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D.W.] + + + + + +RECOLLECTIONS OF THE PRIVATE LIFE OF NAPOLEON, V7 + +By CONSTANT + +PREMIER VALET DE CHAMBRE + +TRANSLATED BY WALTER CLARK + +1895 + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +His Majesty remained only ten days at Saint-Cloud, passed two or three of +these in Paris at the opening of the session of the Corps Legislatif, and +at noon on the 29th set out a second time for Bayonne. + +The Empress, who to her great chagrin could not accompany the Emperor, +sent for me on the morning of his departure, and renewed in most touching +accents the same recommendations which she made on all his journeys, for +the character of the Spaniards made her timid and fearful as to his +safety. + +Their parting was sad and painful; for the Empress was exceedingly +anxious to accompany him, and the Emperor had the greatest difficulty in +satisfying her, and making her understand that this was impossible. Just +as he was setting out he returned to his dressing-room a moment, and told +me to unbutton his coat and vest; and I saw the Emperor pass around his +neck between his vest and shirt a black silk ribbon on which was hung a +kind of little bag about the size of a large hazel-nut, covered with +black silk. Though I did not then know what this bag contained, when he +returned to Paris he gave it to me to keep; and I found that this bag had +a pleasant feeling, as under the silk covering was another of skin. I +shall hereafter tell for what purpose the Emperor wore this bag. + +I set out with a sad heart. The recommendations of her Majesty the +Empress, and fears which I could not throw off, added to the fatigue of +these repeated journeys, all conspired to produce feelings of intense +sadness, which was reflected on almost all the countenances of the +Imperial household; while the officers said among themselves that the +combats in the North were trifling compared with those which awaited us +in Spain. + +We arrived on the 3d of November at the chateau of Marrac, and four days +after were at Vittoria in the midst of the French army, where the Emperor +found his brother and a few grandees of Spain who had not yet deserted +his cause. + +The arrival of his Majesty electrified the troops; and a part of the +enthusiasm manifested, a very small part it is true, penetrated into the +heart of the king, and somewhat renewed his courage. They set out almost +immediately, in order to at once establish themselves temporarily at +Burgos, which had been seized by main force and pillaged in a few hours, +since the inhabitants had abandoned it, and left to the garrison the task +of stopping the French as long as possible. + +The Emperor occupied the archiepiscopal palace, a magnificent building +situated in a large square on which the grenadiers of the Imperial Guard +bivouacked. This bivouac presented a singular scene. Immense kettles, +which had been found in the convents, hung, full of mutton, poultry, +rabbits, etc., above a fire which was replenished from time to time with +furniture, guitars, or mandolins, and around which grenadiers, with pipes +in their mouths, were gravely seated in gilded chairs covered with +crimson damask, while they intently watched the kettles as they simmered, +and communicated to each other their conjectures on the campaign which +had just opened. + +The Emperor remained ten or twelve days at Burgos, and then gave orders +to march on Madrid, which place could have been reached by way of +Valladolid, and the road was indeed safer and better; but the Emperor +wished to seize the Pass of Somo-Sierra, an imposing position with +natural fortifications which had always been regarded as impregnable. +This pass, between two mountain peaks, defended the capital, and was +guarded by twelve thousand insurgents, and twelve pieces of cannon placed +so advantageously that they could do as much injury as thirty or forty +elsewhere, and were, in fact, a sufficient obstacle to delay even the +most formidable army; but who could then oppose any hindrance to the +march of the Emperor? + +On the evening of the 29th of November we arrived within three leagues of +this formidable defile, at a village called Basaguillas; and though the +weather was very cold, the Emperor did not lie down, but passed the night +in his tent, writing, wrapped in the pelisse which the Emperor Alexander +had given him. About three o'clock in the morning he came to warm +himself by the bivouac fire where I had seated myself, as I could no +longer endure the cold and dampness of a cellar which had been assigned +as my lodging, and where my bed was only a few handfuls of straw, filled +with manure. + +At eight o'clock in the morning the position was attacked and carried, +and the next day we arrived before Madrid. + +The Emperor established his headquarters at the chateau of Champ-Martin, +a pleasure house situated a quarter of a league from the town, and +belonging to the mother of the Duke of Infantado; and the army camped +around this house. The day after our arrival, the owner came in tears to +entreat of his Majesty a revocation of the fatal decree which put her son +outside the protection of the law; the Emperor did all he could to +reassure her, but he could promise her nothing, as the order was general. + +We had some trouble in capturing this town; in the first place, because +his Majesty recommended the greatest moderation in making the attack, not +wishing, as he said, to present to his brother a burned-up city; in the +second place, because the Grand Duke of Berg during his stay at Madrid +had fortified the palace of Retiro, and the Spanish insurgents had +intrenched themselves there, and defended it most courageously. The town +had no other defense, and was surrounded only by an old wall, almost +exactly similar to that of Paris, consequently at the end of three days +it was taken; but the Emperor preferred not to enter, and still resided +at Champ-Martin, with the exception of one day when he came incognito and +in disguise, to visit the queen's palace and the principal districts. + +One striking peculiarity of the Spaniards is the respect they have always +shown for everything relating to royalty, whether they regard it as +legitimate or not. When King Joseph left Madrid the palace was closed, +and the government established itself in a passably good building which +had been used as the post-office. From this time no one entered the +palace except the servants, who had orders to clean it from time to time; +not a piece of furniture even, not a book, was moved. The portrait of +Napoleon on Mont St. Bernard, David's masterpiece, remained hanging in +the grand reception hall, and the queen's portrait opposite, exactly as +the king had placed them; and even the cellars were religiously +respected. The apartments of King Charles had also remained untouched, +and not one of the watches in his immense collection had been removed. + +The act of clemency which his Majesty showed toward the Marquis of Saint- +Simon, a grandee of Spain, marked in an especial manner the entrance of +the French troops into Madrid. The Marquis of Saint-Simon, a French +emigrant, had been in the service of Spain since the emigration, and had +the command of a part of the capital. The post which he defended was +exactly in front of that which the Emperor commanded at the gates of +Madrid, and he had held out long after all the other leaders had +surrendered. + +The Emperor, impatient at being so long withstood at this point, gave +orders to make a still more vigorous charge; and in this the marquis was +taken prisoner. In his extreme anger the Emperor sent him to be tried +before a military commission, who ordered him to be shot; and this order +was on the point of being executed, when Mademoiselle de Saint-Simon, a +charming young person, threw herself at his Majesty's feet, and her +father's pardon was quickly granted. + +The king immediately re-entered his capital; and with him returned the +noble families of Madrid, who had withdrawn from the stirring scenes +enacted at the center of the insurrection; and soon balls, fetes, +festivities, and plays were resumed as of yore. + +The Emperor left Champ-Martin on the 22d of December, and directed his +march towards Astorga, with the intention of meeting the English, who had +just landed at Corunna; but dispatches sent to Astorga by a courier from +Paris decided him to return to France, and he consequently gave orders to +set out for Valladolid. + +We found the road from Benavente to Astorga covered with corpses, slain +horses, artillery carriages, and broken wagons, and at every step met +detachments of soldiers with torn clothing, without shoes, and, indeed, +in a most deplorable condition. These unfortunates were all fleeing +towards Astorga, which they regarded as a port of safety, but which soon +could not contain them all. It was terrible weather, the snow falling so +fast that it was almost blinding; and, added to this, I was ill, and +suffered greatly during this painful journey. + +The Emperor while at Tordesillas had established his headquarters in the +buildings outside the convent of Saint-Claire, and the abbess of this +convent was presented to his Majesty. She was then more than sixty-five +years old, and from the age of ten years back never left this place. Her +intelligent and refined conversation made a most agreeable impression on +the Emperor, who inquired what were her wishes, and granted each one. + +We arrived at Valladolid the 6th of January, 1809, and found it in a +state of great disorder. Two or three days after our arrival, a cavalry +officer was assassinated by Dominican monks; and as Hubert, one of our +comrades, was passing in the evening through a secluded street, three men +threw themselves on him and wounded him severely; and he would doubtless +have been killed if the grenadiers of the guard had not hastened to his +assistance, and delivered him from their hands. It was the monks again. +At length the Emperor, much incensed, gave orders that the convent of the +Dominicans should be searched; and in a well was found the corpse of the +aforesaid officer, in the midst of a considerable mass of bones, and the +convent was immediately suppressed by his Majesty's orders; he even +thought at one time of issuing the same rigorous orders against all the +convents of the city. He took time for reflection, however, and +contented himself by appointing an audience, at which all the monks of +Valladolid were to appear before him. On the appointed day they came; +not all, however, but deputations from each convent, who prostrated +themselves at the Emperor's feet, while he showered reproaches upon them, +called them assassins and brigands, and said they all deserved to be +hung. These poor men listened in silence and humility to the terrible +language of the irritated conqueror whom their patience alone could +appease; and finally, the Emperor's anger having exhausted itself, he +grew calmer, and at last, struck by the reflection that it was hardly +just to heap abuse on men thus prostrate on their knees and uttering not +a word in their own defense, he left the group of officers who surrounded +him, and advanced into the midst of the monks, making them a sign to rise +from their supplicating posture; and as these good men obeyed him, they +kissed the skirts of his coat, and pressed around him with an eagerness +most alarming to the persons of his Majesty's suite; for had there been +among these devotees any Dominican, nothing surely could have been easier +than an assassination. + +During the Emperor's stay at Valladolid, I had with the grand marshal a +disagreement of which I retain most vivid recollections, as also of the +Emperor's intervention wherein he displayed both justice and good-will +towards me. These are the facts of the case: one morning the Duke de +Frioul, encountering me in his Majesty's apartments, inquired in a very +brusque tone (he was very much excited) if I had ordered the carriage to +be ready, to which I replied in a most respectful manner that they were +always ready. Three times the duke repeated the same question, raising +his voice still more each time; and three times I made him the same +reply, always in the same respectful manner. "Oh, you fool!" said he at +last, "you do not understand, then."--"That arises evidently, +Monseigneur, from your Excellency's imperfect explanations!" Upon which +he explained that he was speaking of a new carriage which had come from +Paris that very day, a fact of which I was entirely ignorant. I was on +the point of explaining this to his Excellency; but without deigning to +listen, the grand marshal rushed out of the room exclaiming, swearing, +and addressing me in terms to which I was totally unaccustomed. I +followed him as far as his own room in order to make an explanation; but +when he reached his door he entered, and slammed it in my face. + +In spite of all this I entered a few moments later; but his Excellency +had forbidden his valet de chambre to introduce me, saying that he had +nothing to say to me, nor to hear from me, all of which was repeated to +me in a very harsh and contemptuous manner. + +Little accustomed to such experiences, and entirely unnerved, I went to +the Emperor's room; and when his Majesty entered I was still so agitated +that my face was wet with tears. His Majesty wished to know what had +happened, and I related to him the attack which had just been made upon +me by the grand marshal. "You are very foolish to cry," said the +Emperor; "calm yourself, and say to the grand marshal that I wish to +speak to him." + +His Excellency came at once in response to the Emperor's invitation, and +I announced him. "See," said he, pointing to me, "see into what a state +you have thrown this fellow! What has he done to be thus treated?" The +grand marshal bowed without replying, but with a very dissatisfied air; +and the Emperor went on to say that he should have given me his orders +more clearly, and that any one was excusable for not executing an order +not plainly given. Then turning toward me, his Majesty said, "Monsieur +Constant, you may be certain this will not occur again." + +This simple affair furnishes a reply to many false accusations against +the Emperor. There was an immense distance between the grand marshal of +the palace and the simple valet de chambre of his Majesty, and yet the +marshal was reprimanded for a wrong done to the valet de chambre. + +The Emperor showed the utmost impartiality in meting out justice in his +domestic affairs; and never was the interior of a palace better governed +than his, owing to the fact that in his household he alone was master. + +The grand marshal felt unkindly toward me for sometime after; but, as I +have already said, he was an excellent man, his bad humor soon passed +away, and so completely, that on my return to Paris he requested me to +stand for him at the baptism of the child of my father-in-law, who had +begged him to be its godfather; the godmother was Josephine, who was kind +enough to choose my wife to represent her. M. le Duke de Frioul did +things with as much nobility and magnanimity as grace; and afterwards I +am glad to be able to state in justice to his memory, he eagerly seized +every occasion to be useful to me, and to make me forget the discomfort +his temporary excitement had caused me. + +I fell ill at Valladolid with a violent fever a few days before his +Majesty's departure. On the day appointed for leaving, my illness was at +its height; aid as the Emperor feared that the journey might increase, or +at any rate prolong, my illness, he forbade my going, and set out without +me, recommending to the persons whom he left at Valladolid to take care +of my health. When I had gotten somewhat better I was told that his +Majesty had left, whereupon I could no longer be controlled, and against +my physician's orders, and in spite of my feebleness, in spite of +everything, in fact, had myself placed in a carriage and set out. This +was wise; for hardly had I put Valladolid two leagues behind me, than I +felt better, and the fever left me. I arrived at Paris five or six days +after the Emperor, just after his Majesty had appointed the Count +Montesquiou grand chamberlain in place of Prince Talleyrand, whom I met +that very day, and who seemed in no wise affected by this disgrace, +perhaps he was consoled by the dignity of vice-grand elector which was +bestowed on him in exchange. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +The Emperor arrived at Paris on the 23d of January, and passed the +remainder of the winter there, with the exception of a few days spent at +Rambouillet and Saint-Cloud. + +On the very day of his arrival in Paris, although he must have been much +fatigued by an almost uninterrupted ride from Valladolid, the Emperor +visited the buildings of the Louvre and the rue de Rivoli. + +His mind was full of what he had seen at Madrid, and repeated suggestions +to M. Fontaine and the other architects showed plainly his desire to make +the Louvre the finest palace in the world. His Majesty then had a report +made him as to the chateau of Chambord, which he wished to present to the +Prince of Neuchatel. M. Fontaine found that repairs sufficient to make +this place a comfortable residence would amount to 1,700,000 francs, as +the buildings were in a state of decay, and it had hardly been touched +since the death of Marshal Sage. + +His Majesty passed the two months and a half of his stay working in his +cabinet, which he rarely left, and always unwillingly; his amusements +being, as always, the theater and concerts. He loved music passionately, +especially Italian music, and like all great amateurs was hard to please. +He would have much liked to sing had he been able, but he had no voice, +though this did not prevent his humming now and then pieces which struck +his fancy; and as these little reminiscences usually recurred to him in +the mornings, he regaled me with them while he was being dressed. The +air that I have heard him thus mutilate most frequently was that of The +Marseillaise. The Emperor also whistled sometimes, but very rarely; and +the air, 'Malbrook s'en va-t-en guerre', whistled by his Majesty was an +unerring announcement to me of his approaching departure for the army. +I remember that he never whistled so much, and was never so gay, as just +before he set out for the Russian campaign. + +His Majesty's, favorite singer were Crescentini and Madame Grassini. +I saw Crescentini's debut at Paris in the role of Romeo, in Romeo and +Juliet. He came preceded by a reputation as the first singer of Italy; +and this reputation was found to be well deserved, notwithstanding all +the prejudices he had to overcome, for I remember well the disparaging +statements made concerning him before his debut at the court theater. +According to these self-appointed connoisseurs, he was a bawler without +taste, without method, a maker of absurd trills, an unimpassioned actor +of little intelligence, and many other things besides. He knew, when he +appeared on the stage, how little disposed in his favor his audience +were, yet he showed not the slightest embarrassment; this, and his noble, +dignified mien, agreeably surprised those who expected from what they had +been told to behold an awkward man with an ungainly figure. A murmur of +approbation ran through the hall on his appearance; and electrified by +this welcome, he gained all hearts from the first act. His movements +were full of grace and dignity; he had a perfect knowledge of the scene, +modest gestures perfectly in harmony with the dialogue, and a countenance +on which all shades of passion were depicted with the most astonishing +accuracy; and all these rare and precious qualities combined to give to +the enchanting accents of this artist a charm of which it is impossible +to give an idea. + +At each scene the interest he inspired became more marked, until in the +third act the emotion and delight of the spectator were carried almost to +frenzy. In this act, played almost solely by Crescentini, this admirable +singer communicated to the hearts of his audience all that is touching +and, pathetic in a love expressed by means of delicious melody, and by +all that grief and despair can find sublime in song. + +The Emperor was enraptured, and sent Crescentini a considerable +compensation, accompanied by most flattering testimonials of the pleasure +he had felt in hearing him. + +On this day, as always when they played together afterwards, Crescentini +was admirably supported by Madame Grassini, a woman of superior talent, +and who possessed the most astonishing voice ever heard in the theater. +She and Madame Barilli then divided the admiration of the public. + +The very evening or the day after the debut of Crescentini, the French +stage suffered an irreparable loss in the death of Dazincourt, only sixty +years of age. The illness of which he died had begun on his return from +Erfurt, and was long and painful; and yet the public, to whom this great +comedian had so long given such pleasure, took no notice of him after it +was found his sickness was incurable and his death certain. Formerly +when a highly esteemed actor was kept from his place for some time by +illness (and who deserved more esteem than Dazincourt?), the pit was +accustomed to testify its regret by inquiring every day as to the +condition of the afflicted one, and at the end of each representation the +actor whose duty it was to announce the play for the next day gave the +audience news of his comrade. This was not done for Dazincourt, and the +pit thus showed ingratitude to him. + +I liked and esteemed sincerely Dazincourt, whose acquaintance I had made +several years before his death; and few men better deserved or so well +knew how to gain esteem and affection. I will not speak of his genius, +which rendered him a worthy successor of Preville, whose pupil and +friend he was, for all his contemporaries remember Figaro as played by +Dazincourt; but I will speak of the nobility of his character, of his +generosity, and his well-tested honor. It would seem that his birth and +education should have kept him from the theater, where circumstances +alone placed him; but he was able to protect himself against the +seductions of his situation, and in the greenroom, and in the midst of +domestic intrigues, remained a man of good character and pure manners. +He was welcomed in the best society, where he soon became a favorite by +his piquant sallies, as much as by his good manners and urbanity, for he +amused without reminding that he was a comedian. + +At the end of February his Majesty went to stay for some time at the +palace of the Elysee; and there I think was signed the marriage contract +of one of his best lieutenants, Marshal Augereau, recently made Duke of +Castiglione, with Mademoiselle Bourlon de Chavanges, the daughter of an +old superior officer; and there also was rendered the imperial decree +which gave to the Princess Eliza the grand duchy of Tuscany, with the +title of grand duchess. + +About the middle of March, the Emperor passed several days at +Rambouillet; there were held some exciting hunts, in one of which his +Majesty himself brought to bay and killed a stag near the pool of Saint- +Hubert. There was also a ball and concert, in which appeared +Crescentini, Mesdames Grassini, Barelli, and several celebrated +virtuosos, and lastly Talma recited. + +On the 13th of April, at four o'clock in the morning, the Emperor having +received news of another invasion of Bavaria by the Austrians, set out +for Strasburg with the Empress, whom he left in that city; and on the +15th, at eleven o'clock in the morning, he passed the Rhine at the head +of his army. The Empress did not long remain alone, as the Queen of +Holland and her sons, the Grand Duchess of Baden and her husband, soon +joined her. + +The splendid campaign of 1809 at once began. It is known how glorious it +was, and that one of its least glorious victories was the capture of +Vienna. + +At Ratisbon, on the 23d of April, the Emperor received in his right foot +a spent ball, which gave him quite a severe bruise. I was with the +service when several grenadiers hastened to tell me that his Majesty was +wounded, upon which I hastened to him, and arrived while M. Yvan was +dressing the contusion. The Emperor's boot was cut open, and laced up, +and he remounted his horse immediately; and, though several of the +generals insisted on his resting, he only replied: "My friends, do you +not know that it is necessary for me to see everything?" The enthusiasm +of the soldiers cannot be expressed when they learned that their chief +had been wounded, though his wound was not dangerous. "The Emperor is +exposed like us," they said; "he is not a coward, not he." The papers +did not mention this occurrence. + +Before entering a battle, the Emperor always ordered that, in case he was +wounded, every possible measure should be taken to conceal it from his +troops. "Who knows," said he, "what terrible confusion might be produced +by such news? To my life is attached the destiny of a great Empire. +Remember this, gentlemen; and if I am wounded, let no one know it, if +possible. If I am slain, try to win the battle without me; there will be +time enough to tell it afterwards." + +Two weeks after the capture of Ratisbon, I was in advance of his Majesty +on the road to Vienna, alone in a carriage with an officer of the +household, when we suddenly heard frightful screams in a house on the +edge of the road. I gave orders to stop at once, and we alighted; and, +on entering the house, found several soldiers, or rather stragglers, as +there are in all armies, who, paying no attention to the alliance between +France and Bavaria, were treating most cruelly a family which lived in +this house, and consisted of an old grandmother, a young man, three +children, and a young girl. + +Our embroidered coats had a happy effect on these madmen, whom we +threatened with the Emperor's anger; and we succeeded in driving them out +of the house, and soon after took our departure, overwhelmed with thanks. +In the evening I spoke to the Emperor of what I had done; and he approved +highly, saying, "It cannot be helped. There are always some cowardly +fellows in the army; and they are the ones who do the mischief. A brave +and good soldier would blush to do such things!" + +I had occasion, in the beginning of these Memoirs, to speak of the +steward, M. Pfister, one of his Majesty's most faithful servants, and +also one of those to whom his Majesty was most attached. M. Pfister had +followed him to Egypt, and had faced countless dangers in his service. +The day of the battle of Landshut, which either preceded or followed very +closely the taking of Ratisbon this poor man became insane, rushed out of +his tent, and concealed himself in a wood near the field of battle, after +taking off all his clothing. At the end of a few hours his Majesty asked +for M. Pfister. He was sought for, and every one was questioned; but no +one could tell what had become of him. The Emperor, fearing that he +might have been taken prisoner, sent an orderly officer to the Austrians +to recover his steward, and propose an exchange; but the officer +returned, saying that the Austrians had not seen M. Pfister. The +Emperor, much disquieted, ordered a search to be made in the +neighborhood; and by this means the poor fellow was discovered entirely +naked, as I have said, cowering behind a tree, in a frightful condition, +his body torn by thorns. He was brought back, and having become +perfectly quiet, was thought to be well, and resumed his duties; but a +short time after our return to Paris he had a new attack. The character +of his malady was exceedingly obscene; and he presented himself before +the Empress Josephine in such a state of disorder, and with such indecent +gestures, that it was necessary to take precautions in regard to him. +He was confided to the care of the wise Doctor Esquirol, who, in spite of +his great skill, could not effect a cure. I went to see him often. He +had no more violent attacks; but his brain was diseased, and though he +heard and understood perfectly, his replies were those of a real madman. +He never lost his devotion to the Emperor, spoke of him incessantly, and +imagined himself on duty near him. One day he told me with a most +mysterious air that he wished to confide to me a terrible secret, the +plot of a conspiracy against his Majesty's life, handing me at the same +time a note for his Majesty, with a package of about twenty scraps of +paper, which he had scribbled off himself, and thought were the details +of the plot. Another time he handed me, for the Emperor, a handful of +little stones, which he called diamonds of great value. "There is more +than a million in what I hand you," said he. The Emperor, whom I told of +my visits, was exceedingly touched by the continued monomania of this +poor unfortunate, whose every thought, every act, related to his old +master, and who died without regaining his reason. + +On the 10th of May, at nine o'clock in the morning, the first line of +defense of the Austrian capital was attacked and taken by Marshal Oudinot +the faubourgs surrendering at discretion. The Duke of Montebello then +advanced on the esplanade at the head of his division; but the gates +having been closed, the garrison poured a frightful discharge from the +top of the ramparts, which fortunately however killed only a very small +number. The Duke of Montebello summoned the garrison to surrender the +town, but the response of the Archduke Maximilian was that he would +defend Vienna with his last breath; which reply was conveyed to the +Emperor. + +After taking counsel with his generals, his Majesty charged Colonel +Lagrange to bear a new demand to the archduke; but the poor colonel had +hardly entered the town than he was attacked by the infuriated populace. +General O'Reilly saved his life by having him carried away by his +soldiers; but the Archduke Maximilian, in order to defy the Emperor still +further, paraded in triumph in the midst of the national guard the +individual who has struck the first blow at the bearer of the French +summons. This attempt, which had excited the indignation of many of the +Viennese themselves, did not change his Majesty's intentions, as he +wished to carry his moderation and kindness as far as possible; and he +wrote to the archduke by the Prince of Neuchatel the following letter, a +copy of which accidentally fell into my hands: + + "The Prince de Neuchatel to his Highness the Archduke Maximilian, + commanding the town of Vienna, + + "His Majesty the Emperor and King desires to spare this large and + worthy population the calamities with which it is threatened, and + charges me to represent to your Highness, that if he continues the + attempt to defend this place, it will cause the destruction of one + of the finest cities of Europe. In every country where he has waged + war, my sovereign has manifested his anxiety to avoid the disasters + which armies bring on the population. Your Highness must be + persuaded that his Majesty is much grieved to see this town, which + he has the glory of having already saved, on the point of being + destroyed. Nevertheless, contrary to the established usage of + fortresses, your Highness has fired your cannon from the city walls, + and these cannon may kill, not an enemy of your sovereign, but the + wives or children of his most devoted servants. If your Highness + prolongs the attempt to defend the place, his Majesty will be + compelled to begin his preparations for attack; and the ruin of this + immense capital will be consummated in thirty-six hours, by the + shells and bombs from our batteries, as the outskirts of the town + will be destroyed by the effect of yours. His Majesty does not + doubt that these considerations will influence your Highness to + renounce a determination which will only delay for a short while the + capture of the place. If, however, your Highness has decided not to + pursue a course which will save the town from destruction, its + population plunged by your fault into such terrible misfortunes will + become, instead of faithful subjects, the enemies of your house." + +This letter did not deter the grand duke from persisting in his defense; +and this obstinacy exasperated the Emperor to such a degree that he at +last gave orders to place two batteries in position, and within an hour +cannonballs and shells rained upon the town. The inhabitants, with true +German indifference, assembled on the hillsides to watch the effect of +the fires of attack and defense, and appeared much interested in the +sight. A few cannonballs had already fallen in the court of the Imperial +palace when a flag of truce came out of the town to announce that the +Archduchess Marie Louise had been unable to accompany her father, and was +ill in the palace, and consequently exposed to danger from the artillery; +and the Emperor immediately gave orders to change the direction of the +firing so that the bombs and balls would pass over the palace. The +archduke did not long hold out against such a sharp and energetic attack, +but fled, abandoning Vienna to the conquerors. + +On the 12th of May the Emperor made his entrance into Vienna, one month +after the occupation of Munich by the Austrians. This circumstance made +a deep impression, and did much to foster the superstitious ideas which +many of the troops held in regard to the person of their chief. "See," +said one, "he needed only the time necessary for the journey. That man +must be a god."--"He is a devil rather," said the Austrians, whose +stupefaction was indescribable. They had reached a point when many +allowed the arms to be taken out of their hands without making the least +resistance, or without even attempting to fly, so deep was their +conviction that the Emperor and his guard were not men, and that sooner +or later they must fall into the power of these supernatural enemies. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +The Emperor did not remain in Vienna, but established his headquarters at +the chateau of Schoenbrunn, an imperial residence situated about half a +league from the town; and the ground in front of the chateau was arranged +for the encampment of the guard. The chateau of Schoenbrunn, erected by +the Empress Maria Theresa in 1754, and situated in a commanding position, +is built in a very irregular, and defective, but at the same time +majestic, style of architecture. In order to reach it, there has been +thrown over the little river, la Vienne, a broad and well-constructed +bridge, ornamented with four stone sphinxes; and in front of the bridge +is a large iron gate, opening on an immense court, in which seven or +eight thousand men could be drilled. This court is square, surrounded by +covered galleries, and ornamented with two large basins with marble +statues; and on each side of the gateway are two large obelisks in rose- +colored stone, surmounted by eagles of gilded lead. + +'Schoenbrunn', in German, signifies beautiful fountain; and this name +comes from a clear and limpid spring, which rises in a grove in the park, +on a slight elevation, around which has been built a little pavilion, +carved on the inside to imitate stalactites. In this pavilion lies a +sleeping Naiad, holding in her hand a shell, from which the water gushes +and falls into a marble basin. This is a delicious retreat in summer. + +We can speak only in terms of admiration regarding the interior of the +palace, the furniture of which was handsome and of an original and +elegant style. The Emperor's sleeping-room, the only part of the +building in which there was a fireplace, was ornamented with wainscoting +in Chinese lacquer work, then very old, though the painting and gilding +were still fresh, and the cabinet was decorated like the bedroom; and all +the apartments, except this, were warmed in winter by immense stoves, +which greatly injured the effect of the interior architecture. Between +the study and the Emperor's room was a very curious machine, called the +flying chariot, a kind of mechanical contrivance, which had been made for +the Empress Maria Theresa, and was used in conveying her from one story +to the other, so that she might not be obliged to ascend and descend +staircases like the rest of the world. This machine was operated by +means of cords, pulleys, and weights, like those at the theater. + +The beautiful grove which serves as park and garden to the palace of +Schoenbrunn is much too small to belong to an imperial residence; but, +on the other hand, it would be hard to find one more beautiful or better +arranged. The park of Versailles is grander and more imposing; but it +has not the picturesque irregularity, the fantastic and unexpected +beauties, of the park of Schoenbrunn, and more closely resembles the park +at Malmaison. In front of the interior facade of the palace was a +magnificent lawn, sloping down to a broad lake, decorated with a group of +statuary representing the triumph of Neptune. This group is very fine; +but French amateurs (every Frenchman, as you are aware, desires to be +considered a connoisseur) insisted that the women were more Austrian than +Grecian, and that they did not possess the slender grace belonging to +antique forms; and, for my part, I must confess that these statues did +not appear to me very remarkable. + +At the end of the grand avenue, and bounding the horizon, rose a hill, +which overlooked the park, and was crowned by a handsome building, which +bore the name of la Gloriette. This building was a circular gallery, +inclosed with glass, supported by a charming colonnade, between the +arches of which hung various trophies. On entering the avenue from the +direction of Vienna, la Gloriette rose at the farther end, seeming almost +to form a part of the palace; and the effect was very fine. + +What the Austrians especially admired in the palace of Schoenbrunn was a +grove, containing what they called the Ruins, and a lake with a fountain +springing from the midst, and several small cascades flowing from it; by +this lake were the ruins of an aqueduct and a temple, fallen vases, +tombs, broken bas-reliefs, statues without heads, arms, or limbs, while +limbs, arms, and heads lay thickly scattered around; columns mutilated +and half-buried, others standing and supporting the remains of pediments +and entablatures; all combining to form a scene of beautiful disorder, +and representing a genuine ancient ruin when viewed from a short +distance. Viewed more closely, it is quite another thing: the hand of +the modern sculptor is seen; it is evident that all these fragments are +made from the same kind of stone; and the weeds which grow in the hollows +of these columns appear what they really are, that is to say, made of +stone, and painted to imitate verdure. + +But if the productions of art scattered through the park of Schoenbrunn +were not all irreproachable, those of nature fully made up the +deficiency. What magnificent trees! What thick hedges! What dense and +refreshing shade! The avenues were remarkably high and broad, and +bordered with trees, which formed a vault impenetrable to the sun, while +the eye lost itself in their many windings; from these other smaller +walks diverged, where fresh surprises were in store at every step. At +the end of the broadest of these was placed the menagerie, which was one +of the most extensive and varied in Europe, and its construction, which +was very ingenious, might well serve as a model; it was shaped like a +star, and in the round center of this star had been erected a small but +very elegant kiosk, placed there by the Empress Maria Theresa as a +resting-place for herself, and from which the whole menagerie could be +viewed at leisure. + +Each point of this star formed a separate garden, where there could be +seen elephants, buffaloes, camels, dromedaries, stags, and kangaroos +grazing; handsome and substantial cages held tigers, bears, leopards, +lions, hyenas, etc; and swans and rare aquatic birds and amphibious +animals sported in basins surrounded by iron gratings. In this menagerie +I specially remarked a very extraordinary animal, which his Majesty had +ordered brought to France, but which had died the day before it was to +have started. This animal was from Poland, and was called a 'curus'; it +was a kind of ox, though much larger than an ordinary ox, with a mane +like a lion, horns rather short and somewhat curved, and enormously large +at the base. + +Every morning, at six o'clock, the drums beat, and two or three hours +after the troops were ordered to parade in the court of honor; and at +precisely ten o'clock his Majesty descended, and put himself at the head +of his generals. + +It is impossible to give an idea of these parades, which in no particular +resembled reviews in Paris. The Emperor, during these reviews, +investigated the smallest details, and examined the soldiers one by one, +so to speak, looked into the eyes of each to see whether there was +pleasure or work in his head, questioned the officers, sometimes also the +soldiers themselves; and it was usually on these occasions that the +Emperor made his promotions. During one of these reviews, if he asked a +colonel who was the bravest officer in his regiment, there was no +hesitation in his answer; and it was always prompt, for he knew that the +Emperor was already well informed on this point. After the colonel had +replied, he addressed himself to all the other officers, saying, "Who is +the bravest among you?"--"Sire, it is such an one; "and the two answers +were almost always the same. "Then," said the Emperor, "I make him a +baron; and I reward in him, not only his own personal bravery, but that +of the corps of which he forms a part. He does not owe this favor to me +alone, but also to the esteem of his comrades." It was the same case +with the soldiers; and those most distinguished for courage or good +conduct were promoted or received rewards, and sometimes pensions, the +Emperor giving one of twelve hundred francs to a soldier, who, on his +first campaign, had passed through the enemy's squadron, bearing on his +shoulders his wounded general, protecting him as he would his own father. + +On these reviews the Emperor could be seen personally inspecting the +haversacks of the soldiers, examining their certificates, or taking a gun +from the shoulders of a young man who was weak, pale; and suffering, and +saying to him, in a sympathetic tone, "That is too heavy for you." He +often drilled them himself; and when he did not, the drilling was +directed by Generals Dorsenne, Curial, or Mouton. Sometimes he was +seized with a sudden whim; for example, one morning, after reviewing a +regiment of the Confederation, he turned to the ordnance officers, and +addressing Prince Salm, who was among them, remarked "M. de Salm, the +soldiers ought to get acquainted with you; approach, and order them to +make a charge in twelve movements." The young prince turned crimson, +without being disconcerted, however, bowed, and drawing his sword most +gracefully, executed the orders of the Emperor with an ease and precision +which charmed him. + +Another day, as the engineer corps passed with about forty wagons, the +Emperor cried, "Halt!" and pointing out a wagon to General Bertrand, +ordered him to summon one of the officers. "What does that wagon +contain?"--"Sire, bolts, bags of nails, ropes, hatchets, and saws."-- +"How much of each?" The officer gave the exact account. His Majesty, to +verify this report, had the wagon emptied, counted the pieces, and found +the number correct; and in order to assure himself that nothing was left +in the wagon, climbed up into it by means of the wheel, holding on to the +spokes. There was a murmur of approbation and cries of joy all along the +line. "Bravo!" they said; "well and good! that is the way to make sure +of not being deceived." All these things conspired to make the soldiers +adore the Emperor. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +At one of the reviews which I have just described, and which usually +attracted a crowd of curious people from Vienna and its suburbs, the +Emperor came near being assassinated. It was on the 13th of October, +his Majesty had just alighted from his horse, and was crossing the court +on foot with the Prince de Neuchatel and General Rapp beside him, when a +young man with a passably good countenance pushed his way rudely through +the crowd, and asked in bad French if he could speak to the Emperor. His +Majesty received him kindly, but not understanding his language, asked +General Rapp to see what the young man wanted, and the general asked him +a few questions; and not satisfied apparently with his answers, ordered +the police-officer on duty to remove him. A sub-officer conducted the +young man out of the circle formed by the staff, and drove him back into +the crowd. This circumstance had been forgotten, when suddenly the +Emperor, on turning, found again near him the pretended suppliant, who +had returned holding his right hand in his breast, as if to draw a +petition from the pocket of his coat. General Rapp seized the man by the +arm, and said to him, "Monsieur, you have already been ordered away; what +do you want?" As he was about to retire a second time the general, +thinking his appearance suspicious, gave orders to the police-officer to +arrest him, and he accordingly made a sign to his subalterns. One of +them seizing him by the collar shook him slightly, when his coat became +partly unbuttoned, and something fell out resembling a package of papers; +on examination it was found to be a large carving knife, with several +folds of gray paper wrapped around it as a sheath; thereupon he was +conducted to General Savary. + +This young man was a student, and the son of a Protestant minister of +Naumbourg; he was called Frederic Stabs, and was about eighteen or +nineteen years old, with a pallid face and effeminate features. He did +not deny for an instant that it was his intention to kill the Emperor; +but on the contrary boasted of it, and expressed his intense regret that +circumstances had prevented the accomplishment of his design. + +He had left his father's house on a horse which the want of money had +compelled him to sell on the way, and none of his relatives or friends +had any knowledge of his plan. The day after his departure he had +written to his father that he need not be anxious about him nor the +horse; that he had long since promised some one to visit Vienna, and his +family would soon hear of him with pride. He had arrived at Vienna only +two days before, and had occupied himself first in obtaining information +as to the Emperor's habits, and finding that he held a review every +morning in the court of the chateau, had been there once in order to +acquaint himself with the locality. The next day he had undertaken to +make the attack, and had been arrested. + +The Duke of Rovigo, after questioning Stabs, sought the Emperor, who had +returned to his apartments, and acquainted him with the danger he had +just escaped. The Emperor at first shrugged his shoulders, but having +been shown the knife which had been taken from Stabs, said, "Ah, ha! +send for the young man; I should like very much to talk with him." The +duke went out, and returned in a few moments with Stabs. When the latter +entered, the Emperor made a gesture of pity, and said to the Prince de +Neuchatel, "Why, really, he is nothing more than a child! +"An interpreter was summoned and the interrogation begun. + +His Majesty first asked the assassin if he had seen him, anywhere before +this. "Yes; I saw you," replied Stabbs, "at Erfurt last year."--"It +seems that a crime is nothing in your eyes. Why did you wish to kill +me?"--"To kill you is not a crime; on the contrary, it is the duty of +every good German. I wished to kill you because you are the oppressor of +Germany."--"It is not I who commenced the war; it is your nation. Whose +picture is this?" (the Emperor held in his hands the picture of a woman +that had been found on Stabs). "It is that of my best friend, my +father's adopted daughter."--" What! and you are an assassin! and have +no fear of afflicting and destroying beings who are so dear to you?"--"I +wished to do my duty, and nothing could have deterred me from it."--"But +how would you have succeeded in, striking me? "--"I would first have +asked you if we were soon to have peace; and if you had answered no, I +should have stabbed you."--"He is mad!" said the Emperor; "he is +evidently mad! And how could you have hoped to escape, after you had +struck me thus in the midst of my soldiers?"--"I knew well to what I was +exposing myself, and am astonished to be still alive." This boldness +made such a deep impression on the Emperor that he remained silent for +several moments, intently regarding Stabs, who remained entirely unmoved +under this scrutiny. Then the Emperor continued, "The one you love will +be much distressed."--"Oh, she will no doubt be distressed because I did +not succeed, for she hates you at least as much as I hate you myself."-- +"Suppose I pardoned you?"--"You would be wrong, for I would again try to +kill you." The Emperor summoned M. Corvisart and said to him, "This +young man is either sick or insane, it cannot be otherwise."--"I am +neither the one nor the other," replied the assassin quickly. +M. Corvisart felt Stabs's pulse. "This gentleman is well," he said. +"I have already told you so," replied Stabs with a triumphant air.-- +"Well, doctor," said his Majesty, "this young man who is in such good +health has traveled a hundred miles to assassinate me." + +Notwithstanding this declaration of the physician and the avowal of +Stabs, the Emperor, touched by the coolness and assurance of the +unfortunate fellow, again offered him his pardon, upon the sole condition +of expressing some repentance for his crime.; but as Stabs again asserted +that his only regret was that he had not succeeded in his undertaking, +the Emperor reluctantly gave him up to punishment. + +After he was conducted to prison, as he still persisted in his +assertions, he was immediately brought before a military commission, +which condemned him to death. He did not undergo his punishment till the +17th; and after the 13th, the day on which he was arrested, took no food, +saying that he would have strength enough to go to his death. The +Emperor had ordered that the execution should be delayed as long as +possible, in the hope that sooner or later Stabs would repent; but he +remained unshaken. As he was being conducted to the place where he was +to be shot, some one having told him that peace had just been concluded, +he cried in a loud voice, "Long live liberty! Long live Germany!" +These were his last words. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +During his stay at Schoenbrunn the Emperor was constantly engaged in +gallant adventures. He was one day promenading on the Prater in Vienna, +with a very numerous suite (the Prater is a handsome promenade situated +in the Faubourg Leopold), when a young German, widow of a rich merchant, +saw him, and exclaimed involuntarily to the ladies promenading with her, +"It is he!" This exclamation was overheard by his Majesty, who stopped +short, and bowed to the ladies with a smile, while the one who had spoken +blushed crimson; the Emperor comprehended this unequivocal sign, looked +at her steadfastly, and then continued his walk. + +For sovereigns there are neither long attacks nor great difficulties, and +this new conquest of his Majesty was not less rapid than the others. In +order not to be separated from her illustrious lover, Madame B---- +followed the army to Bavaria, and afterwards came to him at Paris, where +she died in 1812. + +His Majesty's attention was attracted by a charming young person one +morning in the suburbs of Schoenbrunn; and some one was ordered to see +this young lady, and arrange for a rendezvous at the chateau the +following evening. Fortune favored his Majesty on this occasion. The +eclat of so illustrious a name, and the renown of his victories, had +produced a deep impression on the mind of the young girl, and had +disposed her to listen favorably to the propositions made to her. She +therefore eagerly consented to meet him at the chateau; and at the +appointed hour the person of whom I have spoken came for her, and I +received her on her arrival, and introduced her to his Majesty. She did +not speak French, but she knew Italian well, and it was consequently easy +for the Emperor to converse with her; and he soon learned with +astonishment that this charming young lady belonged to a very honorable +family of Vienna, and that in coming to him that evening she was inspired +alone by a desire to express to him her sincere admiration. The Emperor +respected the innocence of the young girl, had her reconducted to her +parents' residence, and gave orders that a marriage should be arranged +for her, and that it should be rendered more advantageous by means of a +considerable dowry. + +At Schoenbrunn, as at Paris, his Majesty dined habitually at six o'clock; +but since he worked sometimes very far into the night, care was taken to +prepare every evening a light supper, which was placed in a little locked +basket covered with oil-cloth. There were two keys to this basket; one +of which the steward kept, and I the other. The care of this basket +belonged to me alone; and as his Majesty was extremely busy, he hardly +ever asked for supper. One evening Roustan, who had been busily occupied +all day in his master's service, was in a little room next to the +Emperor's, and meeting me just after I had assisted in putting his +Majesty to bed, said to me in his bad French, looking at the basket with +an envious eye, "I could eat a chicken wing myself; I am very hungry." +I refused at first; but finally, as I knew that the Emperor had gone to +bed, and had no idea he would take a fancy to ask me for supper that +evening, I let Roustan have it. He, much delighted, began with a leg, +and next took a wing; and I do not know if any of the chicken would have +been left had I not suddenly heard the bell ring sharply. I entered the +room, and was shocked to hear the Emperor say to me, "Constant, my +chicken." My embarrassment may be imagined. I had no other chicken; and +by what means, at such an hour, could I procure one! At last I decided +what to do. It was best to cut up the fowl, as thus I would be able to +conceal the absence of the two limbs Roustan had eaten; so I entered +proudly with the chicken replaced on the dish Roustan following me, for I +was very willing, if there were any reproaches, to share them with him. +I picked up the remaining wing, and presented it to the Emperor; but he +refused it, saying to me, "Give me the chicken; I will choose for +myself." This time there was no means of saving ourselves, for the +dismembered chicken must pass under his Majesty's eyes. "See here," said +he, "since when did chickens begin to have only one wing and one leg? +That is fine; it seems that I must eat what others leave. Who, then, +eats half of my supper?" I looked at Roustan, who in confusion replied, +"I was very hungry, Sire, and I ate a wing and leg."--"What, you idiot! +so it was you, was it?" + +"Ah, I will punish you for it." And without another word the Emperor ate +the remaining leg and wing. + +The next day at his toilet he summoned the grand marshal for some +purpose, and during the conversation said, "I leave you to guess what I +ate last night for my supper. The scraps which M. Roustan left. Yes, +the wretch took a notion to eat half of my chicken." Roustan entered at +that moment. "Come here, you idiot," continued the Emperor; "and the +next time this happens, be sure you will pay for it." Saying this, he +seized him by the ears and laughed heartily. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + +On the 22d of May, ten days after the triumphant entry of the Emperor +into the Austrian capital, the battle of Essling took place, a bloody +combat lasting from four in the morning till six in the evening. This +battle was sadly memorable to all the old soldiers of the Empire, since +it cost the life of perhaps the bravest of them all,--the Duke of +Montebello, the devoted friend of the Emperor, the only one who shared +with Marshal Augereau the right to speak to him frankly face to face. + +The evening before the battle the marshal entered his Majesty's +residence, and found him surrounded by several persons. The Duke of---- +always undertook to place himself between the Emperor and persons who +wished to speak with him. The Duke of Montebello, seeing him play his +usual game, took him by the lappet of his coat, and, wheeling him around, +said to him: "Take yourself away from here! The Emperor does not need +you to stand guard. It is singular that on the field of battle you are +always so far from us that we cannot see you, while here we can say +nothing to the Emperor without your being in the way." The duke was +furious. He looked first at the marshal, then at the Emperor, who simply +said, "Gently Lannes." + +That evening in the domestic apartments they were discussing this +apostrophe of the marshal's. An officer of the army of Egypt said that +he was not surprised, since the Duke of Montebello had never forgiven the +Duke of ---- for the three hundred sick persons poisoned at Jaffa. + +Dr. Lannefranque, one of those who attended the unfortunate Duke of +Montebello, said that as he was mounting his horse on starting to the +island of Lobau, the duke was possessed by gloomy presentiments. He +paused a moment, took M. Lannefranque's hand, and pressed it, saying to +him with a sad smile, "Au revoir; you will soon see us again, perhaps. +There will be work for you and for those gentlemen to-day," pointing to +several surgeons and doctors standing near. "M. le Duc," replied +Lannefranque, "this day will add yet more to your glory."--"My glory," +interrupted the marshal eagerly; "do you wish me to speak frankly? I do +not approve very highly of this affair; and, moreover, whatever may be +the issue, this will be my last battle." The doctor wished to ask the +marshal his reasons for this conviction; but he set off at a gallop, and +was soon out of sight. + +On the morning of the battle, about six or seven o'clock, the Austrians +had already advanced, when an aide-de-camp came to announce to his +Majesty that a sudden rise in the Danube had washed down a great number +of large trees which had been cut down when Vienna was taken, and that +these trees had driven against and broken the bridges which served as +communication between Essling and the island of Lobau; and in consequence +of this the reserve corps, part of the heavy cavalry, and Marshal +Davoust's entire corps, found themselves forced to remain inactive on the +other side. This misfortune arrested the movement which the Emperor was +preparing to make, and the enemy took courage. + +The Duke of Montebello received orders to hold the field of battle, and +took his position, resting on the village of Essling, instead of +continuing the pursuit of the Austrians which he had already begun, and +held this position from nine o'clock in the morning till the evening; and +at seven o'clock in the evening the battle was gained. At six o'clock +the unfortunate marshal, while standing on an elevation to obtain a +better view of the movements, was struck by a cannon-ball, which broke +his right thigh and his left knee. + +He thought at first that he had only a few moments to live, and had +himself carried on a litter to the Emperor, saying that he wished to +embrace him before he died. The Emperor, seeing him thus weltering in +his blood, had the litter placed on the ground, and, throwing himself on +his knees, took the marshal in his arms, and said to him, weeping, +"Lannes, do you know me?"--"Yes, Sire; you are losing your best friend." +--"No! no! you will live. Can you not answer for his life, M. +Larrey?" The wounded soldiers hearing his Majesty speak thus, tried to +rise on their elbows, and cried, "Vive l'Empereur!" + +The surgeons carried the marshal to a little village called Ebersdorf, on +the bank of the river, and near the field of battle. At the house of a +brewer they found a room over a stable where the heat was stifling, and +was rendered still more unendurable from the odor of the corpses by which +the house was surrounded. + +But as no other place could be found, it was necessary to make the best +of it. The marshal bore the amputation of his limb with heroic courage; +but the fever which came on immediately was so violent that, fearing he +would die under the operation, the surgeons postponed cutting off his +other leg. This fever was caused partly by exhaustion, for at the time +he was wounded the marshal had eaten nothing for twenty-four hours. +Finally Messieurs Larrey, + + [Baron Dominique Jean Larrey, eminent surgeon, born at Bagneres-de + -Bigorre, 1766. Accompanied Napoleon to Egypt. Surgeon-in-chief of + the grand army, 1812. Wounded and taken prisoner at Waterloo. In + his will the Emperor styles him the best man he had ever known. + Died 1842.] + +Yvan, Paulet, and Lannefranque decided on the second amputation; and +after this had been performed the quiet condition of the wounded man made +them hopeful of saving his life. But it was not to be. The fever +increased, and became of a most alarming character; and in spite of the +attentions of these skillful surgeons, and of Doctor Frank, then the most +celebrated physician in Europe, the marshal breathed his last on the 31st +of May, at five o'clock in the morning, barely forty years of age. + +During his week of agony (for his sufferings may be called by that name) +the Emperor came often to see him, and always left in deep distress. I +also went to see the marshal each day for the Emperor, and admired the +patience with which he endured these sufferings, although he had no hope; +for he knew well that he was dying, and saw these sad tidings reflected +in every face. It was touching and terrible to see around his house, his +door, in his chamber even, these old grenadiers of the guard, always +stolid and unmoved till now, weeping and sobbing like children. What an +atrocious thing war seems at such moments. + +The evening before his death the marshal said to me, "I see well, my dear +Constant, that I must die. I wish that your master could have ever near +him men as devoted as I. Tell the Emperor I would like to see him." As +I was going out the Emperor entered, a deep silence ensued, and every one +retired; but the door of the room being half open we could hear a part of +the conversation, which was long and painful. The marshal recalled his +services to the Emperor, and ended with these words, pronounced in tones +still strong and firm: "I do not say this to interest you in my family; I +do not need to recommend to you my wife and children. Since I die for +you, your glory will bid you protect them; and I do not fear in +addressing you these last words, dictated by sincere affection, to change +your plans towards them. You have just made a great mistake, and +although it deprives you of your best friend you will not correct it. +Your ambition is insatiable, and will destroy you. You sacrifice +unsparingly and unnecessarily those men who serve you best; and when they +fall you do not regret them. You have around you only flatterers; I see +no friend who dares to tell you the truth. You will be betrayed and +abandoned. Hasten to end this war; it is the general wish. You will +never be more powerful, but you may be more beloved. Pardon these truths +in a dying man--who, dying, loves you." + +The marshal, as he finished, held out his hand to the Emperor, who +embraced him, weeping, and in silence. + +The day of the marshal's death his body was given to M. Larrey and M. +Cadet de Gassicourt, ordinary chemist to the Emperor, with orders to +preserve it, as that of Colonel Morland had been, who was killed at the +battle of Austerlitz. For this purpose the corpse was carried to +Schoenbrunn, and placed in the left wing of the chateau, far from the +inhabited rooms. In a few hours putrefaction became complete, and they +were obliged to plunge the mutilated body into a bath filled with +corrosive sublimate. This extremely dangerous operation was long and +painful; and M. Cadet de Gassicourt deserves much commendation for the +courage he displayed under these circumstances; for notwithstanding every +precaution, and in spite of the strong disinfectants burned in the room, +the odor of this corpse was so fetid, and the vapor from the sublimate so +strong, that the distinguished chemist was seriously indisposed. + +Like several other persons, I had a sad curiosity to see the marshal's +body in this condition. It was frightful. The trunk, which had been +covered by the solution, was greatly swollen; while on the contrary, the +head, which had been left outside the bath, had shrunk remarkably, and +the muscles of the face had contracted in the most hideous manner, the +wide-open eyes starting out of their sockets. After the body had +remained eight days in the corrosive sublimate, which it was necessary to +renew, since the emanations from the interior of the corpse had +decomposed the solution, it was put into a cask made for the purpose, and +filled with the same liquid; and it was in this cask that it was carried +from Schoenbrunn to Strasburg. In this last place it was taken out of +the strange coffin, dried in a net, and wrapped in the Egyptian style; +that is, surrounded with bandages, with the face uncovered. M. Larrey +and M. de Gassicourt confided this honorable task to M. Fortin, a young +chemist major, who in 1807 had by his indefatigable courage and +perseverance saved from certain death nine hundred sick, abandoned, +without physicians or surgeons, in a hospital near Dantzic, and nearly +all suffering from an infectious malady. In the month of March, 1810 +(what follows is an extract from the letter of M. Fortin to his master +and friend M. Cadet de Gassicourt), the Duchess of Montebello, in passing +through Strasburg, wished to see again the husband she loved so tenderly. + +"Thanks to you and M. Larrey (it is M. Fortin who speaks), the embalming +of the marshal has succeeded perfectly. When I drew the body from the +cask I found it in a state of perfect preservation. I arranged a net in +a lower hall of the mayor's residence, in which I dried it by means of a +stove, the heat being carefully regulated. I then had a very handsome +coffin made of hard wood well oiled; and the marshal wrapped in bandages, +his face uncovered, was placed in an open coffin near that of General +Saint-Hilaire in a subterranean vault, of which I have the key. A +sentinel watches there day and night. M. Wangen de Gueroldseck, mayor of +Strasburg, has given me every assistance in my work. + +"This was the state of affairs when, an hour after her Majesty the +Empress's arrival, Madame, the Duchess of Montebello, who accompanied her +as lady of honor, sent M. Cretu, her cousin at whose house she was to +visit, to seek me. I came in answer to her orders; and the duchess +questioned and complimented me on the honorable mission with which I was +charged, and then expressed to me, with much agitation, her desire to see +for the last time the body of her husband. I hesitated a few moments +before answering her, and foreseeing the effect which would be produced +on her by the sad spectacle, told her that the orders which I had +received would prevent my doing what she wished; but she insisted in such +a pressing manner that I yielded. We agreed (in order not to compromise +me, and that she might not be recognized) that I would-go for her at +midnight, and that she would be accompanied by one of her relatives. + +"I went to the duchess at the appointed hour; and as soon as I arrived, +she rose and said that she was ready to accompany me. I waited a few +moments, begging her to consider the matter well. I warned her of the +condition in which she would find the marshal, and begged her to reflect +on the impression she would receive in the sad place she was about to +visit. She replied that she was well, prepared for this, and felt that +she had the necessary, courage, and she hoped to find in this last visit +some amelioration of the bitter sorrow she endured. While speaking thus, +her sad and beautiful countenance was calm and pensive. We then started, +M. Cretu giving his arm to his cousin. The duchess's carriage followed +at a distance, empty; and two servants followed us. + +"The city was illuminated; and the good inhabitants were all taking +holiday, and in many houses gay music was inspiriting them to the +celebration of this memorable day. What a contrast between this gayety +and the quest in which we were engaged! I saw that the steps of the +duchess dragged now and then, while she sighed and shuddered; and my own +heart seemed oppressed, my ideas confused. + +"At last we arrived at the mayor's residence, where Madame de Montebello +gave her servants orders to await her, and descended slowly, accompanied +by her cousin and myself, to the door of the lower hall. A lantern +lighted our way, and the duchess trembled while she affected a sort of +bravery; but when she entered a sort of cavern, the silence of the dead +which reigned in this subterranean vault, the mournful light which filled +it, the sight of the corpse extended in its coffin, produced a terrible +effect on her; she gave a piercing scream, and fainted. I had foreseen +this, and had watched her attentively; and as soon as I saw her strength +failing, supported her in my arms and seated her, having in readiness +everything necessary to restore her. I used these remedies, and she +revived at the end of a few moments; and we then begged her to withdraw, +but she refused; then rose, approached the coffin, and walked around it +slowly in silence; then stopping and letting her folded hands fall by her +side, she remained for some time immovable, regarding the inanimate +figure of her husband, and watering it with her tears. At last she in a +measure regained her self-control and exclaimed in stifled tones through +her sobs, Mon Dieu, mon Dieu! how he is changed!' I made a sign to M. +Cretu that it was time to retire; but we could drag the duchess away only +by promising her to bring her back next day,--a promise which could not +be kept. I closed the door quickly, and gave my arm to the duchess, +which she gratefully accepted. When we left the mayoralty I took leave +of her; but she insisted on my entering her carriage, and gave orders to +carry me to my residence. In this short ride she shed a torrent of +tears; and when the carriage stopped, said to me with inexpressible +kindness, 'I shall never forget, Monsieur, the important service you have +just rendered me.'" + +Long after this the Emperor and Empress Marie Louise visited together +the manufacture of Sevres porcelain, and the Duchess of Montebello +accompanied the Empress as lady of honor. The Emperor, seeing a fine +bust of the marshal, in bisque, exquisitely made, paused, and, not +noticing the pallor which overspread the countenance of the duchess, +asked her what she thought of this bust, and if it was a good likeness. +The widow felt as if her old wound was reopened; she could not reply, and +retired, bathed in tears, and it was several days before she reappeared +at court. Apart from the fact that this unexpected question renewed her +grief, the inconceivable thoughtlessness the Emperor had shown wounded +her so deeply that, her friends had much difficulty in persuading her to +resume her duties near the Empress. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +The battle of Essling was disastrous in every respect. Twelve thousand +Frenchmen were slain; and the source of all this trouble was the +destruction of the bridges, which could have been prevented, it seems to +me, for the same accident had occurred two or three days before the +battle. The soldiers complained loudly, and several corps of the +infantry cried out to the generals to dismount and fight in their midst; +but this ill humor in no wise affected their courage or patience, for +regiments remained five hours under arms, exposed to the most terrible +fire. Three times during the evening the Emperor sent to inquire of +General Massena if he could hold his position; and the brave captain, who +that day saw his son on the field of battle for the first time, and his +friends and his bravest officers falling by dozens around him, held it +till night closed in. "I will not fall back," said he, "while there is +light. Those rascally Austrians would be too glad." The constancy of +the marshal saved the day; but, as he himself said, he was always blessed +with good luck. In the beginning of the battle, seeing that one of his +stirrups was too long, he called a soldier to shorten it, and during this +operation placed his leg on his horse's neck; a cannon-ball whizzed by, +killed the soldier, and cut off the stirrup, without touching the marshal +or his horse. "There," said he, "now I shall have to get down and change +my saddle;" which observation the marshal made in a jesting tone. + +The surgeon and his assistants conducted themselves admirably on this +terrible day, and displayed a zeal equal to every emergency, combined +with an activity which delighted the Emperor so much, that several times, +in passing near them, he called them "my brave surgeons." M. Larrey +above all was sublime. After having attended to all the wounded of the +guard, who were crowded together on the Island of Lobau, he asked if +there was any broth to give them. "No," replied the assistants. "Have +some made," said he, "have some made of that group," pointing to several +horses near him; but these horses belonged to a general, and when it was +attempted to carry out M. Larrey's orders, the owner indignantly refused +to allow them to be taken. "Well, take mine then," said the brave +soldier, "and have them killed, in order that my comrades may have +broth." This was done; and as no pots could be found on the island it +was boiled in helmets, and salted with cannon powder in place of salt. +Marshal Massena tasted this soup, and thought it very good. One hardly +knows which to admire most,--the zeal of the surgeons, the courage with +which they confronted danger in caring for the wounded on the field of +battle, and even in the midst of the conflict; or the stoical constancy +of the soldiers, who, lying on the ground, some without an arm, some +without a leg, talked over their campaigns with each other while waiting +to be operated on, some even going so far as to show excessive +politeness. "M. Docteur, begin with my neighbor; he is suffering more +than I. I can wait." + +A cannoneer had both legs carried away by a ball; two of his comrades +picked him up and made a litter with branches of trees, on which they +placed him in order to convey him to the island. The poor mutilated +fellow did not utter a single groan, but murmured, "I am very thirsty," +from time to time, to those who bore him. As they passed one of the +bridges, he begged them to stop and seek a little wine or brandy to +restore his strength. They believed him, and did as he requested, but +had not gone twenty steps when the cannoneer called to them, "Don't go so +fast, my comrades; I have no legs, and I will reach the end of my journey +sooner than you. 'Vive la France;'" and, with a supreme effort, he +rolled off into the Danube. + +The conduct of a surgeon-major of the guard, some time after, came near +compromising the entire corps in his Majesty's opinion. This surgeon, M. +M----, lodged with General Dorsenne and some superior officers in a +pretty country seat, belonging to the Princess of Lichtenstein, the +concierge of the house being an old German who was blunt and peculiar, +and served them with the greatest repugnance, making them as +uncomfortable as possible. In vain, for instance, they requested of him +linen for the beds and table; he always pretended not to hear. + +General Dorsenne wrote to the princess, complaining of this condition of +affairs; and in consequence she no doubt gave orders, but the general's +letter remained unanswered, and several days passed with no change of +affairs. They had had no change of napkins for a month, when the general +took a fancy to give a grand supper, at which Rhenish and Hungarian wine +were freely indulged in, followed by punch. The host was highly +complimented; but with these praises were mingled energetic reproaches on +the doubtful whiteness of the napery, General Dorsenne excusing himself +on the score of the ill-humor and sordid economy of the concierge, who +was a fit exponent of the scant courtesy shown by the princess. "That is +unendurable!" cried the joyous guests in chorus. "This hostess who so +completely ignores us must be called to order. Come, M----, take pen and +paper and write her some strong epigrams; we must teach this princess of +Germany how to live. French officers and conquerors sleeping in rumpled +sheets, and using soiled napkins! What an outrage!" M. M was only too +faithful an interpreter of the unanimous sentiments of these gentlemen; +and under the excitement of the fumes of these Hungarian wines wrote the +Princess of Lichtenstein a letter such as during the Carnival itself one +would not dare to write even to public women. How can I express what +must have been Madame Lichtenstein's horror on reading this production,-- +an incomprehensible collection of all the low expressions that army slang +could furnish! The evidence of a third person was necessary to convince +her that the signature, M----, Surgeon-major of the Imperial French +Guard, was not the forgery of some miserable drunkard. In her profound +indignation the princess hastened to General Andreossy, his Majesty's +Governor of Vienna, showed him this letter, and demanded vengeance. +Whereupon the general, even more incensed than she, entered his carriage, +and, proceeding to Schoenbrunn, laid the wonderful production before the +Emperor. The Emperor read it, recoiled three paces, his cheeks reddened +with anger, his whole countenance was disturbed, and in a terrible tone +ordered the grand marshal to summon M. M----, while every one waited in +trembling suspense. + +"Did you write this disgusting letter?"--"Sire."--"Reply, I order you; +was it you?"--"Yes, Sire, in a moment of forgetfulness, after a supper." +--"Wretch!" cried his Majesty, in such a manner as to terrify all who +heard him. "You deserve to be instantly shot! Insult a woman so basely! +And an old woman too. Have you no mother? I respect and honor every old +woman because she reminds me of my mother!"--"Sire, I am guilty, I admit, +but my repentance is great. Deign to remember my services. I have +followed you through eighteen campaigns; I am the father of a family." +These last words only increased the anger of his Majesty. "Let him be +arrested! Tear off his decorations; he is unworthy to wear them. Let +him be tried in twenty-four hours." Then turning to the generals, who +stood stupefied and immovable around him, he exclaimed, "Look, gentlemen! +read this! See how this blackguard addresses a princess, and at the very +moment when her husband is negotiating a peace with me." + +The parade was very short that day; and as soon as it was ended, Generals +Dorsenne and Larrey hastened to Madame Lichtenstein, and, describing to +her the scene which had just taken place, made her most humble apologies, +in the name of the Imperial Guard, and at the same time entreated her to +intercede for the unfortunate fellow, who deserved blame, no doubt, but +who was not himself when he wrote the offensive epistle. "He repents +bitterly, Madame," said good M. Larrey; "he weeps over his fault, and +bravely awaits his punishment, esteeming it a just reparation of the +insult to you. But he is one of the best officers of the army; he is +beloved and esteemed; he has saved the life of thousands, and his +distinguished talents are the only fortune his family possesses. What +will become of them if he is shot?"--"Shot!" exclaimed the princess; +"shot! Bon-Dieu! would the matter be carried as far as that?" Then +General Dorsenne described to her the Emperor's resentment as +incomparably deeper than her own; and the princess, much moved, +immediately wrote the Emperor a letter, in which she expressed herself as +grateful, and fully satisfied with the reparation which had already been +made, and entreated him to pardon M. M---- + +His Majesty read the letter, but made no reply. The princess was again +visited; and she had by this time become so much alarmed that she +regretted exceedingly having shown the letter of M. M---- to the general; +and, having decided at any cost to obtain the surgeon's pardon, she +addressed a petition to the Emperor, which closed with this sentence, +expressing angelic forgiveness: "Sire, I am going to fall on my knees in +my oratory, and will not rise until I have obtained from Heaven your +Majesty's pardon." The Emperor could no longer hold out; he granted the +pardon, and M. M---- was released after a month of close confinement. +M. Larrey was charged by his Majesty to reprove him most severely, with a +caution to guard more carefully the honor of the corps to which he +belonged; and the remonstrances of this excellent man were made in so +paternal a manner that they doubled in M. M----'s eyes the value of the +inestimable service M. Larrey had rendered him. + +M. le Baron Larrey was always most disinterested in his kind services, a +fact which was well known and often abused. General d'A----, the son of +a rich senator, had his shoulder broken by a shell at Wagram; and an +exceedingly delicate operation was found necessary, requiring a skilled +hand, and which M. Larrey alone could perform. This operation was a +complete success; but the wounded man had a delicate constitution, which +had been much impaired, and consequently required the most incessant care +and attention. M. Larrey hardly ever left his bedside, and was assisted +by two medical students, who watched by turns, and assisted him in +dressing the wound. The treatment was long and painful, but a complete +cure was the result; and when almost entirely recovered, the general took +leave of the Emperor to return to France. A pension and decorations +canceled the debt of the head of the state to him, but the manner in +which he acquitted his own towards the man who had saved his life is +worthy of consideration. + +As he entered his carriage he handed to one of his friends a letter and a +little box, saying to this general, "I cannot leave Vienna without +thanking M. Larrey; do me the favor of handing to him for me this mark of +my gratitude. Good Larrey, I will never forget the services he has +rendered me." Next day the friend performed his commission; and a +soldier was sent with the letter and the present, and, as he reached +Schoenbrunn during the parade, sought M. Larrey in the line. "Here is a +letter and a box which I bring from General A----." M. Larrey put both +in his pocket, but after the parade examined them, and showed the package +to Cadet de Gassicourt, saying, "Look at it, and tell me what you think +of it." The letter was very prettily written; as for the box, it +contained a diamond worth about sixty francs. + +This pitiful recompense recalls one both glorious and well-earned which +M. Larrey received from the Emperor during the campaign in Egypt. At the +battle of Aboukir, General Fugieres was operated on by M. Larrey under +the enemies' fire for a dangerous wound on the shoulder; and thinking +himself about to die, offered his sword to General Bonaparte, saying to +him, "General, perhaps one day you may envy my fate." The general-in- +chief presented this sword to M. Larrey, after having engraved on it the +name of M. Larrey and that of the battle. However, General Fugieres did +not die; his life was saved by the skillful operation he had undergone, +and for seventeen years he commanded the Invalids at Avignon. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +It is not in the presence of the enemy that differences in the manner and +bearing of soldiers can be remarked, for the requirements of the service +completely engross both the ideas and time of officers, whatever their +grade, and uniformity of occupation produces also a kind of uniformity of +habit and character; but, in the monotonous life of the camp, differences +due to nature and education reassert themselves. I noted this many times +after the truces and treaties of peace which crowned the most glorious +campaigns of the Emperor, and had occasion to renew my observations on +this point during the long sojourn which we made at Schoenbrunn with the +army. Military tone in the army is a most difficult thing to define, and +differs according to rank, time of service, and kind of service; and +there are no genuine soldiers except those who form part of the line, or +who command it. In the soldiers' opinion, the Prince de Neuchatel and +his brilliant staff, the grand marshal, Generals Bertrand, Bacler d'Albe, +etc., were only men of the cabinet council, whose experience might be of +some use in such deliberations, but to whom bravery was not +indispensable. + +The chief generals, such as Prince Eugene, Marshals Oudinot, Davoust, +Bessieres, and his Majesty's aides-decamp, Rapp, Lebrun, Lauriston, +Mouton, etc., were exceedingly affable, and every one was most politely +received by them; their dignity never became haughtiness, nor their ease +an excessive familiarity, though their manners were at all times slightly +tinged by the austerity inseparable from the character of a warrior. +This was not the idea held in the army in regard to a few of the ordnance +and staff officers (aides-de-camp); for, while according them all the +consideration due both to their education and their courage, they called +them the jay-birds of the army; receiving favors which others deserved; +obtaining cordons and promotions for carrying a few letters into camp, +often without having even seen the enemy; insulting by their luxury the +modest temperance of the braver officers; and more foppish in the midst +of their battalions than in the boudoirs of their mistresses. The +silver-gilt box of one of these gentlemen was a complete portable +dressing-case, and contained, instead of cartridges, essence bottles, +brushes, a mirror, a tongue-scraper, a shell-comb, and--I do not know +that it lacked even a pot of rouge. It could not be said that they were +not brave, for they would allow themselves to be killed for a glance; +but they were very, rarely exposed to danger. Foreigners would be right +in maintaining the assertion that the French soldier is frivolous, +presumptuous, impertinent, and immoral, if they formed their judgment +alone from these officers by courtesy, who, in place of study and +faithful service, had often no other title to their rank than the merit +of having emigrated. + +The officers of the line, who had served in several campaigns and had +gained their epaulettes on the field of battle, held a very different +position in the army. Always grave, polite, and considerate, there was a +kind of fraternity among them; and having known suffering and misery +themselves, they were always ready to help others; and their +conversation, though not distinguished by brilliant information, was +often full of interest. In nearly every case boasting quitted them with +their youth, and the bravest were always the most modest. Influenced by +no imaginary points of honor, they estimated themselves at their real +worth; and all fear of being suspected of cowardice was beneath them. +With these brave soldiers, who often united to the greatest kindness of +heart a mettle no less great, a flat contradiction or even a little hasty +abuse from one of their brothers in arms was not obliged to be washed out +in blood; and examples of the moderation which true courage alone has a +right to show were not rare in the army. Those who cared least for +money, and were most generous, were most exposed, the artillerymen and +the hussars, for instance. At Wagram I saw a lieutenant pay a louis for +a bottle of brandy, and immediately divide it among the soldiers of his +company; and brave officers often formed such an attachment to their +regiment, especially if it had distinguished itself, that they sometimes +refused promotion rather than be separated from their children, as they +called them. In them we behold the true model of the French soldier; and +it is this kindness, mingled with the austerity of a warrior, this +attachment of the chief to the soldier, which the latter is so capable of +appreciating, and an impregnable honor, which serve to distinguish our +soldiers from all others, and not, as foreigners think, presumption, +braggadocio, and libertinage, which latter are ever the characteristics +of the parasites of glory alone. + +In the camp of Lobau on the evening before the battle of Wagram, the +Emperor, as he was walking outside his tent, stopped a moment watching +the grenadiers of his guard who were breakfasting. "Well, my children, +what do you think of the wine?"--"It will not make us tipsy, Sire; there +is our cellar," said a soldier pointing to the Danube. The Emperor, who +had ordered a bottle of good wine to be distributed to each soldier, was +surprised to see that they were so abstemious the evening before a +battle. He inquired of the Prince de Neuchatel the cause of this; and +upon investigation, it was learned that two storekeepers and an employee +in the commissary department had sold forty thousand bottles of the wine +which the Emperor had ordered to be distributed, and had replaced it with +some of inferior quality. This wine had been seized by the Imperial +Guard in a rich abbey, and was valued at thirty thousand florins. The +culprits were arrested, tried, and condemned to death. + +There was in the camp at Lobau a dog which I think all the army knew by +the name of corps-de-garde. He was old, emaciated, and ugly; but his +moral qualities caused his exterior defects to be quickly lost sight of. +He was sometimes called the brave dog of the Empire; since he had +received a bayonet stroke at Marengo, and had a paw broken by a gun at +Austerlitz, being at that time attached to a regiment of dragoons. He +had no master. He was in the habit of attaching himself to a corps, and +continuing faithful so long as they fed him well and did not beat him. +A kick or a blow with the flat of a sword would cause him to desert this +regiment, and pass on to another. He was unusually intelligent; and +whatever position of the corps in which he might be the was serving, he +did not abandon it, or confound it with any other, and in the thickest of +the fight was always near the banner he had chosen; and if in the camp he +met a soldier from the regiment he had deserted, he would droop his ears, +drop his tail between his legs, and scamper off quickly to rejoin his new +brothers in arms. When his regiment was on the march he circled as a +scout all around it, and gave warning by a bark if he found anything +unusual, thus on more than one occasion saving his comrades from ambush. + +Among the officers who perished at the battle of Wagram, or rather in a +small engagement which took place after the battle had ended, one of +those most regretted by the soldiers was General Oudet. He was one of +the bravest generals of the army; but what brings his name especially to +mind, among all those whom the army lost on that memorable day, is a note +which I have preserved of a conversation I held several years after this +battle with an excellent officer who was one of my sincerest friends. + +In a conversation with Lieutenant-colonel B---- in 1812, he remarked, "I +must tell you, my dear Constant, of a strange adventure which happened to +me at Wagram. I did not tell you at the time, because I had promised to +be silent; but since at the present time no one can be compromised by my +indiscretion, and since those who then had most to fear if their singular +ideas (for I can call them by no other name) had been revealed, would now +be first to laugh at them, I can well inform you of the mysterious +discovery I made at that period. + +"You well know that I was much attached to poor F---- whom we so much +regretted; and he was one of our most popular and attractive officers, +his good qualities winning the hearts of all, especially of those who +like himself had an unfailing fund of frankness and good humor. All at +once I noticed a great change in his manner, as well as in that of his +habitual companions; they appeared gloomy, and met together no more for +gay conversation, but on the contrary spoke in low tones and with an air +of mystery. More than once this sudden change had struck me; and if by +chance I met them in retired places, instead of receiving me cordially as +had always been their custom, they seemed as if trying to avoid me. At +last, weary of this inexplicable mystery, I took F---- aside, and asked +him what this strange conduct meant. 'You have forestalled me, my dear +friend,' said he. 'I was on the point of making an important disclosure; +I trust you will not accuse me of want of confidence, but swear to me +before I confide in you that you will tell no living soul what I am now +going to reveal.' When I had taken this oath, which he demanded of me in +a tone of gravity which surprised me inexpressibly, he continued, 'If I +have not already told you of the 'Philadelphi', it is only because I knew +that reasons which I respect would prevent your ever joining them; but +since you have asked this secret, it would be a want of confidence in +you, and at the same time perhaps an imprudence, not to reveal it. Some +patriots have united themselves under the title of 'Philadelphi', in +order to save our country from the dangers to which it is exposed. The +Emperor Napoleon has tarnished the glory of the First Consul Bonaparte; +he had saved our liberty, but he has since destroyed it by the +reestablishment of the nobility and by the Concordat. The society of the +'Philadelphi' has as yet no well-defined plans for preventing the evils +with which ambition will continue to overwhelm France; but when peace is +restored we shall see if it is impossible to force Bonaparte to restore +republican institutions, and meanwhile we are overcome by grief and +despair. The brave chief of the 'Philadelphi', the pure Oudet, has been +assassinated, and who is worthy to take his place? Poor Oudet! never +was one braver or more eloquent than he! With a noble haughtiness and an +immovable firmness of character, he possessed an excellent heart. His +first battle showed his intrepid spirit. When cut down at Saint +Bartholomew by a ball, his comrades wished to bear him away, "No, no," +cried he; "don't waste time over me. The Spaniards! the Spaniards!"-- +"Shall we leave you to the enemy?" said one of those who had advanced +towards him. "Well, drive them back if you do not wish me to be left +with them." At the beginning of the campaign of Wagram, he was colonel +of the Ninth regiment of the line, and was made general of brigade on the +evening before the battle, his corps forming part of the left wing +commanded by Massena. Our line was broken on this side for a moment, and +Oudet made heroic efforts to reform it; and after he had been wounded by +three bayonet strokes, with the loss of much blood, and dragged away by +those of us who were forced to fall back, still had himself fastened on +his horse in order that he might not be forced to leave the battlefield. + +"'After the battle, he received orders to advance to the front, and to +place himself with his regiment in an advantageous position for +observation, and then return immediately to headquarters, with a certain +number of his officers, to receive new orders. He executed these orders, +and was returning in the night, when a discharge of musketry was suddenly +heard, and he fell into an ambush; he fought furiously in the darkness, +knowing neither the number nor character of his adversaries, and at break +of day was found, covered with wounds, in the midst of twenty officers +who had been slain around him. He was still breathing, and lived three +days; but the only words he pronounced were those of commiseration for +the fate of his country. When his body was taken from the hospital to +prepare it for burial, several of the wounded in their despair tore the +bandages from their wounds, a sergeant-major threw himself on his sword +near the grave, and a lieutenant there blew out his brains. Behold,' +said F----, 'a death that plunges us into the deepest despair!' I tried +to prove to him that he was mistaken, and that the plans of the +'Philadelphi' were mad, but succeeded very imperfectly; and though he +listened to my advice, he again earnestly recommended secrecy." + +The day after the battle of Wagram, I think, a large number of officers +were breakfasting near the Emperor's tent, the generals seated on the +grass, and the officers standing around them. They discussed the battle +at length, and related numerous remarkable anecdotes, some of which +remain engraven on my memory. A staff-officer of his Majesty said, "I +thought I had lost my finest horse. As I had ridden him on the 5th and +wished him to rest, I gave him to my servant to hold by the bridle; and +when he left him one moment to attend to his own, the horse was stolen in +a flash by a dragoon, who instantly sold him to a dismounted captain, +telling him he was a captured horse. I recognized him in the ranks, and +claimed him, proving by my saddle-bags and their contents that he was not +a horse taken from the Austrians, and had to repay the captain the five +louis which he had paid to the dragoon for this horse which had cost me +sixty." + +The best anecdote, perhaps, of the day was this: M. Salsdorf, a Saxon, +and surgeon in Prince Christian's regiment, in the beginning of the +battle had his leg fractured by a shell. Lying on the ground, he saw, +fifteen paces from him, M. Amedee de Kerbourg, who was wounded by a +bullet, and vomiting blood. He saw that this officer would die of +apoplexy if something was not done for him, and collecting all his +strength, dragged himself along in the dust, bled him, and saved his +life. + +M. de Kerbourg had no opportunity to embrace the one who had saved his +life; for M. de Salsdorf was carried to Vienna, and only survived the +amputation four days. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +At Schoenbrunn, as elsewhere, his Majesty marked his presence by his +benefactions. I still retain vivid recollections of an occurrence which +long continued to be the subject of conversation at this period, and the +singular details of which render it worthy of narration. + +A little girl nine years old, belonging to a very wealthy and highly +esteemed family of Constantinople, was carried away by bandits as she was +promenading one day with her attendant outside the city. The bandits +carried their two captives to Anatolia, and there sold them. The little +girl, who gave promise of great beauty, fell to the lot of a rich +merchant of Broussa, the harshest, most severe, and intractable man of +the town; but the artless grace of this child touched even his ferocious +heart. He conceived a great affection for her, and distinguished her +from his other slaves by giving her only light employment, such as the +care of flowers, etc. A European gentleman who lived with this merchant +offered to take charge of her education; to which the man consented, all +the more willingly since she had gained his heart, and he wished to make +her his wife as soon as she reached a marriageable age. But the European +had the same idea; and as he was young, with an agreeable and intelligent +countenance, and very rich, he succeeded in winning the young slave's +affection; and she escaped one day from her master, and, like another +Heloise, followed her Abelard to Kutahie, where they remained concealed +for six months. + +She was then ten years old. Her preceptor, who became more devoted to +her each day, carried her to Constantinople, and confided her to the care +of a Greek bishop, charging him to make her a good Christian, and then +returned to Vienna, with the intention of obtaining the consent of his +family and the permission of his government to marry a slave. + +Two years then passed, and the poor girl heard nothing from her future +husband. Meanwhile the bishop had died, and his heirs had abandoned +Marie (this was the baptismal name of the convert); and she, with no +means and no protector, ran the risk of being at any moment discovered by +some relation or friend of her family--and it is well known that the +Turks never forgive a change of religion. + +Tormented by a thousand fears, weary of her retreat and the deep +obscurity in which she was buried, she took the bold resolution of +rejoining her benefactor, and not deterred by dangers of the road set out +from Constantinople alone on foot. On her arrival in the capital of +Austria, she learned that her intended husband had been dead for more +than a year. + +The despair into which the poor girl was plunged by this sad news can be +better imagined than described. What was to be done? What would become +of her? She decided to return to her family, and for this purpose +repaired to Trieste, which town she found in a state of great commotion. +It had just received a French garrison; but the disturbances inseparable +from war were not yet ended, and young Marie consequently entered a Greek +convent to await a suitable opportunity of returning to Constantinople. +There a sub-lieutenant of infantry, named Dartois, saw her, became madly +in love, won her heart, and married her at the end of a year. + +The happiness which Madame Dartois now enjoyed did not cause her to +renounce her plan of visiting her own family; and, as she now had become +a Frenchwoman, she thought this title would accelerate her return to her +parents' favor. Her husband's regiment received orders to leave Trieste; +and this gave Madame Dartois the opportunity to renew her entreaties to +be allowed to visit Constantinople, to which her husband gave his +consent, not without explaining to her, however, all she had to fear, and +all the dangers to which this journey would again expose her. At last +she started, and a few days after her arrival was on the point of making +herself known to her family, when she recognized on the street through +her veil, the Broussan merchant, her former master, who was seeking her +throughout Constantinople, and had sworn to kill her on sight. + +This terrible 'rencontre' threw her into such a fright, that for three +days she lived in constant terror, scarcely daring to venture out, even +on the most urgent business, and always fearing lest she should see again +the ferocious Anatolian. From time to time she received letters from her +husband, who still marched with the French army; and, as it was now +advancing, he conjured her in his last letters to return to France, +hoping to be able soon to rejoin her there. + +Deprived of all hope of a reconciliation with her family, Madame Dartois +determined to comply with her husband's request; and, although the war +between Russia and Turkey rendered the roads very unsafe, she left +Constantinople in the month of July, 1809. + +After passing through Hungary and the midst of the Austrian camp, Madame +Dartois bent her steps towards Vienna, where she had the sorrow to learn +that her husband had been mortally wounded at the battle of Wagram, and +was now in that town; she hastened to him, and he expired in her arms. + +She mourned her husband deeply, but was soon compelled to think of the +future, as the small amount of money remaining to her when she left +Constantinople had been barely sufficient for the expenses of her +journey, and M. Dartois had left no property. Some one having advised +the poor woman to go to Schoenbrunn and ask his Majesty's assistance, a +superior officer gave her a letter of recommendation to M. Jaubert, +interpreting secretary of the Emperor. + +Madame Dartois arrived as his Majesty was preparing to leave Schoenbrunn, +and made application to M. Jaubert, the Duke of Bassano, General Lebrun, +and many other persons who became deeply interested in her misfortunes. + +The Emperor, when informed by the Duke of Bassano of the deplorable +condition of this woman, at once made a special order granting Madame +Dartois an annual pension of sixteen hundred francs, the first year of +which was paid in advance. When the Duke of Bassano announced to the +widow his Majesty's decision, and handed her the first year's pension, +she fell at his feet, and bathed them with her tears. + +The Emperor's fete was celebrated at Vienna with much brilliancy; and as +all the inhabitants felt themselves obliged to illumine their windows, +the effect was extraordinarily brilliant. They had no set illuminations; +but almost all the windows had double sashes, and between these sashes +were placed lamps, candles, etc., ingeniously arranged, the effect of +which was charming. The Austrians appeared as gay as our soldiers; they +had not feted their own Emperor with so much ardor, and, though deep down +in their hearts they must have experienced a feeling of constraint at +such unaccustomed joy, appearances gave no sign of this. + +On the evening of the fete, during the parade, a terrible explosion was +heard at Schoenbrunn, the noise of which seemed to come from the town; +and a few moments afterwards a gendarme appeared, his horse in a gallop. +"Oh, oh!" said Colonel Mechnem, "there must be a fire at Vienna, if a +gendarme is galloping." In fact, he brought tidings of a very deplorable +event. While an artillery company had been preparing, in the arsenal of +the town, numerous fireworks to celebrate his Majesty's fete, one of +them, in preparing a rocket, accidentally set the fuse on fire, and +becoming frightened threw it away from him. It fell on the powder which +the shop contained, and eighteen cannoneers were killed by the explosion, +and seven wounded. + +During his Majesty's fete, as I entered his cabinet one morning, I found +with him M. Charles Sulmetter, commissary general of the police of +Vienna, whom I had seen often before. He had begun as head spy for the +Emperor; and this had proved such a profitable business that he had +amassed an income of forty thousand pounds. He had been born at +Strasburg; and in his early life had been chief of a band of smugglers, +to which vocation he was as wonderfully adapted by nature as to that +which he afterwards pursued. He admitted this in relating his +adventures, and maintained that smuggling and police service had many +points of similarity, since the great art of smuggling was to know how to +evade, while that of a spy was to know how to seek. He inspired such +terror in the Viennese that he was equal to a whole army-corps in keeping +them in subjection. His quick and penetrating glance, his air of +resolution and severity, the abruptness of his step and gestures, his +terrible voice, and his appearance of great strength, fully justified his +reputation; and his adventures furnish ample materials for a romance. +During the first campaigns of Germany, being charged with a message from +the French government to one of the most prominent persons in the +Austrian army, he passed among the enemy disguised as a German peddler, +furnished with regular passports, and provided with a complete stock of +diamonds and jewelry. He was betrayed, arrested, and searched; and the +letter concealed in the double bottom of a gold box was found, and very +foolishly read before him. He was tried and condemned to death, and +delivered to the soldiers by whom he was to be executed; but as night had +arrived by this time, they postponed his execution till morning. He +recognized among his guards a French deserter, talked with him, and +promised him a large sum of money: he had wine brought, drank with the +soldiers, intoxicated them, and disguised in one of their coats, escaped +with the Frenchman. Before re-entering the camp, however, he found means +to inform the person for whom the letter was intended, of its contents, +and of what had happened. + +Countersigns difficult to remember were often given in the army in order +to attract the soldiers' attention more closely. One day the word was +Pericles, Persepolis; and a captain of the guard who had a better +knowledge of how to command a charge than of Greek history and geography, +not hearing it distinctly, gave as the countersign, 'perce l'eglise', +which mistake furnished much amusement. The old captain was not at all +angry, and said that after all he was not very far wrong. + +The secretary of General Andreossy, Governor of Vienna, had an +unfortunate passion for gambling; and finding that he did not gain enough +to pay his debts, sold himself to the enemy. His correspondence was +seized; he admitted his treachery, and was condemned to death, and +in confronting death evinced astonishing self-possession. "Come nearer," +said he to the soldiers who were to shoot, "so that you may see me +better, and I will have less to suffer." + +In one of his excursions in the environs of Vienna, the Emperor met a +very young conscript who was rejoining his corps. He stopped him, asked +his name, his age, regiment, and country. "Monsieur," said the soldier, +who did not know him, "my name is Martin; I am seventeen years old, and +from the Upper Pyrenees."--"you are a Frenchman, then?"--"yes, Monsieur." +--"Ah, you are a miserable' Frenchman. Disarm this man, and hang him!"-- +"Yes, you fool, I am French," repeated the conscript; "and Vive +l'Empereur!" His Majesty was much amused; the conscript was undeceived, +congratulated, and hastened to rejoin his comrades, with the promise of a +reward,--a promise which the Emperor was not slow to perform. + +Two or three days before his departure from Schoenbrunn, the Emperor +again came near being assassinated. This time the attack was to have +been made by a woman. + +The Countess at this time was well known, both on account of her +astonishing beauty and the scandal of her liaisons with Lord Paget, the +English ambassador. + +It would be hard to find words which would truthfully describe the grace +and charms of this lady, whom the best society of Vienna admitted only +with the greatest repugnance, but who consoled herself for their scorn by +receiving at her own house the most brilliant part of the French army. + +An army contractor conceived the idea of procuring this lady for the +Emperor, and, without informing his Majesty, made propositions to the +countess through one of his friends, a cavalry officer attached to the +military police of the town of Vienna. + +The cavalry officer thought he was representing his Majesty, and in good +faith said to the countess that his Majesty was exceedingly anxious to +see her at Schoenbrunn. One morning, accordingly, he made propositions +for that evening, which, appearing somewhat abrupt to the countess, she +did not decide at once, but demanded a day for reflection, adding that +she must have good proof that the Emperor was really sincere in this +matter. The officer protested his sincerity, promised, moreover, to give +every proof she required, and made an appointment for that evening. +Having given the contractor an account of his negotiation, the latter +gave orders that a carriage, escorted by the cavalry officer, should be +ready for the countess on the evening indicated. At the appointed hour +the officer returned to the countess, expecting her to accompany him, but +she begged him to return next day, saying that she had not yet decided, +and needed the night for longer reflection. At the officer's +solicitations she decided, however, and appointed the next day, giving +her word of honor to be ready at the appointed hour. + +The carriage was then sent away, and ordered for the next evening at the +same hour. This time the contractor's envoy found the countess well +disposed; she received him gayly, eagerly even, and told him that she had +given orders in regard to her affairs as if she were going on a journey; +then, regarding him fixedly, said, tutoying him, "You may return in an +hour and I will be ready; I will go to him, you may rely upon it. +Yesterday I had business to finish, but to-day I am free. If you are a +good Austrian, you will prove it to me; you know how much harm he has +done our country! This evening our country will be avenged! Come for +me; do not fail!" + +The cavalry officer, frightened at such a confidence as this, was +unwilling to accept the responsibility, and repeated everything at the +chateau; in return for which the Emperor rewarded him generously, urged +him for his own sake not to see the countess again, and expressly forbade +his having anything more to do with the matter. All these dangers in no +wise-depressed the Emperor; and he had a habit of saying, "What have I to +fear? I cannot be assassinated; I can die only on the field of battle." +But even on the field of battle he took no care of himself, and at +Essling, for example, exposed himself like a chief of battalion who wants +to be a colonel; bullets slew those in front, behind, beside him, but he +did not budge. It was then that a terrified general cried, "Sire, if +your Majesty does not retire, it will be necessary for me to have you +carried off by my grenadiers." This anecdote proves took any precautions +in regard to himself. The signs of exasperation manifested by the +inhabitants of Vienna made him very watchful, however, for the safety of +his troops, and he expressly forbade their leaving their cantonments in +the evening. His Majesty was afraid for them. + +The chateau of Schoenbrunn was the rendezvous of all the illustrious +savants of Germany; and no new work, no curious invention, appeared, but +the Emperor immediately gave orders to have the author presented to him. +It was thus that M. Maelzel, the famous inventor of metronomy, was +allowed the honor of exhibiting before his Majesty several of his own +inventions. The Emperor admired the artificial limbs intended to replace +more comfortably and satisfactorily than wooden ones those carried off by +balls, and gave him orders to have a wagon constructed to convey the +wounded from the field of battle. This wagon was to be of such a kind +that it could be folded up and easily carried behind men on horseback, +who accompanied the army, such as surgeons, aides, servants, etc. M. +Maelzel had also built an automaton known throughout Europe under the +name of the chess player, which he brought to Schoenbrunn to show to his +Majesty, and set it up in the apartments of the Prince de Neuchatel. The +Emperor visited the Prince; and I, in company with several other persons, +accompanied him, and found this automaton seated before a table on which +the chessmen were arranged. His Majesty took a chair, and seating himself +in front of the automaton, said, with a laugh, "Come, my comrade, we are +ready." The automaton bowed and made a sign with his hand to the +Emperor, as if to tell him to begin, upon which the game commenced. The +Emperor made two or three moves, and intentionally made a wrong one. The +automaton bowed, took the piece, and put it in its proper place. His +Majesty cheated a second time; the automaton bowed again, and took the +piece. "That is right," said the Emperor; and when he cheated a third +time, the automaton, passing his hand over the chess-board, spoiled the +game. + +The Emperor complimented the inventor highly. As we left the room, +accompanied by the Prince de Neuchatel we found in the antechamber two +young girls, who presented to the prince, in the name of their mother, a +basket of beautiful fruit. As the prince welcomed them with an air of +familiarity, the Emperor, curious to find out who they were, drew near +and questioned them; but they did not understand French: Some one then +told his Majesty that these two pretty girls were daughters of a good +woman, whose life Marshal Berthier had saved in 1805. On this occasion +he was alone on horseback, the cold was terrible, and the ground covered +with snow, when he perceived, lying at the foot of a tree, a woman who +appeared to be dying, and had been seized with a stupor. The marshal +took her in his arms, and placed her on his horse with his cloak wrapped +around her, and thus conveyed her to her home, where her daughters were +mourning her absence. He left without making himself known; but they +recognized him at the capture of Vienna, and every week the two sisters +came to see their benefactor, bringing him flowers or fruit as a token of +their gratitude. + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +Fear of being suspected of cowardice was beneath them +Like all great amateurs was hard to please +Self-appointed connoisseurs + + + + +End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of The Private Life of Napoleon, V7 +by Constant. + diff --git a/3574.zip b/3574.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ae7c8bd --- /dev/null +++ b/3574.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. 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