memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v13-第16部分

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circumstances　she　saw　greater　danger　in　staying　where　she　was；　and　she
set　out　on　her　new　exile。　　That　exile　was　not　of　long　duration；　but
Madame　de　Stael　never　recovered　from　the　effect　of　the　alarm　and　fatigue
it　occasioned　her。

The　name　of　the　authoress　of　Corinne；　naturally　calls　to　mind　that　of　the
friend　who　was　most　faithful　to　her　in　misfortune；　and　who　was　not
herself　screened　from　the　severity　of　Napoleon　by　the　just　and　universal
admiration　of　which　she　was　the　object。　　In　1815　Madame　Recamier　did　not
leave　Paris；　to　which　she　had　returned　in　1814；　though　her　exile　was　not
revoked。　　I　know　positively　that　Hortense　assured　her　of　the　pleasure　she
would　feel　in　receiving　her；　and　that　Madame　Recamier；　as　an　excuse　for
declining　the　perilous　honour；　observed　that　she　had　determined　never
again　to　appear　in　the　world　as　long　as　her　friends　should　be　persecuted。
The　memorial　de　Sainte　Helene；　referring　to　the　origin　of　the　ill…will　of
the　Chief　of　the　Empire　towards　the　society　of　Madame　de　Stael　and　Madame
Recamier；　etc。；　seems　to　reproach　Madame　Recamier；　〃accustomed；〃　says　the
Memorial；　〃to　ask　for　everything　and　to　obtain　everything；〃　for　having
claimed　nothing　less　than　the　complete　reinstatement　of　her　father。
Whatever　may　have　been　the　pretensions　of　Madame　Recamier；　Bonaparte；　not
a　little　addicted　to　the　custom　he　complains　of　in　her；　could　not　have；
with　a　good　grace；　made　a　crime　of　her　ingratitude　if　he　on　his　side　had
not　claimed　a　very　different　sentiment　from　gratitude。　　I　was　with　the
First　Consul　at　the　time　M。　Bernard；　the　father　of　Madame　Reamier；　was
accused；　and　I　have　not　forgotten　on　what　conditions　the　re…establishment
would　have　been　granted。

The　frequent　interviews　between　Madame　Recamier　and　Madame　de　Stael　were
not　calculated　to　bring　Napoleon　to　sentiments　and　measures　of
moderation。　　He　became　more　and　more　irritated　at　this　friendship　between
two　women　formed　for　each　other's　society；　and；　on　the　occasion　of　one　of
Madame　Recamier's　journeys　to　Coppet　he　informed　her；　through　the　medium
of　Fouche；　that　she　was　perfectly　at　liberty　to　go　to　Switzerland；　but
not　to　return　to　Paris。　　〃Ah；　Monseigneur！　a　great　man　may　be　pardoned
for　the　weakness　of　loving　women；　but　not　for　fearing　them。〃　　This　was
the　only　reply　of　Madame　Recamier　to　Fouche　when　she　set　out　for　Coppet。
I　may　here　observe　that　the　personal　prejudices　of　the　Emperor　would　not
have　been　of　a　persevering　and　violent　character　if　some　of　the　people
who　surrounded　him　had　not　sought　to　foment　them。　　I　myself　fell　a　victim
to　this。　　Napoleon's　affection　for　me　would　perhaps　have　got　the　upper
hand　if　his　relenting　towards　me　had　not　been　incessantly　combated　by　my
enemies　around　him。

I　had　no　opportunity　of　observing　the　aspect　of　Paris　during　that
memorable　period　recorded　in　history　by　the　name　of　the　Hundred　Days；
but　the　letters　which　I　received　at　the　time；　together　with　all　that；
I　afterwards　heard；　concurred　in　assuring　me　that　the　capital　never
presented　so　melancholy　s　picture　as：　during　those　three　months。　　No　one
felt　any　confidence　in　Napoleon's　second　reign；　and　it　was　said；　without
any　sort　of　reserve；　that　Fouche；　while　serving　the　cause　of　usurpation；
would　secretly　betray　it。　　The　future　was　viewed　with　alarm；　and　the
present　with　dissatisfaction。　　The　sight　of　the　federates　who　paraded　the
faubourgs　and　the　boulevards；　vociferating；　〃The　Republic　for　ever！〃　and
〃Death　to　the　Royalists！〃　their　sanguinary　songs；　the　revolutionary　airs
played　in　our　theatres；　all　tended　to　produce　a　fearful　torpor　in　the
public　mind；　and　the　issue　of　the　impending　events　was　anxiously　awaited。

One　of　the　circumstances　which；　at　the　commencement　of　the　Hundred　Days；
most　contributed　to　open　the　eyes　of　those　who　were　yet　dazzled　by　the
past　glory　of　Napoleon；　was　the　assurance　with　which　he　declared　that　the
Empress　and　his　son　would　be　restored　to　him；　though　nothing　warranted
that　announcement。　　It　was　evident　that　he　could　not　count　on　any　ally；
and　in　spite　of　the　prodigious　activity　with　which　a　new　army　was　raised
those　persons　must　have　been　blind　indeed　who　could　imagine　the
possibility　of　his　triumphing　over　Europe；　again　armed　to　oppose　him。
I　deplored　the　inevitable　disasters　which　Bonaparte's　bold　enterprise
would　entail；　but　I　had　such　certain　information　respecting　the
intentions　of　the　Allied　powers；　and　the　spirit　which　animated　the
Plenipotentiaries　at　Vienna；　that　I　could　not　for　a　moment　doubt　the
issue　of　the　conflict：　Thus　I　was　not　at　all　surprised　when　I　received　at
Hamburg　the　minutes　of　the　conferences　at　Vienna　in　May　1815。

When　the　first　intelligence　of　Bonaparte's　landing　was　received　at　Vienna
it　must　be　confessed　that　very　little　had　been　done　at　the　Congress；　for
measures　calculated　to　reconstruct　a　solid　and　durable　order　of　things
could　only　be　framed　and　adopted　deliberately；　and　upon　mature
reflection。　　Louis　XVIII。　had　instructed　his　Plenipotentiaries　to　defend
and　support　the　principles　of　justice　and　the　law　of　nations；　so　as　to
secure　the　rights　of　all　parties　and　avert　the　chances　of　a　new　war。
The　Congress　was　occupied　with　these　important　objects　when　intelligence
was　received　of　Napoleon's　departure　from　Elba　and　his　landing　at　the
Gulf　of　Juan。　　The　Plenipotentiaries　then　signed　the　protocol　of　the
conferences　to　which　I　have　above　alluded。


＇ANNEX　TO　THE　PRECEDING　CHAPTER。＇

The　following　despatch　of　Napoleon's　to　Marshal　Davoust　（given　in　Captain
Bingham's　Translation；　vo1　iii。　　p。　　121）；　though　not　strictly　bearing
upon　the　subject　of　the　Duke　of　Bassano's　inquiry　（p。　　256）；　may　perhaps
find　a　place　here；　as　indicative　of　the　private　feeling　of　the　Emperor
towards　Bourrienne。　　As　the　reader　will　remember；　it　has　already　been
alluded　to　earlier　in　the　work：

To　MARSHAL　DAVOUST。
COMPIEGNE；　3d　September　1811。

I　have　received　your　letter　concerning　the　cheating　of　Bourrienne　at
Hamburg。　　It　will　be　important　to　throw　light　upon　what　he　has　done。
Have　the　Jew；　Gumprecht　Mares；　arrested；　seize　his　papers；　and　place　him
in　solitary　confinement。　　Have　some　of　the　other　principal　agents　of
Bourrienne　arrested；　so　as　to　discover　his　doings　at　Hamburg；　and　the
embezzlements　he　has　committed　there。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（Signed）　　NAPOLEON。







End　of　the　Memoirs　of　Napoleon；　V13；　1815