor；　although　he　had
a　high　opinion　of　Talma；　thought　him　completely　in　the　wrong；　and
repeated　several　times；　〃A　man　of　his　age！　　A　man　of　his　age！　　that　is
inexcusable。　　Zounds　！〃　added　he；　smiling；　〃do　not　people　speak　evil　of
me　also？　　Have　I　not　also　critics　who　do　not　spare　me？　　He　should　not　be
more　sensitive　than　I〃　This　affair；　however；　had　no　disagreeable　result
for　Talma；　for　the　Emperor　was　much　attached　to　him；　and　overwhelmed　him
with　pensions　and　presents。

Talma　in　this　respect　was　among　the　very　privileged　few；　for　giving
presents　was　not　in　his　Majesty's　role；　especially　to　those　in　his
private　service。　　It　was　then　near　the　1st　of　January；　but　we　built　no
air　castles　at　this　period；　for　the　Emperor　never　made　gifts。　　We　knew
that　we　could　not　expect　any　emoluments；　though　I；　especially；　could
exercise　no　economy；　for　the　Emperor　required　that　my　toilet　should
always　be　extremely　elegant。　　It　was　something　really　extraordinary　to
see　the　master　of　half　of　Europe　not　disdaining　to　occupy　himself　with
the　toilet　of　his　valet　de　chambre；　even　going　so　far　that　when　he　saw　me
in　a　new　coat　which　pleased　him　he　never　failed　to　compliment　me　on　it；
adding；　〃You　are　very　handsome；　Monsieur　Constant。〃

Even　on　the　occasion　of　the　marriage　of　the　Emperor　and　Marie　Louise；　and
that　of　the　birth　of　the　King　of　Rome；　those　composing　the　private
service　of　his　Majesty　received　no　present；　and　the　Emperor　thought　the
expenses　of　these　ceremonies　too　great。　　On　one　occasion；　however；　but
not　in　consequence　of　any　unusual　circumstance；　the　Emperor　said　to　me
one　morning　as　I　finished　dressing　him；　〃Constant；　go　to　M。　Meneval；　I
have　given　him　orders　to　allow　you　eighteen　hundred　livres　of　income。〃
Now；　it　happened　that　the　funds　had　gone　up　in　the　interval　between　the
order　and　its　execution；　and　instead　of　receiving　eighteen　hundred　livres
of　rent；　I　received　only　seventeen；　which　I　sold　a　short　time　after；　and
with　the　product　of　this　sale　bought　a　modest　piece　of　property　in　the
forest　of　Fontainebleau。

Sometimes　the　Emperor　made　presents　to　the　princes　and　princesses　of　his
family；　of　which　I　was　nearly　always　the　bearer；　and　I　can　assert　that
with　two　or　three　rare　exceptions　this　duty　was　perfectly　gratuitous；　a
circumstance　which　I　recall　here　simply　as　a　recollection。　　Queen
Hortense　and　Prince　Eugene　were　never　included；　according　to　my
recollection；　in　the　distribution　of　Imperial　gifts；　and　the　Princess
Pauline　was　most　often　favored。

In　spite　of　the　numerous　occupations　of　the　Emperor；　who　after　his　return
from　the　army　spent　much　time　during　the　day；　and　most　of　the　nights；
working　in　his　cabinet；　he　showed　himself　more　frequently　in　public　than
heretofore；　going　out　almost　without　escort。　　On　the　2d　of　January；　1813；
for　instance；　I　remember　he　went；　accompanied　only　by　Marshal　Duroc；　to
visit　the　basilica　of　Notre　Dame；　the　works　of　the　archbishopric；　those
of　the　central　depot　of　wines；　and　then；　crossing　the　bridge　of
Austerlitz；　the　granaries；　the　fountain　of　the　elephant；　and　finally　the
palace　of　the　Bourse；　which　his　Majesty　often　said　was　the　handsomest
building　then　existing　in　Europe。　　Next　to　his　passion　for　war；　that　for
monuments　was　strongest　in　the　Emperor's　heart。　　The　cold　was　quite
severe　while　his　Majesty　was　taking　these　solitary　excursions；　but　in
fact　the　cold　weather　in　Paris　seemed　a　very　mild　temperature　to　all　who
had　just　returned　from　Russia。

I　remarked　at　this　time；　that　is　to　say　at　the　end　of　1812　and　the
beginning　of　1813；　that　the　Emperor　had　never　hunted　so　frequently。　　Two
or　three　times　a　week　I　assisted　him　to　don　his　hunting…costume；　which
he；　like　all　persons　of　his　suite；　wore　in　accordance　with　the　recently
revi