memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v2-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！


　　　　　〃I　saw　our　five　kings；　dressed　in　the　robes　of　Francis　I。；　his　hat；
　　　　　his　pantaloons；　and　his　lace：　the　face　of　La　Reveilliere　looked　like
　　　　　a　cork　upon　two　pins；　with　the　black　and　greasy　hair　of　Clodion。　　M。
　　　　　de　Talleyrand；　in　pantaloons　of　the　colour　of　wine　dregs；　sat　in　a
　　　　　folding　chair　at　the　feet　of　the　Director　Barras；　in　the　Court　of
　　　　　the　Petit　Luxembourg；　and　gravely　presented　to　his　sovereigns　as
　　　　　ambassador　from　the　Grand　Duke　of　Tuscany；　while　the　French　were
　　　　　eating　his　master's　dinner；　from　the　soup　to　the　cheese。　　At　the
　　　　　right　hand　there　were　fifty　musicians　and　singers　of　the　Opera；
　　　　　Laine；　Lays；　Regnault；　and　the　actresses；　not　all　dead　of　old　age；
　　　　　roaring　a　patriotic　cantata　to　the　music　of　Mehul。　　Facing　them；　on
　　　　　another　elevation；　there　were　two　hundred　young　and　beautiful　women；
　　　　　with　their　arms　and　bosoms　bare；　all　in　ecstasy　at　the　majesty　of
　　　　　our　Pentarchy　and　the　happiness　of　the　Republic。　　They　also　wore
　　　　　tight　flesh…coloured　pantaloons；　with　rings　on　their　toes。　　That　was
　　　　　a　sight　that　never　will　be　seen　again。　　A　fortnight　after　this
　　　　　magnificent　fete；　thousands　of　families　wept　over　their　banished
　　　　　fathers；　forty…eight　departments　were　deprived　of　their
　　　　　representatives；　and　forty　editors　of　newspapers　were　forced　to　go
　　　　　and　drink　the　waters　of　the　Elbe；　the　Synamary　or　the　Ohio！　　It
　　　　　would　be　a　curious　disquisition　to　seek　to　discover　what　really　were
　　　　　at　that　time　the　Republic　and　Liberty。〃＇


He　knew　that　the　Clichy　party　demanded　his　dismissal　and　arrest。　　He　was
given　to　understand　that　Dumolard　was　one　of　the　most　decided　against
him；　and　that；　finally；　the　royalist　party　was　on　the　point　of
triumphing。

Before　deciding　for　one　party　or　the　other　Bonaparte　first　thought　of
himself。　　He　did　not　imagine　that　he　had　yet　achieved　enough　to　venture
on　possessing　himself　of　that　power　which　certainly　he　might　easily　have
obtained。　　He　therefore　contented　himself　with　joining　the　party　which
was；　for　the　moment；　supported　by　public　opinion。　　I　know　he　was
determined　to　march　upon　Paris　with　25；000　men　had　affairs　taken　a　turn
unfavourable　to　the　Republic；　which　he　preferred　to　royalty。　　He
cautiously　formed　his　plan。　　To　defend　the　Directory　was；　he　conceived；
to　defend　his　own　future　fortune；　that　is　to　say；　it　was　protecting　a
power　which　appeared　to　have　no　other　object　than　to　keep　a　place　for　him
until　his　return。

The　parties　which　rose　up　in　Paris　produced　a　reaction　in　the　army。　　The
employment　of　the　word　'Monsieur'　had　occasioned　quarrels；　and　even
bloodshed。　　General　Augereau；　in　whose　division　these　contests　had　taken
place；　published　an　order　of　the　day；　setting　forth　that　every　individual
in　his　division　who　should　use　the　word　'Monsieur'；　either　verbally　or　in
writing；　under　any　pretence　whatever；　should　be　deprived　of　his　rank；　and
declared　incapable　of　serving　in　the　Republican　armies。　　This　order　was
read　at　the　head　of　each　company。

Bonaparte　viewed　the　establishment　of　peace　as　the　close　of　his　military
career。　　Repose　and　inactivity　were　to　him　unbearable。　　He　sought　to　take
part　in　the　civil　affairs　of　the　Republic；　and　was　desirous　of　becoming
one　of　the　five　Directors；　convinced　that；　if　he　obtained　that　object；　he
would　speedily　stand　single　and　alone。　　The　fulfilment　of　this　wish　would
have　prevented　the　Egyptian　expedition；　and　placed　the　imperial　crown
much　sooner　upon　his　head。　　Intrigues　were　carried　on　in　Paris　in　his
name；　with　the　view　of　securing　to　him　a　legal　dispensation　on　the　score
of　age。　　He　hoped；　though　he　was　but　eight…and…twenty；　to　supersede　one
of　the　two　Directors　who　were　to　go　out　of　office。

　　　　　＇The　Directors　had　to　be　forty　years　of　ago　before　they　could　be
　　　　　appointed。＇

His　brothers　and　their　friends　made　great　exertions　for　the　success　of
the　project；　which；　however；　was　not　officially　proposed；　because　it　was
too　adverse　to　the　prevailing　notions　of　the　day；　and　seemed　too　early　a
violation　of　the　constitution　of　the　year　III。；　which；　nevertheless；　was
violated　in　another　way　a　few　months　after。

The　members　of　the　Directory　were　by　no　means　anxious　to　have　Bonaparte
for　their　colleague。　　They　dissembled；　and　so　did　he。　　Both　parties　were
lavish　of　their　mutual　assurances　of　friendship；　while　they　cordially
hated　each　other。　　The　Directory；　however；　appealed　for　the　support　of
Bonaparte；　which　he　granted；　but　his　subsequent　conduct　clearly　proves
that　the　maintenance　of　the　constitution　of　the　year　III。　was　a　mere
pretest。　　He　indeed　defended　it　meanwhile；　because；　by　aiding　the　triumph
of　the　opposite　party；　he　could　not　hope　to　preserve　the　influence　which
he　exercised　over　the　Directory。　　I　know　well　that；　in　case　of　the　Clichy
party　gaining　the　ascendency；　he　was　determined　to　cross　the　Alps　with
his　army；　and　to　assemble　all　the　friends　of　the　Republic　at　Lyons；
thence　to　march　upon　Paris。

In　the　Memorial　of　St。　　Helena　it　is　stated；　in　reference　to　the　18th
Fructidor；　〃that　the　triumph　of　the　majority　of　the　councils　was　his
desire　and　hope；　we　are　inclined　to　believe　from　the　following　fact；
viz。；　that　at　the　crisis　of　the　contest　between　the　two　factions　a　secret
resolution　was　drawn　up　by　three　of　the　members　of　the　Directory；　asking
him　for　three　millions　to　support　the　attack　on　the　councils；　and　that
Napoleon；　under　various　pretences；　did　not　send　the　money；　though　he
might　easily　have　done　so。〃

This　is　not　very　comprehensible。　　There　was　no　secret　resolution　of　the
members　who　applied　for　the　three　millions。　　It　was　Bonaparte　who　offered
the　money；　which；　however；　he　did　not　send；　it　was　he　who　despatched
Augereau；　and　he　who　wished　for　the　triumph　of　the　Directorial　majority。
His　memory　served　him　badly　at　St。　Helena；　as　will　be　seen　from　some
correspondence　which　I　shall　presently　submit　to　the　reader。　　It　is　very
certain　that　he　did　offer　the　money　to　the　Directory；　that　is　to　say；　to
three　of　its　members。

　　　　　＇Barras；　　La　Revelliere…Lepaux；　and　Rewbell；　the　three　Directors
　　　　　who　carried　out　the　'coup　d'etat'　of　the　18th　Fructidor　against
　　　　　their　colleagues　Carnot　and　Bartholemy。　　（See　Thiers'　French
　　　　　Revolution〃；　vol。　v。　　pp。　114；139；　and　163。）＇

Bonaparte　had　so　decidedly　formed　his　resolution　that　on　the　17th　of
July；　wishing　to　make　Augereau　his　confidant；　he　sent　to　Vicenza　for　him
by　an　extraordinary　courier。

Bonaparte　adds　that　when　Bottot；　the　confidential　agent　of　Barras；　came
to　Passeriano；　after　the　18th　Fructidor；　he　declared　to　him　that　as　soon
as　La　Vallette　should　make　him　acquainted　with　the　real　state　of　things
the　money　should　be　transmitted。　　The　inaccuracy　of　these　statements　will
be　seen　in　the　correspondence　relative　to　the　event。　　In　thus　distorting
the　truth　Napoleon's　only　object　could　have　been　to　proclaim　his
inclination　for　the　principles　he　adopted　and　energetically　supported
from　the　year　1800；　but　which；　previously　to　that　period；　he　had　with　no
less　energy　opposed。

He　decidedly　resolved　to　support　the　majority　of　the　Directory；　and　to
oppose　the　royalist　faction；　the　latter；　which　was　beginning　to　be
important；　would　have　been　listened　to　had　it　offered　power　to　him。
About　the　end　of　July　he　sent　his　'aide　de　camp'　La　Vallette　to　Paris。
La　Vallette　was　a　man　of　good　sense　and　education；　pleasing　manners；
pliant　temper；　and　moderate　opinions。　　He　was　decidedly　devoted　to
Bonaparte。　　With　his　instructions　he　received　a　private　cipher　to　enable
him　to　correspond　with　the　General…in…Chief。

Augereau　went；　after　La　Vallette；　on　the　27th　of　July。　　Bonaparte
officially　wrote　to　the　Directory　that　Augereau　〃had　solicited　leave　to
go　to　Paris　on　his　own　private　business。〃

But　the　truth　is；　Augereau　was　sent　expressly　to　second　the　revolution
which　was　preparing　against　the　Clichy　party　and　the　minority　of　the
Directory。

Bonaparte　made　choice　of　Augereau　because　he　knew　his　staunch　republican
principles；　his　boldness；　and　his　deficiency　in　political　talent。　　He
thought　him　well　calculated　to　aid　a　commotion；　which　his　own　presence
with　the　army　of　Italy　prevented　him　from　directing　in　person；　and
besides；　Augereau　was　not　an　ambitious　rival　who　might　turn　events　to　his
own　advantage。　　Napoleon　said；　at　St。　Helena；　that　he　sent　the　addresses
of　the　army　of　Italy　by　Augereau　because　he　was　a　decided　supporter　of
the　opinions　of　the　day。　　That　was　the　true　reason　for　choosing　him。

Bernadotte　was　subsequently　despatched　on　the　same　errand。　　Bonaparte's
pretence　for　sending　him　was；　that　he　wished　to　transmit　to　the　Directory
four　flags；　which；　out　of　the　twenty…one　taken　at　the　battle　of　Rivoli；
had　been　left；　by　mistake；　at　Peschiera。　　Bernadotte；　however；　did　not
take　any　great　part　in　the　affair。　　He　was　always　prudent。

The　crisis　of　the　18th　Fructidor；　which　retarded　for　three　years　the
extinction　of　the　pentarchy；　presents　one　of　the　most　remarkable　events
of　its　short　existence。　　It　will　be　seen　how　the　Directors　extricated
themselves　from　this　difficulty。　　I　subjoin　the　correspondence　relating
to　this　remarkable　episode　of　our　Revolution；　cancelling　only　such
portions　of　it　as　are　irrelevant　to　the　subject。　　It　exhibits　several
variations　from　the　accounts　given　by　Napoleon　at　St。　Helena　to　his　noble
companions　in　misfortune。

Augereau　thus　expressed　himself　on　the　18th　Fructidor　（4th　September
1797）：

　　　　　At　length；　General；　my　mission　is　accomplished；　and　the　promises　of
　　　　　the　army　of　Italy　are　fulfilled。　　The　fear　of　being　anticipated　has
　　　　　caused　measures　to　be　hurried。

　　　　　At　midnight　I　despatched　orders　to　all　the　troops　to　march　towards
　　　　　the　points　specified。　　Before　day　all　the　bridges　and　principal
　　　　　places　were　planted　with　cannon。　　At　daybreak　the　halls　of　the
　　　　　councils　were　surrounded；　the　guards　of　the　councils　were　amicably
　　　　　mingled　with　our　troops；　and　the　members；　of　whom　I　send　you　a　list；
　　　　　were　arrested　and　conveyed　to　the　Temple。　　The　greater　number　have
　　　　　escaped；　and　are　being　pursued。　　Carnot　has　disappeared。'

　　　　　＇In　1824　Louis　XVIII。　　sent　letters　of　nobility　to　those　members