memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v6-第15节

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the　Legislative　Body。　　These　encroachments　of　one　power　upon　another；
authorised　by　the　First　Consul；　gave　rise　to　reports　of　changes　in
ministerial　arrangements。　　It　was　rumoured　in　Paris　that　the　number　of
the　ministers　was　to　be　reduced　to　three；　and　that　Lucien；　Joseph；　and　M。
de　Talleyrand　were　to　divide　among　them　the　different　portfolios。　　Lucien
helped　to　circulate　these　reports；　and　this　increased　the　First　Consul's
dissatisfaction　at　his　conduct。　　The　letters　from　Madrid；　which　were
filled　with　complaints　against　him；　together　with　some　scandalous
adventures；　known　in　Paris；　such　as　his　running　away　with　the　wife　of　a
'limonadier'；　exceedingly　annoyed　Bonaparte；　who　found　his　own　family
more　difficult　to　govern　than　France。

France；　indeed；　yielded　with　admirable　facility　to　the　yoke　which；　the
First　Consul　wished　to　impose　on　her。　　How　artfully　did　he　undo　all　that
the　Revolution　had　done；　never　neglecting　any　means　of　attaining　his
object！　　He　loved　to　compare　the　opinions　of　those　whom　he　called　the
Jacobins　with　the　opinions　of　the　men　of　1789；　and　even　them　he　found　too
liberal。　　He　felt　the　ridicule　which　was　attached　to　the　mute　character
of　the　Legislative　Body；　which　he　called　his　deaf　and　dumb　assembly。　　But
as　that　ridicule　was　favourable　to　him　he　took　care　to　preserve　the
assembly　as　it　was；　and　to　turn　it　into　ridicule　whenever　he　spoke　of　it。
In　general；　Bonaparte's　judgment　must　not　be　confounded　with　his　actions。
His　accurate　mind　enabled　him　to　appreciate　all　that　was　good；　but　the
necessity　of　his　situation　enabled　him　to　judge　with　equal　shrewdness
what　was　useful　to　himself。

What　I　have　just　said　of　the　Senate　affords　me　an　opportunity　of
correcting　an　error　which　has　frequently　been　circulated　in　the　chit…chat
of　Paris。　　It　has　erroneously　been　said　of　some　persons　that　they　refused
to　become　members　of　the　Senate；　and　among　the　number　have　been　mentioned
M。　Ducis；　M。　de　La　Fayette；　and　the　Marechal　de　Rochambeau。　　The　truth
is；　that　no　such　refusals　were　ever　made。　　The　following　fact；　however；
may　have　contributed　to　raise　these　reports　and　give　them　credibility。
Bonaparte　used　frequently　to　say　to　persons　in　his　salon　and　in　his
cabinet；　〃You　should　be　a　Senatora　man　like　you　should　be　a　Senator。〃
But　these　complimentary　words　did　not　amount　to　a　nomination。　　To　enter
the　Senate　certain　legal　forms　were　to　be　observed。　　It　was　necessary　to
be　presented　by　the　Senate；　and　after　that　presentation　no　one　ever
refused　to　become　a　member　of　the　body；　to　which　Bonaparte　gave
additional　importance　by　the　creation　of　〃Senatoreries。〃＇Districts
presided　over　by　a　Senator。＇　　This　creation　took　place　in　the　beginning
of　1803。




CHAPTER　XV

1802。

　　　　　The　intoxication　of　great　menUnlucky　zealMM。　Maret；　Champagny；
　　　　　and　SavaryM。　de　Talleyrand's　real　servicesPostponement　of　the
　　　　　execution　of　ordersFouche　and　the　RevolutionThe　Royalist
　　　　　committeeThe　charter　first　planned　during　the　ConsulateMission
　　　　　to　CoblentzInfluence　of　the　Royalists　upon　JosephineThe　statue
　　　　　and　the　pedestalMadame　de　Genlis'　romance　of　Madame　de　la
　　　　　ValliereThe　Legion　of　Honour　and　the　carnationsInfluence　of　the
　　　　　Faubourg　St。　GermainInconsiderate　step　taken　by　BonaparteLouis
　　　　　XVIII's　indignationPrudent　advice　of　the　Abbe　AndreLetter　from
　　　　　Louis　XVIII。　to　BonaparteCouncil　held　at　NeuillyThe　letter
　　　　　deliveredIndifference　of　Bonaparte；　and　satisfaction　of　the
　　　　　Royalists。

Perhaps　one　of　the　happiest　ideas　that　ever　were　expressed　was　that　of
the　Athenian　who　said；　〃I　appeal　from　Philip　drunk　to　Philip　sober。〃
The　drunkenness　here　alluded　to　is　not　of　that　kind　which　degrades　a　man
to　the　level　of　a　brute；　but　that　intoxication　which　is　occasioned　by
success；　and　which　produces　in　the　heads　of　the　ambitious　a　sort　of
cerebral　congestion。　　Ordinary　men　are　not　subject　to　this　excitement；
and　can　scarcely　form　an　idea　of　it。　　But　it　is　nevertheless　true　that
the　fumes　of　glory　and　ambition　occasionally　derange　the　strongest　heads；
and　Bonaparte；　in　all　the　vigour　of　his　genius；　was　often　subject　to
aberrations　of　judgment；　for　though　his　imagination　never　failed　him；　his
judgment　was　frequently　at　fault。

This　fact　may　serve　to　explain；　and　perhaps　even　to　excuse　the　faults
with　which　the　First　Consul　has　been　most　seriously　reproached。　　The
activity　of　his　mind　seldom　admitted　of　an　interval　between　the
conception　and　the　execution　of　a　design；　but　when　he　reflected　coolly　on
the　first　impulses　of　his　imperious　will；　his　judgment　discarded　what　was
erroneous。　　Thus　the　blind　obedience；　which；　like　an　epidemic　disease；
infected　almost　all　who　surrounded　Bonaparte；　was　productive　of　the　most
fatal　effects。　　The　best　way　to　serve　the　First　Consul　was　never　to
listen　to　the　suggestions　of　his　first　ideas；　except　on　the　field　of
battle；　where　his　conceptions　were　as　happy　as　they　were　rapid。　　Thus；
for　example；　MM。　Maret；　de　Champagny；　and　Savary　evinced　a　ready
obedience　to　Bonaparte's　wishes；　which　often　proved　very　unfortunate；
though　doubtless　dictated　by　the　best　intentions　on　their　part。　　To　this
fatal　zeal　may　be　attributed　a　great　portion　of　the　mischief　which
Bonaparte　committed。　　When　the　mischief　was　done；　and　past　remedy；
Bonaparte　deeply　regretted　it。　　How　often　have　I　heard　him　say　that　Maret
was　animated　by　an　unlucky　zeal！　　This　was　the　expression　he　made　use　of。

M。　de　Talleyrand　was　almost　the　only　one　among　the　ministers　who　did　not
flatter　Bonaparte；　and　who　really　served　both　the　First　Consul　and　the
Emperor。　　When　Bonaparte　said　to　M。　de　Talleyrand；　〃Write　so　and　so；　and
send　it　off　by　a　special　courier；〃　that　minister　was　never　in　a　hurry　to
obey　the　order；　because　he　knew　the　character　of　the　First　Consul　well
enough　to　distinguish　between　what　his　passion　dictated　and　what　his
reason　would　approve：　in　short；　he　appealed　from　Philip　drunk　to　Philip
sober。　　When　it　happened　that　M。　de　Talleyrand　suspended　the　execution　of
an　order；　Bonaparte　never　evinced　the　least　displeasure。　　When；　the　day
after　he　had　received　any　hasty　and　angry　order；　M。　de　Talleyrand
presented　himself　to　the　First　Consul；　the　latter　would　say；　〃Well；　did
you　send　off　the　courier？〃〃No；〃　the　minister　would　reply；　〃I　took　care
not　to　do　so　before　I　showed　you　my　letter。〃　　Then　the　First　Consul　would
usually　add；　〃Upon　second　thoughts　I　think　it　would　be　best　not　to　send
it。〃　　This　was　the　way　to　deal　with　Bonaparte。　　When　M。　de　Talleyrand
postponed　sending　off　despatches；　or　when　I　myself　have　delayed　the
execution　of　an　order　which　I　knew　had　been　dictated　by　anger；　and　had
emanated　neither　from　his　heart　nor　his　understanding；　I　have　heard　him
say　a　hundred　times；　〃It　was　right；　quite　right。　　You　understand　me：
Talleyrand　understands　me　also。　　This　is　the　way　to　serve　me：　the　others
do　not　leave　me　time　for　reflection：　they　are　too　precipitate。〃　　Fouche
also　was　one　of　those　who　did　not　on　all　occasions　blindly　obey
Bonaparte's　commands。　　His　other　ministers；　on　the　other　hand；　when　told
to　send　off　a　courier　the　next　morning；　would　have　more　probably　sent　him
off　the　same　evening。　　This　was　from　zeal；　but　was　not　the　First　Consul
right　in　saying　that　such　zeal　was　unfortunate？

Of　Talleyrand　and　Fouche；　in　their　connections　with　the　First　Consul；　it
might　be　said　that　the　one　represented　the　Constituent　Assembly；　with　a
slight　perfume　of　the　old　regime；　and　the　other　the　Convention　in　all　its
brutality。　　Bonaparte　regarded　Fouche　as　a　complete　personification　of
the　Revolution。　　With　him；　therefore；　Fouche's　influence　was　merely　the
influence　of　the　Revolution。　　That　great　event　was　one　of　those　which　had
made　the　most　forcible　impression　on　Bonaparte's　ardent　mind；　and　he
imagined　he　still　beheld　it　in　a　visible　form　as　long　as　Fouche　continued
at　the　head　of　his　police。　　I　am　now　of　opinion　that　Bonaparte　was　in
some　degree　misled　as　to　the　value　of　Fouche's　services　as　a　minister。
No　doubt　the　circumstance　of　Fouche　being　in　office　conciliated　those　of
the　Revolutionary　party　who　were　his　friends。　　But　Fouche　cherished　an
undue　partiality　for　them；　because　he　knew　that　it　was　through　them　he
held　his　place。　　He　was　like　one　of　the　old　Condottieri；　who　were　made
friends　of　lest　they　should　become　enemies；　and　who　owed　all　their　power
to　the　soldiers　enrolled　under　their　banners。

Such　was　Fouche；　and　Bonaparte　perfectly　understood　his　situation。　　He
kept　the　chief　in　his　service　until　he　could　find　an　opportunity　of
disbanding　his　undisciplined　followers。　　But　there　was　one　circumstance
which　confirmed　his　reliance　on　Fouche。　　He　who　had　voted　the　death　of
the　King　of　France；　and　had　influenced　the　minds　of　those　who　had　voted
with　him；　offered　Bonaparte　the　best　guarantee　against　the　attempts　of
the　Royalists　for　raising　up　in　favour　of　the　Bourbons　the　throne　which
the　First　Consul　himself　had　determined　to　ascend。　　Thus；　for　different
reasons；　Bonaparte　and　Fouche　had　common　interests　against　the　House　of
Bourbon；　and　the　master's　ambition　derived　encouragement　from　the
supposed　terror　of　the　servant。

The　First　Consul　was　aware　of　the　existence　in　Paris　of　a　Royali