memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v14-第4章

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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
comforted；　there　is　no　help　to　be　expected　from　that　side。'

〃So　sad　a　discovery　was　very　painful　to　the　Emperor；　for　he　was　sincerely
attached　to　the　Empress；　and　still　hoped　again　to　see　his　son；　whom　he
loved　most　tenderly。'

〃Fouche　had　been　far　from　wishing　the　return　of　the　Emperor。　　He　was　long
tired　of　obeying；　and　had；　besides；　undertaken　another　plan；　which
Napoleon's　arrival　had　broken　off。　　The　Emperor；　however；　put　him　again
at　the　head　of　the　police；　because　Savary　was　worn　out　in　that
employment；　and　a　skillful　man　was　wanted　there。　　Fouche　accepted　the
office；　but　without　giving　up　his　plan　of　deposing　the　Emperor；　to　put　in
his　place　either　his　son　or　a　Republic　under　a　President。　　He　had　never
ceased　to　correspond　with　Prince　Metternich；　and；　if　he　is　to　be
believed；　　he　tried　to　persuade　the　Emperor　to　abdicate　in　favour　of　his
son。　　That　was　also　my　opinion；　but；　coming　from　such　a　quarter；　the
advice　was　not　without　danger　for　the　person　to　whom　it　was　given。
Besides；　that　advice　having　been　rejected；　it：　was　the　duty　of　the
Minister　either　to　think　no　more　of　his　plan　or　to　resign　his　office。
Fouche；　however；　remained　in　the　Cabinet；　and　continued　his
correspondence。　　The　Emperor；　who　placed　but　little　confidence　in　him；
kept　a　careful　eye　upon　him。　　One　evening　the　Emperor：　had　a　great　deal
of　company　at　the　Elysee；　he　told　me　not　to　go　home；　because　he　wished　to
speak　to　me。　　When　everybody　was　gone　the　Emperor　stopped　with　Fouche　in
the　apartment　next　to　the　one　I　was　in。　　The　door　remained　half　open。
They　walked　up　and　down　together　talking　very　calmly。　　I　was　therefore
greatly　astonished　when；　after　a　quarter　of；　an　hour；　I　heard　the　Emperor
say　to　him'　gravely；　'You　are　a　traitor！　　Why　do　you　remain　Minister　of
the　Police　if　you　wish　to　betray　me？　　It　rests　with　me　to　have　you
hanged；　and　everybody　would　rejoice　at　your　death！'　　I　did　not　hear
Fouche's　reply；　but　the　conversation　lasted　above　half　an　hour　longer；
the　parties　all　the　time　walking　up　and　down。　　When　Fouche　went　away　he
bade　me　cheerfully；　good…night；　and　said　that　the　Emperor　had　gone　back
to　his　apartments。

〃The　next　day　the　Emperor　spoke　to　me　of　the　previous　night's
conversation。　　'I　suspected；'　he　said；　'that　the　wretch　was　in
correspondence　with　Vienna。　　I　have　had　a　banker's　clerk　arrested　on　his
return　from　that　city。　　He　has　acknowledged　that　he　brought　a　letter　for
Fouche　from　Metternich；　and　that　the　answer　was　to　be　sent　at　a　fixed
time　to　Bale；　where　a　man　was　to　wait　for　the　bearer　on　the　bridge：　I
sent　for　Fouche　a　few　days　ago；　and　kept　him　three　hours　long　in　my
garden；　hoping　that　in　the　course　of　a　friendly　conversation　he　would
mention　that　letter　to　me；　but　he　said　nothing。　　At　last；　yesterday
evening；　I　myself　opened　the　subject。'　（Here　the　Emperor　repeated　to　me
the　words　I　had　heard　the　night　before；　'You　are　a　traitor；'　etc。）　　He
acknowledged；　in　fact；　　continued　the　Emperor；　'that　he　had　received　such
a　letter；　but　that　it　was　not　signed　and　that　he　had　looked　upon　it　as　a
mystification。　　He　showed　it　me。　　Now　that　letter　was　evidently　an
answer；　in　which　the　writer　again　declared　that　he　would　listen　to
nothing　more　concerning　the　Emperor；　but　that；　his　person　excepted；　it
would　be　easy　to　agree　to　all　the　rest。　　I　expected　that　the　Emperor
would　conclude　his　narrative　by　expressing　his　anger　against　Fouche；　but
our　conversation　turned　on　some　other　subject；　and　he　talked　no　more　of
him。

〃Two　days　afterwards　I　went　to　Fouche　to　solicit　the　return　to　Paris　of
an　officer　of　musqueteers　who　had　been　banished　far　from　his　family。　　I
found　him　at　breakfast；　and　sat　down　next　to　him。　　Facing　him　sat　a
stranger。　　'Do　you　see　this　man？'　he　said　to　me；　pointing　with　his　spoon
to　the　stranger；　'he　is　an　aristocrat；　a　Bourbonist；　a　Chouan；　it　is　the
Abbe　…；　one　of　the　editors　of　the　Journal　des　Debatsa　sworn　enemy
to　Napoleon；　a　fanatic　partisan　of　the　Bourbons；　he　is　one　of　our　men。
I　looked；　at　him。　　At　every　fresh　epithet　of　the　Minister　the　Abbe　bowed
his　head　down　to　his　plate　with　a　smile　of　cheerfulness　and　self…
complacency；　and　with　a　sort　of　leer。　　I　never　saw　a　more　ignoble
countenance。　　Fouche　explained　to　me；　on　leaving　the　breakfast　table；
in　what　manner　all　these　valets　of　literature　were　men　of　his；　and　while
I　acknowledged　to　myself　that　the　system　might　be　necessary；　I　scarcely
knew　who　were　really　more　despicablethe　wretches　who　thus　sold
themselves　to　the　highest　bidder；　or　the　minister　who　boasted　of　having
bought　them；　as　if　their　acquisition　were　a　glorious　conquest。　　Judging
that　the　Emperor　had　spoken　to　me　of　the　scene　I　have　described　above；
Fouche　said　to　me；　'The　Emperor's　temper　is　soured　by　the　resistance　he
finds；　and　he　thinks　it　is　my　fault。　　He　does　not　know　that　I　have　no
power　but　by　public　opinion。　　To　morrow　I　might　hang　before　my　door
twenty　persons　obnoxious　to　public　opinion；　though　I　should　not　be　able
to　imprison　for　four…and…twenty　hours　any　individual　favoured　by　it。
As　I　am　never　in　a　hurry　to　speak　I　remained　silent；　but　reflecting　on
what　the　Emperor　had　said　concerning　Fouche　I　found　the　comparison　of
their　two　speeches　remarkable。　　The　master　could　have　his　minister　hanged
with　public　applause；　and　the　minister　could　hangwhom？　　Perhaps　the
master　himself；　and　with　the　same　approbation。　　What　a　singular
situation！and　I　believe　they　were　both　in　the　right；　so　far　public
opinion；　equitable　in　regard　to　Fouche；　had　swerved　concerning　the
Emperor。〃

The　wrath　of　Napoleon　was　confined　to　the　Lower　House；　the　Peers；　from
the　nature　of　their　composition；　being　complacent　and　passive　enough。
The　vast　majority　of　them　were　in　fact　mere　shadows　gathered　round　the
solid　persons　of　Joseph；　Lucien；　Louis；　and　Jerome　Bonaparte；　and　Sieyes；
Carnot；　and　the　military　men　of　the　Revolution。　　As　a　political　body
Napoleon　despised　them　himself；　and　yet　he　wanted　the　nation　to　respect
them。　　But　respect　was　impossible；　and　the　volatile　Parisians　made　the
Peers　a　constant　object　of　their　witticisms。　　The　punsters　of　Paris　made
the　following　somewhat　ingenious　play　upon　words。　　Lallemand；　Labedogure；
Drouot；　and　Ney　they　called　Las　Quatre　Pairs　fides　（perfides）；　which　in
pronunciation　may　equally　mean　the　four　faithful　peers　or　the　four
perfidious　men。　　The　infamous　Vandamme　and　another　were　called　Pair…
siffles；　the　biased　peers；　or　the　biased　pair；　or　（persiffles）　men　made
objects　of　derision。　　It　was　thus　the　lower　orders　behaved　while　the；
existence　of　France　was　at　stake。

By　this　time　the　thunder…cloud　of　war　had　gathered　and　was　ready　to
burst。　　Short　as　the　time　at　his　disposal　was　Napoleon　prepared　to　meet
it　with　his　accustomed　energy。　　Firearms　formed　one　of　the　most　important
objects　of　attention。　　There　were　sufficient　sabres；　but　muskets　were
wanting。　　The　Imperial　factories　could；　in　ordinary　times；　furnish
monthly　20；000　stands　of　new　arms；　by　the　extraordinary　activity　and
inducements　offered　this　number　was　doubled。　　Workmen　were　also　employed
in　repairing　the　old　muskets。　　There　was　displayed　at　this　momentous
period　the　same　activity　in　the　capital　as　in　1793；　and　better　directed；
though　without　the　same　ultimate　success。　　The　clothing　of　the　army　was
another　difficulty；　and　this　was　got　over　by　advancing　large　sums　of
money　to　the　cloth　manufacturers　beforehand。　　The　contractors　delivered
20；000　cavalry　horses　before　the　1st　of　June；　10；000　trained　horses　had
been　furnished　by　the　dismounted　gendarmerie。　　Twelve　thousand　artillery
horses　were　also　delivered　by　the　1st　of　June；　in　addition　to　6000　which
the　army　already　had。

The　facility　with　which　the　Ministers　of　Finance　and　of　the　Treasury
provided　for　all　these　expenses　astonished　everybody；　as　it　was　necessary
to　pay　for　everything　in　ready　money。　　The　system　of　public　works　was　at
the　same　time　resumed　throughout　France。　　〃It　is　easy　to　see；〃　said　the
workmen；　〃that　'the　great　contractor'　is　returned；　all　was　dead；　now
everything　revives。〃

〃We　have　just　learnt；〃　says　a