napoleon bonaparte, v1-第5部分

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and　we　will　see　each　other　often。　　Go　to　her　this　morning；　I　have　spoken
to　her　of　you。　　The　matter　is　already　arranged；　and　she　expects　you。〃

As　may　be　believed；　I　lost　no　time　in　presenting　myself　to　Madame
Bonaparte。　　Knowing　that　she　was　at　Malmaison；　I　went　there　immediately；
and　was　received　by　her　with　a　kindness　which　overwhelmed　me　with
gratitude；　as　I　was　not　then　aware　that　she　manifested　this　same
graciousness　to　every　one；　and　that　it　was　as　inseparable　from　her
character　as　was　grace　from　her　person。　　The　duties　required　of　me；　in
her　service；　were　altogether　nominal；　and　nearly　all　my　time　was　at　my
own　disposal；　of　which　I　took　advantage　to　visit　Paris　frequently。　　The
life　that　I　led　at　this　time　was　very　pleasant　to　a　young　man　like
myself；　who　could　not　foresee　that　in　a　short　while　he　would　be　as　much
under　subjection　as　he　was　then　at　liberty。

Before　bidding　adieu　to　a　service　in　which　I　had　found　so　much　that　was
agreeable；　I　will　relate　some　incidents　which　belong　to　that　period；　and
which　my　situation　with　the　stepson　of　General　Bonaparte　gave　me　the
opportunity　of　learning。

M。　de　Bourrienne　has　related　circumstantially　in　his　memoirs　the　events
of　the　18th　Brumaire；　＇The　18th　Brumaire；　Nov。　9；　1799；　was　the　day
Napoleon　overthrew　the　Directory　and　made　himself　First　Consul。…TRANS。＇
and　the　account　which　he　has　given　of　that　famous　day　is　as　correct　as　it
is　interesting；　so　that　any　one　curious　to　know　the　secret　causes　which
led　to　these　political　changes　will　find　them　faithfully　pointed　out　in
the　narration　of　that　minister　of　state。　　I　am　very　far　from　intending　to
excite　an　interest　of　this；　kind；　but　reading　the　work　of　M。　Bourrienne
put　me　again　on　the　track　of　my　own　recollections。　　These　memoirs　relate
to　circumstances　of　which　he　was　ignorant；　or　possibly　may　have　omitted
purposely　as　being　of　little　importance；　and　whatever　he　has　let　fall　on
his　road　I　think　myself　fortunate　in　being　permitted　to　glean。

I　was　still　with　Eugene　de　Beauharnais　when　General　Bonaparte　overthrew
the　Directory；　but　I　found　myself　in　as　favorable　a　situation　to　know　all
that　was　passing　as　if　I　had　been　in　the　service　of　Madame　Bonaparte；　or
of　the　general　himself；　for　my　master；　although　he　was　very　young；　had
the　entire　confidence　of　his　stepfather；　and；　to　an　even　greater　degree；
that　of　his　mother；　who　consulted　him　on　every　occasion。

A　few　days　before　the　18th　Brumaire；　Eugene　ordered　me　to　make
preparations　for　a　breakfast　he　wished　to　give　on　that　day　to　his
friends；　the　number　of　the　guests；　all　military　men；　being　much　larger
than　usual。　　This　bachelor　repast　was　made　very　gay　by　an　officer；　who
amused　the　company　by　imitating　in　turn　the　manners　and　appearance　of　the
directors　and　a　few　of　their　friends。　　To　represent　the　Director　Barras；
he　draped　himself　'a　la　grecque'　with　the　tablecloth；　took　off　his　black
cravat；　turned　down　his　shirt…collar；　and　advanced　in　an　affected　manner；
resting　his　left　arm　on　the　shoulder　of　the　youngest　of　his　comrades；
while　with　his　right　he　pretended　to　caress　his　chin。　　Each　person　of　the
company　understood　the　meaning　of　that　kind　of　charade；　and　there　were
uncontrollable　bursts　of　laughter。

He　undertook　then　to　represent　the　Abbe　Sieyes；　　by　placing　an　enormous
band　of　paper　inside　of　his　neckcloth；　and　lengthening　thus　indefinitely
a　long；　pale　face。　　He　made　a　few　turns　around　the　room；　astraddle　of　his
chair；　and　ended　by　a　grand　somersault；　as　if　his　steed　had　dismounted
him。　　It　is　necessary　to　know；　in　order　to　understand　the　significance　of
this　pantomime；　that　the　Abbe　Sieges　had　been　recently　taking　lessons　in
horseback；　riding　in　the　garden　of　the　Luxembourg；　to　the　great　amusement
of　the　pedestrians；　who　gathered　in　crowds　to　enjoy　the　awkward　and
ungraceful　exhibition　made　by　this　new　master　of　horse。

The　breakfast　ended；　Eugene　reported　for　duty　to　General　Bonaparte；　whose
aide…de…camp　he　was；　and　his　friends　rejoined　the　various　commands　to
which　they　belonged。

I　went　out　immediately　behind　them；　for　from　a　few　words　that　had　just
been　dropped　at　my　young　master's；　I　suspected　that　something　grave　and
interesting　was　about　to　take　place。　　M。　Eugene　had　appointed　a
rendezvous　with　his　comrades　at　Pont…Tournant；　so　I　repaired　to　that
spot；　and　found　a　considerable　gathering　of　officers　in　uniform　and　on
horseback；　assembled　in　readiness　to　escort　General　Bonaparte　to　Saint…
Cloud。

The　commandant　of　each　part　of　the　army　had　been　requested　by　General
Bonaparte　to　give　a　breakfast　to　their　corps　of　officers；　and　they　had
done　so　like　my　young　master。　　Nevertheless；　the　officers；　even　the
generals；　were　not　all　in　the　secret；　and　General　Murat　himself；　who
rushed　into　the　Hall　of　the　Five　Hundred　at　the　head　of　the　grenadiers；
believed　that　it　was　only　a　question　of　exemption；　on　account　of　age；
that　General　Bonaparte　intended　to　propose；　in　order　that　he　might　obtain
the　place　of　director。

I　have　learned　from　an　authoritative　source；　that　when　General　Jube；　who
was　devoted　to　General　Bonaparte；　assembled　in　the　court　of　the
Luxembourg；　the　guard　of　the　directors　of　which　he　was　commander；　the
honest　M。　Gohier；　president　of　the　Directory；　put　his　head　out　of　the
window；　and　cried　to　Jube：　〃Citizen　General；　what　are　you　doing　down
there？〃〃Citizen　President；　you　can　see　for　yourself　I　am　mustering　the
guard。〃〃Certainly；　I　see　that　very　plainly；　Citizen　General；　but　why
are　you　mustering　them？〃〃Citizen　President；　I　am　going　to　make　an
inspection　of　them；　and　order　a　grand　maneuver。　　Forwardmarch！〃　　And
the　citizen　general　filed　out　at　the　head　of　his　troop　to　rejoin　General
Bonaparte　at　Saint…Cloud；　while　the　latter　was　awaited　at　the　house　of
the　citizen　president；　and　the　breakfast　delayed　to　which　General
Bonaparte　had　been　invited　for　that　very　morning。

General　Marmont　had　also　entertained　at　breakfast　the　officers　of　the
division　of　the　army　which　he　commanded　（it　was；　I　think；　the　artillery）。
At　the　end　of　the　repast　he　addressed　a　few　words　to　them；　urging　them
not　to　alienate　their　cause　from　that　of　the　conqueror　of　Italy；　and　to
accompany　him　to　Saint…Cloud。　　〃But　how　can　we　follow　him？〃　　cried　one　of
his　guests。　　〃We　have　no　horses。〃〃If　that　alone　deters　you；　you　will
find　horses　in　the　court　of　this　hotel。　　I　have　seized　all　those　of　the
national　riding…school。　　Let　us　go　below　and　mount。〃　　All　the　officers
present　responded　to　the　invitation　except　General　Allix；　who　declared　he
would　take　no　part　in　all　this　disturbance。

I　was　at　Saint…Cloud　on　the　two　days；　18th　and　19th　Brumaire。　　I　saw
General　Bonaparte　harangue　the　soldiers；　and　read　to　them　the　decree　by
which　he　had　been　made　commander…in…chief　of　all　the　troops　at　Paris；　and
of　the　whole　of　the　Seventeenth　Military　Division。　　I　saw　him　come　out
much　agitated　first　from　the　Council　of　the　Ancients；　and　afterwards　from
the　Assembly　of　the　Five　Hundred。　　I　saw　Lucien　Bonaparte　brought　out　of
the　hall；　where　the　latter　assembly　was　sitting；　by　some　grenadiers；　sent
in　to　protect　him　from　the　violence　of　his　colleagues。　　Pale　and　furious；
he　threw　himself　on　his　horse　and　galloped　straight　to　the　troops　to
address　them；　and　when　he　pointed　his　sword　at　his　brother's　breast；
saying　he　would　be　the　first　to　slay　him　if　he　dared　to　strike　at
liberty；　cries　of　〃Vive　Bonaparte！　　down　with　the　lawyers！〃　burst　forth
on　all　sides；　and　the　soldiers；　led　by　General　Murat；　rushed　into　the
Hall　of　the　Five　Hundred。　　Everybody　knows　what　then　occurred；　and　I　will
not　enter　into　details　which　have　been　so　often　related。

The　general；　now　made　First　Consul；　installed　himself　at　the　Luxembourg；
though　at　this　time　he　resided　also　at　Malmaison。　　But　he　was　often　on
the　road；　as　was　also　Josephine；　for　their　trips　to　Paris　when　they
occupied　this　residence　were　very　frequent；　not　only　on　Government
business；　which　often　required　the　presence　of　the　First　Consul；　but　also
for　the　purpose　of　attending　the　theater；　of　whose　performances　General
Bonaparte；　was　very　fond；　giving　the　preference　always　to　the　Theatre
Francais　and　the　Italian　Opera。　　This　observation　I　make　in　passing；
preferring　to　give　hereafter　the　information　I　have　obtained　as　to　the
tastes　and　habits　of　the　emperor。

Malmaison；　at　the　period　of　which　I　speak；　was　a　place　of　unalloyed
happiness；　where　all　who　came　expressed　their　satisfaction　with　the　state
of　affairs；　everywhere　also　I　heard　blessings　invoked　upon　the　First
Consul　and　Madame　Bonaparte。　　There　was　not　yet　the　shadow　of　that　strict
etiquette　which　it　was　necessary　afterwards　to　observe　at　Saint…Cloud；　at
the　Tuileries；　and　in　all　the　palaces　in　which　the　Emperor　held　his
court。　　The　consular　court　was　as　yet　distinguished　by　a　simple　elegance；
equally　removed　from　republican　rudeness　and　the　luxuriousness　of　the
Empire。　　Talleyrand　was；　at　this　period；　one　of　those　who　came　most
frequently　to　Malmaison。　　He　sometimes　dined　there；　but　arrived　generally
in　the　evening　between　eight　and　nine　o'clock；　and　returned　at　one；　two；
and　sometimes　three　in　the　morning。

All　were　admitted　at　Madame　Bonaparte's　on　a　footing　of　equality；　which
was　most　gratifying。　　There　came　familiarly　Murat；　　Duroc；　Berthier；　and
all　those　who　have　since　figured　as　great　dignitaries；　and　some　even　as
sovereigns；　in　the　annals　of　the　empire。

The　family　of　General　Bonaparte　were　assiduous　in　their　attentions；　but
it　was　known　among　us　that　they　had　no　love　for　Madame　Bonaparte；　of
which　fact　I　had　many　proofs。　　Mademoiselle　Hortense　never　left　her
mother；　and　they　were　devotedly　attached　to　each　other。

Besides　men　distinguished　by　their　posts　under　the　government　or　in　the
army；　there　gathered　others　also　who　were　not　less　distinguished　by
personal　merit；　or　the　position　which　their　birth　had　given　them　before
the　Revolution。　　It　was　a　veritable　panorama；　in　which　we　saw　the　persons
themselves　pass　before　our　eyes。　　The　scene　itself；　even　exclusive　of　the
gayety　which　always　attended　the　dinings　of　Eugene；　had　its　attractions。
Among　those　whom　we　saw　most　frequently　were　Volney；　Denon；　Lemercier；
the　Prince　of　Poix；　de　Laigle；　Charles　Baudin；　General　Beu