diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:21:48 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:21:48 -0700 |
| commit | 563c72883d8460a54b15431e6191889aa8c15812 (patch) | |
| tree | 415e4eee20f67a29a26dc56139be8483abcb1c6a | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 3561.txt | 3377 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 3561.zip | bin | 0 -> 77594 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
5 files changed, 3393 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/3561.txt b/3561.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a0d11d6 --- /dev/null +++ b/3561.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3377 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Memoirs of Napoleon--1812, v11 +#11 in our series by Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne +#11 in our Napoleon Bonaparte series + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the laws for your country before redistributing these files!!!!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. + +Please do not remove this. + +This should be the first thing seen when anyone opens the book. +Do not change or edit it without written permission. The words +are carefully chosen to provide users with the information they +need about what they can legally do with the texts. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These Etexts Are Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below, including for donations. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) +organization with EIN [Employee Identification Number] 64-6221541 + + + +Title: Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, v11 + +Author: Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne + +Release Date: December, 2002 [Etext #3561] +[Yes, we are about one year ahead of schedule] +[The actual date this file first posted = 04/20/01] +[Last modified date = 11/15/01] + +Edition: 11 + +Language: English + +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Memoirs of Napoleon, by Bourrienne, v11 +*********This file should be named 3561.txt or 3561.zip********* + +This etext was produced by David Widger + +Project Gutenberg Etexts are usually created from multiple editions, +all of which are in the Public Domain in the United States, unless a +copyright notice is included. Therefore, we usually do NOT keep any +of these books in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our books one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to send us error messages even years after +the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final until +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our sites at: +https://gutenberg.org +http://promo.net/pg + + +Those of you who want to download any Etext before announcement +can surf to them as follows, and just download by date; this is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext03 +or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext03 + +Or /etext02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour this year as we release fifty new Etext +files per month, or 500 more Etexts in 2000 for a total of 3000+ +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +should reach over 300 billion Etexts given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext +Files by December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000 = 1 Trillion] +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +At our revised rates of production, we will reach only one-third +of that goal by the end of 2001, or about 4,000 Etexts unless we +manage to get some real funding. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of 10/28/01 contributions are only being solicited from people in: +Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, +Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, +Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, +New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, +Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, +Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming + +We have filed in about 45 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, +additions to this list will be made and fund raising +will begin in the additional states. Please feel +free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork +to legally request donations in all 50 states. If +your state is not listed and you would like to know +if we have added it since the list you have, just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in +states where we are not yet registered, we know +of no prohibition against accepting donations +from donors in these states who approach us with +an offer to donate. + + +International donations are accepted, +but we don't know ANYTHING about how +to make them tax-deductible, or +even if they CAN be made deductible, +and don't have the staff to handle it +even if there are ways. + +All donations should be made to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) +organization with EIN [Employee Identification Number] 64-6221541, +and has been approved as a 501(c)(3) organization by the US Internal +Revenue Service (IRS). Donations are tax-deductible to the maximum +extent permitted by law. As the requirements for other states are met, +additions to this list will be made and fund raising will begin in the +additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information at: + +https://www.gutenberg.org/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +hart@pobox.com forwards to hart@prairienet.org and archive.org +if your mail bounces from archive.org, I will still see it, if +it bounces from prairienet.org, better resend later on. . . . + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +*** + + +Example command-line FTP session: + +ftp ftp.ibiblio.org +login: anonymous +password: your@login +cd pub/docs/books/gutenberg +cd etext90 through etext99 or etext00 through etext02, etc. +dir [to see files] +get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files] +GET GUTINDEX.?? [to get a year's listing of books, e.g., GUTINDEX.99] +GET GUTINDEX.ALL [to get a listing of ALL books] + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this etext if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this etext on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etexts, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this etext, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the etext, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the etext (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + + +This etext was produced by David Widger + + + + + +[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, at the end of several of the +files for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making +an entire meal of them. D.W.] + + + + + +MEMOIRS OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, VOLUME 11. + +By LOUIS ANTOINE FAUVELET DE BOURRIENNE + +His Private Secretary + +Edited by R. W. Phipps +Colonel, Late Royal Artillery + +1891 + + + +CONTENTS: +CHAPTER XIX. to CHAPTER XXVII. 1809-1812 + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +1809. + + The castle of Diernstein--Richard Coeur de Lion and Marshal Lannes, + --The Emperor at the gates of Vienna--The Archduchess Maria Louisa-- + Facility of correspondence with England--Smuggling in Hamburg--Brown + sugar and sand--Hearses filled with sugar and coffee--Embargo on the + publication of news--Supervision of the 'Hamburg Correspondant'-- + Festival of Saint Napoleon--Ecclesiastical adulation--The King of + Westphalia's journey through his States--Attempt to raise a loan-- + Jerome's present to me--The present returned--Bonaparte's unfounded + suspicions. + +Rapp, who during the campaign of Vienna had resumed his duties as aide de +camp, related to me one of those observations of Napoleon which, when his +words are compared with the events that followed them, seem to indicate a +foresight into his future destiny. When within some days' march of +Vienna the Emperor procured a guide to explain to him every village and +ruin which he observed on the road. The guide pointed to an eminence on +which were a few decayed vestiges of an old fortified castle. "Those," +said the guide, "are the ruins of the castle of Diernstein." Napoleon +suddenly stopped, and stood for some time silently contemplating the +ruins, then turning to Lannes, who was with him, he raid, "See! yonder +is the prison of Richard Coeur de Lion. He, like us, went to Syria and +Palestine. But, my brave Lannes, the Coeur de Lion was not braver than +you. He was more fortunate than I at St. Jean d'Acre. A Duke of Austria +sold him to an Emperor of Germany, who imprisoned him in that castle. +Those were the days of barbarism. How different from the civilisation of +modern times! Europe has seen how I treated the Emperor of Austria, whom +I might have made prisoner--and I would treat him so again. I claim no +credit for this. In the present age crowned heads must be respected. A +conqueror imprisoned!" + +A few days after the Emperor was at the gates of Vienna, but on this +occasion his access to the Austrian capital was not so easy as it had +been rendered in 1805 by the ingenuity and courage of Lannes and Murat. +The Archduke Maximilian, who was shut up in the capital, wished to defend +it, although the French army already occupied the principal suburbs. In +vain were flags of truce sent one after the other to the Archduke. They +were not only dismissed unheard, but were even ill-treated, and one of +them was almost killed by the populace. The city was then bombarded, and +would speedily have been destroyed but that the Emperor, being informed +that one of the Archduchesses remained in Vienna on account of ill- +health, ordered the firing to cease. By a singular caprice of Napoleon's +destiny this Archduchess was no other than Maria Louisa. Vienna at +length opened her gates to Napoleon, who for some days took up his +residence at Schoenbrunn. + +The Emperor was engaged in so many projects at once that they could not +all succeed. Thus, while he was triumphant in the Hereditary States his +Continental system was experiencing severe checks. The trade with +England on the coast of Oldenburg was carped on as uninterruptedly as if +in time of peace. English letters and newspapers arrived on the +Continent, and those of the Continent found their way into Great Britain, +as if France and England had been united by ties of the firmest +friendship. In short, things were just in the same state as if the +decree for the blockade of the British Isles had not existed. When the +custom-house officers succeeded in seizing contraband goods they were +again taken from them by main force. On the 2d of July a serious contest +took place at Brinskham between the custom-house officers and a party of +peasantry, in which the latter remained masters of eighteen wagons laden +with English goods: many were wounded on both sides. + +If, however, trade with England was carried on freely along a vast extent +of coast, it was different in the city of Hamburg, where English goods +were introduced only by fraud; and I verily believe that the art of +smuggling and the schemes of smugglers were never before carried to such +perfection. Above 6000 persons of the lower orders went backwards and +forwards, about twenty times a day, from Altona to Hamburg, and they +carried on their contraband, trade by many ingenious stratagems, two of +which were so curious that they are worth mentioning here. + +On the left of the road leading from Hamburg to Altona there was a piece +of ground where pits were dug for the purpose of procuring sand used for +building and for laying down in the streets. At this time it was +proposed to repair the great street of Hamburg leading to the gate of +Altona. The smugglers overnight filled the sandpit with brown sugar, and +the little carts which usually conveyed the sand into Hamburg were filled +with the sugar, care being taken to cover it with a layer of sand about +an inch thick. This trick was carried on for a length of time, but no +progress was made in repairing the street. I complained greatly of the +delay, even before I was aware of its cause, for the street led to a +country-house I had near Altona, whither I went daily. The officers of +the customs at length perceived that the work did not proceed, and one +fine morning the sugar-carts were stopped and seized. Another expedient +was then to be devised. + +Between Hamburg and Altona there was a little suburb situated on the +right bank of the Elbe. This suburb was inhabited, by sailors, labourers +of the port, and landowners. The inhabitants were interred in the +cemetery of Hamburg. It was observed that funeral processions passed +this way more frequently than usual. The customhouse officers, amazed at +the sudden mortality of the worthy inhabitants of the little suburb, +insisted on searching one of the vehicles, and on opening the hearse it +was found to be filled with sugar, coffee, vanilla, indigo, etc. It was +necessary to abandon this expedient, but others were soon discovered. + +Bonaparte was sensitive, in an extraordinary degree, to all that was said +and thought of him, and Heaven knows how many despatches I received from +headquarters during the campaign of Vienna directing me not only to watch +the vigilant execution of the custom-house laws, but to lay an embargo on +a thing which alarmed him more than the introduction of British +merchandise, viz. the publication of news. In conformity with these +reiterated instructions I directed especial attention to the management +of the 'Correspondant'. The importance of this journal, with its 60,000 +readers, may easily be perceived. I procured the insertion of everything +I thought desirable: all the bulletins, proclamations, acts of the French +Government, notes of the 'Moniteur', and the semi-official articles of +the French journals: these were all given 'in extenso'. On the other +hand, I often suppressed adverse news, which, though well known, would +have received additional weight from its insertion in so widely +circulated a paper. If by chance there crept in some Austrian bulletin, +extracted from the other German papers published in the States of the +Confederation of the Rhine, there was always given with it a suitable +antidote to destroy, or at least to mitigate, its ill effect. But this +was not all. The King of Wurtemberg having reproached the +'Correspondant', in a letter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, with +publishing whatever Austria wished should be made known, and being +conducted in a spirit hostile to the good cause, I answered these unjust +reproaches by making the Syndic censor prohibit the Hamburg papers from +inserting any Austrian order of the day, any Archduke's bulletins, any +letter from Prague; in short, anything which should be copied from the +other German journals unless those articles had been inserted in the +French journals. + +My recollections of the year 1809 at Hamburg carry me back to the +celebration of Napoleon's fete, which was on the 15th of August, for he +had interpolated his patron saint in the Imperial calendar at the date of +his birth. The coincidence of this festival with the Assumption gave +rise to adulatory rodomontades of the most absurd description. Certainly +the Episcopal circulars under the Empire would form a curious collection. + + --[It will perhaps scarcely be believed that the following words + were actually delivered from the pulpit: "God in his mercy has + chosen Napoleon to be his representative on earth. The Queen of + Heaven has marked, by the most magnificent of presents, the + anniversary of the day which witnessed his glorious entrance into + her domains. Heavenly Virgin! as a special testimony of your love + for the French, and your all-powerful influence with your son, you + have connected the first of your solemnities with the birth of the + great Napoleon. Heaven ordained that the hero should spring from + your sepulchre."--Bourrienne.]-- + +Could anything be more revolting than the sycophancy of those Churchmen +who declared that "God chose Napoleon for his representative upon earth, +and that God created Bonaparte, and then rested; that he was more +fortunate than Augustus, more virtuous than Trajan; that he deserved +altars and temples to be raised to him!" etc. + +Some time after the Festival of St. Napoleon the King of Westphalia made +a journey through his States. Of all Napoleon's brothers the King of +Westphalia was the one with whom I was least acquainted, and he, it is +pretty well known, was the most worthless of the family. His +correspondence with me is limited to two letters, one of which he wrote +while he commanded the 'Epervier', and another seven years after, dated +6th September 1809. In this latter he said: + + "I shall be in Hannover on the 10th. If you can make it convenient + to come there and spend a day with me it will give me great + pleasure. I shall then be able to smooth all obstacles to the loan + I wish to contract in the Hanse Town. I flatter myself you will do + all in your power to forward that object, which at the present + crisis is very important to my States. More than ample security is + offered, but the money will be of no use to me if I cannot have it + at least for two years." + +Jerome wanted to contract at Hamburg a loan of 3,000,000 francs. +However, the people did not seem to think like his Westphalian Majesty, +that the contract presented more than ample security. No one was found +willing to draw his purse-strings, and the loan was never raised. + +Though I would not, without the Emperor's authority, exert the influence +of my situation to further the success of Jerome's negotiation, yet I did +my best to assist him. I succeeded in prevailing on the Senate to +advance one loan of 100,000 francs to pay a portion of the arrears due to +his troops, and a second of 200,000 francs to provide clothing for his +army, etc. This scanty supply will cease to be wondered at when it is +considered to what a state of desolation the whole of Germany was reduced +at the time, as much in the allied States as in those of the enemies of +France. I learnt at the time that the King of Bavaria said to an officer +of the Emperor's household in whom he had great confidence, "If this +continues we shall have to give up, and put the key under the door." +These were his very words. + +As for Jerome, he returned to Cassel quite disheartened at the +unsuccessful issue of his loan. Some days after his return to his +capital I received from him a snuffbox with his portrait set in diamonds, +accompanied by a letter of thanks for the service I had rendered him. +I never imagined that a token of remembrance from a crowned head could +possibly be declined. Napoleon, however, thought otherwise. I had not, +it is true, written to acquaint our Government with the King of +Westphalia's loan, but in a letter, which I addressed to the Minister for +Foreign Affairs on the 22d of September, I mentioned the present Jerome +had sent me. Why Napoleon should have been offended at this I know not, +but I received orders to return Jerome's present immediately, and these +orders were accompanied with bitter reproaches for my having accepted it +without the Emperor's authority. I sent back the diamonds, but kept the +portrait. Knowing Bonaparte's distrustful disposition, I thought he must +have suspected that Jerome had employed threats, or at any rate, that he +had used some illegal influence to facilitate the success of his loan. +At last, after much correspondence, Napoleon saw clearly that everything +was perfectly regular; in a word, that the business had been transacted +as between two private persons. As to the 300,000 francs which the +Senate had lent to Jerome, the fact is, that but little scruple was made +about it, for this simple reason, that it was the means of removing from +Hamburg the Westphalian division, whose presence occasioned a much +greater expense than the loan. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +1809. + + Visit to the field of Wagram.--Marshal Macdonald--Union of the Papal + States with the Empire--The battle of Talavera--Sir Arthur + Wellesley--English expedition to Holland--Attempt to assassinate the + Emperor at Schoenbrunn--Staps Interrogated by Napoleon--Pardon + offered and rejected--Fanaticism and patriotism--Corvisart's + examination of Staps--Second interrogatory--Tirade against the + illuminati--Accusation of the Courts of Berlin and Weimar--Firmness + and resignation of Staps--Particulars respecting his death-- + Influence of the attempt of Staps on the conclusion of peace-- + M. de Champagny. + +Napoleon went to inspect all the corps of his army and the field of +Wagram, which a short time before had been the scene of one of those +great battles in which victory was the more glorious in proportion as it +had been valiantly contested. + + --[The great battle of Wagram was fought on the 6th of July 1809. + The Austrians, who committed a mistake in over-extending their line, + lost 20,000 men as prisoners, besides a large number in killed and + wounded. There was no day, perhaps, on which Napoleon showed more + military genius or more personal courage. He was in the hottest of + the fight, and for a long time exposed to showers of grapeshot.- + Editor of 1836 edition.]-- + +On that day [the type] of French honour, Macdonald, who, after achieving +a succession of prodigies, led the army of Italy into the heart of the +Austrian States, was made a marshal on the field of battle. Napoleon +said to him, "With us it is for life and for death." The general opinion +was that the elevation of Macdonald added less to the marshal's military +reputation than it redounded to the honour of the Emperor. Five days +after the bombardment of Vienna, namely, on the 17th of May, the Emperor +had published a decree, by virtue of which the Papal States were united +to the French Empire, and Rome was declared an Imperial City. I will not +stop to inquire whether this was good or bad in point of policy, but it +was a mean usurpation on the part of Napoleon, for the time was passed +when a Julius II. laid down the keys of St. Peter and took up the sword +of St. Paul. It was, besides, an injustice, and, considering the Pope's +condescension to Napoleon, an act of ingratitude. The decree of union +did not deprive the Pope of his residence, but he was only the First +Bishop of Christendom, with a revenue of 2,000,000. + +Napoleon while at Vienna heard of the affair of Talavera de la Reyna. I +was informed, by a letter from headquarters, that he was much affected at +the news, and did not conceal his vexation. I verily believe that he was +bent on the conquest of Spain, precisely on account of the difficulties +he had to surmount. At Talavera commenced the celebrity of a man who, +perhaps, would not have been without some glory even if pains had not +been taken to build him up a great reputation. That battle commenced the +career of Sir Arthur Wellesley, whose after-success, however, has been +attended by such important consequences. + + --[The battle of Talavera took place on the 28th of July, twenty-two + days after the fatal defeat of the Austrians at Wagram.]-- + +Whilst we experienced this check in Spain the English were attempting an +expedition to Holland, where they had already made themselves masters of +Walcheren. It is true they were obliged to evacuate it shortly after; +but as at that time the French and Austrian armies were in a state of +inaction, in consequence of the armistice concluded at Znaim, in Moravia, +the news unfavourable to Napoleon had the effect of raising the hopes of +the Austrian negotiators, who paused in the expectation that fresh +defeats would afford them better chances. + +It was during these negotiations, the termination of which seemed every +day to be farther distant, that Napoleon was exposed to a more real +danger than the wound he had received at Ratisbon. Germany was suffering +under a degree of distress difficult to be described. Illuminism was +making great progress, and had filled some youthful minds with an +enthusiasm not less violent than the religious fanaticism to which Henry +IV. fell a victim. A young man formed the design of assassinating +Napoleon in order to rid Germany of one whom he considered her scourge. +Rapp and Berthier were with the Emperor when the assassin was arrested, +and in relating what I heard from them I feel assured that I am giving +the most faithful account of all the circumstances connected with the +event. + +"We were at Schoenbrunn," said Rapp, "when the Emperor had just reviewed +the troops. I observed a young man at the extremity of one of the +columns just as the troops were about to defile. He advanced towards the +Emperor, who was then between Berthier and me. The Prince de Neufchatel, +thinking he wanted to present a petition, went forward to tell him that I +was the person to receive it as I was the aide de camp for the day. The +young man replied that he wished to speak with Napoleon himself, and +Berthier again told him that he must apply to me. He withdrew a little, +still repeating that he wanted to speak with Napoleon. He again advanced +and came very near the Emperor; I desired him to fall back, telling him +in German to wait till after the parade, when, if he had anything to say, +it would be attended to. I surveyed him attentively, for I began to +think his conduct suspicious. I observed that he kept his right hand in +the breast pocket of his coat; out of which a piece of paper appeared. +I know not how it was, but at that moment my eyes met his, and I was +struck with his peculiar look and air of fixed determination. Seeing an +officer of gendarmerie on the spot, I desired him to seize the young man, +but without treating him with any severity, and to convey him to the +castle until the parade was ended. + +"All this passed in less time than I have taken to tell it, and as every +one's attention was fixed on the parade the scene passed unnoticed. I +was shortly afterwards told that a large carving-knife had been found on +the young man, whose name was Staps. I immediately went to find Duroc, +and we proceeded together to the apartment to which Staps had been taken. +We found him sitting on a bed, apparently in deep thought, but betraying +no symptoms of fear. He had beside him the portrait of a young female, +his pocket-book, and purse containing only two pieces of gold. I asked +him his name, but he replied that he would tell it to no one but +Napoleon. I then asked him what he intended to do with the knife which +had been found upon him? But he answered again, 'I shall tell only +Napoleon.'--'Did you mean to attempt his life?'--'Yes.'--'Why?'--'I can +tell no one but Napoleon.' + +"This appeared to me so strange that I thought right to inform the +Emperor of it. When I told him what had passed he appeared a little +agitated, for you know how he was haunted with the idea of assassination. +He desired that the young man should be taken into his cabinet; whither +he was accordingly conducted by two gens d'armes. Notwithstanding his +criminal intention there was something exceedingly prepossessing in his +countenance. I wished that he would deny the attempt; but how was it +possible to save a man who was determined to sacrifice himself? The +Emperor asked Staps whether he could speak French, and he answered that +he could speak it very imperfectly, and as you know (continued Rapp) that +next to you I am the best German scholar in Napoleon's Court, I was +appointed interpreter on this occasion. The Emperor put the following +questions to Staps, which I translated, together with the answers: + +"'Where do you come from?'--'From Narremburgh.'--'What is your father?' +--'A Protestant minister.'--'How old are you?'--'Eighteen.'--'What did +you intend to do with your knife?'--'To kill you.'--'You are mad, young +man; you are one of the illuminati?'--'I am not mad; I know not what is +meant by the illuminati!'--'You are ill, then?'--'I am not; I am very +well.'--'Why did you wish to kill me?'--'Because you have ruined my +country.'--'Have I done you any harm?'--'Yes, you have harmed me as well +as all Germans.'--'By whom were you sent? Who urged you to this crime?' +--'No one; I was urged to it by the sincere conviction that by killing +you I should render the greatest service to my country.'--'Is this the +first time you have seen me?'--'I saw you at Erfurt, at the time of your +interview with the Emperor of Russia.'--'Did you intend to kill me +then?'--'No; I thought you would not again wage war against Germany. I +was one of your greatest admirers.'--'How long have you been in Vienna?' +--'Ten days.'--'Why did you wait so long before you attempted the +execution of your project?'--'I came to Schoenbrunn a week ago with the +intention of killing you, but when I arrived the parade was just over; I +therefore deferred the execution of my design till today.'--'I tell you, +young man, you are either mad or in bad health.' + +"The Emperor here ordered Corvisart to be sent for. Staps asked who +Corvisart was? I told him that he was a physician. He then said, +'I have no need of him.' Nothing further was said until the arrival of +the doctor, and during this interval Steps evinced the utmost +indifference. When Corvisart arrived Napoleon directed him to feel the +young man's pulse, which he immediately did; and Staps then very coolly +said, 'Am I not well, sir?' Corvisart told the Emperor that nothing +ailed him. 'I told you so,' said Steps, pronouncing the words with an +air of triumph. + +"I was really astonished at the coolness and apathy of Staps, and the +Emperor seemed for a moment confounded by the young man's behaviour.-- +After a few moments' pause the Emperor resumed the interrogatory as +follows: + +"'Your brain is disordered. You will be the ruin of your family. I will +grant you your life if you ask pardon for the crime you meditated, and +for which you ought to be sorry.'--'I want no pardon. I only regret +having failed in my attempt.'--'Indeed! then a crime is nothing to you?' +--'To kill you is no crime: it is a duty.'--'Whose portrait is that which +was found on you?'--'It is the portrait of a young lady to whom I am +attached.'--'She will doubtless be much distressed at your adventure?'-- +'She will only be sorry that I have not succeeded. She abhors you as +much as I do.'--'But if I were to pardon you would you be grateful for my +mercy?'--'I would nevertheless kill you if I could.' + +"I never," continued Rapp, "saw Napoleon look so confounded. The replies +of Staps and his immovable resolution perfectly astonished him. He +ordered the prisoner to be removed; and when he was gone Napoleon said, +'This is the result of the secret societies which infest Germany. This +is the effect of fine principles and the light of reason. They make +young men assassins. But what can be done against illuminism? A sect +cannot be destroyed by cannon-balls.' + +"This event, though pains were taken to keep it secret, became the +subject of conversation in the castle of Schoenbrunn. In the evening the +Emperor sent for me and said, 'Rapp, the affair of this morning is very +extraordinary. I cannot believe that this young man of himself conceived +the design of assassinating me. There is something under it. I shall +never be persuaded that the intriguers of Berlin and Weimar are strangers +to the affair.'--'Sire, allow me to say that your suspicions appear +unfounded. Staps has had no accomplice; his placid countenance, and even +his fanaticism, are easiest proofs of that.'--'I tell you that he has +been instigated by women: furies thirsting for revenge. If I could only +obtain proof of it I would have them seized in the midst of their +Court.'--'Ah, Sire, it is impossible that either man or woman in the +Courts of Berlin or Weimar could have conceived so atrocious a design.'-- +'I am not sure of that. Did not those women excite Schill against us +while we were at peace with Prussia; but stay a little; we shall see.'-- +'Schill's enterprise; Sire, bears no resemblance to this attempt.' +You know how the Emperor likes every one to yield to his opinion when he +has adopted one which he does not choose to give up; so he said, rather +changing his tone of good-humoured familiarity, 'All you say is in vain, +Monsieur le General: I am not liked either at Berlin or Weimar.' There +is no doubt of that, Sire; but because you are not liked in these two +Courts, is it to be inferred that they would assassinate you?'--'I know +the fury of those women; but patience. Write to General Lauer: direct +him to interrogate Staps. Tell him to bring him to a confession.' + +"I wrote conformably with the Emperor's orders, but no confession was +obtained from Staps. In his examination by General Lauer he repeated +nearly what he had said in the presence of Napoleon. His resignation and +firmness never forsook him for a moment; and he persisted in saying that +he was the sole author of the attempt, and that no one else was aware of +it. Staps' enterprise made a deep impression on the Emperor. On the day +when we left Schoenbrunn we happened to be alone, and he said to me, +'I cannot get this unfortunate Staps out of my mind. The more I think on +the subject the more I am perplexed. I never can believe that a young +man of his age, a German, one who has received a good education, +a Protestant too, could have conceived and attempted such a crime. +The Italians are said to be a nation of assassins, but no Italian ever +attempted my life. This affair is beyond my comprehension. Inquire how +Staps died, and let me know.' + +"I obtained from General Lauer the information which the Emperor desired. +I learned that Staps, whose attempt on the Emperor's life was made on the +23d of October; was executed at seven o'clock in the morning of the 27th, +having refused to take any sustenance since the 24th. When any food was +brought to him he rejected it, saying, 'I shall be strong enough to walk +to the scaffold.' When he was told that peace was concluded he evinced +extreme sorrow, and was seized with trembling. On reaching the place of +execution he exclaimed loudly, 'Liberty for ever! Germany for ever! +Death to the tyrant!'" + +Such are the notes which I committed to paper after conversing with Rapp, +as we were walking together in the garden of the former hotel of +Montmorin, in which Rapp resided. I recollect his showing me the knife +taken from Staps, which the Emperor had given him; it was merely a common +carving-knife, such as is used in kitchens. To these details may be +added a very remarkable circumstance, which I received from another but +not less authentic source. I have been assured that the attempt of the +German Mutius Scaevola had a marked influence on the concessions which +the Emperor made, because he feared that Staps, like him who attempted +the life of Porsenna, might have imitators among the illuminati of +Germany. + +It is well known that after the battle of Wagram conferences were open at +Raab. Although peace was almost absolutely necessary for both powers, +and the two Emperors appeared to desire it equally, it was not, however, +concluded. It is worthy of remark that the delay was occasioned by +Bonaparte. Negotiations were therefore suspended, and M. de Champagny +had ceased for several days to see the Prince of Lichtenstein when the +affair of Staps took place. Immediately after Napoleon's examination of +the young fanatic he sent for M. de Champagny: "How are the negotiations +going on?" he inquired. The Minister having informed him, the Emperor +added, "I wish them to be resumed immediately: I wish for peace; do not +hesitate about a few millions more or less in the indemnity demanded from +Austria. Yield on that point. I wish to come to a conclusion: I refer +it all to you." The Minister lost no time in writing to the Prince of +Lichtenstein: on the same night the two negotiators met at Raab, and the +clauses of the treaty which had been suspended were discussed, agreed +upon, and signed that very night. Next morning M. de Champagny attended +the Emperor's levee with the treaty of peace as it had been agreed on. +Napoleon, after hastily examining it, expressed his approbation of every +particular, and highly complimented his Minister on the speed with which +the treaty had been brought to a conclusion. + + --[This definitive treaty of peace, which is sometimes called the + Treaty of Vienna, Raab, or Schoenbrunn, contained the following + articles: + + 1. Austria ceded in favour of the Confederation of the Rhine (these + fell to Bavaria), Salzburg, Berchtolsgaden, and a part of Upper + Austria. + + 2. To France directly Austria ceded her only seaport, Trieste, and + all the countries of Carniola, Friuli, the circle of Vilach, with + parts of Croatia end Dalmatia. (By these cessions Austria was + excluded from the Adriatic Sea, and cut off from all communication + with the navy of Great Britain.) A small lordship, en enclave in + the, territories of the Grieve League, was also gives up. + + 3. To the constant ally of Napoleon, to the King of Saxony, in that + character Austria ceded some Bohemian enclaves in Saxony end, in his + capacity of Grand Duke of Warsaw, she added to his Polish dominions + the ancient city of Cracow, and all Western Galicia. + + 4. Russia, who had entered with but a lukewarm zeal into the war as + an ally of France, had a very moderate share of the spoils of + Austria. A portion of Eastern Galicia, with a population of 400,000 + souls, was allotted to her, but in this allotment the trading town + of Brody (almost the only thing worth having) was specially + excepted. This last circumstance gave no small degree of disgust to + the Emperor Alexander, whose admiration of Napoleon was not destined + to have a long duration.--Editor of 1836 edition.]-- + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +1809. + + The Princess Royal of Denmark--Destruction of the German Empire-- + Napoleons visit to the Courts of Bavaria and Wurtemberg--His return + to France--First mention of the divorce--Intelligence of Napoleon's + marriage with Maria Louisa--Napoleon's quarrel with Louis--Journey + of the Emperor and Empress into Holland--Refusal of the Hanse Towns + to pay the French troops--Decree for burning English merchandise-- + M. de Vergennes--Plan for turning an inevitable evil to the best + account--Fall on the exchange of St Petersburg + +About this time I had the pleasure of again seeing the son of the +reigning Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, whose arrival in the Hanse Towns +was speedily followed by that of his sister, Princess Frederica Charlotte +of Mecklenburg, married to the Prince Royal of Denmark, Christian +Frederick. In November the Princess arrived at Altana from Copenhagen, +the reports circulated respecting her having compelled her husband to +separate from her. The history of this Princess, who, though perhaps +blamable, was nevertheless much pitied, was the general subject of +conversation in the north of Germany at the time I was at Hamburg. The +King of Denmark, grieved at the publicity of the separation, wrote a +letter on the subject to the Duke of Mecklenburg. In this letter, which +I had an opportunity of seeing, the King expressed his regret at not +having been able to prevent the scandal; for, on his return from a +journey to Kiel, the affair had become so notorious that all attempts at +reconciliation were vain. In the meantime it was settled that the +Princess was to remain at Altona until something should be decided +respecting her future condition. + +It was Baron Plessen, the Duke of Mecklenburg's Minister of State, who +favoured me with a sight of the King of Denmark's letters. M. Plessen +told me, likewise, at the time that the Duke had formed the irrevocable +determination of not receiving his daughter. A few days after her +arrival the Princess visited Madame de Bourrienne. She invited us to her +parties, which were very brilliant, and several times did us the honour +of being present at ours. But; unfortunately, the extravagance of her +conduct, which was very unsuitable to her situation, soon became the +subject of general animadversion. + +I mentioned at the close of the last chapter how the promptitude of M. de +Champagny brought about the conclusion of the treaty known by the name of +the Treaty of Schoenbrunn. Under this the ancient edifice of the German +Empire was overthrown, and Francis II. of Germany became Francis I., +Emperor of Austria. He, however, could not say, like his namesake of +France, 'Tout est perdu fors l'honneur'; for honour was somewhat +committed, even had nothing else been lost. But the sacrifices Austria +was compelled, to make were great. The territories ceded to France were +immediately united into a new general government, under the collective +denomination of the Illyrian Provinces. Napoleon thus became master of +both sides of the Adriatic, by virtue of his twofold title of Emperor of +France and King of Italy. Austria, whose external commerce thus received +a check, had no longer any direct communication with the sea. The loss +of Fiume, Trieste, and the sea-coast appeared so vast a sacrifice that it +was impossible to look forward to the duration of a peace so dearly +purchased. + +The affair of Staps, perhaps, made Napoleon anxious to hurry away from +Schoenbrunn, for he set off before he had ratified the preliminaries of +the peace, announcing that he would ratify them at Munich. He proceeded +in great haste to Nymphenburg, where he was expected on a visit to the +Court of Bavaria. He next visited the King of Wurtemberg, whom he +pronounced to be the cleverest sovereign in Europe, and at the end of +October he arrived at Fontainebleau. From thence he proceeded on +horseback to Paris, and he rode so rapidly that only a single chasseur of +his escort could keep up with him, and, attended by this one guard, he +entered the court of the Tuileries. While Napoleon was at Fontainebleau, +before his return to Paris, Josephine for the first time heard the +divorce mentioned; the idea had occurred to the Emperor's mind while he +was at Schoenbrunn. It was also while at Fontainebleau that Napoleon +appointed M. de Montalivet to be Minister of the Interior. The letters +which we received from Paris at this period brought intelligence of the +brilliant state of the capital during the winter of 1809, and especially +of the splendour of the Imperial Court, where the Emperor's levees were +attended by the Kings of Saxony, Bavaria, and Wurtemberg, all eager to +evince their gratitude to the hero who had raised them to the sovereign +rank. + +I was the first person in Hamburg who received intelligence of Napoleon's +projected marriage with the Archduchess Maria Louisa. The news was +brought to me from Vienna by two estafettes. It is impossible to +describe the effect produced by the anticipation of this event throughout +the north of Germany. + + --["Napoleon often reflected on the best mode of making this + communication to the Empress; still he was reluctant to speak to + her. He was apprehensive of the consequences of her susceptibility + of feeling; his heart was never proof against the shedding of tears. + Ho thought, however, that a favourable opportunity offered for + breaking the subject previously to his quitting Fontainebleau. He + hinted at it in a few words which be had addressed to the Empress, + but he did not explain himself until the arrival of the viceroy, + whom he had ordered to join him. He was the first person who spoke + openly to his mother and obtained her consent for that bitter + sacrifice. He acted on the occasion like a kind son and a man + grateful to his benefactor and devoted to his service, by sparing + him the necessity of unpleasant explanations towards a partner whose + removal was a sacrifice as painful to him as it was affecting: The + Emperor, having arranged whatever related to the future condition of + the Empress, upon whom he made a liberal settlement, urged the + moment of the dissolution of the marriage, no doubt because he felt + grieved at the condition of the Empress herself, who dined every day + and passed her evenings in the presence of persons who were + witnessing her descent from the throne. There existed between him + and the Empress Josephine no other bond than a civil act, according + to the custom which prevailed at the time of this marriage. Now the + law had foreseen the dissolution of such marriage oontracts. A + particular day having therefore been fixed upon, the Emperor brought + together into his apartments those persons whose ministry was + required in this case; amongst others, the Arch-Chancellor and M. + Regnault de St. Jean d'Angely. The Emperor then declared in a loud + voice his intention of annulling the marriage he had contracted with + Josephine, who was present; the Empress also made the same + declaration, which was interrupted by her repeated sobs. The Prince + Arch-Chancellor having caused the article of the law to be read, he + applied it to the cam before him, and declared the marriage to be + dissolved." (Memoirs of ad Due de Rovigo).]-- + +From all parts the merchants received orders to buy Austrian stock, in +which an extraordinary rise immediately took place. Napoleon's marriage +with Maria Louisa was hailed with enthusiastic and general joy. The +event was regarded as the guarantee of a long peace, and it was hoped +there would be a lasting cessation of the disasters created by the +rivalry of France and Austria. The correspondence I received showed that +these sentiments were general in the interior of France, and in different +countries of Europe; and, in spite of the presentiments I had always had +of the return of the Bourbons to France, I now began to think that event +problematic, or at least very remote. + +About the beginning of the year 1810 commenced the differences between +Napoleon and his brother Louis, which, as I have already stated, ended in +a complete rupture. Napoleon's object was to make himself master of the +navigation of the Scheldt which Louis wished should remain free, and +hence ensued the union of Holland with the French Empire. Holland was +the first province of the Grand Empire which Napoleon took the new +Empress to visit. This visit took place almost immediately after the +marriage. Napoleon first proceeded to Compiegne, where he remained a +week. He next set out for St. Quentin, and inspected the canal. The +Empress Maria Louisa then joined him, and they both proceeded to Belgium. +At Antwerp the Emperor inspected all the works which he had ordered, and +to the execution of which he attached great importance. He returned by +way of Ostend, Lille, and Normandy to St. Cloud, where he arrived on the +1st of June 1810. He there learned from my correspondence that the Hanse +Towns-refused to advance money for the pay of the French troops. The men +were absolutely destitute. I declared that it was urgent to put an end +to this state of things. The Hanse towns had been reduced from opulence +to misery by taxation and exactions, and were no longer able to provide +the funds. + +During this year Napoleon, in a fit of madness, issued a decree which I +cannot characterise by any other epithet than infernal. I allude to the +decree for burning all the English merchandise in France, Holland, the +Grand Duchy of Berg, the Hanse Towns; in short, in all places subject to +the disastrous dominion of Napoleon. In the interior of France no idea +could possibly be formed of the desolation caused by this measure in +countries which existed by commerce; and what a spectacle was it to, the, +destitute inhabitants of those countries to witness the destruction of +property which, had it been distributed, would have assuaged their +misery! + +Among the emigrants whom I was ordered to watch was M. de Vergennes, who +had always remained at or near Hamburg Since April 1808. I informed the +Minister that M. de Vergennes had presented himself to me at this time. +I even remember that M. de Vergennes gave me a letter from M. de Remusat, +the First Chamberlain of the Emperor. M. de Remusat strongly recommended +to me his connection, who was called by matters of importance to Hamburg. +Residence in this town was, however, too expensive, and he decided to +live at Neumuhl, a little village on the Elbe, rather to the west of +Altona. There he lived quietly in retirement with an opera dancer named +Mademoiselle Ledoux, with whom he had become acquainted in Paris, and +whom he had brought with him. He seemed much taken with her. His manner +of living did not denote large means. + +One duty with which I was entrusted, and to which great importance was +attached, was the application and execution of the disastrous Continental +system in the north. In my correspondence I did not conceal the +dissatisfaction which this ruinous measure excited, and the Emperor's +eyes were at length opened on the subject by the following circumstance. +In spite of the sincerity with which the Danish Government professed to +enforce the Continental system, Holstein contained a great quantity of +colonial produce; and, notwithstanding the measures of severity, it was +necessary that that merchandise should find a market somewhere. The +smugglers often succeeded in introducing it into Germany, and the whole +would probably soon have passed the custom-house limits. All things +considered, I thought it advisable to make the best of an evil that could +not be avoided. I therefore proposed that the colonial produce then in +Holstein, and which had been imported before the date of the King's edict +for its prohibition, should be allowed to enter Hamburg on the payment of +30, and on some articles 40, per cent. This duty was to be collected at +the custom-house, and was to be confined entirely to articles consumed in +Germany. The colonial produce in Altona, Glnckstadt, Husum, and other +towns of Holstein, lead been estimated, at about 30,000,000 francs, and +the duty would amount to 10,000,000 or 12,000,000. The adoption of the +plan I proposed would naturally put a stop to smuggling; for it could not +be doubted that the merchants would give 30 or 33 per cent for the right +of carrying on a lawful trade rather than give 40 per cent. to the +smugglers, with the chance of seizure. + +The Emperor immediately adopted my idea, for I transmitted my suggestions +to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the 18th of September, and on the +4th of October a decree was issued conformable to the plan I proposed. +Within six weeks after the decree came into operation the custom-house +Director received 1300 declarations from persons holding colonial produce +in Holstein. It now appeared that the duties would amount to 40,000,000 +francs, that is to say, 28,000,000 or 30,000,000 more than my estimate. + +Bernadotte had just been nominated Prince Royal of Sweden. This +nomination, with all the circumstances connected with it, as well as +Bernadotte's residence in Hamburg, before he proceeded to Stockholm, will +be particularly noticed in the next chapter. I merely mention the +circumstance here to explain some events which took place in the north, +and which were, more or less, directly connected with it. For example, +in the month of September the course of exchange on St. Petersburg +suddenly fell. All the letters which arrived in Hamburg from the capital +of Russia and from Riga, attributed the fall to the election of the +Prince of Ponte-Corvo as Prince Royal of Sweden. Of thirty letters which +I received there was not one but described the consternation which the +event had created in St. Petersburg. This consternation, however, might +have been excited less by the choice of Sweden than by the fear that that +choice was influenced by the French Government. + + + + +CHAP XXII. + +1809-1810. + + Bernadotte elected Prince Royal of Sweden--Count Wrede's overtures + to Bernadotte--Bernadottes's three days' visit to Hamburg-- + Particulars respecting the battle of Wagram--Secret Order of the + day--Last intercourse of the Prince Royal of Sweden with Napoleon-- + My advice to Bernadotte respecting the Continental system. + +I now come to one of the periods of my life to which I look back with +most satisfaction, the time when Bernadotte was with me in Hamburg. I +will briefly relate the series of events which led the opposer of the +18th Brumaire to the throne of Sweden. + +On the 13th of march 1809 Gustavus Adolphus was arrested, and his uncle, +the Duke of Sudermania, provisionally took the reins of Government. A +few days afterwards Gustavus published his act of abdication, which in +the state of Sweden it was impossible for him to refuse. In May +following, the Swedish Diet having been convoked at Stockholm, the Duke +of Sudermania was elected King. Christian Augustus, the only son of that +monarch, of course became Prince Royal on the accession of his father to +the throne. He, however, died suddenly at the end of May 1810, and Count +Fersen (the same who at the Court of Marie Antoinette was distinguished +by the appellation of 'le beau Fersen'), was massacred by the populace, +who suspected, perhaps unjustly, that he had been accessory to the +Prince's death. + + --[Count Fereen, alleged to have been one of the favoured lovers of + Marie Antoinette, and who was certainly deep in her confidence, had + arranged most of the details of the attempted flight to Varennes in + 1791, and he himself drove the Royal family their first stage to the + gates of Paris.]-- + +On the 21st of August following Bernadotte was elected Prince Royal of +Sweden. + +After the death of the Prince Royal the Duke of Sudermania's son, Count +Wrede, a Swede, made the first overtures to Bernadotte, and announced to +him the intention entertained at Stockholm of offering him the throne of +Sweden. Bernadotte was at that time in Paris, and immediately after his +first interview with Count Wrede he waited on the Emperor at St. Cloud; +Napoleon coolly replied that he could be of no service to him; that +events must take their course; that he might accept or refuse the offer +as he chose; that he (Bonaparte) would place no obstacles in his way, but +that he could give him no advice. It was very evident that the choice of +Sweden was not very agreeable to Bonaparte, and though he afterwards +disavowed any opposition to it, he made overtures to Stockholm, proposing +that the crown of Sweden should be added to that of Denmark. + +Bernadotte then went to the waters of Plombieres, and on his return to +Paris he sent me a letter announcing his elevation to the rank of Prince +Royal of Sweden. + +On the 11th of October he arrived in Hamburg, where he stayed only three +days. He passed nearly the whole of that time with me, and he +communicated to me many curious facts connected with the secret history +of the times, and among other things some particulars respecting the +battle of Wagram. I was the first to mention to the new Prince Royal of +Sweden the reports of the doubtful manner in which the troops under his +command behaved. I reminded him of Bonaparte's dissatisfaction at these +troops; for there was no doubt of the Emperor being the author of the +complaints contained in the bulletins, especially as he had withdrawn the +troops from Bernadotte's command. Bernadotte assured me that Napoleon's +censure was unjust; during the battle he had complained of the little +spirit manifested by the soldiers. "He refused to see me," added +Bernadotte, "and I was told, as a reason for his refusal, that he was +astonished and displeased to find that, notwithstanding his complaints, +of which I must have heard, I had boasted of having gained the battle, +and had publicly complimented the Saxons whom I commanded." + +Bernadotte then showed me the bulletin he drew up after the battle of +Wagram. I remarked that I had never heard of a bulletin being made by +any other than the General who was Commander-in-Chief during a battle, +and asked how the affair ended. He then handed to me a copy of the Order +of the day, which Napoleon said he had sent only to the Marshals +commanding the different corps. + +Bernadotte's bulletin was printed along with Bonaparte's Order of the +Day, a thing quite unparalleled. + +Though I was much interested in this account of Bonaparte's conduct after +the battle of Wagram; yet I was more curious to hear the particulars of +Bernadotte's last communication with the Emperor. The Prince informed me +that on his return from Plombieres he attended the levee, when the +Emperor asked him, before every one present, whether he had received any +recent news from Sweden. + +He replied in the affirmative. "What is it?" inquired Napoleon. "Sire, +I am informed that your Majesty's charge d'afaires at Stockholm opposes +my election. It is also reported to those who choose to believe it that +your Majesty gives the preference to the King of Denmark."--"At these +words," continued Bernadotte, "the Emperor affected surprise, which you +know he can do very artfully. He assured me it was impossible, and then +turned the conversation to another subject. + +"I know not what to think of his conduct in this affair. I am aware he +does not like me;--but the interests of his policy may render him +favourable to Sweden. Considering the present greatness and power of +France, I conceived it to be my duty to make every personal sacrifice. +But I swear to Heaven that I will never commit the honour of Sweden. He, +however, expressed himself in the best possible terms in speaking of +Charles XIII. and me. He at first started no obstacle to my acceptance +of the succession to the throne of Sweden, and he ordered the official +announcement of my election to be immediately inserted in the Moniteur'. +Ten days elapsed without the Emperor's saying a word to me about my +departure. As I was anxious to be off, and all my preparations were +made, I determined to go and ask him for the letters patent to relieve me +from my oath of fidelity, which I had certainly kept faithfully in spite +of all his ill-treatment of me. He at first appeared somewhat surprised +at my request, and, after a little hesitation, he said, 'There is a +preliminary condition to be fulfilled; a question has been raised by one +of the members of the Privy Council.'--'What condition, Sire?'--'You must +pledge yourself not to bear arms against me.'--'Does your Majesty suppose +that I can bind myself by such an engagement? My election by the Diet of +Sweden, which has met with your Majesty's assent, has made me a Swedish +subject, and that character is incompatible with the pledge proposed by a +member of the Council. I am sure it could never have emanated from your +Majesty, and must proceed from the Arch-Chancellor or the Grand Judge, +who certainly could not have been aware of the height to which the +proposition would raise me.'--'What do you mean?'--'If, Sire, you prevent +me accepting a crown unless I pledge myself not to bear arms against you, +do you not really place me on a level with you as a General?' + +"When I declared positively that my election must make me consider myself +a Swedish subject he frowned, and seemed embarrassed. When I had done +speaking he said, in a low and faltering voice, 'Well, go. Our destinies +will soon be accomplished!' These words were uttered so indistinctly +that I was obliged to beg pardon for not having heard what. he said, and +he repented, 'Go! our destinies will soon be accomplished!' In the +subsequent conversations which I had with the Emperor I tried all +possible means to remove the unfavourable sentiments he cherished towards +me. I revived my recollections of history. I spoke to him of the great +men who had excited the admiration of the world, of the difficulties and +obstacles which they had to surmount; and, above all, I dwelt upon that +solid glory which is founded on the establishment and maintenance of +public tranquillity and happiness. The Emperor listened to me +attentively, and frequently concurred in my opinion as to the principles +of the prosperity and stability of States. One day he took my hand and +pressed it affectionately, as if to assure me of his friendship and +protection. Though I knew him to be an adept in the art of +dissimulation, yet his affected kindness appeared so natural that I +thought all his unfavourable feeling towards me was at an end. I spoke +to persons by whom our two families were allied, requesting that they +would assure the Emperor of the reciprocity of my sentiments, and tell +him that I was ready to assist his great plans in any way not hostile to +the interests of Sweden. + +"Would you believe, my dear friend, that the persons to whom I made these +candid protestations laughed at my credulity? They told me that after +the conversation in which the Emperor had so cordially pressed my hand. +I had scarcely taken leave of him when he was heard to say that I had +made a great display of my learning to him, and that he had humoured me +like a child. He wished to inspire me with full confidence so as to put +me off my guard; and I know for a certainty that he had the design of +arresting me. + +"But," pursued Bernadotte, "in spite of the feeling of animosity which I +know the Emperor has cherished against me since the 18th Brumaire, I do +not think, when once I shall be in Sweden, that he will wish to have any +differences with the Swedish Government. I must tell you, also be has +given me 2,000,000 francs in exchange for my principality of Ponte-Corvo. +Half the sum has been already paid, which will be very useful to me in +defraying the expenses of my journey and installation. When I was about +to step into my carriage to set off, an individual, whom you must excuse +me naming, came to bid me farewell, and related to me a little +conversation which had just taken place at the Tuileries. Napoleon said +to the individual in question, 'Well, does not the Prince regret leaving +France?'--'Certainly, Sire.'--'As to me, I should have been very glad if +he had not accepted his election. But there is no help for it . . . . +He does not like me.'--'Sire, I must take the liberty of saying that your +Majesty labours under a mistake. I know the differences which have +existed between you and General Bernadotte for the last six years. I +know how he opposed the overthrow of the Directory; but I also know that +the Prince has long been sincerely attached to you.'--'Well, I dare say +you are right. But we have not understood each other. It is now too +late. He has his interests and his policy, and I have mine.'" + +"Such," added the Prince, "were the Emperor's last observations +respecting me two hours before my departure. The individual to whom I +have just alluded, spoke truly, my dear Bourrienne. I am indeed sorry to +leave France; and I never should have left it but for the injustice of +Bonaparte. If ever I ascend the throne of Sweden I shall owe my crown to +his ill-treatment of me; for had he not persecuted me by his animosity my +condition would have sufficed for a soldier of fortune: but we must +follow our fate." + +During the three days the Prince spent with me I had many other +conversations with him. He wished me to give him my advice as to the +course he should pursue with regard to the Continental system. "I advise +you," said I, "to reject the system without hesitation. It may be very +fine in theory, but it is utterly impossible to carry it into practice, +and it will, in the end, give the trade of the world to England. It +excites the dissatisfaction of our allies, who, in spite of themselves, +will again become our enemies. But no other country, except Russia, is +in the situation of Sweden. You want a number of objects of the first +necessity, which nature has withheld from you. You can only obtain them +by perfect freedom of navigation; and you can only pay for them with +those peculiar productions in which Sweden abounds. It would be out of +all reason to close your ports against a nation who rules the seas. It +is your navy that would be blockaded, not hers. What can France do +against you? She may invade you by land. But England and Russia will +exert all their efforts to oppose her. By sea it is still more +impossible that she should do anything. Then you have nothing to fear +but Russia and England, and it will be easy for you to keep up friendly +relations with these two powers. Take my advice; sell your iron, timber, +leather, and pitch; take in return salt, wines, brandy, and colonial +produce. This is the way to make yourself popular in Sweden. If, on the +contrary, you follow the Continental system, you will be obliged to adopt +laws against smuggling, which will draw upon you the detestation of the +people." + +Such was the advice which I gave to Bernadotte when he was about to +commence his new and brilliant career. In spite of my situation as a +French Minister I could not have reconciled it to my conscience to give +him any other counsel, for if diplomacy has duties so also has +friendship. Bernadotte adopted my advice, and the King of Sweden had no +reason to regret having done so. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +1810 + + Bernadotte's departure from Hamburg--The Duke of Holstein- + Augustenburg--Arrival of the Crown Prince in Sweden-- + Misunderstandings between him and Napoleon--Letter from Bernadotte + to the Emperor--Plot for kidnapping the Prince Royal of Sweden-- + Invasion of Swedish Pomerania--Forced alliance of Sweden with + England and Russia--Napoleon's overtures to Sweden--Bernadotte's + letters of explanation to the Emperor--The Princess Royal of Sweden + --My recall to Paris--Union of the Hanse Towns with France-- + Dissatisfaction of Russia--Extraordinary demand made upon me by + Bonaparte--Fidelity of my old friends--Duroc and Rapp--Visit to + Malmaison, and conversation with Josephine. + +While Bernadotte was preparing to fill the high station to which he had +been called by the wishes of the people of Sweden, Napoleon was involved +in his misunderstanding with the Pope, + + --[It was about this time that, irritated at what he called the + captive Pope's unreasonable obstinacy, Bonaparte conceived, and + somewhat openly expressed, his notion of making France s Protestant + country, and changing the religion of 30,000,000 of people by an + Imperial decree. One or two of the good sayings of the witty, + accomplished, and chivalrous Comte Louis de Narbonne have already + been given in the course of these volumes. The following is another + of them: + + "I tell you what I will do, Narbonne--I tell you how I will vent my + spite on this old fool of a Pope, and the dotards who may succeed + him said Napoleon one day at the Tuileries. "I will make a schism + as great as that of Luther--I will make France a Protestant + country!" + + "O Sire," replied the Count, "I see difficulties in the way of this + project. In the south, in the Vendee, in nearly all the west, the + French are bigoted Catholics and even what little religion remains + among us in our cities and great towns is of the Roman Church." + + "Never mind, Narbonne--never mind!--I shall at least carry a large + portion of the French people with me--I will make a division!" Sire, + replied Narbonne, "I am afraid that there is not enough religion in + all France to stand division!"-Editor of 1836 edition.]-- + + +and in the affairs of Portugal, which were far from proceeding according +to his wishes. Bernadotte had scarcely quitted Hamburg for Sweden when +the Duke of Holstein-Augustenburg arrived. The Duke was the brother of +the last Prince Royal of Sweden, whom Bernadotte was called to succeed, +and he came to escort his sister from Altona to Denmark. His journey had +been retarded for some days on account of the presence of the Prince of +Ponte-Gorvo in Hamburg: the preference granted to Bernadotte had +mortified his ambition, and he was unwilling to come in contact with his +fortunate rival. The Duke was favoured, by the Emperor of Russia. + +As soon as he arrived in Sweden Bernadotte directed his aide de camp, +General Lentil de St. Alphonse, to inform me of his safe passage. +Shortly after I received a letter from Bernadotte himself, recommending +one of his aides de camp, M. Villatte, who was the bearer of it. This +letter contained the same sentiments of friendship as those I used to +receive from General Bernadotte, and formed a contrast with the +correspondence of King Jerome, who when he wrote to me assumed the regal +character, and prayed that God would have me in his holy keeping. +However, the following is the Prince Royal's letter: + + MY DEAR BOURRIENNE--I have directed M. Villatte to see you on his + way through Hamburg, and to bear my friendly remembrances to you. + Lentil has addressed his letter to you, which I suppose you have + already received. Adieu, care for me always, and believe in the + inalterable attachment of yours, + + (Signed)CHARLES JOHN. + + P.S.--I beg yon will present my compliments to madame and all your + family. Embrace my little cousin for me. + +The little cousin, so called by Bernadotte, was one of my daughters, then +a child, whom Bernadotte used to be very fond of while he was at Hamburg. + +Departing from the order of date, I will anticipate the future, and +relate all I know respecting the real causes of the misunderstanding +which arose between Bernadotte and Napoleon. Bonaparte viewed the choice +of the Swedes with great displeasure, because he was well aware that +Bernadotte had too much integrity and honour to serve him in the north as +a political puppet set in motion by means of springs which he might pull +at Paris or at his headquarters. His dissatisfaction upon this point +occasioned an interesting correspondence, part of which, consisting of +letters from Bernadotte to the Emperor, is in my possession. The Emperor +had allowed Bernadotte to retain in his service, for a year at least, the +French officers who were his aides de camp--but that permission was soon +revoked, end the Prince Royal of Sweden wrote to Napoleon a letter of +remonstrance. + +Napoleon's dissatisfaction with the Prince Royal now changed to decided +resentment. He repented having acceded to his departure from France, and +he made no secret of his sentiments, for he said before his courtiers, +"That he would like to send Bernadotte to Vincennes to finish his study +of the Swedish language." Bernadotte was informed of this, but he could +not believe that the Emperor had ever entertained such a design. +However, a conspiracy was formed in Sweden against Bernadotte, whom a +party of foreign brigands were hired to kidnap in the neighbourhood of +Raga; but the plot was discovered, and the conspirators were compelled to +embark without their prey. The Emperor having at the same time seized +upon Swedish Pomerania, the Prince Royal wrote him a second letter in +these terms: + + From the papers which have just arrived I learn that a division of + the army, under the command of the Prince of Eckmuhl, invaded + Swedish Pomerania on the night of the 26th of January; that the + division continued to advance, entered the capital of the Duchy, and + took possession of the island of Rugen. The King expects that your + Majesty will explain the reasons which have induced you to act in a + manner so contrary to the faith of existing treaties. My old + connection with your Majesty warrants me in requesting you to + declare your motives without delay, in order that I may give my + advice to the King as to the conduct which Sweden ought hereafter to + adopt. This gratuitous outrage against Sweden is felt deeply by the + nation, and still more, Sire, by me, to whom is entrusted the honour + of defending it. Though I have contributed to the triumphs of + France, though I have always desired to see her respected and happy; + yet I can never think of sacrificing the interests, honour, and + independence of the country which has adopted me. Your Majesty, who + has so ready a perception of what is just, must admit the propriety + of my resolution. Though I am not jealous of the glory and power + which surrounds you, I cannot submit to the dishonour of being + regarded as a vassal. Your Majesty governs the greatest part of + Europe, but your dominion does not extend to the nation which I have + been called to govern; my ambition is limited to the defence of + Sweden. The effect produced upon the people by the invasion of + which I complain may lead to consequences which it is impossible to + foresee; and although I am not a Coriolanus, and do not command the + Volsci, I have a sufficiently good opinion of the Swedes to assure + you that they dare undertake anything to avenge insults which they + have not provoked, and to preserve rights to which they are as much + attached as to their lives. + +I was in Paris when the Emperor received Bernadotte's letter on the +occupation of Swedish Pomerania. When Bonaparte read it I was informed +that he flew into a violent rage, and even exclaimed, "You shall submit +to your degradation, or die sword in hand!" But his rage was impotent. +The unexpected occupation of Swedish Pomerania obliged the King of Sweden +to come to a decided rupture with France, and to seek other allies, for +Sweden was not strong enough in herself to maintain neutrality in the +midst of the general conflagration of Europe after the disastrous +campaign of Moscow. The Prince Royal, therefore, declared to Russia and +England that in consequence of the unjust invasion of Pomerania Sweden +was at war with France, and he despatched Comte de Lowenhjelm, the King's +aide de camp, with a letter explanatory of his views. Napoleon sent many +notes to Stockholm, where M. Alquier, his Ambassador, according to his +instructions, had maintained a haughty and even insulting tone towards +Sweden. Napoleon's overtures, after the manifestations of his anger, and +after the attempt to carry off the Prince Royal, which could be +attributed only to him, were considered by the Prince Royal merely as a +snare. But in the hope of reconciling the duties he owed to both his old +and his new country he addressed to the Emperor a moderate letter: + +This letter throws great light on the conduct of the Emperor with respect +to Bernadotte; for Napoleon was not the man whom any one whatever would +have ventured to remind of facts, the accuracy of which was in the least +degree questionable. Such then were the relations between Napoleon and +the Prince Royal of Sweden. When I shall bring to light some curious +secrets, which have hitherto been veiled beneath the mysteries of the +Restoration, it will be seen by what means Napoleon, before his fall, +again sought to wreak his vengeance upon Bernadotte. + +Oh the 4th of December I had the honour to see the Princess Royal of +Sweden,--[Madame Bernadotte, afterwards Queen of Sweden, was a +Mademoiselle Clary, and younger sister to the wife of Joseph Bonaparte]-- +who arrived that day at Hamburg. She merely passed through the city on +her way to Stockholm to join her husband, but she remained but a short +time in Sweden,--two months, I believe, at most, not being able to +reconcile herself to the ancient Scandinavia. As to the Prince Royal, he +soon became inured to the climate, having been for many years employed in +the north. + +After this my stay at Hamburg was not of long duration. Bonaparte's +passion for territorial aggrandisement knew no bounds; and the turn of +the Hanse Towns now arrived. By taking possession of these towns and +territories he merely accomplished a design formed long previously. +I, however, was recalled with many compliments, and under the specious +pretext that the Emperor wished to hear my opinions respecting the +country in which. I had been residing. At the beginning of December I +received a letter from M. de Champagny stating that the Emperor wished to +see me in order to consult with me upon different things relating to +Hamburg. In this note I was told "that the information I had obtained +respecting Hamburg and the north of Germany might be useful to the public +interest, which must be the most gratifying reward of my labours." The +reception which awaited me will presently be seen. The conclusion of the +letter spoke in very flattering terms of the manner in which I had +discharged my duties. I received it on the 8th of December, and next day +I set out for Paris. When I arrived at Mayence I was enabled to form a +correct idea of the fine compliments which had been paid me, and of the +Emperor's anxiety to have my opinion respecting the Hanse Towns. In +Mayence I met the courier who was proceeding to announce the union of the +Hanse Towns with the French Empire. I confess that, notwithstanding the +experience I had acquired of Bonaparte's duplicity, or rather, of the +infinite multiplicity of his artifices, he completely took me by surprise +on that occasion. + +On my arrival in Paris I did not see the Emperor, but the first +'Moniteur' I read contained the formula of a 'Senatus-consulte,' which +united the Hanse Towns, Lauenburg, etc., to the French Empire by the +right of the strongest. This new and important augmentation of territory +could not fail to give uneasiness to Russia. Alexander manifested his +dissatisfaction by prohibiting the importation of our agricultural +produce and manufactures into Russia. Finally, as the Continental system +had destroyed all trade by the ports of the Baltic, Russia showed herself +more favourable to the English, and gradually reciprocal complaints of +bad faith led to that war whose unfortunate issue was styled by M. +Talleyrand "the beginning of the end." + +I have now to make the reader acquainted with an extraordinary demand +made upon me by the Emperor through the medium of M. de Champagny. In +one of my first interviews with that Minister after my return to Paris he +thus addressed me: "The Emperor has entrusted me with a commission to you +which I am obliged to execute: 'When you see Bourrienne,' said the +Emperor, 'tell him I wish him to pay 6,000,000 into your chest to defray +the expense of building the new Office for Foreign Affairs.'" I was so +astonished at this unfeeling and inconsiderate demand that I was utterly +unable to make airy reply. This then was my recompense for having +obtained money and supplies during my residence at Hamburg to the extent +of nearly 100,000,000, by which his treasury and army had profited in +moments of difficulty! M. de Champagny added that the Emperor did not +wish to receive me. He asked what answer he should bear to his Majesty. +I still remained silent, and the Minister again urged me to give an +answer. "Well, then," said I, "tell him he may go to the devil." The +Minister naturally wished to obtain some variation from this laconic +answer, but I would give no other; and I afterwards learned from Duroc +that M. de Champagny was compelled to communicate it to Napoleon. +"Well," asked the latter, "have you seen Bourrienne?"--"Yes, Sire."--"Did +you tell him I wished him to pay 6,000,000 into your chest?"--" Yes, +Sire."--"And what did he say?"--" Sire, I dare not inform your +Majesty."--"What did he say? I insist upon knowing."--"Since you insist +on my telling you, Sire, M. de Bourrienne said your Majesty might go to- +the devil."--"Ah! ah! did he really say so?" The Emperor then retired +to the recess of a window, where he remained alone for seven or eight +minutes, biting his nails; in the fashion of Berthier, and doubtless +giving free scope to his projects of vengeance. He then turned to the +Minister and spoke to him of quite another subject: Bonaparte had so +nursed himself in the idea of making me pay the 6,000,000 that every time +he passed the Office for Foreign Affairs he said to those who accompanied +hint; "Bourrienne must pay for that after all." + + --[This demand of money from Bourrienne is explained in Erreurs + (tome ii, p. 228) by the son of Davoust. Bourrienne had been + suspected by Napoleon of making large sums at Hamburg by allowing + breaches of the Continental system. In one letter to Davoust + Napoleon speaks of an "immense fortune," and in another, that + Bourrienne is reported to have gained seven or eight millions at + Hamburg in giving licences or making arbitrary seizures.]-- + +Though I was not admitted to the honour of sharing the splendour of the +Imperial Court; yet I had the satisfaction of finding that; in spite of +my disgrace, those of my old friends who were worth anything evinced the +same regard for me as heretofore. I often saw Duroc; who snatched some +moments from his more serious occupations to come and chat with me +respecting all that had occurred since my secession from Bonaparte's +cabinet. I shall not attempt to give a verbatim account of my +conversations with Duroc, as I have only my memory to guide me; but I +believe I shall not depart from the truth in describing them as follows: + +On his return from the last Austrian campaign Napoleon; as I have already +stated, proceeded to Fontainebleau, where he was joined by Josephine. +Then, for the first time, the communication which had always existed +between the apartments of the husband and wife was closed. Josephine was +fully alive to the fatal prognostics which were to be deduced from this +conjugal separation. Duroc informed me that she sent for him, and on +entering her chamber, he found her bathed in tears. "I am lost!" she +exclaimed in a tone of voice the remembrance of which seemed sensibly to +affect Duroc even while relating the circumstance to me: "I am utterly +lost! all is over now! You, Duroc, I know, have always been my friend, +and so has Rapp. It is not you who have persuaded him to part from me. +This is the work of my enemies Savary and Junot! But they are more his +enemies than mine. And my poor Eugene I how will he be distressed when +he learns I am repudiated by an ungrateful man! Yes Duroc, I may truly +call him ungrateful, My God! my God! what will become of us?" . . . +Josephine sobbed bitterly while she thus addressed Duroc. + +Before I was acquainted with the singular demand which M. de Champagny +was instructed to make to me I requested Duroc to inquire of the Emperor +his reason for not wishing to see me. The Grand Marshal faithfully +executed my commission, but he received only the following answer: +"Do you think I have nothing better to do than to give Bourrienne an +audience? that would indeed furnish gossip for Paris and Hamburg. He +has always sided with the emigrants; he would be talking to me of past +times; he was for Josephine! My wife, Duroc, is near her confinement; +I shall have a son, I am sure!.... Bourrienne is not a man of the day; +I have made giant strides since he left France; in short, I do not want +to see him. He is a grumbler by nature; and you know, my dear Duroc, I +do not like men of that sort." + +I had not been above a week in Paris when Duroc related this speech to +me. Rapp was not in France at the time, to my great regret. Much +against his inclination he had been appointed to some duties connected +with the Imperial marriage ceremonies, but shortly after, having given +offence to Napoleon by some observation relating to the Faubourg St. +Germain, he had received orders to repair to Dantzic, of which place he +had already been Governor. + +The Emperor's refusal to see me made my situation in Paris extremely +delicate; and I was at first in doubt whether I might seek an interview +with Josephine. Duroc, however, having assured me that Napoleon would +have no objection to it, I wrote requesting permission to wait upon her. +I received an answer the same day, and on the morrow I repaired to +Malmaison. I was ushered into the tent drawing-room, where I found +Josephine and Hortense. When I entered Josephine stretched out her hand +to me, saying, "Ah! my friend!" These words she pronounced with deep +emotion, and tears prevented her from continuing. She threw herself on +the ottoman on the left of the fireplace, and beckoned me to sit down +beside her. Hortense stood by the fireplace, endeavouring to conceal her +tears. Josephine took my hand, which she pressed in both her own; and, +after a struggle to overcome her feelings, she said, "My dear +Bourrienne, I have drained my cup of misery. He has cast me off! +forsaken me! He conferred upon me the vain title of Empress only to +render my fall the more marked. Ah! we judged him rightly! I knew the +destiny that awaited me; for what would he not sacrifice to his +ambition!" As she finished these words one of Queen Hortense's ladies +entered with a message to her; Hortense stayed a few moments, apparently +to recover from the emotion under which she was labouring, and then +withdrew, so that I was left alone with Josephine. She seemed to wish +for the relief of disclosing her sorrows, which I was curious to hear +from her own lips; women have such a striking way of telling their +distresses. Josephine confirmed what Duroc had told me respecting the +two apartments at Fontainebleau; then, coming to the period when +Bonaparte had declared to her the necessity of a separation, she said, +"My dear Bourrienne; during all the years you were with us you know I made +you the confidant of my thoughts, and kept you acquainted with my sad +forebodings. They are now cruelly fulfilled. I acted the part of a good +wife to the very last. I have suffered all, and I am resigned! . . . +What fortitude did it require latterly to endure my situation, when, +though no longer his wife, I was obliged to seem so in the eyes of the +world! With what eyes do courtiers look upon a repudiated wife! I was +in a state of vague uncertainty worse than death until the fatal day when +he at length avowed to me what I had long before read in his looks! On +the 30th of November 1809 we were dining together as usual, I had not +uttered a word during that sad dinner, and he had broken silence only to +ask one of the servants what o'clock it was. As soon as Bonaparte had +taken his coffee he dismissed all the attendants, and I remained alone +with him. I saw in the expression of his countenance what was passing in +his mind, and I knew that my hour was come. He stepped up to me--he was +trembling, and I shuddered; he took my hand, pressed it to his heart, and +after gazing at me for a few moments in silence he uttered these fatal +words: 'Josephine! my dear Josephine! You know how I have loved you! . +. . To you, to you alone, I owe the only moments of happiness I have +tasted in this world. But, Josephine, my destiny is not to be controlled +by my will. My dearest affections must yield to the interests of +France.'--'Say no more,' I exclaimed, 'I understand you; I expected this, +but the blow is not the less mortal.' I could not say another word," +continued Josephine; "I know not what happened after I seemed to lose my +reason; I became insensible, and when I recovered I found myself in my +chamber. Your friend Corvisart and my poor daughter were with me. +Bonaparte came to see me in the evening; and oh! Bourrienne, how can I +describe to you what I felt at the sight of him; even the interest he +evinced for me seemed an additional cruelty. Alas! I had good reason to +fear ever becoming an Empress!" + +I knew not what consolation to offer: to Josephine; and knowing as I did +the natural lightness of her character, I should have been surprised to +find her grief so acute, after the lapse of a year, had I not been aware +that there are certain chords which, when struck, do not speedily cease +to vibrate in the heart of a woman. I sincerely pitied Josephine, and +among all the things I said to assuage her sorrow, the consolation to +which she appeared most sensible was the reprobation which public opinion +had pronounced on Bonaparte's divorce, and on this subject I said nothing +but the truth, for Josephine was generally beloved. I reminded her of a +prediction I had made under happier circumstances, viz. on the day that +she came to visit us in our little house at Ruel. "My dear friend," said +she, "I have not forgotten it, and I have often thought of all you then +said. For my part, I knew he was lost from the day he made himself +Emperor. Adieu! Bourrienne, come and see me soon again; come often, for +we have a great deal to talk about; you know how happy I always am to see +you." Such was, to the best of my recollection, what passed at my first +interview with Josephine after my return from Hamburg. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +1811 + + Arrest of La Sahla--My visit to him--His confinement at Vincennes-- + Subsequent history of La Sahla--His second journey to France-- + Detonating powder--Plot hatched against me by the Prince of Eckmuhl + --Friendly offices of the Due de Rovigo--Bugbears of the police-- + Savary, Minister of Police. + +I had been in Paris about two months when a young man of the name of La +Sahla was arrested on the suspicion of having come from Saxony to attempt +the life of the Emperor. La Sahla informed the Duo de Rovigo, then +Minister of the Police, that he wished to see me, assigning as a reason +for this the reputation I had left behind me in Germany. The Emperor, I +presume, had no objection to the interview, for I received an invitation +to visit the prisoner. I accordingly repaired to the branch office of +the Minister of the Police, in the Rue des St. Peres, where I was +introduced to a young man between seventeen and eighteen years of age. + +My conversation with the young man, whose uncle was, I believe, Minister +to the King of Saxony, interested me greatly in his behalf; I determined, +if possible, to save La Sahla, and I succeeded. I proceeded immediately +to the Duo de Rovigo, and I convinced him that under the circumstances of +the case it was important to make it be believed that the young man was +insane. I observed that if he were brought before a court he would +repeat all that he had stated to me, and probably enter into disclosures +which might instigate fresh attempts at assassination. Perhaps an +avenger of La Sahla might rise up amongst the students of Leipzig, at +which university he had spent his youth. These reasons, together with +others, had the success I hoped for. The Emperor afterwards acknowledged +the prudent course which had been adopted respecting La Sahla; when +speaking at St. Helena of the conspiracies against his life he said, +"I carefully concealed all that I could." + +In conformity with my advice La Sahla was sent to Vincennes, where he +remained until the end of March 1814, He was then removed to the castle +of Saumur, from which he was liberated at the beginning of April. I had +heard nothing of him for three years, when one day, shortly after the +Restoration, whilst sitting at breakfast with my family at my house in +the Rue Hauteville, I heard an extraordinary noise in the antechamber, +and before I had time to ascertain its cause I found myself in the arms. +of a young man, who embraced me with extraordinary ardour. It was La +Sahla. He was in a transport of gratitude and joy at his liberation, and +at the accomplishment of the events which he had wished to accelerate by +assassination. La Sahla returned to Saxony and I saw no more of him, but +while I was in Hamburg in 1815, whither I was seat by Louis XVIII., I +learned that on the 5th of June a violent explosion was heard in the +Chamber of Representatives at Paris, which was at first supposed to be a +clap of thunder, but was soon ascertained to have been occasioned by a +young Samson having fallen with a packet of detonating powder in his +pocket. + +On receiving this intelligence I imagined, I know not why, that this +young Saxon was La Sahla, and that he had probably intended to blow up +Napoleon and even the Legislative Body; but I have since ascertained that +I was under a mistake as to his intentions. My knowledge of La Sahla's +candour induces me to believe the truth of his declarations to the +police; and if there be any inaccuracies in the report of these +declarations I do not hesitate to attribute them to the police itself, +of which Fouche was the head at the period in question. + +It is the latter part of the report which induced me to observe above, +that if there were any inaccuracies in the statement they were more +likely to proceed from Fouche's police than the false representations of +young La Sahla. It is difficult to give credit without proof to such +accusations. However, I decide nothing; but I consider it my duty to +express doubts of the truth of these charges brought against the two +Prussian ministers, of whom the Prince of Wittgenstein, a man of +undoubted honour, has always spoken to me in the best of terms. + +There is nothing to prove that La Sahla returned to France the second +time with the same intentions as before. This project, however, is a +mystery to me, and his detonating powder gives rise to many conjectures. + +I had scarcely left Hamburg when the Prince of Eckmuhl (Marshal Davoust) +was appointed Governor-General of that place on the union of the Hanse +Towns with the Empire. From that period I was constantly occupied in +contending against the persecutions and denunciations which he racked his +imagination to invent. I cannot help attributing to those persecutions +the Emperor's coolness towards me on my arrival in Paris. But as +Davoust's calumnies were devoid of proof, he resorted to a scheme by +which a certain appearance of probability might supply the place of +truth. When I arrived in Paris, at the commencement of 1811, I was +informed by an excellent friend I had left at Hamburg, M. Bouvier, an +emigrant, and one of the hostages of Louis XVI., that in a few days I +would receive a letter which would commit me, and likewise M. de +Talleyrand and General Rapp. I had never had any connection on matters +of business, with either of these individuals, for whom I entertained the +most sincere attachment. They, like myself, were not in the good graces +of Marshal Davoust, who could not pardon the one for his incontestable +superiority of talent, and the other for his blunt honesty. On the +receipt of M. Bouvier's letter I carried it to the Due de Rovigo, whose +situation made him perfectly aware of the intrigues which had been +carried on against me since I had left Hamburg by one whose ambition +aspired to the Viceroyalty of Poland. On that, as on many other similar +occasions, the Duc de Rovigo advocated my cause with Napoleon. We agreed +that it would be best to await the arrival of the letter which M. Bouvier +had announced. Three weeks elapsed, and the letter did not appear. The +Duc de Rovigo, therefore, told me that I must have been misinformed. +However, I was certain that M. Bouvier would not have sent me the +information on slight grounds, and I therefore supposed that the project +had only been delayed. I was not wrong in my conjecture, for at length +the letter arrived. To what a depth of infamy men can descend! The. +letter was from a man whom I had known at Hamburg, whom I had obliged, +whom I had employed as a spy. His epistle was a miracle of impudence. +After relating some extraordinary transactions which he said had taken +place between us, and which all bore the stamp of falsehood, he requested +me to send him by return of post the sum of 60,000 francs on account of +what I had promised him for some business he executed in England by the +direction of M. de Talleyrand, General Rapp, and myself. Such miserable +wretches are often caught in the snares they spread for others. This was +the case in the present instance, for the fellow had committed, the +blunder of fixing upon the year 1802 as the period of this pretended +business in England, that is to say, two years before my appointment as +Minister-Plenipotentiary to the Hanse Towns. This anachronism was not +the only one I discovered in the letter. + +I took a copy of the letter, and immediately carried the original to the +Duc de Rovigo, as had been agreed between us. When I waited on the +Minister he was just preparing to go to the Emperor. He took with him +the letter which I brought, and also the letter which announced its +arrival. As the Duc de Rovigo entered the audience-chamber Napoleon +advanced to meet him, and apostrophised him thus: "Well, I have learned +fine things of your Bourrienne, whom you are always defending." The fact +was, the Emperor had already received a copy of the letter, which had +been opened at the Hamburg post-office. The Due de Rovigo told the +Emperor that he had long known what his Majesty had communicated to him. +He then entered into a full explanation of the intrigue, of which it was +wished to render me the victim, and proved to him the more easily the +falsehood of my accusers by reminding him that in 1802 I was not in +Hamburg, but was still in his service at home. + +It may be supposed that I was too much interested in knowing what had +passed at the Tuileries not to return to the Duc de Rovigo the same day. +I learned from him the particulars which I have already related. He +added that he had observed to the Emperor that there was no connection +between Rapp and M. Talleyrand which could warrant the suspicion of their +being concerned in the affair in question. "When Napoleon saw the matter +in its true light," said Savary, "when I proved to him the palpable +existence of the odious machination, he could not find terms to express +his indignation. 'What baseness, what horrible villainy!' he exclaimed; +and gave me orders to arrest and bring to Paris the infamous writer of +the letter; and you may rely upon it his orders shall be promptly +obeyed." + +Savary, as he had said, instantly despatched orders for the arrest of the +writer, whom he directed to be sent to France. On his arrival he was +interrogated respecting the letter. He declared that he had written it +at the instigation and under the dictation of Marshal Davoust, for doing +which he received a small sum of money as a reward. He also confessed +that when the letter was put into the post the Prince of Eckmuhl ordered +the Director of the Post to open it, take a copy, then seal it again, and +send it to its address--that is to say, to me--and the copy to the +Emperor. The writer of the letter was banished to Marseilles, or to the +Island of Hyeres, but the individual who dictated it continued a Marshal, +a Prince, and a Governor-General, and still looked forward to the +Viceroyalty of Poland! Such was the discriminating justice of the +Empire; and Davoust continued his endeavours to revenge himself by other +calumnies for my not having considered him a man of talent. I must do +the Duc de Rovigo the justice to say that, though his fidelity to +Napoleon was as it always had been, boundless, yet whilst he executed the +Emperor's orders he endeavoured to make him acquainted with the truth, as +was proved by his conduct in the case I have just mentioned. He was much +distressed by the sort of terror which his appointment had excited in the +public, and he acknowledged to me that he intended to restore confidence +by a more mild system than that of his predecessor. I had observed +formerly that Savary did not coincide in the opinion I had always +entertained of Fouche, but when once the Due de Rovigo endeavoured to +penetrate the labyrinth of police, counter-police, inspections and +hierarchies of espionage, he found they were all bugbears which Fouche +had created to alarm the Emperor, as gardeners put up scarecrows among +the fruit-trees to frighten away the sparrows. Thus, thanks to the +artifices of Fouche, the eagle was frightened as easily as the sparrows, +until the period when the Emperor, convinced that Fouche was maintaining +a correspondence with England through the agency of Ouvrard, dismissed +him. + +I saw with pleasure that Savary, the Minister of Police, wished to +simplify the working of his administration, and to gradually diminish +whatever was annoying in it, but, whatever might be his intentions, he +was not always free to act. I acknowledge that when I read his Memoirs I +saw with great impatience that in many matters he had voluntarily assumed +responsibilities for acts which a word from him might have attributed to +their real author. However this may be, what much pleased me in Savary +was the wish he showed to learn the real truth in order to tell it to +Napoleon. He received from the Emperor more than one severe rebuff. +This came from the fact that since the immense aggrandisement of the +Empire the ostensible Ministers, instead of rising in credit, had seen +their functions diminish by degrees. Thus proposals for appointments to +the higher grades of the army came from the cabinet of Berthier, and not +from that of the Minister-of-War. Everything which concerned any part of +the government of the Interior or of the Exterior, except for the +administration of War and perhaps for that of Finance, had its centre in +the cabinet of M. Maret, certainly an honest man, but whose facility in +saying "All is right," so much helped to make all wrong. + +The home trade, manufactures, and particularly several of the Parisian +firms were in a state of distress the more hurtful as it contrasted so +singularly with the splendour of the Imperial Court since the marriage of +Napoleon with Maria Louisa. In this state of affairs a chorus of +complaints reached the ears of the Duc de Rovigo every day. I must say +that Savary was never kinder to me than since my disgrace; he nourished +my hope of getting Napoleon to overcome the prejudices against me with +which the spirit of vengeance had inspired him, and I know for certain +that Savary returned to the charge more than once to manage this. The +Emperor listened without anger, did not blame him for the closeness of +our intimacy, and even said to him some obliging but insignificant words +about me. This gave time for new machinations against me, and to fill +him with fresh doubts when he had almost overcome his former, ideas. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + + M. Czernischeff--Dissimulation of Napoleon--Napoleon and Alexander-- + Josephine's foresight respecting the affairs of Spain--My visits to + Malmaison--Grief of Josephine--Tears and the toilet--Vast extent of + the Empire--List of persons condemned to death and banishment in + Piedmont--Observation of Alfieri respecting the Spaniards--Success + in Spain--Check of Massena in Portugal--Money lavished by the + English--Bertrand sent to Illyria, and Marmont to Portugal-- + Situation of the French army--Assembling of the Cortes--Europe + sacrificed to the Continental system--Conversation with Murat in the + Champs Elysees--New titles and old names--Napoleon's dislike of + literary men--Odes, etc., on the marriage of Napoleon--Chateaubriand + and Lemereier--Death of Chenier--Chateaubriand elected his successor + --His discourse read by Napoleon--Bonaparte compared to Nero- + Suppression of the 'Merceure'--M. de Chateaubriand ordered to leave + Paris--MM. Lemercier and Esmenard presented to the Emperor--Birth of + the King of Rome--France in 1811. + +Since my return to France I had heard much of the intrigues of M. +Czernischeff, an aide de camp of the Emperor of Russia, who, under the +pretest of being frequently sent to compliment Napoleon on the part of +the Emperor Alexander, performed, in fact, the office of a spy. The +conduct of Napoleon with regard to M. Czernischeff at that period struck +me as singular, especially after the intelligence which before my +departure from Hamburg I had transmitted to him respecting the +dissatisfaction of Russia and her hostile inclinations. It is therefore +clear to me that Bonaparte was well aware of the real object of M. +Czernischeffs mission, and that if he appeared to give credit to the +increasing professions of his friendship it was only because he still +wished, as he formerly did; that Russia might so far commit herself as to +afford him a fair pretext for the commencement, of hostilities in the +north. + +M. Czernischeff first arrived in Paris shortly after the interview at +Erfurt, and after that period was almost constantly on the road between +Paris and St. Petersburg; it has been computed that in the space of less +than four years he travelled more than 10,000 leagues. For a long time +his frequent journeyings excited no surmises, but while I was in Paris +Savary began to entertain suspicions, the correctness of which it was not +difficult to ascertain, so formidable was still the system of espionage, +notwithstanding the precaution taken by Fouche to conceal from his +successor the names of his most efficient spies. It was known that M. +Czernischeff was looking out for a professor of mathematics,--doubtless +to disguise the real motives for his stay in Paris by veiling them under +the desire of studying the sciences. The confidant of Alexander had +applied to a professor connected with a public office; and from that time +all the steps of M. Czermseheff were known to the police. It was +discovered that he was less anxious to question his instructor respecting +the equations of a degree, or the value of unknown quantities, than to +gain all the information he could about the different branches of the +administration, and particularly the department of war. It happened that +the professor knew some individuals employed in the public offices, who +furnished him with intelligence, which he in turn communicated to M. +Czernischeff, but not without making a report of it to the police; +according to custom, instead of putting an end to this intrigue at once +it was suffered fully to develop itself. Napoleon was informed of what +was going on, and in this instance gave a new proof of his being an adept +in the art of dissimulation, for, instead of testifying any displeasure +against M. Czernischeff, he continued to receive him with the same marks +of favour which he had shown to him during his former missions to Paris. +Being, nevertheless, desirous to get rid of him, without evincing a +suspicion that his clandestine proceedings had been discovered, he +entrusted him with a friendly letter to his brother of Russia, but +Alexander was in such haste to reply to the flattering missive of his +brother of France that M. Czernischeff was hurried back to Paris, having +scarcely been suffered to enter the gates of St. Petersburg. I believe I +am correct in the idea that Napoleon was not really displeased at the +intrigues of M. Czernischeff, from the supposition that they afforded an +indication of the hostile intentions of Russia towards France; for, +whatever he might say on this subject to his confidants, what reliance +can we place on the man who formed the camp of Boulogne without the most +distant intention of attempting a descent upon England, and who had +deceived the whole world respecting that important affair without taking +any one into his own confidence? + +During the period of my stay in Paris the war with Spain and Portugal +occupied much of the public attention; and it proved in the end an +enterprise upon which the intuition of Josephine had not deceived her. +In general she intermeddled little with political affairs; in the first +place, because her doing so would have given offence to Napoleon; and +next, because her natural frivolity led her to give a preference to +lighter pursuits. But I may safely affirm that she was endowed with an +instinct so perfect as seldom to be deceived respecting the good or evil +tendency of any measure which Napoleon engaged in; and I remember she +told me that when informed of the intention of the Emperor to bestow the +throne of Spain on Joseph, she was seized with a feeling of indescribable +alarm. It would be difficult to define that instinctive feeling which +leads us to foresee the future; but it is a fact that Josephine was +endowed with this faculty in a more perfect decree than any other person +I have ever known, and to her it was a fatal gift, for she suffered at +the same time under the weight of present and of future misfortunes. + +I often visited her at Malmaison, as Duroc assured me that the Emperor +had no objection to my doing so; yet he must have been fully aware that +when Josephine and I were in confidential conversation he would not +always be mentioned in terms of unqualified eulogy; and in truth, his +first friend and his first wife might well be excused for sometimes +commingling their complaints. + +Though more than a twelvemonth had elapsed since the divorce grief still +preyed on the heart of Josephine. "You cannot conceive, my friend," she +often said to me, "all the torments that I have suffered since that fatal +day! I cannot imagine how I survived it. You cannot figure to yourself +the pain I endure on seeing descriptions of his fetes everywhere. And +the first time he came to visit me after his marriage, what a meeting was +that! How many tears I shed! The days on which he comes are to me days +of misery, for he spares me not. How cruel to speak of his expected +heir. Bourrienne, you cannot conceive how heart-rending all this is to +me! Better, far better to be exiled a thousand leagues from hence! +However," added Josephine, "a few friends still remain faithful in my +changed fortune, and that is now the only thing which affords me even +temporary consolation." The truth is that she was extremely unhappy, and +the most acceptable consolation her friends could offer her was to weep +with her. Yet such was still Josephine's passion for dress, that after. +having wept for a quarter of an hour she would dry her tears to give +audience to milliners and jewellers. The sight of a new hat would call +forth all Josephine's feminine love of finery. One day I remember that, +taking advantage of the momentary serenity occasioned by an ample display +of sparkling gewgaws, I congratulated her upon the happy influence they +exercised over her spirits, when she said, "My dear friend, I ought, +indeed, to be indifferent to all this; but it is a habit." Josephine +might have added that it was also an occupation, for it would be no +exaggeration to say that if the time she wasted in tears and at her +toilet had been subtracted from her life its duration would have been +considerably shortened. + +The vast extent of the French Empire now presented a spectacle which +resembled rather the dominion of the Romans and the conquests of +Charlemagne than the usual form and political changes of modern Europe. +In fact, for nearly two centuries, until the period of the Revolution, +and particularly until the elevation of Napoleon, no remarkable changes +had taken place in the boundaries of European States, if we except the +partition of Poland, when two of the co-partitioners committed the error +of turning the tide of Russia towards the west! Under Napoleon +everything was overturned with astonishing rapidity: customs, manners, +laws, were superseded + + --[The so-called "French" armies of the time, drawn from all parts + of the Empire and from the dependent States, represented the + extraordinary fusion attempted by Napoleon. Thus, at the battle of + Ocana there were at least troops of the following States, viz. + Warsaw, Holland, Baden, Nassau, Hesse-Darmstadt, Frankfort, besides + the Spaniards in Joseph's service. A Spanish division went to + Denmark, the regiment from Isembourg was sent to Naples, while the + Neapolitans crossed to Spain. Even the little Valais had to furnish + a battalion. Blacks from San Domingo served in Naples, while + sixteen nations, like so many chained dogs, advanced into Russia. + Such troops could not have the spirit of a homogeneous army. + + Already, in 1808, Metternich had written from Paris to his Court, + "It is no longer the nation that fights: the present war (Spain) is + Napoleon's war; it is not even that of his army." But Napoleon + himself was aware of the danger of the Empire from its own extent. + In the silence of his cabinet his secretary Meneval sometimes heard + him murmur, "L'arc est trop longtemps tendu."]-- + +by new customs, new manners, and new laws, imposed by force, and forming +a heterogeneous whole, which could not fail to dissolve, as soon as the +influence of the power which had created it should cease to operate. +Such was the state of Italy that I have been informed by an individual +worthy of credit that if the army of Prince Eugene, instead of being +victorious, had been beaten on the Piava, a deeply-organised revolution +would have broken out in Piedmont, and even in the Kingdom of Italy, +where, nevertheless, the majority of the people fully appreciated the +excellent qualities of Eugene. I have been also credibly informed that +lists were in readiness designating those of the French who were to be +put to death, as well as those by whom the severe orders of the Imperial +Government had been mitigated, and who were only to be banished. In +fact, revolt was as natural to the Italians as submission to the Germans, +and as the fury of despair to the Spanish nation. On this subject I may +cite an observation contained in one of the works of Alfieri, published +fifteen years before the Spanish war. Taking a cursory view of the +different European nations he regarded--the Spaniards as the only people +possessed of "sufficient energy to struggle against foreign usurpation." +Had I still been near the person of Napoleon I would most assuredly have +resorted to an innocent artifice, which I had several times employed, and +placed the work of Alfieri on his table open at the page I wished him to +read. Alfieri's opinion of the Spanish people was in the end fully +verified; and I confess I cannot think without shuddering of the torrents +of blood which inundated the Peninsula; and for what? To make Joseph +Bonaparte a King! + +The commencement of 1811 was sufficiently favourable to the French arms +in Spain, but towards the beginning of March the aspect of affairs +changed. The Duke of Belluno, notwithstanding the valour of his troops, +was unsuccessful at Chiclana; and from that day the French army could not +make head against the combined forces of England and Portugal. Even +Massena, notwithstanding the title of Prince of Eslingen (or Essling), +which he had won under the walls of Vienna, was no longer "the favourite +child of victory" as he had been at Zurich. + +Having mentioned Massena I may observe that he did not favour the change +of the French Government on the foundation of the Empire. Massena loved +two things, glory and money; but as to what is termed honours, he only +valued those which resulted from the command of an army; and his +recollections all bound him to the Republic, because the Republic +recalled to his mind the most brilliant and glorious events of his +military career. He was, besides, among the number of the Marshals who +wished to see a limit put to the ambition of Bonaparte; and he had +assuredly done enough, since the commencement of the wars of the +Republic, to be permitted to enjoy some repose, which his health at that +period required. What could he achieve against the English in Portugal? +The combined forces of England and Portugal daily augmented, while ours +diminished. No efforts were spared by England to gain a superiority in +the great struggle in which she was engaged; as her money was lavished +profusely, her troops paid well wherever they went, and were abundantly +supplied with ammunition and provisions: the French army was compelled, +though far from possessing such ample means, to purchase at the same high +rate, in order to keep the natives from joining the English party. But +even this did not prevent numerous partial insurrections in different +places, which rendered all communication with France extremely difficult. +Armed bands continually carried off our dispersed soldiers; and the +presence of the British troops, supported by the money they spent in the +country, excited the inhabitants against us; for it is impossible to +suppose that, unsupported by the English, Portugal could have held out a +single moment against France. But battles, bad weather, and even want, +had so reduced the French force that it was absolutely necessary our +troops should repose when their enterprises could lead to no results. +In this state of things Massena was recalled, because his health was so +materially injured as to render it impossible for him to exert sufficient +activity to restore the army to a respectable footing. + +Under these circumstances Bonaparte sent Bertrand into Illyria to take +the place of Marmont, who was ordered in his turn to relieve Massena and +take command of the French army in Portugal Marmont on assuming the +command found the troops in a deplorable state. The difficulty of +procuring provisions was extreme, and the means he was compelled to +employ for that purpose greatly heightened the evil, at the same time +insubordination and want of discipline prevailed to such an alarming +degree that it would be as difficult as painful to depict the situation +of our army at this period, Marmont, by his steady conduct, fortunately +succeeded in correcting the disorders which prevailed, and very soon +found himself at the head of a well-organised army, amounting to 30,000 +infantry, with forty pieces of artillery, but he had only a very small +body of cavalry, and those ill-mounted. + +Affairs in Spain at the commencement of 1811 exhibited an aspect not very +different from those of Portugal. At first we were uniformly successful, +but our advantages were so dearly purchased that the ultimate issue of +this struggle might easily have been foreseen, because when a people +fight for their homes and their liberties the invading army must +gradually diminish, while at the same time the armed population, +emboldened by success, increases in a still more marked progression. +Insurrection was now regarded by the Spaniards as a holy and sacred duty, +to which the recent meetings of the Cortes in the Isle of Leon had given, +as it were, a legitimate character, since Spain found again, in the +remembrance of her ancient privileges, at least the shadow of a +Government--a centre around which the defenders of the soil of the +Peninsula could rally. + + --[Lord Wellington gave Massena a beating at Fuentes d'Onore on the + 5th of May 1811. It was soon after this battle that Napoleon sent + Marmont to succeed Massena. Advancing on the southern frontier of + Portugal the skillful Soult contrived to take Badajoz from a + wavering Spanish garrison. About this time, however, General + Graham, with his British corps, sallied out of Cadiz, and beat the + French on the heights of Barrosa, which lie in front of Cadiz, which + city the French were then besieging. Encouraged by the successes of + our regular armies, the Spanish Guerillas became more and more + numerous and daring. By the end of 1811 Joseph Bonaparte found so + many thorns in his usurped crown that he implored his brother to put + it on some other head. Napoleon would not then listen to his + prayer. In the course of 1811 a plan was laid for liberating + Ferdinand from his prison in France and placing him at the head of + affairs in Spain, but was detected by the emissaries of Bonaparte's + police. Ferdinand's sister, the ex-Queen of Etruria, had also + planned an escape to England. Her agents were betrayed, tried by a + military commission, and shot--the Princess herself was condemned to + close confinement in a Roman convent.--Editor of 1836 edition.]-- + +The Continental system was the cause, if not of the eventual fall, at +least of the rapid fall of Napoleon. This cannot be doubted if we +consider for a moment the brilliant situation of the Empire in 1811, +and the effect simultaneously produced throughout Europe by that system, +which undermined the most powerful throne which ever existed. It was the +Continental system that Napoleon upheld in Spain, for he had persuaded +himself that this system, rigorously enforced, would strike a death blow +to the commerce of England; and Duroc besides informed me of a +circumstance which is of great weight in this question. Napoleon one day +said to him, "I am no longer anxious that Joseph should be King of Spain; +and he himself is indifferent about it. I would give the crown to the +first comer who would shut his ports against the English." + +Murat had come to Paris on the occasion of the Empress' accouchement, and +I saw him several times during his stay, for we had always been on the +best terms; and I must do him the justice to say that he never assumed +the King but to his courtiers, and those who had known him only as a +monarch. Eight or ten days after the birth of the King of Rome, as I was +one morning walking in the Champs Elysees, I met Murat. He was alone, +and dressed in a long blue overcoat. We were exactly opposite the +gardens of his sister-in-law, the Princess Borghese. "Well, Bourrienne," +said Murat, after we had exchanged the usual courtesies, "well, what are +you about now?" I informed him how I had been treated by Napoleon, who, +that I might not be in Hamburg when the decree of union arrived there, +had recalled me to Paris under a show of confidence. I think I still see +the handsome and expressive countenance of Joachim when, having addressed +him by the titles of Sire and Your Majesty, he said to me, "Pshaw! +Bourrienne, are we not old comrades? The Emperor has treated you +unjustly; and to whom has he not been unjust? His displeasure is +preferable to his favour, which costs so dear! He says that he made us +Kings; but did we not make him an Emperor? To you, my friend, whom I +have known long and intimately, I can make my profession of faith. My +sword, my blood, my life belong to the Emperor. When he calls me to the +field to combat his enemies and the enemies of France I am no longer a +King, I resume the rank of a Marshal of the Empire; but let him require +no more. At Naples I will be King of Naples, and I will not sacrifice to +his false calculations the life, the well-being, and the interests of my +subjects. Let him not imagine that he can treat me as he has treated +Louis! For I am ready to defend, even against him, if it must be so, the +rights of the people over whom he has appointed me to rule. Am I then an +advance-guard King?" These last words appeared to me peculiarly +appropriate in the mouth of Murat, who had always served in the advance- +guard of our armies, and I thought expressed in a very happy manner the +similarity of his situation as a king and a soldier. + +I walked with Murat about half an hour. In the course of our +conversation he informed me that his greatest cause of complaint against +the Emperor was his having first put him forward and then abandoned him. +"Before I arrived in Naples," continued he, "it was intimated to me that +there was a design of assassinating me. What did I do? I entered that +city alone, in full daylight, in an open carriage, for I would rather +have been assassinated at once than have lived in the constant fear of +being so. I afterwards made a descent on the Isle of Capri, which +succeeded. I attempted one against Sicily, and am curtain it would have +also been successful had the Emperor fulfilled his promise of sending the +Toulon fleet to second my operations; but he issued contrary orders: he +enacted Mazarin, and unshed me to play the part of the adventurous Duke +of Guise. But I see through his designs. Now that he has a son, on whom +he has bestowed the title of King of Rome, he merely wishes the crown of +Naples to be considered as a deposit in my hands. He regards Naples as a +future annexation to the Kingdom of Rome, to which I foresee it is his +design to unite the whole of Italy. But let him not urge me too far, for +I will oppose him, and conquer, or perish in the attempt, sword in hand." + +I had the discretion not to inform Murat how correctly he had divined the +plans of the Emperor and his projects as to Italy, but in regard to the +Continental system, which, perhaps, the reader will be inclined to call +my great stalking-horse, I spoke of it as I had done to the Prince of +Sweden, and I perceived that he was fully disposed to follow my advice, +as experience has sufficiently proved. It was in fact the Continental +system which separated the interests of Murat from those of the Emperor, +and which compelled the new King of Naples to form alliances amongst the +Princes at war with France. Different opinions have been entertained on +this Subject; mine is, that the Marshal of the Empire was wrong, but the +King of Naples right. + +The Princes and Dukes of the Empire must pardon me for so often +designating them by their Republican names. The Marshals set less value +on their titles of nobility than the Dukes and Counts selected from among +the civilians. Of all the sons of the Republic Regnault de St. Jean +d'Angely was the most gratified at being a Count, whilst, among the +fathers of the Revolution no one could regard with greater disdain than +Fouche his title of Duke of Otranto; he congratulated himself upon its +possession only once, and that was after the fall of the Empire. + +I have expressed my dislike of Fouche; and the reason of that feeling +was, that I could not endure his system of making the police a government +within a government. He had left Paris before my return thither, but I +had frequent occasion to speak of that famous personage to Savary, whom, +for the reason above assigned, I do not always term Duc de Rovigo. +Savary knew better than any one the fallacious measures of Fouche's +administration, since he was his successor. Fouche, under pretence of +encouraging men of letters, though well aware that the Emperor was +hostile to them, intended only to bring them into contempt by making them +write verses at command. It was easily seen that Napoleon nourished a +profound dislike of literary men, though we must not conclude that he +wished the public to be aware of that dislike. Those, besides, who +devoted their pens to blazon his glory and his power were sure to be +received by him with distinction. On the other hand, as Charlemagne and +Louis XIV. owed a portion of the splendour of their reigns to the lustre +reflected on them by literature, he wished to appear to patronise +authors, provided that they never discussed questions relating to +philosophy, the independence of mankind, and civil and political rights. +With regard to men of science it was wholly different; those he held in +real estimation; but men of letters, properly so called, were considered +by him merely as a sprig in his Imperial crown. + +The marriage of the Emperor with an Archduchess of Austria had set all +the Court poets to work, and in this contest of praise and flattery it +must be confessed that the false gods were vanquished by the true God; +for, in spite of their fulsome verses, not one of the disciples of Apollo +could exceed the extravagance of the Bishops in their pastoral letters. +At a time when so many were striving to force themselves into notice +there still existed a feeling of esteem in the public mind for men of +superior talent who remained independent amidst the general corruption; +such was M. Lemercier, such was M. de Chateaubriand. I was in Paris in +the spring of 1811, at the period of Chenier's death, when the numerous +friends whom Chateaubriand possessed in the second class of the Institute +looked to him as the successor of Chenier. This was more than a mere +literary question, not only on account of the high literary reputation +M. de Chateaubriand already possessed, but of the recollection of his +noble conduct at the period of Duc d'Enghien's death, which was yet fresh +in the memory of every one; and, besides, no person could be ignorant of +the immeasurable difference of opinion between Chenier and M. de +Chateaubriand. + +M. de Chateaubriand obtained a great majority of votes, and was elected a +Member of the Institute. This opened a wide field for conjecture in +Paris. Every one was anxious to see how the author of the Genie du +Christianisme, the faithful defender of the Bourbons, would bend his +eloquence to pronounce the eulogium of a regicide. The time for the +admission of the new Member of the Institute arrived, but in his +discourse, copies of which were circulated in Paris, he had ventured to +allude to the death of Louis XVI., and to raise his voice against the +regicides. This did not displease Napoleon; but M. de Chateaubriand also +made a profession of faith in favour of liberty, which, he said, found +refuge amongst men of letters when banished from the politic body. This +was great boldness for the time; for though Bonaparte was secretly +gratified at seeing the judges of Louis XVI. scourged by an heroic pen, +yet those men held the highest situations under the Government. +Cambaceres filled the second place in the Empire, although at a great +distance from the first; Merlin de Douai was also in power; and it is +known how much liberty was stifled and hidden beneath the dazzling +illusion of what is termed glory. A commission was named to examine the +discourse of Chateaubriand. MM. Suard, de Segur, de Fontanes, and two or +three other members of the same class of the Institute whose names I +cannot recollect, were of opinion that the discourse should be read; but +it was opposed by the majority. + +When Napoleon was informed of what had passed he demanded a sight of the +address, which was presented to him by M. Daru. After having perused it +he exclaimed; "Had this discourse been delivered I would have shut the +gates of the Institute, and thrown M. de Chateaubriand into a dungeon for +life." The storm long raged; at length means of conciliation were tried. +The Emperor required M. de Chateaubriand to prepare another discourse, +which the latter refused to do, in spite of every menace. Madame Gay +applied to Madame Regnault de St. Jean d'Angely, who interested her +husband in favour of the author of the Genie du Christianisme. M. de +Montalivet and Savary also acted on this occasion in the most +praiseworthy manner, and succeeded in appeasing the first transports of +the Emperor's rage. But the name of Chateaubriand constantly called to +mind the circumstances which had occasioned him to give in his +resignation; and, besides, Napoleon had another complaint against him. +He had published in the 'Merceure' an article on a work of M. Alexandre +de Laborde. In that article, which was eagerly read in Paris, and which +caused the suppression of the 'Merceure', occurred the famous phrase +which has been since so often repeated: "In vain a Nero triumphs: Tacitus +is already born in his Empire." This quotation leads me to repeat an +observation, which, I believe, I have already made, viz. that it is a +manifest misconception to compare Bonaparte to Nero. Napoleon's ambition +might blind his vision to political crimes, but in private life no man +could evince less disposition to cruelty or bloodshed. A proof that he +bore little resemblance to Nero is that his anger against the author of +the article in question vented itself in mere words. "What!" exclaimed +he, "does Chateaubriand think I am a fool, and that I do not know what he +means? If he goes on this way I will have him sabred on the steps of the +Tuileries." This language is quite characteristic of Bonaparte, but it +was uttered in the first ebullition of his wrath. Napoleon merely +threatened, but Nero would have made good his threat; and in such a case +there is surely some difference between words and deeds. + +The discourse of M. de Chateaubriand revived Napoleon's former enmity +against him; he received an order to quit Paris: M. Daru returned to him +the manuscript of his discourse, which had been read by Bonaparte, who +cancelled some passages with a pencil. We can be sure that the phrase +about liberty was not one of those spared by the Imperial pencil. +However that may be, written copies were circulated with text altered and +abbreviated; and I have even been told that a printed edition appeared, +but I have never seen any copies; and as I do not find the discourse in +the works of M. de Chateaubriand I have reason to believe that the author +has not yet wished to publish it. + +Such were the principal circumstances attending the nomination of +Chateaubriand to the Institute. I shall not relate some others which +occurred on a previous occasion, viz. on the election of an old and +worthy visitor at Malmaison, M. Lemercier, and which will serve to show +one of those strange inconsistencies so frequent in the character of +Napoleon. + +After the foundation of the Empire M. Lemercier ceased to present himself +at the Tuileries, St. Cloud, or at Malmaison, though he was often seen in +the salons of Madame Bonaparte while she yet hoped not to become a Queen. +Two places were vacant at once in the second class of the Institute, +which still contained a party favourable to liberty. This party, finding +it impossible to influence the nomination of both members, contented +itself with naming one, it being the mutual condition, in return for +favouring the Government candidate, that the Government party should not +oppose the choice of the liberals. The liberal party selected M. +Lemercier, but as they knew his former connection with Bonaparte had been +broken off they wished first to ascertain that he would do nothing to +commit their choice. Chenier was empowered to inquire whether M. +Lemercier would refuse to accompany them to the Tuileries when they +repaired thither in a body, and whether, on his election, he would comply +with the usual ceremony of being presented to the Emperor. M. Lemercier +replied that he would do nothing contrary to the customs and usages of +the body to which he might belong: he was accordingly elected. The +Government candidate was M. Esmenard, who was also elected. The two new +members were presented to the Emperor on the same day. On this occasion +upwards of 400 persons were present in the salon, from one of whom I +received these details. When the Emperor saw M. Lemercier, for whom he +had long pretended great friendship, he said to him in a kind tone, +"Well, Lemercier, you are now installed." Lemercier respectfully bowed +to the Emperor; but without uttering a word of reply. Napoleon was +mortified at this silence, but without saying anything more to Lemercier +he turned to Esmenard, the member who should have been most acceptable to +him, and vented upon him the whole weight of his indignation in a manner +equally unfeeling and unjust. "Well, Esmenard," said he, "do you still +hold your place in the police?" These words were spoken in so loud a +tone as to be heard by all present; and it was doubtless this cruel and +ambiguous speech which furnished the enemies of Esmenard with arms to +attack his reputation as a man of honour, and to give an appearance of +disgrace to those functions which he exercised with so much zeal and +ability. + +When, at the commencement of 1811, I left Paris I had ceased to delude +myself respecting the brilliant career which seemed opening before me +during the Consulate. I clearly perceived that since Bonaparte, instead +of receiving me as I expected, had refused to see me at all, the +calumnies of my enemies were triumphant, and that I had nothing to hope +for from an absolute ruler, whose past injustice rendered him the more +unjust. He now possessed what he had so long and ardently wished for, +--a son of his own, an inheritor of his name, his power, and his throne. +I must take this opportunity of stating that the malevolent and infamous +rumours spread abroad respecting the birth of the King of Rome were +wholly without foundation. My friend Corvisart, who did not for a single +instant leave Maria Louisa during her long and painful labour, removed +from my mind every doubt on the subject. It is as true that the young +Prince, for whom the Emperor of Austria stood sponsor at the font, was +the son of Napoleon and the Archduchess Maria Louisa as it is false that +Bonaparte was the father of the first child of Hortense. The birth of +the son of Napoleon was hailed with general enthusiasm. The Emperor was +at the height of his power from the period of the birth of his son until +the reverse he experienced after the battle of the Moskowa. The Empire, +including the States possessed by the Imperial family, contained nearly +57,000,000 of inhabitants; but the period was fast approaching when this +power, unparalleled in modern times, was to collapse under its own +weight. + + --[The little King of Rome, Napoleon Francis Bonaparte, was born on + the 20th of March 1811. Editor of 1836 edition.]-- + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + + My return to Hamburg--Government Committee established there-- + Anecdote of the Comte de Chaban--Napoleon's misunderstanding with + the Pope--Cardinal Fesch--Convention of a Council--Declaration + required from the Bishops--Spain in 1811--Certainty of war with + Russia--Lauriston supersedes Caulaincourt at St. Petersburg--The war + in Spain neglected--Troops of all nations at the disposal of + Bonaparte--Levy of the National Guard--Treaties with Prussia and + Austria--Capitulation renewed with Switzerland--Intrigues with + Czernischeff--Attacks of my enemies--Memorial to the Emperor--Ogier + de la Saussaye and the mysterious box--Removal of the Pope to + Fontainebleau--Anecdote of His Holiness and M. Denon--Departure of + Napoleon and Maria Louisa for Dresden--Situation of affairs in Spain + and Portugal--Rapp's account of the Emperor's journey to Dantzic-- + Mutual wish for war on the part of Napoleon and Alexander--Sweden + and Turkey--Napoleon's vain attempt to detach Sweden from her + alliance with Russia. + +As I took the most lively interest in all that concerned the Hanse Towns, +my first care on returning to Hamburg was to collect information from the +most respectable sources concerning the influential members of the new +Government. Davoust was at its head. On his arrival he had established +in the Duchy of Mecklenburg, in Swedish Pomerania, and in Stralsund, the +capital of that province, military posts and custom-houses, and that in a +time of profound peace with those countries, and without any previous +declaration. The omnipotence of Napoleon, and the terror inspired by the +name of Davoust, overcame all obstacles which might have opposed those +iniquitous usurpations. The weak were forced to yield to the strong. + +At Hamburg a Government Committee was formed, consisting of the Prince of +Eekmuhl as President, Comte de Chaban, Councillor of State, who +superintended the departments of the Interior and Finance, and of M. +Faure, Councillor of State, who was appointed to form and regulate the +Courts of Law. I had sometimes met M. de Chaban at Malmaison. He was +distantly related to Josephine, and had formerly been an officer in the +French Guards. He was compelled to emigrate, having been subjected to +every species of persecution during the Revolution. + +M. de Chaban was among the first of the emigrants who returned to France +after the 18th Brumaire. He was at first made Sub-Prefect of Vendome, +but on the union of Tuscany with France Napoleon created him a member of +the Junta appointed to regulate the affairs of Tuscany. He next became +Prefect of Coblentz and Brussels, was made a Count by Bonaparte, and was +afterwards chosen a member of the Government Committee at Hamburg. M. de +Chaban was a man of upright principles, and he discharged his various +functions in a way that commanded esteem and attachment. + + --[I recollect an anecdote which but too well depicts those + disastrous times. The Comte de Chaban, being obliged to cross + France during the Reign of Terror, was compelled to assume a, + disguise. He accordingly provided himself with a smockfrock; a cart + and horses, and a load of corn. In this manner he journeyed from + place to place till he reached the frontiers. He stopped at + Rochambeau, in the Vendomais, where he was recognised by the Marshal + de Rochambeau, who to guard against exciting any suspicion among- + his servants, treated him as if he had really been a carman and said + to him, "You may dine in the kitchen."--Bourrienne.]-- + +The Hanseatic Towns, united to the Grand Empire professedly for their +welfare, soon felt the blessings of the new organisation of a +regenerating Government. They were at once presented with; the stamp- +duty, registration, the lottery, the droits reunis, the tax on cards, and +the 'octroi'. This prodigality of presents caused, as we may be sure, +the most lively gratitude; a tax for military quarters and for warlike +supplies was imposed, but this did not relieve any one from laving not +only officers and soldiers; but even all the chiefs of the administration +and their officials billeted on them: The refineries, breweries, and +manufactures of all sorts were suppressed. The cash chests of the +Admiralty, of the charity houses, of the manufactures, of the savings- +banks, of the working classes, the funds of the prisons, the relief meant +for the infirm, the chests of the refuges, orphanages; and of the +hospitals, were all seized. + +More than 200,000 men, Italian, Dutch, and French soldiers came in turn +to stay there, but only to be clothed and shod; and then they left newly +clothed from head to foot. To leave nothing to be wished for, Davoust, +from 1812, established military commissions in all the thirty-second. +military division, before he entered upon the Russian campaign. To +complete these oppressive measures he established at the same time the +High Prevotal Court of the Customs. It was at this time that M. Eudes, +the director of the ordinary customs, a strict but just man, said that +the rule of the ordinary customs would be regretted, "for till now you +have only been on roses.." The professed judgments of this court were +executed without appeal and without delay. From what I have just said +the situation and the misery of the north of Germany, and the consequent +discontent, can be judged. + +During my stay in Hamburg, which on this occasion was not very long, +Napoleon's attention was particularly engaged by the campaign of +Portugal, and his discussions with the Pope. At this period the +thunderbolts of Rome were not very alarming. Yet precautions were taken +to keep secret the excommunication which Pius VII. had pronounced +against Napoleon. The event, however, got reported about, and a party in +favour of the Pope speedily rose up among the clergy, and more +particularly among the fanatics. Napoleon sent to Savona the Archbishops +of Nantes, Bourges, Treves, and Tours, to endeavour to bring about a +reconciliation with His Holiness. But all their endeavours were +unavailing, and after staying a month at Savona they returned to Paris +without having done anything. But Napoleon was not discouraged by this +first disappointment, and he shortly afterwards sent a second deputation, +which experienced the same fate as the first. Cardinal Fesch, Napoleon's +uncle, took part with the Pope. For this fact I can vouch, though I +cannot for an answer which he is said to have made to the Emperor. I +have been informed that when Napoleon was one day speaking to his uncle +about the Pope's obstinacy the Cardinal made some observations to him on +his (Bonaparte's) conduct to the Holy Father, upon which Napoleon flew +into a passion, and said that the Pope and he were two old fools. +"As for the Pope," said he, "he is too obstinate to listen to anything. +No, I am determined he shall never have Rome again . . . . He will +not remain at Savona, and where does he wish I should send him?"--"To +Heaven, perhaps," replied the Cardinal. + +The truth is, the Emperor was violently irritated against Pius VII. +Observing with uneasiness the differences and difficulties to which all +these dissensions gave rise, he was anxious to put a stop to them. As +the Pope would not listen to any propositions that were made to him, +Napoleon convoked a Council, which assembled in Paris, and at which +several Italian Bishops were present. The Pope insisted that the +temporal and spiritual interests should be discussed together; and, +however disposed a certain number of prelates, particularly the Italians, +might be to separate these two points of discussion, yet the influence of +the Church and well-contrived intrigues gradually gave preponderance to +the wishes of the Pope. The Emperor, having discovered that a secret +correspondence was carried on by several of the Bishops and Archbishops +who had seats in the Council, determined to get rid of some of them, and +the Bishops of Ghent, Troyes, Tournay, and Toulouse were arrested and +sent to Vincennes. They were superseded by others. He wished to +dissolve the Council, which he saw was making no advance towards the +object he had in view, and, fearing that it might adopt some act at +variance with his supreme wish, every member of the Council was +individually required to make a declaration that the proposed changes +were conformable to the laws of the Church. It was said at the time that +they were unanimous in this individual declaration, though it is certain +that in the sittings of the Council opinions were divided. I know not +what His Holiness thought of these written opinions compared with the +verbal opinions that had been delivered, but certain it is though still a +captive at Savona, he refused to adhere to the concessions granted in the +secret declarations. + +The conflicts which took place in Spain during the year 1811 were +unattended by any decisive results. Some brilliant events, indeed, +attested the courage of our troops and the skill of our generals. Such +were the battle of Albufera and the taking of Tarragona, while Wellington +was obliged to raise the siege of Badajoz. These advantages, which were +attended only by glory, encouraged Napoleon in the hope of triumphing in +the Peninsula, and enabled him to enjoy the brilliant fetes which took +place at Paris in celebration of the birth of the King of Rome. + +On his return from a tour in Holland at the end of October Napoleon +clearly saw that a rupture with Russia was inevitable. In vain he sent +Lauriston as Ambassador to St. Petersburg to supersede Caulaincourt, who +would no longer remain there: all the diplomatic skill in the world could +effect nothing with a powerful Government which had already formed its +determination. All the Cabinets in Europe were now unanimous in wishing +for the overthrow of Napoleon's power, and the people no less, ardently +wished for an order of things less fatal to their trade and industry. In +the state to which Europe was reduced no one could counteract the wish of +Russia and her allies to go to war with France--Lauriston no more than +Caulaincourt. + +The war for which Napoleon was now obliged to prepare forced him to +neglect Spain, and to leave his interests in that country in a state of +real danger. Indeed, his occupation of Spain and his well-known wish to +maintain himself there were additional motives for inducing the powers of +Europe to enter upon a war which would necessarily divide Napoleon's +forces. All at once the troops which were in Italy and the north of +Germany moved towards the frontiers of the Russian Empire. From March +1811 the Emperor had all the military forces of Europe at his disposal. +It was curious to see this union of nations, distinguished by difference +of manners, + + --[It should be remarked that Napoleon was far from being anxious + for the war with Russia. Metternich writing on 26th March 1811, + says "Everything seems to indicate that the Emperor Napoleon is at + present still far from desiring a war with Russia. But it is not + less true that the Emperor Alexander has given himself over, 'nolens + volens', to the war party, and that he will bring about war, because + the time is approaching when he will no longer be able to resist the + reaction of the party in the internal affairs of his Empire, or the + temper of his army. The contest between Count Romanzov and the + party opposed to that Minister seems on the point of precipitating a + war between Russia and France." This, from Metternich, is strong + evidence.]-- + +language, religion, and interests, all ready to fight for one man against +a power who had done nothing to offend them. Prussia herself, though she +could not pardon the injuries he had inflicted upon her, joined his +alliance, but with the intention of breaking it on the first opportunity. +When the war with Russia was first spoken of Savary and I had frequent +conversations on the subject. I communicated to him all the intelligence +I received from abroad respecting that vast enterprise. The Duc de +Rovigo shared all my forebodings; and if he and those who thought like +him had been listened to, the war would probably have been avoided. +Through him I learnt who were the individuals who urged the invasion. +The eager ambition with which they looked forward to Viceroyalties, +Duchies, and endowments blinded them to the possibility of seeing the +Cossacks in Paris. + +The gigantic enterprise being determined on, vast preparations were made +for carrying it into effect. Before his departure Napoleon, who was to +take with him all the disposable troops, caused a 'Senatus-consulte' to +be issued for levying the National Guards, who were divided into three +corps. He also arranged his diplomatic affairs by concluding, in +February 1812, a treaty of alliance, offensive and defensive, with +Prussia, by virtue of which the two contracting powers mutually +guaranteed the integrity of their own possessions, and the European +possessions of the Ottoman Porte, because that power was then at war with +Russia. A similar treaty was concluded about the beginning of March with +Austria, and about the end of the same month Napoleon renewed the +capitulation of France and Switzerland. At length, in the month of +April, there came to light an evident proof of the success which had +attended M. Czernischeff's intrigues in Paris. It was ascertained that a +clerk in the War Office, named Michel, had communicated to him the +situation of the French forces in Germany. Michel was condemned to +death, for the time was gone by when Bonaparte, confident in his genius +and good fortune, could communicate his plans to the spy of General +Melas. + +In March 1812, when I saw that the approaching war would necessarily take +Napoleon from France, weary of the persecutions and even threats by which +I was every day assailed, I addressed to the Emperor a memorial +explaining my conduct and showing the folly and wickedness of my +accusers. Among them was a certain Ogier de la Saussaye, who had sent a +report to the Emperor, in which the principal charge was, that I had +carried off a box containing important papers belonging to the First +Consul. The accusation of Ogier de la Saussaye terminated thus: "I add +to my report the interrogatories of MM. Westphalen, Osy, Chapeau Rouge, +Aukscher, Thierry, and Gumprecht-Mores. The evidence of the latter bears +principally on a certain mysterious box, a secret upon which it is +impossible to throw any light, but the reality of which we are bound to +believe." These are his words. The affair of the mysterious box has +been already explained. I have already informed the reader that I put my +papers into a box, which I buried lest it should be stolen from me. +But for that precaution I should not have been able to lay before the +reader the autograph documents in my possession, and which I imagine form +the most essential part of these volumes. In my memorial to the Emperor +I said, in allusion to the passage above quoted, "This, Sire, is the most +atrocious part of Ogier's report. + +"Gumprecht being questioned on this point replies that the accuser has +probably, as well as himself, seen the circumstance mentioned in an +infamous pamphlet which appeared seven or eight years, ago. It was, I +think, entitled 'Le Secret du Cabinet des Tuileries,' and was very likely +at the time of its appearance denounced by the police. In that libel it +is stated, among a thousand other calumnies equally false and absurd, +'that when I left the First Consul I carried away a box full of important +papers, that I was in consequence sent to the Temple, where your brother +Joseph came to me and offered me my liberation, and a million of francs, +if I would restore the papers, which I refused to do,' etc. Ogier, +instead of looking for this libel in Hamburg, where I read it, has the +impudence to give credit to the charge, the truth of which could have +been ascertained immediately: and he adds, 'This secret we are bound to +believe.' Your Majesty knows whether I was ever in the Temple, and +whether Joseph ever made such an offer to me." I entreated that the +Emperor would do me the favour to bring me to trial; for certainly I +should have regarded that as a favour rather than to remain as I was, +exposed to vague accusations; yet all my solicitations were in vain. +My letter to the Emperor remained unanswered; but though Bonaparte could +not spare a few moments to reply to an old friend, I learned through +Duroc the contempt he cherished for my accusers. Duroc advised me not to +be uneasy, and that in all probability the Emperor's prejudices against +me would be speedily overcome; and I must say that if they were not +overcome it was neither the fault of Duroc nor Savary, who knew how to +rightly estimate the miserable intrigues just alluded to. + +Napoleon was at length determined to extend the limits of his Empire, or +rather to avenge the injuries which Russia had committed against his +Continental system. Yet, before he departed for Germany, the resolute +refusal of the Pope to submit to any arrangement urgently claimed his +consideration. Savona did not appear to him a sufficiently secure +residence for such a prisoner. He feared that when all his strength +should be removed towards the Niemen the English might carry off the +Pope, or that the Italians, excited by the clergy, whose dissatisfaction +was general in Italy, would stir up those religious dissensions which are +always fatal and difficult to quell. With the view, therefore, of +keeping the Pope under his control he removed him to Fontainebleau, and +even at one time thought of bringing him to Paris. + +The Emperor appointed M. Denon to reside with the Pope at Fontainebleau; +and to afford his illustrious prisoner the society of such a man was +certainly a delicate mark of attention on the part of Napoleon. When +speaking of his residence with Pius VII. M. Denon related to me the +following anecdote. "The Pope," said he, "was much attached to me. He +always addressed me by the appellation 'my son,' and he loved to converse +with me, especially on the subject of the Egyptian expedition. One day +he asked me for my work on Egypt, which he said he wished to read; and as +you know it is not quite orthodox, and does not perfectly agree with the +creation of the world according to Genesis, I at first hesitated; but the +Pope insisted, and at length I complied with his wish. The Holy Father +assured me that he had been much interested by the perusal of the book. +I made some allusion to the delicate points; upon which he said, "No +matter, no matter, my son; all that is exceedingly curious, and I must +confess entirely new to me." I then," continued M. Denon, told His +Holiness why I hesitated to lend him the work, which, I observed, he had +excommunicated, together with its author. "Excommunicated you, my son?" +resumed the Pope in a tone of affectionate concern. "I am very sorry for +it, and assure you I was far from being aware of any such thing." + +When M. Denon related to me this anecdote he told me how greatly he had +admired the virtues and resignation of the Holy Father; but he added that +it would nevertheless have been easier to make him a martyr than to +induce him to yield on any point until he should be restored to the +temporal sovereignty of Rome, of which he considered himself the +depositary, and which he would not endure the reproach of having +willingly sacrificed. After settling the place of the Pope's residence +Napoleon set off for Dresden, accompanied by Maria Louisa, who had +expressed a wish to see her father. + +The Russian enterprise, the most gigantic, perhaps, that the genius of +man ever conceived since the conquest of India by Alexander, now absorbed +universal attention, and defied the calculations of reason. The +Manzanares was forgotten, and nothing was thought of but the Niemen, +already so celebrated by the raft of Tilsit. Thither, as towards a +common centre, were moving men, horses, provisions, and baggage of every +kind, from all parts of Europe. The hopes of our generals and the fears +of all prudent men were directed to Russia. The war in Spain, which was +becoming more and more unfortunate, excited but a feeble interest; and +our most distinguished officers looked upon it as a disgrace to be sent +to the Peninsula. In short, it was easy to foresee that the period was +not far distant when the French would be obliged to recross the Pyrenees. +Though the truth was concealed from the Emperor on many subjects, yet he +was not deceived as to the situation of Spain in the spring of 1812. In +February the Duke of Ragusa had frankly informed him that the armies of +Spain and Portugal could not, without considerable reinforcements of men +and money, hope for any important advantages since Ciudad-Rodrigo and +Badajoz had fallen into the hands of the English. + +Before he commenced his great operations on the Niemen and the Volga +Napoleon made a journey to Dantzic, and Rapp, who was then Governor of +that city, informed me of some curious particulars connected with the +Imperial visit. The fact is, that if Rapp's advice had been listened to, +and had been supported by men higher in rank than himself, Bonaparte +would not have braved the chances of the Russian war until those chances +turned against him. Speaking to me of the Russians Rapp said, "They will +soon be as wise as we are! Every time we go to war with them we teach +them how to beat us." I was struck with the originality and truth of +this observation, which at the time I heard it was new, though it has +been often repeated since. + +"On leaving Dresden," said Rapp to me, "Napoleon came to Dantzic. I +expected a dressing; for, to tell you the truth, I had treated very +cavalierly both his custom-house and its officers, who were raising up as +many enemies to France as there were inhabitants in my Government. I had +also warned him of all that has since happened in Russia, but I assure +you I did not think myself quite so good a prophet. In the beginning of +1812 I thus wrote to him: 'If your Majesty should experience reverses you +may depend on it that both Russians and Germans will rise up in a mass to +shake off the yoke. There will be a crusade, and all your allies will +abandon you. Even the King of Bavaria, on whom you rely so confidently, +will join the coalition. I except only the King of Saxony. He, perhaps, +might remain faithful to you; but his subjects will force him to make +common cause with your enemies. The King of Naples," continued Rapp, "who +had the command of the cavalry, had been to Dantzic before the Emperor. +He did not seem to take a more favourable view of the approaching +campaign than I did. Murat was dissatisfied that the Emperor would not +consent to his rejoining him in Dresden; and he said that he would rather +be a captain of grenadiers than a King such as he was." + +Here I interrupted Rapp to tell him what had fallen from Murat when I met +him in the Champs Elysees "Bah!" resumed Rapp, "Murat, brave as he was, +was a craven in Napoleon's presence! On the Emperor's arrival in Dantzic +the first thing of which he spoke to me was the alliance he had just then +concluded with Prussia and Austria. I could not refrain from telling him +that we did a great deal of mischief as allies; a fact of which I was +assured from the reports daily transmitted to me respecting the conduct +of our troops. Bonaparte tossed his bead, as you know he was in the +habit of doing when he was displeased. After a moment's silence, +dropping the familiar thee and thou, he said, 'Monsieur le General, this +is a torrent which must be allowed to run itself out. It will not last +long. I must first ascertain whether Alexander decidedly wishes for +war.' Then, suddenly changing the subject of conversation, he said, +'Have you not lately observed something extraordinary in Murat? I think +he is quite altered. Is be ill?'--'Sire,' replied I, 'Murat is not ill, +but he is out of spirits.'--'Out of spirits! but why? Is he not +satisfied with being a King?'--'Sire, Murat says he is no King.'--'That +is his own fault. Why does he make himself a Neapolitan? Why is he not +a Frenchman? When he is in his Kingdom he commits all sorts of follies. +He favours the trade of England; that I will not suffer.' + +"When," continued Rapp, "he spoke of the favour extended by Murat to the +trade between Naples and England I thought my turn would come next; but I +was deceived. No more was said on the subject, and when I was about to +take my leave the Emperor said to me, as when in his best of humours, +'Rapp, you will sup with me this evening.' I accordingly supped that +evening with the Emperor, who had also invited the King of Naples and +Berthier. Next day the Emperor visited the fortress, and afterwards +returned to the Government Palace, where he received the civil and +military authorities. He again invited Murat, Berthier, and me to +supper. When we first sat down to table we were all very dull, for the +Emperor was silent; and, as you well know, under such circumstances not +even Murat himself dared to be the first to speak to him. At length +Napoleon, addressing me, inquired how far it was from Cadiz to Dantzic. +'Too far, Sire,' replied I. 'I understand you, Monsieur le General, but +in a few months the distance will be still greater.'--'So much the worse, +Sire!' Here there was another pause. Neither Murat nor Berthier, on +whom the Emperor fixed a scrutinising glance, uttered a word, and +Napoleon again broke silence, but without addressing any one of us in +particular: 'Gentlemen,' said be in a solemn and rather low tone of +voice, 'I see plainly that you are none of you inclined to fight again. +The King of Naples does not wish to leave the fine climate of his +dominions, Berthier wishes to enjoy the diversion of the chase at his +estate of Gros Bois, and Rapp is impatient to be back to his hotel in +Paris.' Would you believe it," pursued Rapp, "that neither Murat nor +Berthier said a word in reply? and the ball again came to me. I told +him frankly that what he said was perfectly true, and the King of Naples +and the Prince of Neufchatel complimented me on my spirit, and observed +that I was quite right in saying what I did. 'Well,' said I, 'since it +was so very right, why did you not follow my example, and why leave me to +say all?' You cannot conceive," added Rapp, "how confounded they both +were, and especially Murat, though be was very differently situated from +Berthier." + +The negotiations which Bonaparte opened with Alexander, when he yet +wished to seem averse to war, resembled those oratorical paraphrases +which do not prevent us from coming to the conclusion we wish. The two +Emperors equally desired war; the one with the view of consolidating his +power, and the other in the hope of freeing himself from a yoke which +threatened to reduce him to a state of vassalage, for it was little short +of this to require a power like Russia to close her ports against England +for the mere purpose of favouring the interests of France. At that time +only two European powers were not tied to Napoleon's fate--Sweden and +Turkey. Napoleon was anxious to gain the alliance of these two powers. +With respect to Sweden his efforts were vain; and though, in fact, Turkey +was then at war with Russia, yet the Grand Seignior was not now, as at +the time of Sebastiani's embassy, subject to the influence of France. + +The peace, which was soon concluded at Bucharest, between Russia, and +Turkey increased Napoleon's embarrassment. The left of the Russian army, +secured by the neutrality of Turkey, was reinforced by Bagration's corps +from Moldavia: it subsequently occupied the right of the Beresina, and +destroyed the last hope of saving the wreck of the French army. It is +difficult to conceive how Turkey could have allowed the consideration of +injuries she had received from France to induce her to terminate the war +with Russia when France was attacking that power with immense forces. +The Turks never had a fairer opportunity for taking revenge on Russia, +and, unfortunately for Napoleon, they suffered it to escape. + +Napoleon was not more successful when he sought the alliance of a Prince +whose fortune he had made, and who was allied to his family, but with +whom he had never been on terms of good understanding. The Emperor +Alexander had a considerable corps of troops in Finland destined to +protect that country against the Sweden, Napoleon having consented to +that occupation in order to gain the provisional consent of Alexander to +the invasion of Spain. What was the course pursued by Napoleon when, +being at war with Russia, he wished to detach Sweden from her alliance +with Alexander? He intimated to Bernadotte that he had a sure +opportunity of retaking Finland, a conquest which would gratify his +subjects and win their attachment to him. By this alliance Napoleon +wished to force Alexander not to withdraw the troops who were in the +north of his Empire, but rather to augment their numbers in order to +cover Finland and St. Petersburg. It was thus that Napoleon endeavoured +to draw the Prince Royal into his coalition. It was of little +consequence to Napoleon whether Bernadotte succeeded or not. The Emperor +Alexander would nevertheless have been obliged to increase his force in +Finland; that was all that Napoleon wished. In the gigantic struggle +upon which France and Russia were about to enter the most trivial +alliance was not to be neglected. In January 1812 Davoust invaded +Swedish Pomerania without any declaration of war, and without any +apparent motive. Was this inconceivable violation of territory likely to +dispose the Prince Royal of Sweden to the proposed alliance, even had +that alliance not been adverse to the interests of his country? That was +impossible; and Bernadotte took the part which was expected of him. He +rejected the offers of Napoleon, and prepared for coming events. + +The Emperor Alexander wished to withdraw his force from Finland for the +purpose of more effectively opposing the immense army which threatened +his States. Unwilling to expose Finland to an attack on the part of +Sweden, he had an interview on the 28th of August 1812, at Abo, with the +Prince-Royal, to come to an arrangement with him for uniting their +interests. I know that the Emperor of Russia pledged himself, whatever +might happen, to protect Bernadotte against the fate of the new +dynasties, to guarantee the possession of his throne, and promised that +he should have Norway as a compensation for Finland. He even went so far +as to hint that Bernadotte might supersede Napoleon. Bernadotte adopted +all the propositions of Alexander, and from that moment Sweden made +common cause against Napoleon. The Prince Royal's conduct has been much +blamed, but the question resolved itself into one of mere political +interest. Could Bernadotte, a Swede by adoption, prefer the alliance of +an ambitious sovereign whose vengeance he had to fear, and who had +sanctioned the seizure of Finland to that of a powerful monarch, his +formidable neighbour, his protector in Sweden, and where hostility might +effectually support the hereditary claims of young Gustavus? Sweden, in +joining France, would thereby have declared herself the enemy of England. +Where, then, would have been her navy, her trade and even her existence? + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. + +1812. + + Changeableness of Bonaparte's plans and opinions--Articles for the + 'Moniteur' dictated by the First Consul--The Protocol of the + Congress of Chatillon--Conversations with Davoust at Hamburg-- + Promise of the Viceroyalty of Poland--Hope and disappointment of the + Poles--Influence of illusion on Bonaparte--The French in Moscow-- + Disasters of the retreat--Mallet's conspiracy--Intelligence of the + affair communicated to Napoleon at Smolensko--Circumstances detailed + by Rapp--Real motives of Napoleon's return to Paris--Murat, Ney, and + Eugene--Power of the Italians to endure cold--Napoleon's exertions + to repair his losses--Defection of General York--Convocation of a + Privy Council--War resolved on--Wavering of the Pope--Useless + negotiations with Vienna--Maria Louisa appointed Regent. + +It may now he asked whether Bonaparte, previous to entering upon the last +campaign, had resolved on restoring Poland to independence. The fact is +that Bonaparte, as Emperor, never entertained any positive wish to +reestablish the old Kingdom of Poland, though at a previous period he was +strongly inclined to that re-establishment, of which he felt the +necessity. He may have said that he would re-establish the Kingdom of +Poland, but I beg leave to say that that is no reason for believing that +he entertained any such design. He had said, and even sworn, that he +would never aggrandise the territory of the Empire! The changeableness +of Bonaparte's ideas, plans, and projects renders it difficult to master +them; but they may be best understood when it is considered that all +Napoleon's plans and conceptions varied with his fortunes. Thus, it is +not unlikely that he might at one time have considered the +reestablishment of Poland as essential to European policy, and afterwards +have regarded it as adverse to the development of his ambition. Who can +venture to guess what passed in his mind when dazzled by his glory at +Dresden, and whether in one of his dreams he might not have regarded the +Empire of the Jagellons as another gem in the Imperial diadem? The truth +is that Bonaparte, when General-in-Chief of the army of Egypt and First +Consul, had deeply at heart the avenging the dismemberment of Poland, and +I have often conversed with him on this most interesting subject, upon +which we entirely concurred in opinion. But times and circumstances were +changed since we walked together on the terrace of Cairo and mutually +deplored the death of young Sulkowski. Had Sulkowski lived Napoleon's +favourable intentions with respect to Poland might perhaps have been +confirmed. A fact which explains to me the coolness, I may almost say +the indifference, of Bonaparte to the resurrection of Poland is that the +commencement of the Consulate was the period at which that measure +particularly occupied his attention. How often did he converse on the +subject with me and other persons who may yet recollect his sentiments! +It was the topic on which he most loved to converse, and on which he +spoke with feeling and enthusiasm. In the 'Moniteur' of the period here +alluded to I could point out more than one article without signature or +official character which Napoleon dictated to me, and the insertion of +which in that journal, considering the energy of certain expressions, +sufficiently proves that they could have emanated from none but +Bonaparte. It was usually in the evening that he dictated to me these +articles. Then, when the affairs of the day were over, he would launch +into the future, and give free scope to his vast projects. Some of these +articles were characterised by so little moderation that the First Consul +would very often destroy them in the morning, smiling at the violent +ebullitions of the preceding night. At other times I took the liberty of +not sending them to the 'Moniteur' on the night on which they were +dictated, and though he might earnestly wish their insertion I adduced +reasons good or bad, to account for the delay. He would then read over +the article in question, and approve of my conduct; but he would +sometimes add, "It is nevertheless true that with an independent Kingdom +of Poland, and 150,000 disposable troops in the east of France, I should +always be master of Russia, Prussia, and Austria."--"General," I would +reply," I am entirely of your opinion; but wherefore awaken the +suspicions of the interested parties. Leave all to time and +circumstances." + +The reader may have to learn, and not, perhaps, without some surprise, +that in the protocol of the sittings of the Congress of Chatillon +Napoleon put forward the spoliation of Poland by the three principal +powers allied against him as a claim to a more advantageous peace, and to +territorial indemnities for France. In policy he was right, but the +report of foreign cannon was already loud enough to drown the best of +arguments. + +After the ill-timed and useless union of the Hanse Towns to France I +returned to Hamburg in the spring of 1811 to convey my family to France. +I then had some conversation with Davoust. On one occasion I said to him +that if his hopes were realised, and my sad predictions respecting the +war with Russia overthrown, I hoped to see the restoration of the Kingdom +of Poland. Davoust replied that that event was probable, since he had +Napoleon's promise of the Viceroyalty of that Kingdom, and as several of +his comrades had been promised starosties. Davoust made no secret of +this, and it was generally known throughout Hamburg and the north of +Germany. + +But notwithstanding what Davoust said respecting. Napoleon's intentions +I considered that these promises had been conditional rather than +positive. + +On Napoleon's arrival in Poland the Diet of Warsaw, assured, as there +seemed reason to be, of the Emperor's sentiments, declared the Kingdom +free and independent. The different treaties of dismemberment were +pronounced to be null; and certainly the Diet had a right so to act, for +it calculated upon his support. But the address of the Diet to Napoleon, +in which these principles were declared, was ill received. His answer +was full of doubt and indecision, the motive of which could not be +blamed. To secure the alliance of Austria against Russia he had just +guaranteed to his father-in-law the integrity of his dominions. Napoleon +therefore declared that he could take no part in any movement or +resolution which might disturb Austria in the possession of the Polish +provinces forming a part of her Empire. To act otherwise, he said, would +be to separate himself from his alliance with Austria, and to throw her +into the arms of Russia. But with regard to the Polish-Russian +provinces, Napoleon declared he would see what he could do, should +Providence favour the good cause. These vague and obscure expressions +did not define what he intended to do for the Poles in the event of +success crowning his vast enterprises. They excited the distrust of the +Poles, and had no other result. On this subject, however, an observation +occurs which is of some force as an apology for Napoleon. Poland was +successively divided between three powers, Russia, Austria, and Prussia, +with each of which Napoleon had been at war, but never with all three at +once. He had therefore never been able to take advantage of his +victories to re-establish Poland without injuring the interests of +neutral powers or of his allies. Hence it may be concluded not only that +he never had the positive will which would have triumphed over all +obstacles, but also that there never was a possibility of realising those +dreams and projects of revenge in which he had indulged on the banks of +the Nile, as it were to console the departed spirit of Sulkowski. + +Bonaparte's character presents many unaccountable incongruities. +Although the most positive man that perhaps ever existed, yet there never +was one who more readily yielded to the charm of illusion. In many +circumstances the wish and the reality were to him one and the same +thing. He never indulged in greater illusions than at the beginning of +the campaign of Moscow. Even before the approach of the disasters which +accompanied the most fatal retreat recorded in history, all sensible +persons concurred in the opinion that the Emperor ought to have passed +the winter of 1812-13 in Poland, and have resumed his vast enterprises in +the spring. But his natural impatience impelled him forward as it were +unconsciously, and he seemed to be under the influence of an invisible +demon stronger than even his own strong will. This demon was ambition. +He who knew so well the value of time, never sufficiently understood its +power, and how much is sometimes gained by delay. Yet Caesar's +Commentaries, which were his favourite study, ought to have shown him +that Caesar did not conquer Gaul in one campaign. Another illusion by +which Napoleon was misled during the campaign of Moscow, and perhaps past +experience rendered it very excusable, was the belief that the Emperor +Alexander would propose peace when he saw him at the head of his army on +the Russian territory. The prolonged stay of Bonaparte at Moscow can +indeed be accounted for in no other way than by supposing that he +expected the Russian Cabinet would change its opinion and consent to +treat for peace. However, whatever might have been the reason, after his +long and useless stay in Moscow Napoleon left that city with the design +of taking up his winter quarters in Poland; but Fate now frowned upon +Napoleon, and in that dreadful retreat the elements seemed leagued with +the Russians to destroy the most formidable army ever commanded by one +chief. To find a catastrophe in history comparable to that of the +Beresina we must go back to the destruction of the legions of Varus. + +Notwithstanding the general dismay which prevailed in Paris that capital +continued tranquil, when by a singular chance, on the very day on which +Napoleon evacuated the burning city of Moscow, Mallet attempted his +extraordinary enterprise. This General, who had always professed +Republican principles, and was a man of bold decided character, after +having been imprisoned for some time, obtained the permission of +Government to live in Paris in a hospital house situated near the +Barriere de Trove. Of Mallet's, conspiracy it is not necessary to say +much after the excellent account given of it in the Memoirs of the Due de +Rovigo. Mallet's plan was to make it be believed that Bonaparte had been +killed at Moscow, and that a new Government was established under the +authority of the Senate. But what could Mallet do? Absolutely nothing: +and had his Government continued three days he would have experienced a +more favourable chance than that which he ought reasonably to have +expected than asserted that the Emperor was dead, but an estafette from +Russia would reveal the truth, resuscitate Napoleon, and overwhelm with +confusion Mallet and his proclamation. His enterprise was that of a +madman. The French were too weary of troubles to throw themselves into +the arms of, Mallet or his associate Lahorie, who had figured so +disgracefully on the trial of Moreau., Yet, in spite of the evident +impossibility of success, it must be confessed that considerable +ingenuity and address marked the commencement of the conspiracy. On the +22d of October Mallet escaped from the hospital house and went to Colonel +Soulier, who commanded the tenth cohort of the National Guard, whose +barracks were situated exactly behind the hospital house. Mallet was +loaded with a parcel of forged orders which he had himself prepared. He +introduced himself to Soulier under the name of General La Motte, and +said that he came from General Mallet. + +Colonel Soulier on hearing of the Emperor's death was affected to tears. +He immediately ordered the adjutant to assemble the cohort and obey the +orders of General La Motte, to whom he expressed his regret for being +himself too ill to leave his bed. It was then two o'clock in the +morning, and the forged documents respecting the Emperor's death slid the +new form of Government were read to the troops by lamplight. Mallet then +hastily set off with 1200 men to La Force, and liberated the Sieurs Gudal +and Laholze, who were confined there. Mallet informed them of the +Emperor's death and of the change of Government; gave them some orders, +in obedience to which the Minister and Prefect of Police were arrested in +their hotel. + +I was then at Courbevoie, and I went to Paris on that very morning to +breakfast, as I frequently did, with the Minister of Police. My surprise +may be imagined when + + --[General Mallet gave out that the Emperor was killed under the + walls of Moscow on the 8th of October; be could not take any other + day without incurring the risk of being contradicted by the arrival + of the regular courier. The Emperor being dead, he concluded that + the Senate ought to be invested with the supreme authority, and he + therefore resolved to address himself in the name of that body to + the nation and the army. In a proclamation to the soldiers he + deplored the death of the Emperor; in another, after announcing the + abolition of the Imperial system and the Restoration of the + Republic, he indicated the manner in which the Government was to be + reconstructed, described the branches into which public authority + was to be divided, and named the Directors. Attached to the + different documents there appeared the signatures of several + Senators whose names he recollected but with whom he had ceased to + have any intercourse for a great number of years. . These + signatures were all written by Mallet, and he drew up a decree in + the name of the Senate, and signed by the same Senators, appointing + himself Governor of Paris, and commander of the troops of the first + military division. He also drew up other decrees in the same form + which purported to promote to higher ranks all the military officers + he intended to make instruments in the execution of his enterprise. + + He ordered one regiment to close all the barriers of Paris, and + allow no person to pass through them. This was done: so that in all + the neighbouring towns from which assistance, in case of need, might + have been obtained, nothing was known of the transactions in Paris. + He sent the other regiments to occupy the Bank, the Treasury, and + different Ministerial offices. At the Treasury some resistance was + made. The minister of that Department was on the spot, and he + employed the guard of his household in maintaining his authority. + But in the whole of the two regiments of the Qnard not a single, + objection was started to the execution of Mallet's orders (Memoirs + of the Duc de Rivogo, tome vi. p. 20.)]-- + +I learned from the porter that the Due de Rovigo had been arrested and +carried to the prison of La Force. I went into the house and was +informed, to my great astonishment, that the ephemeral Minister was being +measured for his official suit, an act which so completely denoted the +character of the conspirator that it gave me an insight into the +business. + +Mallet repaired to General Hulin, who had the command of Paris. He +informed him that he had been directed by the Minister of Police to +arrest him and seal his papers. Hulin asked to see the order, and then +entered his cabinet, where Mallet followed him, and just as Hulin was +turning round to speak to him he fired a pistol in his face. Hulin fell: +the ball entered his cheek, but the wound was not mortal. The most +singular circumstance connected with the whole affair is, that the +captain whom Mallet had directed to follow him, and who accompanied him +to Hulin's, saw nothing extraordinary in all this, and did nothing to +stop it. Mallet next proceeded, very composedly, to Adjutant-General +Doucet's. It happened that one of the inspectors of the police was +there. He recognised General Mallet as being a man under his +supervision. He told him that he had no right to quit the hospital house +without leave, and ordered him to be arrested. Mallet, seeing that all +was over, was in the act of drawing a pistol from his pocket, but being +observed was seized and disarmed. Thus terminated this extraordinary +conspiracy, for which fourteen lives paid the forfeit; but, with the +exception of Mallet, Guidal, and Lahorie, all the others concerned in it +were either machines or dupes. + +This affair produced but little effect in Paris, for the enterprise and +its result were make known simultaneously. But it was thought droll +enough that the Minister and Prefect of Police should be imprisoned by +the men who only the day before were their prisoners. Next day I went to +see Savary, who had not yet recovered from the stupefaction caused by his +extraordinary adventure. He was aware that his imprisonment; though it +lasted only half an hour, was a subject of merriment to the Parisians. +The Emperor, as I have already mentioned, left Moscow on the day when +Mallet made his bold attempt, that is to say, the 19th of October. +He was at Smolensko when he heard the news. Rapp, who had been wounded +before the entrance into Moscow, but who was sufficiently recovered to +return home, was with Napoleon when the latter received the despatches +containing an account of what had happened in Paris. He informed me that +Napoleon was much agitated on perusing them, and that he launched into +abuse of the inefficiency of the police. Rapp added that he did not +confine himself to complaints against the agents of his authority. "Is, +then, my power so insecure," said he, "that it may be put in peril by a +single individual, and a prisoner? It would appear that my crown is not +fixed very firmly on my head if in my own capital the bold stroke of +three adventurers can shake it. Rapp, misfortune never comes alone; this +is the complement of what is passing here. I cannot be everywhere; but I +must go back to Paris; my presence there is indispensable to reanimate +public opinion. I must have men and money. Great successes and great +victories will repair all. I must set off." Such were the motives which +induced the Emperor to leave his army. It is not without indignation +that I have heard his precipitate departure attributed to personal +cowardice. He was a stranger to such feelings, and was never more happy +than on the field of battle. I can readily conceive that he was much +alarmed on hearing of Mallet's enterprise. The remarks which he made to +Rapp were those which he knew would be made by the public, and he well +knew that the affair was calculated to banish those illusions of power +and stability with which he endeavoured to surround his government. + +On leaving Moscow Napoleon consigned the wrecks of his army to the care +of his most distinguished generals to Murat who had so ably commanded the +cavalry, but who abandoned the army to return to Naples; and to Ney, the +hero, rather than the Prince of the Moskowa, whose name will be immortal +in the annals of glory, as his death will be eternal in the annals of +party revenge. Amidst the general disorder Eugene, more than any other +chief, maintained a sort of discipline among the Italians; and it was +remarked that the troops of the south engaged in the fatal campaign of +Moscow had endured the rigour of the cold better than those troops who +were natives of less genial climates. + +Napoleon's return from Moscow was not like his returns from the campaigns +of Vienna and Tilsit when he came back crowned with laurels, and bringing +peace as the reward of his triumphs. It was remarked that Napoleon's +first great disaster followed the first enterprise he undertook after his +marriage with Maria Louisa. This tended to confirm the popular belief +that the presence of Josephine was favourable to his fortune; and +superstitious as he sometimes was, I will not venture to affirm that he +himself did not adopt this ides. He now threw off even the semblance of +legality in the measures of his government: he assumed arbitrary power, +under the impression that the critical circumstances in which he was +placed would excuse everything. But, however inexplicable were the means +to which the Emperor resorted to procure resources, it is but just to +acknowledge that they were the consequence of his system of government, +and that he evinced inconceivable activity in repairing his losses so as +to place himself in a situation to resist his enemies, and restore the +triumph of the French standard. + +But in spite of all Napoleon's endeavours the disasters of the campaign +of Russia were daily more and more sensibly felt. The King of Prussia +had played a part which was an acknowledgment of his weakness in joining +France, instead of openly declaring himself for the cause of Russia, +which was also his. Then took place the defection of General York, who +commanded the Prussian contingent to Napoleon's army. The King of +Prussia, though no doubt secretly satisfied with the conduct of General +York, had him tried and condemned; but shortly after that sovereign +commanded in person the troops which had turned against ours. The +defection of the Prussians produced a very ill effect, and it was easy to +perceive that other defections would follow. Napoleon, foreseeing the +fatal chances which this event was likely to draw upon him, assembled a +privy council, composed of the Ministers and some of the great officers +of his household. MM. de Talleyrand and Cambaceres, and the President of +the senate were present. Napoleon asked whether, in the complicated +difficulties of our situation, it would be more advisable to negotiate +for peace or to prepare for a new war. Cambaceres and Talleyrand gave +their opinion in favour of peace, which however, Napoleon would not hear +of after a defeat; but the Due de Feltre,--[Clarke]--knowing how to +touch the susceptible chord in the mind of Bonaparte, said that he would +consider the Emperor dishonoured if he consented to the abandonment of +the smallest village which had been united to the Empire by a 'Senatus- +consulte'. This opinion was adopted, and the war continued. + +On Napoleon's return to Paris the Pope, who was still at Fontainebleau, +determined to accede to an arrangement, and to sign an act which the +Emperor conceived would terminate the differences between them. But +being influenced by some of the cardinals who had previously incurred the +Emperor's displeasure Pius VII. disavowed the new Concordat which he had +been weak enough to grant, and the Emperor, who then had more important +affairs on his hands, dismissed the Holy Father, and published the act to +which he had assented. Bonaparte had no leisure to pay attention to the +new difficulties started by Pius VII.; his thoughts were wholly directed +to the other side of the Rhine. He was unfortunate, and the powers with +whom he was most intimately allied separated from him, as he might have +expected, and Austria was not the last to imitate the example set by +Prussia. In these difficult circumstances the Emperor, who for some time +past had observed the talent and address of the Comte Louis de Narbonne, +sent him to Vienna, to supersede M. Otto; but the pacific propositions of +M. de Narbonne were not listened to. Austria would not let slip the fair +opportunity of taking revenge without endangering herself. + +Napoleon now saw clearly that since Austria had abandoned him and refused +her contingent he should soon have all Europe arrayed against him. But +this did not intimidate him. + +Some of the Princes of the Confederation of the Rhine still remained +faithful to him; and his preparations being completed, he proposed to +resume in person the command of the army which had been so miraculously +reproduced. But before his departure Napoleon, alarmed at the +recollection of Mallet's attempt, and anxious to guard against any +similar occurrence during his absence, did not, as on former occasions, +consign the reins of the National Government to a Council of Ministers, +presided over by the Arch-Chancellor. Napoleon placed my successor with +him, M. Meneval, near the Empress Regent as Secretaire des Commandemens +(Principal Secretary), and certainly he could not have made a better +choice. He made the Empress Maria Louisa Regent, and appointed a Council +of Regency to assist her. + + --[Meneval, who had held the post of Secretary to Napoleon from the + time of Bourrienne's disgrace in 1802, had been nearly killed by the + hardships of the Russian campaign, and now received an honourable + and responsible but less onerous post. He remained with the Empress + till 7th May 1815, when, finding that she would not return to her + husband, he left her to rejoin his master.]-- + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +A sect cannot be destroyed by cannon-balls +Every time we go to war with them we teach them how to beat us +God in his mercy has chosen Napoleon to be his representative on earth +The wish and the reality were to him one and the same thing + + + + +End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of The Memoirs of Napoleon--1812, v11 +by Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne + diff --git a/3561.zip b/3561.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..21ebac8 --- /dev/null +++ b/3561.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..57ed0d6 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #3561 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3561) |