memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v10-第7部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


the　31st　of　October　1807；　and　it　was　stated　that　the　King　was　obliged　to
wait　some　time　in　the　port　until　certain　difficulties　respecting　his
landing　and　the　continuance　of　his　journey　should　be　removed。　　It
moreover　appeared　from　this　letter　that　the　King　of　England　thought
proper　to　refuse　the　Comte　de　Lille　permission　to　go　to　London　or　its
neighbourhood。　　The　palace　of　Holyrood　in　Edinburgh　was　assigned　as　his
place　of　residence；　and　Mr。　Ross；　secretary　to　Mr。　Canning；　conveyed　the
determination　of　the　King　of　England　to　Louis　XVIII。；　at　Yarmouth。

The　precaution　of　the　English　Ministry　in　not　permitting　the　refugee　King
to　go　near　London　appeared　to　me　remarkable；　considering　the　relative
position　of　the　Governments　of　France　and　England；　and　I　regarded　it　as　a
corroboration　of　what　the　Prince　Wittgenstein　had　told　me　respecting　Mr。
Canning's　inclination　for　an　amicable　arrangement。　　But　the　moment　was
approaching　when　the　affairs　of　Spain　were　to　raise　an　invincible
obstacle　to　peace；　to　complicate　more　than　ever　the　interests　of　the
powers　of　Europe；　and　open　to　Napoleon　that　vast　career　of　ambition　which
proved　his　ruin。　　He　did　not　allow　the　hopes　of　the　emigrants　to　remain
chimerical；　and　the　year　1814　witnessed　the　realization　of　the　prophetic
remark　made　by　M。　Lemereier；　in　a　conversation　with　Bonaparte　a　few　days
before　the　foundation　of　the　Empire：　〃If　you　get　into　the　bed　of　the
Bourbons；　General；　you　will　not　lie　in　it　ten　year。〃　　Napoleon　occupied
it　for　nine　years　and　nine　months。

Fouche；　the　grand　investigator　of　the　secrets　of　Europe；　did　not　fail；　on
the　first　report　of　the　agitations　in　Spain；　to　address　to　me　question　on
question　respecting　the　Comte　de　Rechteren；　the　Spanish　Minister　at
Hamburg；　who；　however；　had　left　that　city；　with　the　permission　of　his
Court；　four　months　after　I　had　entered　on　my　functions。　　This　was　going
back　very　far　to　seek　information　respecting　the　affairs　of　the　day。　　At
the　very　moment　when　I　transmitted　a　reply　to　Fouche　which　was　not
calculated　to　please　him；　because　it　afforded　no　ground　for　suspicion　as
to　the　personal　conduct　of　M。　de　Rechteren；　I　received　from　the　amiable
Josephine　a　new　mark　of　her　remembrance。　　She　sent　me　the　following　note：

〃M。　Milon；　who　is　now　in　Hamburg；　wishes　me；　my　dear　Bourrienne；　to
request　that　you　will　use　your　interest　in　his　favour。　　I　feel　the　more
pleasure　in　making　this　request　as　it　affords　me　an　opportunity　of
renewing　the　assurance　of　my　regard　for　you。〃

Josephine's　letter　was　dated　from　Fontainebleau；　whither　the　Emperor　used
to　make　journeys　in　imitation　of　the　old　Court　of　France。　　During　these
excursions　he　sometimes　partook　of　the　pleasures　of　the　chase；　but　merely
for　the　sake　of　reviving　an　old　custom；　for　in　that　exercise　he　found　as
little　amusement　as　Montaigne　did　in　the　game　of　chess；

At　Fontainebleau；　as　everywhere　else；　his　mind　was　engaged　with　the　means
of　augmenting　his　greatness；　but；　unfortunately；　the　exactions　he　imposed
on　distant　countries　were　calculated　to　alienate　the　affections　of　the
people。　　Thus；　for　example；　I　received　an　order　emanating　from　him；　and
transmitted　to　me　by　M。　Daru；　the　Intendant…General　of　the　army；　that　the
pay　of　all　the　French　troops　stationed　in　the　Hanse　Towns　should　be
defrayed　by　these　towns。　　I　lamented　the　necessity　of　making　such　a
communication　to　the　Senates　of　Bremen；　Lubeck；　and　Hamburg；　but　my　duty
compelled　me　to　do　so；　and　I　had　long　been　accustomed　to　fulfil　duties
even　more　painful　than　this。　　I　tried　every　possible　means　with　the　three
States；　not　collectively　but　separately；　to　induce　them　to　comply　with
the　measure；　in　the　hope　that　the　assent　of　one　would　help　me　to　obtain
that　of　the　two　others。　　But；　as　if　they；　had　been　all　agreed；　I　only
received　evasive　expressions　of　regret。

Knowing　as　I　did；　and　I　may　say　better　than　any　one　else；　the　hopes　and
designs　of　Bonaparte　respecting　the　north　of　Germany；　it　was　not　without
pain；　nor　even　without　alarm；　that　I　saw　him　doing　everything　calculated
to　convert　into　enemies　the　inhabitants　of　a　country　which　would　always
have　remained　quiet　had　it　only　been　permitted　to　preserve　its
neutrality。　　Among　the　orders　I　received　were　often　many　which　could　only
have　been　the　result　of　the　profoundest　ignorance。　　For　example；　I　was
one　day　directed　to　press　3000　seamen　in　the　Hanse　Towns。　　Three　thousand
seamen　out　of　a　population　of　200；000！　　It　was　as　absurd　as　to　think　of
raising　500；000　sailors　in　France。　　This　project　being　impossible；　it　was
of　course　not　executed；　but　I　had　some　difficulty　in　persuading　the
Emperor　that　a　sixth　of　the　number　demanded　was　the　utmost　the　Hanse
Towns　could　supply。　　Five　hundred　seamen　were　accordingly　furnished；　but
to　make　up　that　number　it　was　necessary　to　include　many　men　who　were
totally　unfit　for　war　service。




CHAPTERXIV。

1808。

　　　　　Departure　of　the　Prince　of　Ponte…CorvoPrediction　and　superstition
　　　　　Stoppage　of　letters　addressed　to　the　Spanish　troopsLa　Romana　and
　　　　　RomanillosIllegible　notificationsEagerness　of　the　German　Princes
　　　　　to　join　the　Confederation　of　the　RhineAttack　upon　me　on　account　of
　　　　　M。　HueBernadotte's　successor　in　HamburgExactions　and　tyrannical
　　　　　conduct　of　General　DupasDisturbance　in　HamburgPlates　broken　in　a
　　　　　fit　of　rageMy　letter　to　BernadotteHis　replyBernadotte's　return
　　　　　to　Hamburg；　and　departure　of　Dupas　for　LubeckNoble　conduct　of　the
　　　　　'aide　de　camp'　Barrel。

In　the　spring　of　1808　a　circumstance　occurred　which　gave；　me　much
uneasiness；　it　was　the　departure　of　Bernadotte；　Prince　of　Ponte…Corvo；
who　received　orders　to　repair　to　Copenhagen。　　He　left　Hamburg　on　the　8th
of　March；　as　he　was　to　reach　his　destination　on　the　14th　of　the　same
month。　　The　Danish　charge　d'affaires　also　received　orders　to　join　the
Prince；　and　discharge　the　functions　of　King's　commissary。　　It　was　during
his　government　at　Hamburg　and　his　stay　in　Jutland　that　Bernadotte
unconsciously　paved　his　way　to　the　throne　of　Sweden。　　I　recollect　that　he
had　also　his　presages　and　his　predestinations。　　In　short；　he　believed　in
astrology；　and　I　shall　never　forget　the　serious　tone　in　which　he　one　day
said　to　me；　〃Would　you　believe；　my　dear　friend；　that　it　was　predicted　at
Paris　that　I　should　be　a　King；　but　that　I　must　cross　the　sea　to　reach　my
throne？〃　　I　could　not　help　smiling　with　him　at　this　weakness　of　mind；
from　which　Bonaparte　was　not　far　removed。　　It　certainly　was　not　any
supernatural　influence　which　elevated　Bernadotte　to　sovereign　rank。
That　elevation　was　solely　due　to　his　excellent　character。　　He　had　no
other　talisman　than　the　wisdom　of　his　government；　and　the　promptitude
which　he　always；　showed　to　oppose　unjust　measures。　　This　it　was　that
united　all　opinions　in　his　favour。

The　bad　state　of　the　roads　in　the　north　prolonged　Bernadotte's　journey
one　day。　　He　set　out　on　the　8th　of　March；　he　was　expected　to　arrive　at
Copenhagen　on　the　l4th；　but　did　not　reach　there　till　the　15th。　　He
arrived　precisely　two　hours　before　the　death　of　Christian；　King　of
Denmark；　an　event　with　which　he　made　me　acquainted　by　letter　written　two
days　after　his　arrival。

On　the　6th　of　April　following　I　received　a　second　letter　from　Bernadotte；
in　which　he　desired　me　to　order　the　Grand　Ducal　postmaster　to　keep　back
all　letters　addressed　to　the　Spanish　troops；　who　had　been　placed　under
his　command；　and　of　which　the　corps　of　Romana　formed　part。　　The
postmaster　was　ordered　to　keep　the　letters　until　he　received　orders　to
forward　them　to　their　destinations。　　Bernadotte　considered　this　step
indispensable；　to　prevent　the　intrigues　which　he　feared　might　be　set　on
foot　in　order　to　shake　the　fidelity　of　the　Spaniards　he　commanded。　　I　saw
from　his　despatch　that　he　feared　the　plotting　of　Romanillos；　who；
however；　was　not　a　person　to　cause　much　apprehension。　　Romanillos　was　as
commonplace　a　man　as　could　well　be　conceived；　and　his　speeches；　as　well
as　his　writings；　were　too　innocent　to　create　any　influence　on　public
opinion。

In　addition　to　the　functions　with　which　the　Emperor　at　first　invested　me；
I　had　to　discharge　the　duties　of　French　Consul…General　at　Hamburg；　and　in
that　character　I　was　obliged　to　present　to　the　Minister　for　Foreign
Affairs　a　very　singular　request；　viz。　that　the　judicial　notifications；
which　as　Consul…General　I　had　to　make　known　to　the　people　of　Hamburg；
might　be　written　in　a　more　legible　hand。　　Many　of　these　notifications　had
been　disregarded　on　account　of　the　impossibility　of　reading　them：　With
respect　to　one　of　them　it　was　declared　that　it　was　impossible　to　discover
whether　the　writing　was　German；　French；　or　Chinese。

I　shall　not　record　all　the　acts　of　spoliation　committed　by　second…rate
ambitious　aspirants　who　hoped　to　come　in　for　their　share　in　the　division
of　the　Continent：　The　Emperor's　lieutenants　regarded　Europe　as　a
twelfthcake；　but　none　of　them　ventured　to　dispute　the　best　bit　with
Napoleon。　　Long　would　be　the　litany　were　I　to　enregister　all　the　fraud
and　treachery　which　they　committed；　either　to　augment　their　fortunes　or
to　win　the　favour　of　the　chief　who　wished　to　have　kings　for　his　subjects。
The　fact　is；　that　all　the　Princes　of　Germany　displayed　the　greatest
eagerness　to　range　themselves　under　the　protection　of　Napoleon；　by；
joining　the　Confederation　of　the　Rhine。　　I　received　from　those　Princes
several　letters　which　served　to　prove　at　once　the　influence　of　Napoleon
in　Germany　and　the　facility　with　which　men　bend　beneath　the　yoke　of　a　new
power。　　I　must　say　that　among　the　emigrants　who　remained　faithful　to
their　cause　there　were　some　who　evinced　more　firmness　of　character　than
the　foreign　Princes。　　I　may　mention；　for　example；　M。　Hue；　the　'valet　de
chambre'　of　Louis　XVI。　　I　do　not　intend　to　deny　the　high　regard　I
entertained　for　that　faithful　servant　of　the　martyred　King；　but　the
attentions　which　I　congratulate　myself　on　having　shown　to　an　excellent
man　should　not　have　subjected　me　to　false　imputations。

I　have　read　the　following　statement　in　a　publication：

　　　　　〃M。　Hue　retired　to　Hamburg；　where　he　passed　nine；　months　in　perfect
　　　　　obscurity。　　He　afterwards　went　to　Holland；　provided　with　a　passport
　　　　　from　Bourrienne；　w