memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v12-第16部分

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into　Paris；　and　after　the　procession　had　passed　the　new　street　of　the
Luxembourg　I　repaired　straight　to　M。　de　Talleyrand's　hotel；　which　I
reached　before　the　Emperor　Alexander；　who　arrived　at　a　quarter…past　one。
When　his　Imperial　Majesty　entered　M。　de　Talleyrand's　drawing…room　most　of
the　persons　assembled；　and　particularly　the　Abbe　de　Pradt；　the　Abbe　de
Montesquieu；　and　General　Dessolles；　urgently　demanded　the　restoration　of
the　Bourbons。　　The　Emperor　did　not　come　to　any　immediate　decision。
Drawing　me　into　the　embrasure　of　a　window；　which　looked　upon　the　street；
he　made　some　observations　which　enabled　me　to　guess　what　would　be　his
determination。　　〃M。　de　Bourrienne；〃　said　he；　〃you　have　been　the　friend　of
Napoleon；　and　so　have　I。　　I　was　his　sincere　friend；　but　there　is　no
possibility　of　remaining　at　peace　with　a　man　of　such　bad　faith。〃　　These
last　words　opened　my　eyes；　and　when　the　different　propositions　which　were
made　came　under　discussion　I　saw　plainly　that　Bonaparte；　in　making
himself　Emperor；　had　made　up　the　bed　for　the　Bourbons。

A　discussion　ensued　on　the　three　possible　measures　which　I　have　above
mentioned；　and　which　were　proposed　by　the　Emperor　Alexander　himself。　　I
thought；　if　I　may　so　express　myself；　that　his　Majesty　was　playing　a　part；
when；　pretending　to　doubt　the　possibility　of　recalling　the　Bourbons；
which　he　wished　above　all　things；　he　asked　M。　de　Talleyrand　what　means　he
proposed　to　employ　for　the　attainment　of　that　object？　　Besides　the
French；　there　were　present　at　this　meeting　the　Emperor　Alexander；　the
King　of　Prussia；　Prince　Schwartzenberg；　M。　Nesselrode；　M。　Pozzo…di…Borgo；
and　Prince　Liechtenstein。　　During　the　discussion　Alexander　walked　about
with　some　appearance　of　agitation。　　〃Gentlemen；〃　said；　he；　addressing　us
in　an　elevated　tone　of　voice；　〃you　know　that　it　was　not　I　who　commenced
the　war；　you　know　that　Napoleon　came　to　attack　me　in　my　dominions。　　But
we　are　not　drawn　here　by　the　thirst　of　conquest　or　the　desire　of　revenge。
You　have　seen　the　precautions　I　have　taken　to　preserve　your　capital；　the
wonder　of　the　arts；　from　the　horrors　of　pillage；　to　which　the　chances　of
war　would　have　consigned　it。　　Neither　my　Allies　nor　myself　are　engaged　in
a　war　of　reprisals；　and　I　should　be　inconsolable　if　any　violence　were
committed　on　your　magnificent　city。　　We　are　not　waging　war　against
France；　but　against　Napoleon；　and　the　enemies　of　French　liberty。
William；　and　you；　Prince　〃　（here　the　Emperor　turned　towards　the　King　of
Prussia　and　Prince　Schwartzenberg；　who　represented　the　Emperor　of
Austria）；　〃you　can　both　bear　testimony　that　the　sentiments　I　express　are
yours。〃　　Both　bowed　assent　to　this　observation　of　Alexander；　which　his
Majesty　several　times　repeated　in　different　words。　　He　insisted　that
France　should　be　perfectly　free；　and　declared　that　as　soon　as　the　wishes
of　the　country　were　understood；　he　and　his　Allies　would　support　them；
without　seeking　to　favour　any　particular　government。

The　Abbe　de　Pradt　then　declared；　in　a　tone　of　conviction；　that　we　were
all　Royalists；　and　that　the　sentiments　of　France　concurred　with　ours。
The　Emperor　Alexander；　adverting　to　the　different　governments　which　might
be　suitable　to　France；　spoke　of　the　maintenance　of　Bonaparte　on　the
throne；　the　establishment　of　a　Regency；　the　choice　of　Bernadotte；　and　the
recall　of　the　Bourbons。　　M。　de　Talleyrand　next　spoke；　and　I　well　remember
his　saying　to　the　Emperor　of　Russia；　〃　Sire；　only　one　of　two　things　is
possible。　　We　must　either　have　Bonaparte　or　Louis　XVIII。　　Bonaparte；　if
you　can　support　him；　but　you　cannot；　for　you　are　not　alone。。。。　　We　will
not　have　another　soldier　in　his　stead。　　If　we　want　a　soldier；　we　will
keep　the　one　we　have；　he　is　the　first　in　the　world。　　After　him　any　other
who　may　be　proposed　would　not　have　ten　men　to　support　him。　　I　say　again；
Sire；　either　Bonaparte　or　Louis　XVIII。　　Anything　else　is　an　intrigue。〃
These　remarkable　words　of　the　Prince　de　Benevento　produced　on　the　mind　of
Alexander　all　the　effect　we　could　hope　for。　　Thus　the　question　was
simplified；　being　reduced　now　to　only　two　alternatives；　and　as　it　was
evident　that　Alexander　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　either　Napoleon　or
his　family；　it　was　reduced　to　the　single　proposition　of　the　restoration
of　the　Bourbons。

On　being　pressed　by　us　all；　with　the　exception　of　M。　de　Talleyrand；　who
still　wished　to　leave　the　question　undecided　between　Bonaparte　and　Louis
XVIII。；　　Alexander　at　length　declared　that　he　would　no　longer　treat　with
Napoleon。　　When　it　was　represented　to　him　that　that　declaration　referred
only　to　Napoleon　personally；　and　did　not　extend　to　his　family；　he　added；
〃Nor　with　any　member　of　his　family。〃　　Thus　as　early　as　the　31st　of　March
the　restoration　of　the　Bourbons　might　be　considered　as　decided。

I　cannot　omit　mentioning　the　hurry　with　which　Laborie；　whom　M。　de
Talleyrand　appointed　Secretary　to　the　Provisional　Government；　rushed　out
of　the　apartment　as　soon　as　he　got　possession　of　the　Emperor　Alexander's
declaration。　　He　got　it　printed　with　such　expedition　that　in　the　space　of
an　hour　it　was　posted　on　all　the　walls　in　Paris；　and　it　certainly
produced　an　extraordinary　effect。　　As　yet　nothing　warranted　a　doubt　that
Alexander　would　not　abide　by　his　word。　　The　treaty　of　Paris　could　not　be
anticipated；　and　there　was　reason　to　believe　that　France；　with　a　new
Government；　would　obtain　more　advantageous　conditions　than　if　the　Allies
had；　treated　with　Napoleon。　　But　this　illusion　speedily　vanished。

On　the　evening　of　the　31st　of　March　I　returned　to　M。　de　Talleyrand's。
I　again　saw　the　Emperor　Alexander；　who；　stepping　up　to　me；　said；　〃M。　de
Bourrienne　you　must　take　the　superintendence　of　the　Post…office
department。〃　　I　could　not　decline　this　precise　invitation　on　the　part　of
the　Czar；　and　besides；　Lavalette　having　departed　on　the　preceding　day；
the　business　would　have　been　for　a　time　suspended；　a　circumstance　which
would　have　been　extremely　prejudicial　to　the　restoration　which　we　wished
to　favour。

I　went　at　once　to　the　hotel　in　the　Rue　J。　J。　Rousseau；　where；　indeed；　I
found　that　not　only　was　there　no　order　to　send　out　the　post　next　day；　but
that　it　had　been　even　countermanded。　　I　went　that　night　to　the
administrators；　who　yielded　to　my　requests　and；　seconded　by　them；　next
morning　I　got　all　the　clerks　to　be　at　their　post。　　I　reorganised　the
service；　and　the　post　went　out　on　the　1st　of　April　as　usual。　　Such　are　my
remembrances　of　the　31st　of　March。

A　Provisional　Government　was　established；　of　which　M。　de　Talleyrand　was
appointed　President。　　The　other　members　were　General　Beurnonville；　Comte
Francois　de　Jaucourt；　the　Due　Dalberg；　who　had　married　one　of　Maria
Louisa's　ladies　of　honour；　and　the　Abby　de　Montesquieu。　　The　place　of
Chancellor　of　the　Legion　of　Honour　was　given　to　the　Abbe　de　Pradt。　　Thus
there　were　two　abbes　among　the　members　of　the　Provisional　Government；　and
by　a　singular　chance　they　happened　to　be　the　same　who　had　officiated　at
the　mass　which　was　performed　in　the　Champ　de　Mars　on　the　day　of　the　first
federation。

Those　who　were　dissatisfied　with　the　events　of　the　31st　of　March　now　saw
no　hope　but　in　the　possibility　that　the　Emperor　of　Austria　would　separate
from　his　Allies；　or　at　least　not　make　common　cause　with　them　in　favour　of
the　re…establishment　of　the　Bourbons。　　But　that　monarch　had　been　brought
up　in　the　old　policy　of　his　family；　and　was　imbued　with　the　traditional
principles　of　his　Cabinet。　　I　know　for　a　fact　that　the　sentiments　and
intentions　of　the　Emperor　of　Austria　perfectly　coincided　with　those　of
his　Allies。　　Anxious　to　ascertain　the　truth　on　this　subject；　I　ventured；
when　in　conversation　with　the　Emperor　Alexander；　to　hint　at　the　reports
I　had　heard　relative　to　the　cause　of　the　Emperor　of　Austria's　absence。
I　do　not　recollect　the　precise　words　of　his　Majesty's　answer；　but　it
enabled　me　to　infer　with　certainty　that　Francis　II。　　was　in　no　way　averse
to　the　overthrow　of　his　son…in…law；　and　that　his　absence　from　the　scene
of　the　discussions　was　only　occasioned　by　a　feeling　of　delicacy　natural
enough　in　his　situation。

Caulaincourt；　who　was　sent　by　Napoleon　to　the　headquarters　of　the　Emperor
Alexander；　arrived　there　on　the　night　of　the　30th　of　March。　　He；　however；
did　not　obtain　an　interview　with　the　Czar　until　after　his　Majesty　had
received　the　Municipal　Council　of　Paris；　at　the　head　of　which　was　M。　de
Chabrol。　　At　first　Alexander　appeared　somewhat　surprised　to　see　the
Municipal　Council；　which　he　did　not　receive　exactly　in　the　way　that　was
expected；　but　this　coldness　was　merely　momentary；　and　he　afterwards
addressed　the　Council　in　a　very　gracious　way；　though　he　dropped　no　hint
of　his　ulterior　intentions。

Alexander；　who　entertained　a　personal　regard　for　Caulaincourt；　received
him　kindly　in　his　own　character；　but　not　as　the　envoy　of　Napoleon。
〃You　have　come　too　late；〃　said　the　Czar。　　〃It　is　all　over。　　I　can　say
nothing　to　you　at　present。　　Go　to　Paris；　and　I　will　see　you　there。〃
These　words　perfectly　enlightened　Caulaincourt　as　to　the　result　of　his
mission。　　His　next　interview　with　the　Emperor　Alexander　at　M。　de
Talleyrand's　did　not　take　place　until　after　the　declaration　noticed　in　my
last　chapter。　　The　conversation　they　had　together　remained　a　secret；　for
neither　Alexander　nor　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　mentioned　it；　but　there　was
reason　to　infer；　from　some　words　which　fell　from　the　Emperor　Alexander；
that　he　had　received　Caulaincourt　rather　as　a　private　individual　than　as
the　ambassador　of　Napoleon；　whose　power；　indeed；　he　could　not　recognise
after　his　declaration。　　The　Provisional　Government　was　not　entirely
pleased　with　Caulaincourt's　presence　in　Paris；　and　a　representation　was
made　to　the　Russian　Emperor　on　the　subject。　　Alexander　concurred　in　the
opinion　of　the　Provisional　Government；　which　was　expressed　through　the
medium　of　the　Abbe　de　Pradt。　　M。　de　Caulaincourt；　therefore；　at　the　wish
of　the　Czar；　returned　to　the　Emperor；　then　at　Fontainebleau。




CHAPTER；　XXXV。

1814。

　　　　　Situation　of　Bonaparte　during　the　events　of　the　30th　and　31st　of
　　　　　MarchHis　arrival　at　FontainebleauPlan　of　attacking　Paris
　　　　　Arrival　of　troops　at　FontainebleauThe　Emperor's　address　to　the
　　　　　GuardForfeiture　prono