memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v14-第3章

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coming　into　close　contact　with　such　a　mob　he　did　not　feel　his　fibre
respond　to　that　of　the　populace！　　Like　Frankenstein；　he　loathed　and　was
afraid　of　the　mighty　monster　he　had　put　together。

But　it　was　not　merely　the　mob　that　checked　the　liberalism　or　constitution
of　Napoleon；　a　delicate　and　doubtful　plant　in　itself；　that　required　the
most　cautious　treatment　to　make　it　really　take　root　and　grow　up　in　such　a
soil：　Some　of　his　councillors；　who　called　themselves　〃philosophical
statesmen；〃　advised　him　to　lay　aside　the　style　of　Emperor；　and　assume
that　of　High　President　or　Lord　General　of　the　Republic！　　Annoyed　with
such　puerilities　while　the　enemy　was　every　day　drawing　nearer　the
frontiers　he　withdrew　from　the　Tuileries　to　the　comparatively　small　and
retired　palace　of　the　Elysee；　where　he　escaped　these　talking…dreamers；
and　felt　himself　again　a　sovereign：　Shut　up　with　Benjamin　Constant　and　a
few　other　reasonable　politicians；　he　drew　up　the　sketch　of　a　new
constitution；　which　was　neither　much　better　nor　much　worse　than　the　royal
charter　of　Louis　XVIII。　　We　give　an　epitome　of　its　main　features。

The　Emperor　was　to　have　executive　power；　and　to　exercise　legislative
power　in　concurrence　with　the　two　Chambers。　　The　Chamber　of　Peers　was　to
be　hereditary；　and　nominated　by　the　Emperor；　and　its　number　was
unlimited。　　The　Second　Chamber　was　to　be　elected　by　the　people；　and　to
consist　of　629　members；　none　to　be　under　the　age　of　twenty…five。　　The
President　was　to　be　appointed　by　the　members；　but　approved　of　by　the
Emperor。　　Members　were　to　be　paid　at　the　rate　settled　by　the　Constituent
Assembly；　which　was　to　be　renewed　every　five　years。　　The　Emperor　might
prorogue；　adjourn；　or　dissolve　the　House　of　Representatives；　whose
sittings　were　to　be　public。　　The　Electoral　Colleges　were　maintained。
Land　tax　and　direct　taxes　were　to　be　voted　only　for　a　year；　indirect
taxes　might　be　imposed　for　several　years。　　No　levy　of　men　for　the　army
nor　any　exchange　of　territory　was　to　be　made　but　by　a　law。　　Taxes　were　to
be　proposed　by　the　Chamber　of　Representatives。　　Ministers　to　be
responsible。　　Judges　to　be　irremovable。　　Juries　to　be　established。　　Right
of　petition；　freedom　of　worship；　inviolability　of　property；　were
recognised。　　Liberty　of　the　press　was　given　under　legal　responsibility；
and　press　offences　were　to　be　judged　with　a　jury。　　No　place　or　part　of
the　territory　could　be　placed　in　a　state　of　siege　except　in　case　of
foreign　invasion　or　civil　troubles。　　Finally；　the　French　people　declared
that　in　the　delegation　it　thus　made　of　its　powers　it　was　not　to　be　taken
as　giving　the　right　to　propose　the　re…establishment　of　the　Bourbons；　or
of　any　Prince　of　that　family　on　the　throne；　even　in　case　of　the
extinction　of　the　imperial　dynasty。　　Any　such　proposal　was　formally
interdicted　to　the　Chambers　or　to　the　citizens；　as　well　as　any　of　the
following　measures；。viz。　　the　re…establishment　of　the　former；　feudal
nobility；　of　the　feudal　and　seignorial　rights；　of　tithes；　of　any
privileged　and　dominant　religion；　as　well　as　of　the　power　of　making　any
attack　on　the　irrevocability　of　the　sale　of　the　national　goods。

Shortly　after　the　return　of　Napoleon　from　Elba；　believing　it　to　be
impossible　to　make　the　Emperor　of　Austria　consent　to　his　wife's　rejoining
him　（and　Maria　Louisa　had　no　inclination　to　a　renewal　of　conjugal
intercourse）；　　Napoleon　had　not　been　many　days　in　Paris　when　he　concocted
a　plan　for　carrying　off　from　Vienna　both　his　wife　and　his　son：　In　this
project　force　was　no　less　necessary　than　stratagem。　　A　number　of　French
of　both　sexes　much　devoted　to　the　Emperor；　who；　had　given　them　rank　and
fortune；　had　accompanied　Maria　Louisa　in　1814　from　Paris　to　Blois　and
thence　to　Vienna。　　A　correspondence　was　opened　with　these　persons；　who
embarked　heart　and　soul　in　the　plot；　they　forged　passports；　procured…
relays；　of　horses；　and　altogether　arranged　matters　so　well　that　but　a　for
a　single　individualone　who　revealed　the　whole　project　a　few　days
previously　to　that　fixed　upon　for　carrying　it　into　effectthere　is
little　room　to　doubt　that　the　plan　would　have　succeeded；　and　that　the
daughter　of　Austria　and　the　titular　King　of　home　would　have　given　such；
prestige　as　their　presence　could　give　at　the　Tuileries　and　he　Champs…de…
Mai。　　No　sooner　had　the　Emperor　of　Austria　discovered　this　plot；　which；
had　it　been　successful；　would　have　placed　him　in　a　very　awkward
predicament；　than　he　dismissed　all　the　French　people　about　his　daughter；
compelled　her　to　lay　aside　the　armorial　bearings　and　liveries　of
Napoleon；　and　even　to　relinquish　the　title　of　Empress　of　the　French：　No
force；　no　art；　no　police　could　conceal　these　things　from　the　people　of
Paris；　who；　moreover；　and　at　nearly　the　same　time；　were　made　very　uneasy
by　the　failure　of　Murat's　attempt　in　Italy；　which　greatly　increased　the
power　and　political　influence　of　Austria。　　Murat　being　disposed　of；　the
Emperor　Francis　was　enabled　to　concentrate　all　his　forces　in　Italy；　and
to　hold　them　in　readiness　for　the　re…invasion　of　France。

〃Napoleon；〃　says　Lavallette；　〃had　undoubtedly　expected　that　the　Empress
and　his　son　would　be　restored　to　him；　he　had　published　his　wishes　as　a
certainty；　and　to　prevent　it　was；　in　fact；　the　worst　injury　the　Emperor
of　Austria　could　have　done；　him。　　His　hope　was；　however；　soon　destroyed。

〃One　evening　I　was　summoned　to　the　palace。　　I　found　the　Emperor　in　a
dimly…lighted　closet；　warming　himself　in　a　corner　of　the　fireplace；　and
appearing　to　suffer　already　from　the　complaint　which　never　afterwards
left　him。　　'Here　is　a　letter；'　he　said；　'which　the　courier　from　Vienna
says　is　meant　for　youread　it。'　　On　first　casting　my　eyes　on　the　letter
I　thought　I　knew　the　handwriting；　but　as　it　was　long　I　read　it　slowly；
and　came　at　last　to　the　principal　object。　　The　writer　said　that　we　ought
not　to　reckon　upon　the　Empress；　as　she　did　not　even　attempt　to　conceal
her　dislike　of　the　Emperor；　and　was　disposed　to　approve　all　the　measures
that　could　be　taken　against　him；　that　her　return　was　not　to　be　thought
of；　as　she　herself　would　raise　the　greatest　obstacles　in　the　way　of　it；
in　case　it　should　be　proposed；　finally；　that　it　was　not　possible　for　him
to　dissemble　his　indignation　that　the　Empress；　wholly　enamoured　of　；
did　not　even　take　pains　to　hide　her　ridiculous　partiality　for　him。　The
handwriting　of　the　letter　was　disguised；　yet　not　so　much　but　that　I　was
able　to　discover　whose　it　was。　　I　found；　however；　in　the　manner　in　which
the　secret　was　expressed　a　warmth　of　zeal　and　a　picturesque　style　that
did　not　belong　to　the　author　of　the　letter。　　While　reading　it；　I　all　of　a
sudden　suspected　it　was　a　counterfeit；　and　intended　to　mislead　the
Emperor。　　I　communicated　ms　idea　to　him；　and　the　danger　I　perceived　in
this　fraud。　　As　I　grew　more　and　more　animated　I　found　plausible　reasons
enough　to　throw　the　Emperor　himself　into　some　uncertainty。　　'How　is　it
possible；'　I　said；　'that　…　should　have　been　imprudent　enough　to　write
such　things　to　me；　who　am　not　his　friend；　and　who　have　had　so　little
connection　with　him？　　How　can　one　suppose　that　the　Empress　should　forget
herself；　in　such　circumstances；　so　far　as　to　manifest　aversion　to　you；
and；　still　more；　to　cast　herself　away　upon　a　man　who　undoubtedly　still
possesses　some　power　to　please；　but　who　is　no　longer　young；　whose　face　is
disfigured；　and　whose　person；　altogether；　has　nothing　agreeable　in　it？'
'But；'　answered　the　Emperor；　…　is　attached　to　me；　and　though　he　is
not　your　friend；　the　postscript　sufficiently　explains　the　motive　of　the
confidence　he　places　in　you。'　　The　following　words　were；　in　fact；　written
at　the　bottom　of　the　letter：　'I　do　not　think　you　ought　to　mention　the
truth　to　the　Emperor；　but　make　whatever　use　of　it　you　think　proper。'
I　persisted；　however；　in　maintaining　that　the　letter　was　a　counterfeit；
and　the　Emperor　then　said　to　me；　'Go　to　Caulaincourt。　　He　possesses　a
great　many　others　in　the　same　handwriting。　　Let　the　comparison　decide
between　your　opinion　and　mine。'

〃I　went　to　Caulaincourt；　who　said　eagerly　to　me；　'I　am　sure　the　letter　is
from　…；　and　I　have　not　the　least　doubt　of　the　truth　of　the
particulars　it　contains。　　The　best　thing　the　Emperor　can　do　is　to　be