memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v9-第8部分

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Ouvrard　to　place　at　his　disposal　10；000；000　of　the　piastres　which　he　had
received　from　Spain。　　The　Minister　at　the　same　time　informed　him　that　he
had　made　arrangements　on　the　faith　of　this　advance；　which　he　thought
could　not　be　refused　at　so　urgent　a　moment。

The　embarrassment　of　the　Treasury；　and　the　well…known　integrity　of　the
Minister；　M。　de　Barbe　Marbois；　induced　Ouvrard　to　remit　the　10；000；000
piastres。　　But　a　few　days　after　he　had　forwarded　the　money　a　Commissioner
of　the　Treasury　arrived　at　Madrid　with　a　ministerial　despatch；　in　which
Ouvrard　was　requested　to　deliver　to　the　Commissioner　all　the　assets　he
could　command；　and　to　return　immediately　to　Paris。

The　Treasury　was　then　in　the　greatest　difficulty；　and　a　general　alarm
prevailed。　　This　serious　financial　distress　was　occasioned　by　the
following　circumstances。　　The　Treasury　had；　by　a　circular；　notified　to
the　Receivers…General　that　Desprez　was　the　holder　of　their　bonds。　　They
were　also　authorised　to　transmit　to　him　all　their　disposable　funds；　to　be
placed　to　their　credit　in　an　account　current。　　Perhaps　the　giving　of　this
authority　was　a　great　error；　but；　be　that　as　it　may；　Desprez；　encouraged
by　the　complaisance　of　the　Treasury；　desired　the　Receivers…General　to
transmit　to　him　all　the　sums　they　could　procure　for　payment　of　interest
under　8　per　cent。；　promising　to　allow　them　a　higher　rate　of　interest。　　As
the　credit　of　the　house　of　Desprez　stood　high；　it　may　be　easily　conceived
that　on　such　conditions　the　Receivers…General；　who　were　besides　secured
by　the　authority　of　the　Treasury；　would　enter　eagerly　into　the　proposed
plan。　　In　short；　the　Receivers…General　soon　transmitted　very　considerable
sums。　　Chests　of　money　arrived　daily　from　every　point　of　France。
Intoxicated　by　this　success；　Desprez　engaged　in　speculations　which　in　his
situation　were　extremely　imprudent。　　He　lent　more　than　50；000；000　to　the
merchants　of　Paris；　which　left　him　no　command　of　specie。　　Being　obliged
to　raise　money；　he　deposited　with　the　Bank　the　bonds　of　the　Receivers…
General　which　had　been　consigned　to　him；　but　which　were　already
discharged　by　the　sums　transmitted　to　their　credit　in　the　account
current。　　The　Bank；　wishing　to　be　reimbursed　for　the　money　advanced　to
Desprez；　applied　to　the　Receivers…General　whose　bonds　were　held　an
security。　　This　proceeding　had　become　necessary　on　the　part　of　the　Bank；
as　Desprez；　instead　of　making　his　payments　in　specie；　sent　in　his
acceptances。　　The　Directors　of　the　Bank；　who　conducted　that　establishment
with　great　integrity　and　discretion；　began　to　be　alarmed；　and　required
Desprez　to　explain　the　state　of　his　affairs。　　The　suspicions　of　the
Directors　became　daily　stronger；　and　were　soon　shared　by　the　public。　　At
last　the　Bank　was　obliged　to　stop　payment；　and　its　notes　were　soon　at　a
discount　of　12　per　cent。

The　Minister　of　the　Treasury；　dismayed；　as　well　may　be　supposed；　at　such
a　state　of　things　during　the　Emperor's　absence；　convoked　a　Council；　at
which　Joseph　Bonaparte　presided；　and　to　which　Desprez　and　Wanlerberghe
were　summoned。　　Ouvrard　being　informed　of　this　financial　convulsion　made
all　possible　haste　from　Madrid；　and　on　his　arrival　at　Paris　sought
assistance　from　Amsterdam。　　Hope's　house　offered　to　take　15；000；000
piastres　at　the　rate　of　3　francs　75　centimes　each。　　Ouvrard　having
engaged　to　pay　the　Spanish　Government　only　3　francs；　would　very　willingly
have　parted　with　them　at　that　rate；　but　his　hasty　departure　from　Madrid；
and　the　financial　events　at　Paris；　affected　his　relations　with　the
Spanish　Treasury；　and　rendered　it　impossible　for　him　to　afford　any
support　to　the　Treasury　of　France；　thus　the　alarm　continued；　until　the
news　of　the　battle　of　Austerlitz　and　the　consequent　hope　of　peace
tranquillised　the　public　mind。　　The　bankruptcy　of　Desprez　was　dreadful；
it　was　followed　by　the　failure　of　many　houses；　the　credit　of　which　was
previously　undoubted。

To　temper　the　exultation　which　victory　was　calculated　to　excite；　the　news
of　the　desperate　situation　of　the　Treasury　and　the　Bank　reached　the
Emperor　on　the　day　after　the　battle　of　Austerlitz。　　The　alarming　accounts
which　he　received　hastened　his　return　to　France；　and　on　the　very　evening
on　which　he　arrived　in　Paris　he　pronounced；　while　ascending　the　stairs　of
the　Tuileries；　the　dismissal　of　M。　de　Barbs　Marbois。　　This　Minister　had
made　numerous　enemies　by　the　strict　discharge　of　his　duty；　and　yet；
notwithstanding　his　rigid　probity；　he　sunk　under　the　accusation　of　having
endangered　the　safety　of　the　State　by　weakness　of　character。　　At　this
period　even　Madame　de　Stael　said；　in　a　party　where　the　firmness　of　M。
Barbs　Marbois　was　the　topic　of　conversation〃What；　he　inflexible？　　He　is
only　a　reed　bronzed！〃　　But　whatever　may　be　the　opinion　entertained　of　the
character　of　this　Minister；　it　is　certain　that　Napoleon's　rage　against
him　was　unbounded。　　Such　was　the　financial　catastrophe　which　occurred
during　the　campaign　of　Vienna；　but　all　was　not　over　with　Ouvrard；　and　in
so　great　a　confusion　of　affairs　it　was　not　to　be　expected　that　the
Imperial　hand；　which　was　not　always　the　hand　of　justice；　should　not　make
itself　somewhere　felt。

In　the　course　of　the　month　of　February　1806　the　Emperor　issued　two
decrees；　in　which　he　declared　Ouvrard；　Wanlerberghe；　and　Michel；
contractors　for　the　service　of　1804；　and　Desprez　their　agent；　debtors　to
the　amount　of　87；000；000；　which　they　had　misapplied　in　private
speculations；　and　in　transactions　with　Spain　〃for　their　personal
interests。〃　　Who　would　not　suppose　from　this　phrase　that　Napoleon　had
taken　no　part　whatever　in　the　great　financial　operation　between　Spain　and
South　America？　　He　was；　however；　intimately　acquainted　with　it；　and　was
himself　really　and　personally　interested。　　But　whenever　any　enterprise
was　unsuccessful　he　always　wished　to　deny　all　connection　with　it。
Possessed　of　title…deeds　made　up　by　himselfthat　is　to　say；　his　own
decreesthe　Emperor　seized　all　the　piastres　and　other　property　belonging
to　the　Company；　and　derived　from　the　transaction　great　pecuniary
advantage；though　such　advantage　never　could　be　regarded　by　a　sovereign
as　any　compensation　for　the　dreadful　state　into　which　the　public　credit
had　been　brought。





CHAPTER　V

1805…1806。

　　　　　Declaration　of　Louis　XVIII。Dumouriez　watchedNews　of　a　spy
　　　　　Remarkable　trait　of　courage　and　presence　of　mindNecessity　of
　　　　　vigilance　at　HamburgThe　King　of　SwedenHis　bulletinsDoctor　Gall
　　　　　Prussia　covets　HamburgProjects　on　HollandNegotiations　for
　　　　　peaceMr。　Fox　at　the　head　of　the　British　CabinetIntended
　　　　　assassination　of　NapoleonPropositions　made　through　Lord　Yarmouth
　　　　　Proposed　protection　of　the　Hanse　townsTheir　state
　　　　　Aggrandisement　of　the　Imperial　familyNeither　peace　nor　war
　　　　　Sebastiani's　mission　to　ConstantinopleLord　Lauderdale　at　Paris；
　　　　　and　failure　of　the　negotiationsAustria　despoiledEmigrant
　　　　　pensionsDumouriez's　intriguesPrince　of　Mecklenburg…Schwerin
　　　　　Loizeau。

I　have　been　somewhat　diffuse　respecting　the　vast　enterprises　of　M。
Ouvrard；　and　on　the　disastrous　state　of　the　finances　during　the　campaign
of　Vienna。　　Now；　if　I　may　so　express　myself；　I　shall　return　to　the
Minister　Plenipotentiary's　cabinet；　where　several　curious　transactions
occurred。　　The　facts　will　not　always　be　given　in　a　connected　series；
because　there　was　no　more　relation　between　the　reports　which　I　received
on　a　great　variety　of　subjects　than　there　is　in　the　pleading　of　the
barristers　who　succeed　each　other　in　a　court　of　justice。

On　the　2d　of　January　1806　I　learned　that　many　houses　in　Hamburg　had
received　by　post　packets；　each　containing　four　copies　of　a　declaration　of
Louis　XVIII。　　Dumouriez　had　his　carriage　filled　with　copies　of　this
declaration　when　he　passed　through　Brunswick；　and　in　that　small　town
alone　more　than　3000　were　distributed。　　The　size　of　this　declaration
rendered　its　transmission　by　post　very　easy；　even　in　France。

All　my　letters　from　the　Minister　recommended　that　I　should　keep　a　strict
watch　over　the　motions　of　Dumouriez；　but　his　name　was　now　as　seldom
mentioned　as　if　he　had　ceased　to　exist。　　The　part　he　acted　seemed　to　be
limited　to　disseminating　pamphlets　more　or　less　insignificant。

It　is　difficult　to　conceive　the　great　courage　and　presence　of　mind
sometimes　found　in　men　so　degraded　as　are　the　wretches　who　fill　the
office　of　spies。　　I　had　an　agent　amongst　the　Swedo…Russians；　named
Chefneux；　whom　I　had　always　found　extremely　clever　and　correct。　　Having
for　a　long　time　received　no　intelligence　from　him　I　became　very　anxious；
an　anxiety　which　was　not　without　foundation。　　He　had；　in　fact；　been
arrested　at　Lauenburg；　and　conducted；　bound；　tied　hand　and　foot；　by　some
Cossacks　to　Luneburg。　　There　was　found　on　him　a　bulletin　which　he　was
about　to　transmit　to　me；　and　he　only　escaped　certain　death　by　having　in
his　possession　a　letter　of　recommendation　from　a　Hamburg　merchant　well
known　to　M。　Alopaeus；　the　Russian　Minister　in　that　city。　　This
precaution；　which　I　had　taken　before　he　set　out；　saved　his　life。
M。　Alopaeus　replied　to　the　merchant　that；　in　consequence　of　his
recommendation　the　spy　should　be　sent　back　safe　and　sound；　but　that
another　time　neither　the　recommended　nor　the　recommender　should　escape　so
easily。　　Notwithstanding　this；　Chefneux　would　certainly　have　paid　with
his　head　for　the　dangerous　business　in　which　he　was　embarked　but　for　the
inconceivable　coolness　he　displayed　under　the　most　trying　circumstances。
Though　the　bulletin　which　was　found　upon　him　was　addressed　to　M。　Schramm；
merchant；　they　strongly　suspected　that　it　was　intended　for　me。　　They
demanded　of　the　prisoner　whether　he　knew　me；　to　which　he　boldly　replied
that　he　had　never　seen　me。　　They　endeavoured；　by　every　possible　means；　to
extort　a　confession　from　him；　but　without　success。　　His　repeated　denials；
joined　to　the　name　of　M。　Schramm；　created　doubts　in　the　minds　of　his
interrogators；　they　hesitated　lest　they　should　condemn　an　innocent　man。
They；　however；　resolved　to　make　a　last　effort　to　discover　the　truth；　and
Chefneux；　condemned　to　be　shot；　was　conducted　to　the　plain　of　Luneburg。
His　eyes　were　bandaged；　and　he　heard　the　command　of　preparation　given　to
the　platoon；　which　was　to　f