diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:21:47 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 05:21:47 -0700 |
| commit | 403b22d96fb30e3a444336190ccef16df5ba9f9a (patch) | |
| tree | 223295d134810c19115a0303bba0a4bd4bef216e | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 3557.txt | 3518 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 3557.zip | bin | 0 -> 78573 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
5 files changed, 3534 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/3557.txt b/3557.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a54faa6 --- /dev/null +++ b/3557.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3518 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Memoirs of Napoleon--1804, v7 +#7 in our series by Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne +#7 in our Napoleon Bonaparte series + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world, be sure to check +the laws for your country before redistributing these files!!!!! + +Please take a look at the important information in this header. +We encourage you to keep this file on your own disk, keeping an +electronic path open for the next readers. + +Please do not remove this. + +This should be the first thing seen when anyone opens the book. +Do not change or edit it without written permission. The words +are carefully chosen to provide users with the information they +need about what they can legally do with the texts. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**Etexts Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These Etexts Are Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + +Information on contacting Project Gutenberg to get Etexts, and +further information is included below, including for donations. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) +organization with EIN [Employee Identification Number] 64-6221541 + + + +Title: Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, v7 + +Author: Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne + +Release Date: December, 2002 [Etext #3557] +[Yes, we are about one year ahead of schedule] +[The actual date this file first posted = 04/20/01] +[Last modified date = 11/15/01] + +Edition: 11 + +Language: English + +The Project Gutenberg Etext of Memoirs of Napoleon, by Bourrienne, v7 +********This file should be named 3557.txt or 3557.zip********* + +This etext was produced by David Widger + +Project Gutenberg Etexts are usually created from multiple editions, +all of which are in the Public Domain in the United States, unless a +copyright notice is included. Therefore, we usually do NOT keep any +of these books in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +We are now trying to release all our books one year in advance +of the official release dates, leaving time for better editing. +Please be encouraged to send us error messages even years after +the official publication date. + +Please note neither this listing nor its contents are final until +midnight of the last day of the month of any such announcement. +The official release date of all Project Gutenberg Etexts is at +Midnight, Central Time, of the last day of the stated month. A +preliminary version may often be posted for suggestion, comment +and editing by those who wish to do so. + +Most people start at our sites at: +https://gutenberg.org +http://promo.net/pg + + +Those of you who want to download any Etext before announcement +can surf to them as follows, and just download by date; this is +also a good way to get them instantly upon announcement, as the +indexes our cataloguers produce obviously take a while after an +announcement goes out in the Project Gutenberg Newsletter. + +http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext03 +or +ftp://ftp.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/gutenberg/etext03 + +Or /etext02, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97, 96, 95, 94, 93, 92, 92, 91 or 90 + +Just search by the first five letters of the filename you want, +as it appears in our Newsletters. + + +Information about Project Gutenberg (one page) + +We produce about two million dollars for each hour we work. The +time it takes us, a rather conservative estimate, is fifty hours +to get any etext selected, entered, proofread, edited, copyright +searched and analyzed, the copyright letters written, etc. This +projected audience is one hundred million readers. If our value +per text is nominally estimated at one dollar then we produce $2 +million dollars per hour this year as we release fifty new Etext +files per month, or 500 more Etexts in 2000 for a total of 3000+ +If they reach just 1-2% of the world's population then the total +should reach over 300 billion Etexts given away by year's end. + +The Goal of Project Gutenberg is to Give Away One Trillion Etext +Files by December 31, 2001. [10,000 x 100,000,000 = 1 Trillion] +This is ten thousand titles each to one hundred million readers, +which is only about 4% of the present number of computer users. + +At our revised rates of production, we will reach only one-third +of that goal by the end of 2001, or about 4,000 Etexts unless we +manage to get some real funding. + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation has been created +to secure a future for Project Gutenberg into the next millennium. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +As of 10/28/01 contributions are only being solicited from people in: +Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, +Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, +Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, +New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, +Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, +Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming + +We have filed in about 45 states now, but these are the only ones +that have responded. + +As the requirements for other states are met, +additions to this list will be made and fund raising +will begin in the additional states. Please feel +free to ask to check the status of your state. + +In answer to various questions we have received on this: + +We are constantly working on finishing the paperwork +to legally request donations in all 50 states. If +your state is not listed and you would like to know +if we have added it since the list you have, just ask. + +While we cannot solicit donations from people in +states where we are not yet registered, we know +of no prohibition against accepting donations +from donors in these states who approach us with +an offer to donate. + + +International donations are accepted, +but we don't know ANYTHING about how +to make them tax-deductible, or +even if they CAN be made deductible, +and don't have the staff to handle it +even if there are ways. + +All donations should be made to: + +Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +PMB 113 +1739 University Ave. +Oxford, MS 38655-4109 + + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a 501(c)(3) +organization with EIN [Employee Identification Number] 64-6221541, +and has been approved as a 501(c)(3) organization by the US Internal +Revenue Service (IRS). Donations are tax-deductible to the maximum +extent permitted by law. As the requirements for other states are met, +additions to this list will be made and fund raising will begin in the +additional states. + +We need your donations more than ever! + +You can get up to date donation information at: + +https://www.gutenberg.org/donation.html + + +*** + +If you can't reach Project Gutenberg, +you can always email directly to: + +Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com> + +hart@pobox.com forwards to hart@prairienet.org and archive.org +if your mail bounces from archive.org, I will still see it, if +it bounces from prairienet.org, better resend later on. . . . + +Prof. Hart will answer or forward your message. + +We would prefer to send you information by email. + + +*** + + +Example command-line FTP session: + +ftp ftp.ibiblio.org +login: anonymous +password: your@login +cd pub/docs/books/gutenberg +cd etext90 through etext99 or etext00 through etext02, etc. +dir [to see files] +get or mget [to get files. . .set bin for zip files] +GET GUTINDEX.?? [to get a year's listing of books, e.g., GUTINDEX.99] +GET GUTINDEX.ALL [to get a listing of ALL books] + + +**The Legal Small Print** + + +(Three Pages) + +***START**THE SMALL PRINT!**FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS**START*** +Why is this "Small Print!" statement here? You know: lawyers. +They tell us you might sue us if there is something wrong with +your copy of this etext, even if you got it for free from +someone other than us, and even if what's wrong is not our +fault. So, among other things, this "Small Print!" statement +disclaims most of our liability to you. It also tells you how +you may distribute copies of this etext if you want to. + +*BEFORE!* YOU USE OR READ THIS ETEXT +By using or reading any part of this PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm +etext, you indicate that you understand, agree to and accept +this "Small Print!" statement. If you do not, you can receive +a refund of the money (if any) you paid for this etext by +sending a request within 30 days of receiving it to the person +you got it from. If you received this etext on a physical +medium (such as a disk), you must return it with your request. + +ABOUT PROJECT GUTENBERG-TM ETEXTS +This PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext, like most PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etexts, +is a "public domain" work distributed by Professor Michael S. Hart +through the Project Gutenberg Association (the "Project"). +Among other things, this means that no one owns a United States copyright +on or for this work, so the Project (and you!) can copy and +distribute it in the United States without permission and +without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth +below, apply if you wish to copy and distribute this etext +under the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark. + +Please do not use the "PROJECT GUTENBERG" trademark to market +any commercial products without permission. + +To create these etexts, the Project expends considerable +efforts to identify, transcribe and proofread public domain +works. Despite these efforts, the Project's etexts and any +medium they may be on may contain "Defects". Among other +things, Defects may take the form of incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other +intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged +disk or other etext medium, a computer virus, or computer +codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment. + +LIMITED WARRANTY; DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES +But for the "Right of Replacement or Refund" described below, +[1] Michael Hart and the Foundation (and any other party you may +receive this etext from as a PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm etext) disclaims +all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including +legal fees, and [2] YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE OR +UNDER STRICT LIABILITY, OR FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR CONTRACT, +INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE +OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE +POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. + +If you discover a Defect in this etext within 90 days of +receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) +you paid for it by sending an explanatory note within that +time to the person you received it from. If you received it +on a physical medium, you must return it with your note, and +such person may choose to alternatively give you a replacement +copy. If you received it electronically, such person may +choose to alternatively give you a second opportunity to +receive it electronically. + +THIS ETEXT IS OTHERWISE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS-IS". NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ARE MADE TO YOU AS +TO THE ETEXT OR ANY MEDIUM IT MAY BE ON, INCLUDING BUT NOT +LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A +PARTICULAR PURPOSE. + +Some states do not allow disclaimers of implied warranties or +the exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, so the +above disclaimers and exclusions may not apply to you, and you +may have other legal rights. + +INDEMNITY +You will indemnify and hold Michael Hart, the Foundation, +and its trustees and agents, and any volunteers associated +with the production and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm +texts harmless, from all liability, cost and expense, including +legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the +following that you do or cause: [1] distribution of this etext, +[2] alteration, modification, or addition to the etext, +or [3] any Defect. + +DISTRIBUTION UNDER "PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm" +You may distribute copies of this etext electronically, or by +disk, book or any other medium if you either delete this +"Small Print!" and all other references to Project Gutenberg, +or: + +[1] Only give exact copies of it. Among other things, this + requires that you do not remove, alter or modify the + etext or this "small print!" statement. You may however, + if you wish, distribute this etext in machine readable + binary, compressed, mark-up, or proprietary form, + including any form resulting from conversion by word + processing or hypertext software, but only so long as + *EITHER*: + + [*] The etext, when displayed, is clearly readable, and + does *not* contain characters other than those + intended by the author of the work, although tilde + (~), asterisk (*) and underline (_) characters may + be used to convey punctuation intended by the + author, and additional characters may be used to + indicate hypertext links; OR + + [*] The etext may be readily converted by the reader at + no expense into plain ASCII, EBCDIC or equivalent + form by the program that displays the etext (as is + the case, for instance, with most word processors); + OR + + [*] You provide, or agree to also provide on request at + no additional cost, fee or expense, a copy of the + etext in its original plain ASCII form (or in EBCDIC + or other equivalent proprietary form). + +[2] Honor the etext refund and replacement provisions of this + "Small Print!" statement. + +[3] Pay a trademark license fee to the Foundation of 20% of the + gross profits you derive calculated using the method you + already use to calculate your applicable taxes. If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation" + the 60 days following each date you prepare (or were + legally required to prepare) your annual (or equivalent + periodic) tax return. Please contact us beforehand to + let us know your plans and to work out the details. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +Project Gutenberg is dedicated to increasing the number of +public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed +in machine readable form. + +The Project gratefully accepts contributions of money, time, +public domain materials, or royalty free copyright licenses. +Money should be paid to the: +"Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +If you are interested in contributing scanning equipment or +software or other items, please contact Michael Hart at: +hart@pobox.com + +[Portions of this header are copyright (C) 2001 by Michael S. Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + + +This etext was produced by David Widger + + + + + +[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, at the end of several of the +files for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making +an entire meal of them. D.W.] + + + + + +MEMOIRS OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, VOLUME 7. + +By LOUIS ANTOINE FAUVELET DE BOURRIENNE + +His Private Secretary + +Edited by R. W. Phipps +Colonel, Late Royal Artillery + +1891 + + +CONTENTS: +CHAPTER XIX. to CHAPTER XXVI. 1803-1804 + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + +1803. + + Mr. Pitt--Motive of his going out of office--Error of the English + Government--Pretended regard for the Bourbons--Violation of the + treaty of Amiens--Reciprocal accusations--Malta--Lord Whitworth's + departure--Rome and Carthage--Secret satisfaction of Bonaparte-- + Message to the Senate, the Legislative Body, and the Tribunate-- + The King of England's renunciation of the title of King of France-- + Complaints of the English Government--French agents in British ports + --Views of France upon Turkey--Observation made by Bonaparte to the + Legislative Body--Its false interpretation--Conquest of Hanover-- + The Duke of Cambridge caricatured--The King of England and the + Elector of Hanover--First address to the clergy--Use of the word + "Monsieur"--The Republican weeks and months. + +One of the circumstances which foretold the brief duration of the peace +of Amiens was, that Mr. Pitt was out of office at the time of its +conclusion. I mentioned this to Bonaparte, and I immediately perceived +by his hasty "What do you say?" that my observation had been heard--but +not liked. It did not, however, require any extraordinary shrewdness to +see the true motive of Mr. Pitt's retirement. That distinguished +statesman conceived that a truce under the name of a peace was +indispensable for England; but, intending to resume the war with France +more fiercely than ever, he for a while retired from office, and left to +others the task of arranging the peace; but his intention was to mark his +return to the ministry by the renewal of the implacable hatred he had +vowed against France. Still, I have always thought that the conclusion +of peace, however necessary to England, was an error of the Cabinet of +London. England alone had never before acknowledged any of the +governments which had risen up in France since the Revolution; and as the +past could not be blotted out, a future war, however successful to +England, could not take from Bonaparte's Government the immense weight it +had acquired by an interval of peace. Besides, by the mere fact of the +conclusion of the treaty England proved to all Europe that the +restoration of the Bourbons was merely a pretext, and she defaced that +page of her history which might have shown that she was actuated by +nobler and more generous sentiments than mere hatred of France. It is +very certain that the condescension of England in treating with the First +Consul had the effect of rallying round him a great many partisans of the +Bourbons, whose hopes entirely depended on the continuance of war between +Great Britain and France. This opened the eyes of the greater number, +namely, those who could not see below the surface, and were not +previously aware that the demonstrations of friendship so liberally made +to the Bourbons by the European Cabinets, and especially by England, were +merely false pretences, assumed for the purpose of disguising, beneath +the semblance of honourable motives, their wish to injure France, and to +oppose her rapidly increasing power. + +When the misunderstanding took place, France and England might have +mutually reproached each other, but justice was apparently on the side of +France. It was evident that England, by refusing to evacuate Malta, was +guilty of a palpable infraction of the treaty of Amiens, while England +could only institute against France what in the French law language is +called a suit or process of tendency. But it must be confessed that this +tendency on the part of France to augment her territory was very evident, +for the Consular decrees made conquests more promptly than the sword. +The union of Piedmont with France had changed the state of Europe. This +union, it is true, was effected previously to the treaty of Amiens; but +it was not so with the states of Parma and Piacenza, Bonaparte having by +his sole authority constituted himself the heir of the Grand Duke, +recently deceased. It may therefore be easily imagined how great was +England's uneasiness at the internal prosperity of France and the +insatiable ambition of her ruler; but it is no less certain that, with +respect to Malta, England acted with decidedly bad faith; and this bad +faith appeared in its worst light from the following circumstance:-- +It had been stipulated that England should withdraw her troops from Malta +three months after the signing of the treaty, yet more than a year had +elapsed, and the troops were still there. The order of Malta was to be +restored as it formerly was; that is to say, it was to be a sovereign and +independent order, under the protection of the Holy See. The three +Cabinets of Vienna, Berlin, and St. Petersburg were to guarantee the +execution of the treaty of Amiens. The English Ambassador, to excuse the +evasions of his Government, pretended that the Russian Cabinet concurred +with England in the delayed fulfilment of the conditions of the treaty; +but at the very moment he was making that excuse a courier arrived from +the Cabinet of St. Petersburg bearing despatches completely, at variance +with the assertion of Lord Whitworth. His lordship left Paris on the +night of the 12th May 1803, and the English Government, unsolicited, sent +passports to the French embassy in London. The news of this sudden +rupture made the English console fall four per cent., but did not +immediately produce such a retrograde effect on the French funds, which +were then quoted at fifty-five francs;--a very high point, when it is +recollected that they were at seven or eight francs on the eve of the +18th Brumaire. + +In this state of things France proposed to the English Government to +admit of the mediation of Russia; but as England had declared war in +order to repair the error she committed in concluding peace, the +proposition was of course rejected. Thus the public gave the First +Consul credit for great moderation and a sincere wish for peace. Thus +arose between England and France a contest resembling those furious wars +which marked the reigns of King John and Charles VII. Our beaux esprits +drew splendid comparisons between the existing state of things and the +ancient rivalry of Carthage and Rome, and sapiently concluded that, as +Carthage fell, England must do so likewise. + +Bonaparte was at St. Cloud when Lord Whitworth left Paris. A fortnight +was spent in useless attempts to renew negotiations. War, therefore, was +the only alternative. Before he made his final preparations the First +Consul addressed a message to the Senate, the Legislative Body, and the +Tribunate. In this message he mentioned the recall of the English +Ambassador, the breaking out of hostilities, the unexpected message of +the King of England to his Parliament, and the armaments which +immediately ensued in the British ports. "In vain," he said, "had France +tried every means to induce England to abide by the treaty. She had +repelled every overture, and increased the insolence of her demands. +France," he added, "will not submit to menaces, but will combat for the +faith of treaties, and the honour of the French name, confidently +trusting that the result of the contest will be such as she has a right +to expect from the justice of her cause and the courage of her people." + +This message was dignified, and free from that vein of boasting in which +Bonaparte so frequently indulged. The reply of the Senate was +accompanied by a vote of a ship of the line, to be paid for out of the +Senatorial salaries. With his usual address Bonaparte, in acting for +himself, spoke in the name of the people, just as he did in the question +of the Consulate for life. But what he then did for his own interests +turned to the future interests of the Bourbons. The very treaty which +had just been broken off gave rise to a curious observation. Bonaparte, +though not yet a sovereign, peremptorily required the King of England to +renounce the empty title of King of France, which was kept up as if to +imply that old pretensions were not yet renounced. The proposition was +acceded to, and to this circumstance was owing the disappearance of the +title of King of France from among the titles of the King of England, +when the treaty of Paris was concluded on the return of the Bourbons. + +The first grievance complained of by England was the prohibition of +English merchandise, which had been more rigid since the peace than +during the war. The avowal of Great Britain on this point might well +have enabled her to dispense with any other subject of complaint; for the +truth is, she was alarmed at the aspect of our internal prosperity, and +at the impulse given to our manufactures. The English Government had +hoped to obtain from the First Consul such a commercial treaty as would +have proved a death-blow to our rising trade; but Bonaparte opposed this, +and from the very circumstance of his refusal he might easily have +foreseen the rupture at which he affected to be surprised. What I state +I felt at the time, when I read with great interest all the documents +relative to this great dispute between the two rival nations, which +eleven years afterwards was decided before the walls of Paris. + +It was evidently disappointment in regard to a commercial treaty which +created the animosity of the English Government, as that circumstance was +alluded to, by way of reproach, in the King of England's declaration. +In that document it was complained that France had sent a number of +persona into the ports of Great Britain and Ireland in the character of +commercial agents, which character, and the privileges belonging to it, +they could only have acquired by a commercial treaty. Such was, in my +opinion, the real cause of the complaints of England; but as it would +have seemed too absurd to make it the ground of a declaration of war, she +enumerated other grievances, viz., the union of Piedmont and of the +states of Parma and Piacenza with France, and the continuance of the +French troops in Holland. A great deal was said about the views and +projects of France with respect to Turkey, and this complaint originated +in General Sebastiani's mission to Egypt. On that point I can take upon +me to say that the English Government was not misinformed. Bonaparte too +frequently spoke to are of his ideas respecting the East, and his project +of attacking the English power in India, to leave any doubt of his ever +having renounced them. The result of all the reproaches which the two +Governments addressed to each other was, that neither acted with good +faith. + +The First Consul, in a communication to the Legislative Body on the state +of France and on her foreign relations; had said, "England, single- +handed, cannot cope with France." This sufficed to irritate the +susceptibility of English pride, and the British Cabinet affected to +regard it as a threat. However, it was no such thing. When Bonaparte +threatened, his words were infinitely more energetic. The passage above +cited was merely au assurance to France; and if we only look at the past +efforts and sacrifices made by England to stir up enemies to France on +the Continent, we may be justified in supposing that her anger at +Bonaparte's declaration arose from a conviction of its truth. Singly +opposed to France, England could doubtless have done her much harm, +especially by assailing the scattered remnants of her navy; but she could +have done nothing against France on the Continent. The two powers, +unaided by allies, might have continued long at war without any +considerable acts of hostility. + +The first effect of the declaration of war by England was the invasion of +Hanover by the French troops under General Mortier. The telegraphic +despatch by which this news was communicated to Paris was as laconic as +correct, and contained, in a few words, the complete history of the +expedition. It ran as follows: "The French are masters of the Electorate +of Hanover, and the enemy's army are made prisoners of war." A day or +two after the shop windows of the print-sellers were filled with +caricatures on the English, and particularly on the Duke of Cambridge. +I recollect seeing one in which the Duke was represented reviewing his +troops mounted on a crab. I mention these trifles because, as I was then +living entirely at leisure, in the Rue Hauteville, I used frequently to +take a stroll on the Boulevards, where I was sometimes much amused with +these prints; and I could not help remarking, that in large cities such +triffles have more influence on the public mind than is usually supposed. + +The First Consul thought the taking of the prisoners in Hanover a good +opportunity to exchange them for those taken from us by the English navy. +A proposition to this effect was accordingly made; but the English +Cabinet was of opinion that, though the King of England was also Elector +of Hanover, yet there was no identity between the two Governments, of +both which George III. was the head. In consequence of this subtle +distinction the proposition for the exchange of prisoners fell to the +ground. At this period nothing could exceed the animosity of the two +Governments towards each other, and Bonaparte, on the declaration of war, +marked his indignation by an act which no consideration can justify; +I allude to the order for the arrest of all the English in France-- +a truly barbarious measure; for; can anything be more cruel and unjust +than to visit individuals with the vengeance due to the Government whose +subjects they may happen to be? But Bonaparte, when under the influence +of auger, was never troubled by scruples. + +I must here notice the fulfilment of a remark Bonaparte often made, use +of to me during the Consulate. "You shall see, Bourrienne," he would +say," what use I will make of the priests." + +War being declared, the First Consul, in imitation of the most Christian +kings of olden times, recommended the success of his arms to the prayers +of the faithful through the medium of the clergy. To this end he +addressed a circular letter, written in royal style, to the Cardinals, +Archbishops, and Bishops of France. + +It was as follows: + + MONSIEUR--The motives of the present war are known throughout + Europe. The bad faith of the King of England, who has violated his + treaties by refusing to restore Malta to the order of St. John of + Jerusalem, and attacked our merchant vessels without a previous + declaration of war, together with the necessity of a just defence, + forced us to have recourse to arms. I therefore wish you to order + prayers to be offered up, in order to obtain the benediction of + Heaven on our enterprises. The proofs I have received of your zeal + for the public service give me an assurance of your readiness to + conform with my wishes. + + Given at St. Cloud, 18 Prairial, an XI. (7th June 1803). + + (Signed) BONAPARTE. + +This letter was remarkable in more than one respect. It astonished most +of his old brothers-in-arms, who turned it into ridicule; observing that +Bonaparte needed no praying to enable him to conquer Italy twice over. +The First Consul, however, let them laugh on, and steadily followed the +line he had traced out. His letter was admirably calculated to please +the Court of Rome, which he wished should consider him in the light of +another elder son of the Church. The letter was, moreover, remarkable +for the use of the word "Monsieur," which the First Consul now employed +for the first time in an act destined for publicity. This circumstance +would seem to indicate that he considered Republican designations +incompatible with the forms due to the clergy: the clergy were especially +interested in the restoration of monarchy. It may, perhaps, be thought +that I dwell too much on trifles; but I lived long enough in Bonaparte's +confidence to know the importance he attached to trifles. The First +Consul restored the old names of the days of the week, while he allowed +the names of the months, as set down in the Republican calendar, to +remain. He commenced by ordering the Moniteur to be dated "Saturday," +such a day of "Messidor." "See," said he one day, "was there ever such +an inconsistency? We shall be laughed at! But I will do away with the +Messidor. I will efface all the inventions of the Jacobins." + +The clergy did not disappoint the expectations of the First Consul. They +owed him much already, and hoped for still more from him. The letter to +the Bishops, etc., was the signal for a number of circulars full of +eulogies on Bonaparte. + +These compliments were far from displeasing to the First Consul, who had +no objection to flattery though he despised those who meanly made +themselves the medium of conveying it to him. Duroc once told me that +they had all great difficulty in preserving their gravity when the cure +of a parish in Abbeville addressed Bonaparte one day while he was on his +journey to the coast. "Religion," said the worthy cure, with pompous +solemnity, "owes to you all that it is, we owe to you all that we are; +and I, too, owe to you all that I am." + + --[Not so fulsome as some of the terms used a year later when + Napoleon was made Emperor. "I am what I am," was placed over a seat + prepared for the Emperor. One phrase, "God made Napoleon and then + rested," drew from Narbonne the sneer that it would have been better + if the Deity had rested sooner. "Bonaparte," says Joseph de + Maistre, "has had himself described in his papers as the 'Messenger + of God.' Nothing more true. Bonaparte comes straight from heaven, + like a thunderbolt." (Saints-Benve, Caureries, tome iv. p. 203.)] + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + +1803. + + Presentation of Prince Borghese to Bonaparte--Departure for Belgium + Revival of a royal custom--The swans of Amiens--Change of formula + in the acts of Government--Company of performers in Bonaparte's + suite--Revival of old customs--Division of the institute into four + classes--Science and literature--Bonaparte's hatred of literary men + --Ducis--Bernardin de Saint-Pierre--Chenier and Lemercier-- + Explanation of Bonaparte's aversion to literature--Lalande and his + dictionary--Education in the hands of Government--M. de Roquelaure, + Archbishop of Malines. + +In the month of April 1803 Prince Borghese, who was destined one day to +become Bonaparte's brother-in-law by marrying the widow of Leclerc, was +introduced to the First Consul by Cardinal Caprara. + +About the end of June Bonaparte proceeded, with Josephine, on his journey +to Belgium and the seaboard departments. Many curious circumstances were +connected with this journey, of which I was informed by Duroc after the +First Consul's return. Bonaparte left Paris on the 24th of June, and +although it was not for upwards of a year afterwards that his brow was +encircled with the imperial-diadem, everything connected with the journey +had an imperial air. It was formerly the custom, when the Kings of +France entered the ancient capital of Picardy, for the town of Amiens to +offer them in homage some beautiful swans. Care was taken to revive this +custom, which pleased Bonaparte greatly, because it was treating him like +a King. The swans were accepted, and sent to Paris to be placed in the +basin of the Tuileries, in order to show the Parisians the royal homage +which the First Consul received when absent from the capital. + +It was also during this journey that Bonaparte began to date his decrees +from the places through which he passed. He had hitherto left a great +number of signatures in Paris, in order that he might be present, as it +were, even during his absence, by the acts of his Government. Hitherto +public acts had been signed in the name of the Consuls of the Republic. +Instead of this formula, he substituted the name of the Government of the +Republic. By means of this variation, unimportant as it might appear, +the Government was always in the place where the First Consul happened to +be. The two other Consuls were now mere nullities, even in appearance. +The decrees of the Government, which Cambaceres signed during the +campaign of Marengo, were now issued from all the towns of France and +Belgium which the First Consul visited during his six weeks' journey. +Having thus centred the sole authority of the Republic in himself, the +performers of the theatre of the Republic became, by a natural +consequence, his; and it was quite natural that they should travel in his +suite, to entertain the inhabitants of the towns in which he stopped by +their performances. But this was not all. He encouraged the renewal of +a host of ancient customs. He sanctioned the revival of the festival of +Joan of Arc at Orleans, and he divided the Institute into four classes, +with the intention of recalling the recollection of the old academies, +the names of which, however, he rejected, in spite of the wishes and +intrigues of Suard and the Abby Morellet, who had gained over Lucien upon +this point. + +However, the First Consul did not give to the classes of the Institute +the rank which they formerly possessed as academies. He placed the class +of sciences in the first rank, and the old French Academy in the second +rank. It must be acknowledged that, considering the state of literature +and science at that period, the First Consul did not make a wrong +estimate of their importance. + +Although the literature of France could boast of many men of great +talent, such as La Harpe, who died during the Consulate, Ducis, Bernardin +de Saint-Pierre, Chenier, and Lemercier, yet they could not be compared +with Lagrange, Laplace, Monge, Fourcroy, Berthollet, and Cuvier, whose +labours have so prodigiously extended the limits of human knowledge. No +one, therefore, could murmur at seeing the class of sciences in the +Institute take precedence of its elder sister. Besides, the First Consul +was not sorry to show, by this arrangement, the slight estimation in +which he held literary men. When he spoke to me respecting them he +called them mere manufacturers of phrases. He could not pardon them for +excelling him in a pursuit in which he had no claim to distinction. +I never knew a man more insensible than Bonaparte to the beauties of +poetry or prose. A certain degree of vagueness, which was combined with +his energy of mind, led him to admire the dreams of Ossian, and his +decided character found itself, as it were, represented in the elevated +thoughts of Corneille. Hence his almost exclusive predilection for these +two authors With this exception, the finest works in our literature were +in his opinion merely arrangements of sonorous words, void of sense, and +calculated only for the ear. + +Bonaparte's contempt, or, more properly speaking, his dislike of +literature, displayed itself particularly in the feeling he cherished +towards some men of distinguished literary talent. He hated Chenier, and +Ducis still more. He could not forgive Chenier for the Republican +principles which pervaded his tragedies; and Ducis excited in him; as if +instinctively, an involuntary hatred. Ducis, on his part, was not +backward in returning the Consul's animosity, and I remember his writing +some verses which were inexcusably violent, and overstepped all the +bounds of truth. Bonaparte was so singular a composition of good and bad +that to describe him as he was under one or other of these aspects would +serve for panegyric or satire without any departure from truth. +Bonaparte was very fond of Bernardin Saint-Pierre's romance of 'Paul and +Virginia', which he had read in his boyhood. I remember that he one day +tried to read 'Les etudes de la Nature', but at the expiration of a +quarter of an hour he threw down the book, exclaiming, "How can any one +read such silly stuffy. It is insipid and vapid; there is nothing in it. +These are the dreams of a visionary! What is nature? The thing is vague +and unmeaning. Men and passions are the subjects to write about--there +is something there for study. These fellows are good for nothing under +any government. I will, however, give them pensions, because I ought to +do so, as Head of the State. They occupy and amuse the idle. I will +make Lagrange a Senator--he has a head." + +Although Bonaparte spoke so disdainfully of literary men it must not be +taken for granted that he treated them ill. On the contrary, all those +who visited at Malmaison were the objects of his attention, and even +flattery. M. Lemercier was one of those who came most frequently, and +whom Bonaparte received with the greatest pleasure. Bonaparte treated +M. Lemercier with great kindness; but he did not like him. His character +as a literary man and poet, joined to a polished frankness, and a mild +but inflexible spirit of republicanism, amply sufficed to explain +Bonaparte's dislike. He feared M. Lemercier and his pen; and, as +happened more than once, he played the part of a parasite by flattering +the writer. M. Lemercier was the only man I knew who refused the cross +of the Legion of Honour. + +Bonaparte's general dislike of literary men was less the result of +prejudice than circumstances. In order to appreciate or even to read +literary works time is requsite, and time was so precious to him that he +would have wished, as one may say, to shorten a straight line. He liked +only those writers who directed their attention to positive and precise +things, which excluded all thoughts of government and censures on +administration. He looked with a jealous eye on political economists and +lawyers; in short, as all persons who in any way whatever meddled with +legislation and moral improvements. His hatred of discussions on those +subjects was strongly displayed on the occasion of the classification of +the Institute. Whilst he permitted the reassembling of a literary class, +to the number of forty, as formerly, he suppressed the class of moral and +political science. Such was his predilection for things of immediate and +certain utility that even in the sciences he favoured only such as +applied to terrestrial objects. He never treated Lalande with so much +distinction as Monge and Lagrange. Astronomical discoveries could not +add directly to his own greatness; and, besides, he could never forgive +Lalande for having wished to include him in a dictionary of atheists +precisely at the moment when he was opening negotiations with the court +of Rome. + +Bonaparte wished to be the sole centre of a world which he believed he +was called to govern. With this view he never relaxed in his constant +endeavour to concentrate the whole powers of the State in the hands of +its Chief. His conduct upon the subject of the revival of public +instruction affords evidence of this fact. He wished to establish 6000 +bursaries, to be paid by Government, and to be exclusively at his +disposal, so that thus possessing the monopoly of education, he could +have parcelled it out only to the children of those who were blindly +devoted to him. This was what the First Consul called the revival of +public instruction. During the period of my closest intimacy with him +he often spoke to me on this subject, and listened patiently to my +observations. I remember that one of his chief arguments was this: +"What is it that distinguishes men? Education--is it not? Well, if the +children of nobles be admitted into the academies, they will be as well +educated as the children of the revolution, who compose the strength of +my government. Ultimately they will enter into my regiments as officers, +and will naturally come in competition with those whom they regard as the +plunderers of their families. I do not wish that!" + +My recollections have caused me to wander from the journey of the First +Consul and Madame Bonaparte to the seabord departments and Belgium. +I have, however, little to add to what I have already stated on the +subject. I merely remember that Bonaparte's military suite, and +Lauriston and Rapp in particular, when speaking to me about the journey, +could not conceal some marks of discontent on account of the great +respect which Bonaparte had shown the clergy, and particularly to M. de +Roquelaure, the Archbishop of Malines (or Mechlin). That prelate, who +was a shrewd man, and had the reputation of having been in his youth more +addicted to the habits of the world than to those of the cloister, had +become an ecclesiastical courtier. He went to Antwerp to pay his homage +to the First Consul, upon whom he heaped the most extravagant praises. +Afterwards, addressing Madame Bonaparte, he told her that she was united +to the First Consul by the sacred bonds of a holy alliance. In this +harangue, in which unction was singularly blended with gallantry, surely +it was a departure from ecclesiastical propriety to speak of sacred bonds +and holy alliance when every one knew that those bonds and that alliance +existed only by a civil contract. Perhaps M. de Roquelaure merely had +recourse to what casuists call a pious fraud in order to engage the +married couple to do that which he congratulated them on having already +done. Be this as it may, it is certain that this honeyed language gained +M. de Roquelaure the Consul's favour, and in a short time after he was +appointed to the second class of the Institute. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + +1804. + + The Temple--The intrigues of Europe--Prelude to the Continental + system--Bombardment of Granville--My conversation with the First + Consul on the projected invasion of England--Fauche Borel--Moreau + and Pichegru--Fouche's manoeuvres--The Abbe David and Lajolais-- + Fouche's visit to St. Cloud--Regnier outwitted by Fouche-- + My interview with the First Consul--His indignation at the reports + respecting Hortense--Contradiction of these calumnies--The brothers + Faucher--Their execution--The First Consul's levee--My conversation + with Duroc--Conspiracy of Georges, Moreau, and Pichegru--Moreau + averse to the restoration of the Bourbons--Bouvet de Lozier's + attempted suicide--Arrest of Moreau--Declaration of MM. de Polignac + and de Riviere--Connivance of the police--Arrest of M. Carbonnet and + his nephew. + +The time was passed when Bonaparte, just raised to the Consulate, only +proceeded to the Temple to release the victims of the "Loi des suspects" +by his sole and immediate authority. This state prison was now to be +filled by the orders of his police. All the intrigues of Europe were in +motion. Emissaries came daily from England, who, if they could not +penetrate into the interior of France, remained in the towns near the +frontiers, where they established correspondence, and published +pamphlets, which they sent to Paris by post, in the form of letters. + +The First Consul, on the other hand, gave way, without reserve, to the +natural irritation which that power had excited by her declaration of +war. He knew that the most effective war he could carry on against +England would be a war against her trade. + +As a prelude to that piece of madness, known by the name of the +Continental system, the First Consul adopted every possible preventive +measure against the introduction of English merchandise. Bonaparte's +irritation against the English was not without a cause. The intelligence +which reached Paris from the north of France was not very consolatory. +The English fleets not only blockaded the French ports, but were acting +on the offensive, and had bombarded Granville. The mayor of the town did +his duty, but his colleagues, more prudent, acted differently. In the +height of his displeasure Bonaparte issued a decree, by which he bestowed +a scarf of honour on Letourneur, the mayor, and dismissed his colleagues +from office as cowards unworthy of trust. The terms of this decree were +rather severe, but they were certainly justified by the conduct of those +who had abandoned their posts at s critical moment. + +I come now to the subject of the invasion of England, and what the First +Consul said to me respecting it. I have stated that Bonaparte never had +any idea of realising the pretended project of a descent on England. The +truth of this assertion will appear from a conversation which I had with +him after he returned from his journey to the north. In this +conversation he repeated what he had often before mentioned to me in +reference to the projects and possible steps to which fortune might +compel him to resort. + +The peace of Amiens had been broken about seven months when, on the 15th +of December 1803, the First Consul sent for me to the Tuileries. His +incomprehensible behaviour to me was fresh in my mind; and as it was +upwards of a year since I had seen him, I confess I did not feel quite at +ease when I received the summons. He was perfectly aware that I +possessed documents and data for writing his history which would describe +facts correctly, and destroy the illusions with which his flatterers +constantly, entertained the public. I have already stated that at that +period I had no intention of the kind; but those who laboured constantly +to incense him against me might have suggested apprehensions on the +subject. At all events the fact is, that when he sent for me I took the +precaution of providing myself with a night-cap, conceiving it to be very +likely that I should be sent to sleep at Vincennes. On the day appointed +for the interview Rapp was on duty. I did not conceal from him my +opinion as to the possible result of my visit. "You need not be afraid," +said Rapp; "the First Consul merely wishes to talk with you." He then +announced me. + +Bonaparte came into the grand salon where I awaited him, and addressing +me in the most good-humoured way said, "What do the gossips say of my +preparations for the invasion of England?"--"There is a great difference +of opinion on the subject, General," I replied. "Everyone speaks +according to his own views. Suchet, for instance, who comes to see me +very often, has no doubt that it will take place, and hopes to give you +on the occasion fresh proofs of his gratitude and fidelity."--"But Suchet +tells me that you do not believe it will be attempted."--"That is true, I +certainly do not."--"Why?"--"Because you told me at Antwerp, five years +ago, that you would not risk France on the cast of a die--that the +adventure was too hazardous--and circumstances have not altered since +that time."--"You are right. Those who look forward to the invasion of +England are blockheads. They do not see the affair in its true light. +I can, doubtless, land in England with 100,000 men. A great battle will +be fought, which I shall gain; but I must reckon upon 30,000 men killed, +wounded, and prisoners. If I march on London, a second battle must be +fought. I will suppose myself again victorious; but what should I do in +London with an army diminished three-fourths and without the hope of +reinforcements? It would be madness. Until our navy acquires +superiority it is useless to think of such a project. The great +assemblage of troops in the north has another object. My Government must +be the first in the world, or it must fall." Bonaparte then evidently +wished it to be supposed that he entertained the design of invading +England in order to divert the attention of Europe to that direction. + +From Dunkirk the First Consul proceeded to Antwerp, where also he had +assembled experienced men to ascertain their opinions respecting the +surest way of attempting a landing, the project of which was merely a +pretence. The employment of large ships of was, after rang discussions, +abandoned in favour of a flotilla. + + --[At this period a caricature (by Gillray) appeared in London. + which was sent to Paris, and strictly sought after by the police. + One of the copies was shown to the First Consul, who was highly + indignant at it. The French fleet was represented by a number of + nut-shells. An English sailor, seated on a rock, was quietly + smoking his pipe, the whiffs of which were throwing the whole + squadron into disorder.--Bourrienne. Gillray's caricatures should + be at the reader's side during the perusal of this work, also + English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon I., by J. Ashton Chatto: + and Windus, 1884.]-- + +After visiting Belgium, and giving directions there, the First Consul +returned from Brussels to Paris by way of Maestricht, Liege, and +Soissons. + +Before my visit to the Tuileries, and even before the rupture of the +peace of Amiens, certain intriguing speculators, whose extravagant zeal +was not less fatal to the cause of the Bourbons than was the blind +subserviency of his unprincipled adherents to the First Consul, had taken +part in some underhand manoeuvres which could have no favourable result. +Amongst these great contrivers of petty machinations the well-known +Fauche Borel, the bookseller of Neufchatel, had long been conspicuous. +Fauche Borel, whose object was to create a stir, and who wished nothing +better than to be noticed and paid, failed not to come to France as soon +as the peace of Amiens afforded him the opportunity. I was at that time +still with Bonaparte, who was aware of all these little plots, but who +felt no personal anxiety on the subject, leaving to his police the care +of watching their authors. + +The object of Fauche Borel's mission was to bring about a reconciliation +between Moreau and Pichegru. The latter general, who was banished on the +18th Fructidor 4th (September 1797), had not obtained the First Consul's +permission to return to France. He lived in England, where he awaited a +favourable opportunity for putting his old projects into execution. +Moreau was in Pains, but no longer appeared at the levees or parties of +the First Consul, and the enmity of both generals against Bonaparte, +openly avowed on the part of Pichegru; and still disguised by Moreau, was +a secret to nobody. But as everything was prosperous with Bonaparte he +evinced contempt rather than fear of the two generals. His apprehensions +were, indeed, tolerably allayed by the absence of the one and the +character of the other. Moreau's name had greater weight with the army +than that of Pichegru; and those who were plotting the overthrow of the +Consular Government knew that that measure could not be attempted with +any chance of success without the assistance of Moreau. The moment was +inopportune; but, being initiated in some secrets of the British Cabinet, +they knew that the peace was but a truce, and they determined to profit +by that truce to effect a reconciliation which might afterwards secure a +community of interests. Moreau and Pichegru had not been friends since +Moreau sent to the Directory the papers seized in M. de Klinglin's +carriage, which placed Pichegru's treason in so clear a light. Since +that period Pichegru's name possessed no influence over the minds of the +soldiers, amongst whom he had very few partisans, whilst the name of +Moreau was dear to all who had conquered under his command. + +Fauche Borel's design was to compromise Moreau without bringing him to +any decisive step. Moreau's natural indolence, and perhaps it may be +said his good sense, induced him to adopt the maxim that it was necessary +to let men and things take their course; for temporizing policy is often +as useful in politics as in war. Besides, Moreau was a sincere +Republican; and if his habit of indecision had permitted him to adopt any +resolution, it is quite certain that he would not then have assisted in +the reestablishment of the Bourbons, as Pichegru wished. + +What I have stated is an indispensable introduction to the knowledge of +plots of more importance which preceded the great event that marked the +close of the Consulship: I allude to the conspiracy of Georges, Cadoudal, +Moreau, and Pichegru, and that indelible stain on the character of +Napoleon,--the death of the Duc d'Enghien. Different opinions have been +expressed concerning Georges' conspiracy. I shall not contradict any of +them. I will relate what I learned and what I saw, in order to throw +some light on that horrible affair. I am far from believing what I have +read in many works, that it was planned by the police in order to pave +the First Consul's way to the throne. I think that it was contrived by +those who were really interested in it, and encouraged by Fouche in order +to prepare his return to office. + +To corroborate my opinion respecting Fouche's conduct and his manoeuvres +I must remind the reader that about the close of 1803 some persons +conceived the project of reconciling Moreau and Pichegru. Fouche, who +was then out of the Ministry, caused Moreau to be visited by men of his +own party, and who were induced, perhaps unconsciously, by Fouche's art, +to influence and irritate the general's mind. It was at first intended +that the Abbe David, the mutual friend of Moreau and Pichegru, should +undertake to effect their reconciliation; but he, being arrested and +confined in the Temple, was succeeded by a man named Lajolais, whom every +circumstance proves to have been employed by Fouche. He proceeded to +London, and, having prevailed on Pichegru and his friends to return to +France, he set off to announce their arrival and arrange everything for +their reception and destruction. Moreau's discontent was the sole +foundation of this intrigue. I remember that one day, about the end of +January 1804, I called on Fouche, who informed me that he had been at St. +Cloud, where he had had a long conversation with the First Consul on the +situation of affairs. Bonaparte told him that he was satisfied with the +existing police, and hinted that it was only to make himself of +consequence that he had given a false colouring to the picture. Fouche +asked him what he would say if he told him that Georges and Pichegru had +been for some time in Paris carrying on the conspiracy of which he had +received information. The First Consul, apparently delighted at what he +conceived to be Fouche's mistake, said, with an air of contempt, "You are +well informed, truly! Regnier has just received a letter from London +stating that Pichegru dined three days ago at Kingston with one of the +King of England's ministers." + +As Fouche, however, persisted in his assertion, the First Consul sent to +Paris for the Grand Judge, Regnier, who showed Fouche the letter he had +received. The First Consul triumphed at first to see Fouche at fault; +but the latter so clearly proved that Georges and Pichegru were actually +in Paris that Regnier began to fear he had been misled by his agents, +whom his rival paid better than he did. The First Consul, convinced that +his old minister knew more than his new one, dismissed Regnier, and +remained a long time in consultation with Fouche, who on that occasion +said nothing about his reinstatement for fear of exciting suspicion. +He only requested that the management of the business might be entrusted +to Real, with orders to obey whatever instructions he might receive from +him. I will return hereafter to the arrest of Moreau and the other +persons accused, and will now subjoin the account of a long interview +which I had with Bonaparte in the midst of these important events. + +On the 8th of March 1804, some time after the arrest but before the trial +of General Moreau, I had an audience of the First Consul, which was +unsought on my part. Bonaparte, after putting several unimportant +questions to me as to what I was doing, what I expected he should do for +me, and assuring me that he would bear me in mind, gave a sudden turn to +the conversation, and said, "By the by, the report of my connection with +Hortense is still kept up: the most abominable rumours have been spread +as to her first child. I thought at the time that these reports had only +been admitted by the public in consequence of the great desire that I +should not be childless. Since you and I separated have you heard them +repeated?"--"Yes, General, oftentimes; and I confess I could not have +believed that this calumny would have existed so long."--"It is truly +frightful to think of! You know the truth--you have seen all--heard all +--nothing could have passed without your knowledge; you were in her full +confidence during the time of her attachment to Duroc. I therefore +expect, if you should ever write anything about me, that you will clear +me from this infamous imputation. I would not have it accompany my name +to posterity. I trust in you. You have never given credit to the horrid +accusation?"--"No, General, never." Napoleon then entered into a number +of details on the previous life of Hortense; on the way in which she +conducted herself, and on the turn which her marriage had taken. "It has +not turned out," he said, "as I wished: the union has not been a happy +one. I am sorry for it, not only because both are dear to me, but +because the circumstance countenances the infamous reports that are +current among the idle as to my intimacy with her." He concluded the +conversation with these words:--"Bourrienne, I sometimes think of +recalling you; but as there is no good pretext for so doing, the world +would say that I have need of you, and I wish it to be known that I stand +in need of nobody." He again said a few words about Hortense. +I answered that it would fully coincide with my conviction of the truth +to do what he desired, and that I would do it; but that suppressing the +false reports did not depend on me. + +Hortense, in fact, while she was Mademoiselle BEAUHARNAIS, regarded +Napoleon with respectful awe. She trembled when she spoke to him, and +never dared to ask him a favour. When she had anything to solicit she +applied to me; and if I experienced any difficulty in obtaining for her +what she sought, I mentioned her as the person for whom I pleaded. +"The little simpleton!" Napoleon would say, "why does she not ask me +herself: is the girl afraid of me?" Napoleon never cherished for her any +feeling but paternal tenderness. He loved her after his marriage with +her mother as he would have loved his own child. During three years I +was a witness to all their most private actions, and I declare that I +never saw or heard anything that could furnish the least ground for +suspicion, or that afforded the slightest trace of the existence of a +culpable intimacy. This calumny must be classed among those with which +malice delights to blacken the characters of men more brilliant than +their fellows, and which are so readily adopted by the light-minded and +unreflecting. I freely declare that did I entertain the smallest doubt +with regard to this odious charge, of the existence of which I was well +aware before Napoleon spoke to me on the subject, I would candidly avow +it. He is no more: and let his memory be accompanied only by that, be it +good or bad, which really belongs to it. Let not this reproach be one of +those charged against him by the impartial historian. I must say, in +concluding this delicate subject, that the principles of Napoleon on +points of this kind were rigid in the utmost degree, and that a +connection of the nature of that charged against him was neither in +accordance with his morals nor his tastes. + +I cannot tell whether what followed was a portion of his premeditated +conversation with me, or whether it was the result of the satisfaction he +had derived from ascertaining my perfect conviction of the purity of his +conduct with regard to Hortense, and being assured that I would express +that conviction. Be this as it may, as I was going out at the door he +called me back, saying, "Oh! I have forgotten something." I returned. +"Bourrienne," said he, "do you still keep up your acquaintance with the +Fauchers?"--"Yes, General; I see them frequently."--"You are wrong."-- +"Why should I not? They are clever, well-educated men, and exceedingly +pleasant company, especially Caesar. I derive great pleasure from their +society; and then they are almost the only persons whose friendship has +continued faithful to me since I left you. You know people do not care +for those who can render them no service."--"Maret will not see the +Fauchers."--"That may be, General; but it is nothing to me; and you must +recollect that as it was through him I was introduced to them at the +Tuileries, I think he ought to inform me of his reasons for dropping +their acquaintance."--"I tell you again he has closed his door against +them. Do you the same; I advise you." As I did not seem disposed to +follow this advice without some plausible reason, the First Consul added, +"You must know, then, that I learn from Caesar all that passes in your +house. You do not speak very ill of me yourself, nor does any one +venture to do so in your presence. You play your rubber and go to bed. +But no sooner are you gone than your wife, who never liked me, and most +of those who visit at your house, indulge in the most violent attacks +upon me. I receive a bulletin from Caesar Faucher every day when he +visits at your house; this is the way in which he requites you for your +kindness, and for the asylum you afforded his brother.--[Constantine +Rancher had been condemned in contumacy for the forgery of a public +document.--Bourrienne.]--But enough; you see I know all--farewell;" and +he left me. + +The grave having closed over these two brothers,--[The Fauchers were twin +brothers, distinguished in the war of the Revolution, and made brigadier- +generals at the same time on the field of battle. After the Cent Jours +they refused to recognise the Bourbons, and were shot by sentence of +court-martial at Bordeaux. (Bouillet)]--I shall merely state that they +wrote me a letter the evening preceding their execution, in which they +begged me to forgive their conduct towards me. The following is an +extract from this letter: + +In our dungeon we hear our sentence of death being cried in the streets. +To-morrow we shall walk to the scaffold; but we will meet death with such +calmness and courage as shall make our executioners blush. We are sixty +years old, therefore our lives will only be shortened by a brief apace. +During our lives we have shared in common, illness, grief, pleasure, +danger, and good fortune. We both entered the world on the same day, and +on the same day we shall both depart from it. As to you, sir.... + +I suppress what relates to myself. + +The hour of the grand levee arrived just as the singular interview which +I have described terminated. I remained a short time to look at this +phantasmagoria. Duroc was there. As soon as he saw me he came up, and +taking me into the recess of a window told me that Moreau's guilt was +evident, and that he was about to be put on his trial. I made some +observations on the subject, and in particular asked whether there were +sufficient proofs of his guilt to justify his condemnation? "They should +be cautious," said I; "it is no joke to accuse the conqueror of +Hohenlinden." Duroc's answer satisfied me that he at least had no doubt +on the subject. "Besides," added he, "when such a general as Moreau has +been between two gendarmes he is lost, and is good for nothing more. He +will only inspire pity." In vain I tried to refute this assertion so +entirely contrary to facts, and to convince Duroc that Moreau would never +be damaged by calling him "brigand," as was the phrase then, without +proofs. Duroc persisted in his opinion. As if a political crime ever +sullied the honour of any one! The result has proved that I judged +rightly. + +No person possessing the least degree of intelligence will be convinced +that the conspiracy of Moreau, Georges, Pichegru, and the other persons +accused would ever have occurred but for the secret connivance of +Fouche's police. + +Moreau never for a moment desired the restoration of the Bourbons. I was +too well acquainted with M. Carbonnet, his most intimate friend, to be +ignorant of his private sentiments. It was therefore quite impossible +that he could entertain the same views as Georges, the Polignacs, +Riviera, and others; and they had no intention of committing any overt +acts. These latter persons had come to the Continent solely to +investigate the actual state of affairs, in order to inform the Princes +of the House of Bourbon with certainty how far they might depend on the +foolish hopes constantly held out to them by paltry agents, who were +always ready to advance their own interests at the expense of truth. +These agents did indeed conspire, but it was against the Treasury of +London, to which they looked for pay. + +Without entering into all the details of that great trial I will relate +some facts which may assist in eliciting the truth from a chaos of +intrigue and falsehood. + +Most of the conspirators had been lodged either in the Temple or La +Force, and one of them, Bouvet de Lozier, who was confined in the Temple, +attempted to hang himself. He made use of his cravat to effect his +purpose, and had nearly succeeded, when a turnkey by chance entered and +found him at the point of death. When he was recovered he acknowledged +that though he had the courage to meet death, he was unable to endure the +interrogatories of his trial, and that he had determined to kill himself, +lest he might be induced to make a confession. He did in fact confess, +and it was on the day after this occurred that Moreau was arrested, while +on his way from his country-seat of Grosbois to Paris. + +Fouche, through the medium of his agents, had given Pichegru, Georges, +and some other partisans of royalty, to understand that they might depend +on Moreau, who, it was said, was quite prepared. It is certain that +Moreau informed Pichegru that he (Pichegru) had been deceived, and that +he had never been spoken to on the subject. Russillon declared on the +trial that on the 14th of March the Polignacs said to some one, +"Everything is going wrong--they do not understand each other. Moreau +does not keep his word. We have been deceived." M. de Riviera declared +that he soon became convinced they had been deceived, and was about to +return to England when he was arrested. It is certain that the principal +conspirators obtained positive information which confirmed their +suspicions. They learned Moreau's declaration from Pichegru. Many of +the accused declared that they soon discovered they had been deceived; +and the greater part of them were about to quit Paris, when they were all +arrested, almost at one and the same moment. Georges was going into La +Vendee when he was betrayed by the man who, with the connivance of the +police, had escorted him ever since his departure from London, and who +had protected him from any interruption on the part of the police so long +as it was only necessary to know where he was, or what he was about. +Georges had been in Paris seven months before it was considered that the +proper moment had arrived for arresting him. + +The almost simultaneous arrest of the conspirators proves clearly that +the police knew perfectly well where they could lay their hands upon +them. + +When Pichegru was required to sign his examination he refused. He said +it was unnecessary; that, knowing all the secret machinery of the police, +he suspected that by some chemical process they would erase all the +writing except the signature, and afterwards fill up the paper with +statements which he had never made. His refusal to sign the +interrogatory, he added, would not prevent him from repeating before a +court of justice the truth which he had stated in answer to the questions +proposed to him. Fear was entertained of the disclosures he might make +respecting his connection with Moreau, whose destruction was sought for, +and also with respect to the means employed by the agents of Fouche to +urge the conspirators to effect a change which they desired. + +On the evening of the 15th of February I heard of Moreau's arrest, and +early next morning I proceeded straight to the Rue St. Pierre, where +M. Carbonnet resided with his nephew. I was anxious to hear from him the +particulars of the general's arrest. What was my surprise! I had hardly +time to address myself to the porter before he informed me that +M. Carbonnet and his nephew were both arrested. "I advise you, sir," +added the man, "to retire without more ado, for I can assure you that the +persons who visit M. Carbonnet are watched."--"Is he still at home?" +said I. "Yes, Sir; they are examining his papers."--" Then," said I, +"I will go up." M. Carbonnet, of whose friendship I had reason to be +proud, and whose memory will ever be dear to me, was more distressed by +the arrest of his nephew and Moreau than by his own. His nephew was, +however, liberated after a few hours. M. Carbonnet's papers were sealed +up, and he was placed in solitary confinement at St. Pelagic. + +Thus the police, who previously knew nothing, were suddenly informed of +all. In spite of the numerous police agents scattered over France, it +was only discovered by the declarations of Bouvet de Lozier that three +successive landings had been effected, and that a fourth was expected, +which, however, did not take place, because General Savary was despatched +by the First Consul with orders to seize the persons whose arrival was +looked for. There cannot be a more convincing proof of the fidelity of +the agents of the police to their old chief, and their combined +determination of trifling with their new one, + + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + +1804. + + The events of 1804--Death of the Due d'Enghien--Napoleon's arguments + at St. Helena--Comparison of dates--Possibility of my having saved + the Due d'Enghien's life--Advice given to the Duc d'Enghien--Sir + Charles Stuart--Delay of the Austrian Cabinet--Pichegru and the + mysterious being--M. Massias--The historians of St. Helena-- + Bonaparte's threats against the emigrants and M. Cobentzel-- + Singular adventure of Davoust's secretary--The quartermaster-- + The brigand of La Vendee. + +In order to form a just idea of the events which succeeded each other so +rapidly at the commencement of 1804 it is necessary to consider them both +separately and connectedly. It must be borne in mind that all +Bonaparte's machinations tended to one object, the foundation of the +French Empire in his favour; and it is also essential to consider how the +situation of the emigrants, in reference to the First Consul, had changed +since the declaration of war. As long as Bonaparte continued at peace +the cause of the Bourbons had no support in foreign Cabinets, and the +emigrants had no alternative but to yield to circumstances; but on the +breaking out of a new war all was changed. The cause of the Bourbons +became that of the powers at war with France; and as many causes +concurred to unite the emigrants abroad with those who had returned but +half satisfied, there was reason to fear something from their revolt, in +combination with the powers arrayed against Bonaparte. + +Such was the state of things with regard to the emigrants when the +leaders and accomplices of Georges' conspiracy were arrested at the very +beginning of 1804. The assassination of the Due d'Enghien + + --[Louis Antoine Henri de Bourbon, Duc d'Enghien (1772-1804), son of + the Duc de Bourbon, and grandson of the Prince de Conde, served + against France in the army of Conde. When this force was disbanded + he stayed at Ettenheim on account of a love affair with the + Princesse Charlotte de Rohan-Rochefort. Arrested in the territory + of Baden, he was taken to Vincennes, and after trial by court- + martial shot is the moat, 21st May 1804. With him practically ended + the house of Bourbon-Conde as his grandfather died in 1818, leaving + only the Duc de Bourbon, and the Princesee Louise Adelaide, Abbesse + de Remiremont, who died in 1824.]-- + +took place on the 21st of March; on the 30th of April appeared the +proposition of the Tribunate to found a Government in France under the +authority of one individual; on the 18th of May came the 'Senatus- +consulte', naming Napoleon Bonaparte EMPEROR, and lastly, on the 10th. +of June, the sentence of condemnation on Georges and his accomplices. +Thus the shedding of the blood of a Bourbon, and the placing of the crown +of France on the head of a soldier of fortune were two acts interpolated +in the sanguinary drama of Georges' conspiracy. It must be remembered, +too, that during the period of these events we were at war with England, +and on the point of seeing Austria and the Colossus of the north form a +coalition against the new Emperor. + +I will now state all I know relative to the death of the Due d'Enghien. +That unfortunate Prince, who was at Ettenheim, in consequence of a love +affair, had no communication whatever with those who were concocting a +plot in the interior. Machiavelli says that when the author of a crime +cannot be discovered we should seek for those to whose advantage it +turns. In the present case Machiavelli's advice will find an easy +application, since the Duke's death could be advantageous only to +Bonaparte, who considered it indispensable to his accession to the crown +of France. The motives may be explained, but can they be justified? +How could it ever be said that the Due d'Enghien perished as a presumed +accomplice in the conspiracy of Georges? + +Moreau was arrested on the 15th of February 1804, at which time the +existence of the conspiracy was known. Pichegru and Georges were also +arrested in February, and the Due d'Enghien not till the 15th of March. +Now if the Prince had really been concerned in the plot, if even he had a +knowledge of it, would he have remained at Ettenheim for nearly a month +after the arrest of his presumed accomplices, intelligence of which he +might have obtained in the space of three days? Certainly not. So +ignorant was he of that conspiracy that when informed at Ettenheim of +the affair he doubted it, declaring that if it were true his father and +grandfather would have made him acquainted with it. Would so long an +interval have been suffered to elapse before he was arrested? Alas! +cruel experience has shown that that step would have been taken in a few +hours. + +The sentence of death against Georges and his accomplices was not +pronounced till the 10th of June 1804, and the Due d'Enghien was shot on +the 21st of March, before the trials were even commenced. How is this +precipitation to be explained? If, as Napoleon has declared, the young +Bourbon was an accomplice in the crime, why was he not arrested at the +time the others were? Why was he not tried along with them, on the +ground of his being an actual accomplice; or of being compromised, by +communications with them; or, in short, because his answers might have +thrown light on that mysterious affair? How was it that the name of the +illustrious accused was not once mentioned in the course of that awful +trial? + +It can scarcely be conceived that Napoleon could say at St. Helena, +"Either they contrived to implicate the unfortunate Prince in their +project, and so pronounced his doom, or, by omitting to inform him of +what was going on, allowed him imprudently to slumber on the brink of a +precipice; for he was only a stone's cast from the frontier when they +were about to strike the great blow in the name and for the interest of +his family." + +This reasoning is not merely absurd, it is atrocious. If the Duke was +implicated by the confession of his accomplices, he should have been +arrested and tried along with them. Justice required this. If he was +not so implicated, where is the proof of his guilt? Because some +individuals, without his knowledge, plotted to commit a crime in the name +of his family he was to be shot! Because he was 130 leagues from the +scene of the plot, and had no connection with it, he was to die! Such +arguments cannot fail to inspire horror. It is absolutely impossible any +reasonable person can regard the Due d'Enghien as an accomplice of +Cadoudal; and Napoleon basely imposed on his contemporaries and posterity +by inventing such falsehoods, and investing them with the authority of +his name. + +Had I been then in the First Consul's intimacy I may aver, with as much +confidence as pride, that the blood of the Due d'Enghien would not have +imprinted an indelible stain on the glory of Bonaparte. In this terrible +matter I could have done what no one but me could even attempt, and this +on account of my position, which no one else has since held with +Bonaparte. I quite admit that he would have preferred others to me, and +that he would have had more friendship for them than for me, supposing +friendship to be compatible with the character of Bonaparte, but I knew +him better than any one else. Besides, among those who surrounded him I +alone could have permitted myself some return to our former familiarity +on account of our intimacy of childhood. Certainly, in a matter which +permanently touched the glory of Bonaparte, I should not have been +restrained by the fear of some transitory fit of anger, and the reader +has seen that I did not dread disgrace. Why should I have dreaded it? +I had neither portfolio, nor office, nor salary, for, as I have said, I +was only with Bonaparte as a friend, and we had, as it were, a common +purse. I feel a conviction that it would have been very possible for me +to have dissuaded Bonaparte from his fatal design, inasmuch as I +positively know that his object, after the termination of the peace, was +merely to frighten the emigrants, in order to drive them from Ettenheim, +where great numbers, like the Due d'Enghien, had sought refuge. His +anger was particularly directed against a Baroness de Reith and a +Baroness d'Ettengein, who had loudly vituperated him, and distributed +numerous libels on the left bank of the Rhine. At that period Bonaparte +had as little design against the Due d'Enghien's life as against that of +any other emigrant. He was more inclined to frighten than to harm him, +and certainly his first intention was not to arrest the Prince, but, +as I have said, to frighten the 'emigres', and to drive them to a +distance. I must, however, admit that when Bonaparte spoke to Rapp and +Duroc of the emigrants on the other side of the Rhine he expressed +himself with much irritability: so much so, indeed, that M. de +Talleyrand, dreading its effects for the Due d'Enghien, warned that +Prince, through the medium of a lady to whom he was attached, of his +danger, and advised him to proceed to a greater distance from the +frontier. On receiving this notice the Prince resolved to rejoin his +grandfather, which he could not do but by passing through the Austrian +territory. Should any doubt exist as to these facts it may be added that +Sir Charles Stuart wrote to M. de Cobentzel to solicit a passport for the +Duc d'Enghien; and it was solely owing to the delay of the Austrian +Cabinet that time was afforded for the First Consul to order the arrest +of the unfortunate Prince as soon as he had formed the horrible +resolution of shedding the blood of a Bourbon. This resolution could +have originated only with himself, for who would have dared to suggest it +to him? The fact is, Bonaparte knew not what he did. His fever of +ambition amounted to delirium; and he knew not how he was losing himself +in public opinion because he did not know that opinion, to gain which he +would have made every sacrifice. + +When Cambaceres (who, with a slight reservation, had voted the death of +Louis XVI.) warmly opposed in the Council the Duc d'Enghien's arrest, the +First Consul observed to him, "Methinks, Sir, you have grown very chary +of Bourbon blood!" + +Meanwhile the Due d'Enghien was at Ettenheim, indulging in hope rather +than plotting conspiracies. It is well known that an individual made an +offer to the Prince de Conde to assassinate the First Consul, but the +Prince indignantly rejected the proposition, and nobly refused to recover +the rights of the Bourbons at the price of such a crime. The individual +above-mentioned was afterwards discovered to be an agent of the Paris +police, who had been commissioned to draw the Princes into a plot which +would have ruined them, for public feeling revolts at assassination under +any circumstances. + +It has been alleged that Louis XVIII.'s refusal to treat with Bonaparte +led to the fatal catastrophe of the Due d'Enghien's death. The first +correspondence between Louis XVIII. and the First Consul, which has been +given in these Memoirs, clearly proves the contrary. It is certainly +probable that Louis XVIII.'s refusal to renounce his rights should have +irritated Bonaparte. But it was rather late to take his revenge two +years after, and that too on a Prince totally ignorant of those +overtures. It is needless to comment on such absurdities. It is equally +unnecessary to speak of the mysterious being who often appeared at +meetings in the Faubourg St. Germain, and who was afterwards discovered +to be Pichegru. + +A further light is thrown on this melancholy catastrophe by a +conversation Napoleon had, a few days after his elevation to the imperial +throne, with M. Masaias, the French Minister at the Court of the Grand +Duke of Baden. This conversation took place at Aix-la-Chapelle. After +some remarks on the intrigues of the emigrants Bonaparte observed, "You +ought at least to have prevented the plots which the Due d'Enghien was +hatching at Ettenheim."--"Sire, I am too old to learn to tell a +falsehood. Believe me, on this subject your Majesty's ear has been +abused."--"Do you not think, then, that had the conspiracy of Georges and +Pichegru proved successful, the Prince would have passed the Rhine, and +have come post to Paris?" + +M. Massias, from whom I had these particulars, added, "At this last +question of the Emperor I hung down my head and was silent, for I saw he +did not wish to hear the truth." + +Now let us consider, with that attention which the importance of the +subject demands, what has been said by the historians of St. Helena. + +Napoleon said to his companions in exile that "the Due d'Enghien's death +must be attributed either to an excess of zeal for him (Napoleon), to +private views, or to mysterious intrigues. He had been blindly urged on; +he was, if he might say so, taken by surprise. The measure was +precipitated, and the result predetermined." + +This he might have said; but if he did so express himself, how are we to +reconcile such a declaration with the statement of O'Meara? How give +credit to assertions so very opposite? + +Napoleon said to M. de Las Casas: + + "One day when alone, I recollect it well, I was taking my coffee, + half seated on the table at which I had just dined, when suddenly + information was brought to me that a new conspiracy had been + discovered. I was warmly urged to put an end to these enormities; + they represented to me that it was time at last to give a lesson to + those who had been day after day conspiring against my life; that + this end could only be attained by shedding the blood of one of + them; and that the Due d'Enghien, who might now be convicted of + forming part of this new conspiracy, and taken in the very act, + should be that one. It was added that he had been seen at + Strasburg; that it was even believed that he had been in Paris; and + that the plan was that he should enter France by the east at the + moment of the explosion, whilst the Due de Berri was disembarking in + the west. I should tell you," observed the Emperor, "that I did not + even know precisely who the Due d'Enghien was (the Revolution having + taken place when I was yet a very young man, and I having never been + at Court), and that I was quite in the dark as to where he was at + that moment. Having been informed on those points I exclaimed that + if such were the case the Duke ought to be arrested, and that orders + should be given to that effect. Everything had been foreseen and + prepared; the different orders were already drawn up, nothing + remained to be done but to sign them, and the fate of the young + Prince was thus decided." + +Napoleon next asserts that in the Duke's arrest and condemnation all the +usual forms were strictly observed. But he has also declared that the +death of that unfortunate Prince will be an eternal reproach to those +who, carried away by a criminal zeal, waited not for their Sovereign's +orders to execute the sentence of the court-martial. He would, perhaps, +have allowed the Prince to live; but yet he said, "It is true I wished to +make an example which should deter." + +It has been said that the Due d'Enghien addressed a letter to Napoleon, +which was not delivered till after the execution. This is false and +absurd! How could that Prince write to Bonaparte to offer him his +services and to solicit the command of an army? His interrogatory makes +no mention of this letter, and is in direct opposition to the sentiments +which that letter would attribute to him. The truth is, no such letter +ever existed. The individual who was with the Prince declared he never +wrote it. It will never be believed that any one would have presumed to +withhold from Bonaparte a letter on which depended the fate of so august +a victim. + +In his declarations to his companions in exile Napoleon endeavoured +either to free himself of this crime or to justify it. His fear or his +susceptibility was such, that in discoursing with strangers he merely +said, that had he known of the Prince's letter, which was not delivered +to him.--God knows why!--until after he had breathed his last, he would +have pardoned him. But at a subsequent date he traced, with his own +hand, his last thoughts, which he supposed would be consecrated in the +minds of his contemporaries, and of posterity. Napoleon, touching on the +subject which he felt would be one of the most important attached to his +memory, said that if the thing were to do again he would act as he then +did. How does this declaration tally with his avowal, that if he had +received the Prince's letter he should have lived? This is +irreconcilable. But if we compare all that Napoleon said at St. Helena, +and which has been transmitted to us by his faithful followers; if we +consider his contradictions when speaking of the Due d'Enghien's death to +strangers, to his friends, to the public, or to posterity, the question +ceases to be doubtful Bonaparte wished to strike a blow which would +terrify his enemies. Fancying that the Duc de Berri was ready to land in +France, he despatched his aide de camp Savary, in disguise, attended by +gendarmes, to watch the Duke's landing at Biville, near Dieppe. This +turned out a fruitless mission. The Duke was warned in time not to +attempt the useless and dangerous enterprise, and Bonaparte, enraged to +see one prey escape him, pounced upon another. It is well known that +Bonaparte often, and in the presence even of persons whom he conceived to +have maintained relations with the partisans of the Bourbons at Paris, +expressed himself thus: "I will put an end to these conspiracies. If any +of the emigrants conspire they shall be shot. I have been told that +Cobentzel harbours some of them. I do not believe this; but if it be +true, Cobentzel shall be arrested and shot along with them. I will let +the Bourbons know I am not to be trifled with." The above statement of +facts accounts for the suppositions respecting the probable influence of +the Jacobins in this affair. It has been said, not without some +appearance of reason, that to get the Jacobins to help him to ascend the +throne Bonaparte consented to sacrifice a victim of the blood royal, as +the only pledge capable of ensuring them against the return of the +proscribed family. Be this as it may, there are no possible means of +relieving Bonaparte from his share of guilt in the death of the Due +d'Enghien. + +To the above facts, which came within my own knowledge, I may add the +following curious story, which was related to me by an individual who +himself heard it from the secretary of General Davoust. + +Davoust was commanding a division in the camp of Boulogne, and his +secretary when proceeding thither to join him met in the diligence a man +who seemed to be absorbed in affliction. This man during the whole +journey never once broke silence but by some deep sighs, which he had not +power to repress. General Davoust's secretary observed him with +curiosity and interest, but did not venture to intrude upon his grief by +any conversation. The concourse of travellers from Paris to the camp +was, however, at that time very great, and the inn at which the diligence +stopped in the evening was so crowded that it was impossible to assign a +chamber to each traveller. Two, therefore, were put into one room, and +it so happened that the secretary was lodged with his mysterious +travelling companion. + +When they were alone he addressed him in a torso of interest which +banished all appearance of intrusion. He inquired whether the cause of +his grief was of a nature to admit of any alleviation, and offered to +render him any assistance in his power. "Sir," replied the stranger, +"I am much obliged for the sympathy you express for me--I want nothing. +There is no possible consolation for me. My affliction can end only with +my life. You shall judge for yourself, for the interest you seem to take +in my misfortune fully justifies my confidence. I was quartermaster in +the select gendarmerie, and formed part of a detachment which was ordered +to Vincennes. I passed the night there under arms, and at daybreak was +ordered down to the moat with six men. An execution was to take place. +The prisoner was brought out, and I gave the word to fire. The man fell, +and after the execution I learned that we had shot the Due d'Enghien. +Judge of my horror! . . . I knew the prisoner only by the name of the +brigand of La Vendee! . . . I could no longer remain in the service +--I obtained my discharge, and am about to retire to my family. Would +that I had done so sooner!" The above has been related to me and other +persons by Davoust's secretary, whom I shall not name. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + +1804. + + General Ordener's mission--Arrest of the Due d'Enghien--Horrible + night-scene---Harrel's account of the death of the Prince--Order for + digging the grave--The foster-sister of the Duo d'Enghien--Reading + the sentence--The lantern--General Savary--The faithful dog and the + police--My visit to Malmaison--Josephine's grief-- + The Duc d'Enghien's portrait and lock of hair--Savary's emotion-- + M. de Chateaubriand's resignation--M. de Chatenubriand's connection + with Bonaparte--Madame Bacciocchi and M. de Fontanes--Cardinal Fesch + --Dedication of the second edition of the 'Genie du Christianisme' + --M. de Chateaubriand's visit to the First Consul on the morning of + the Due d'Enghien's death--Consequences of the Duo d'Enghien's + death--Change of opinion in the provinces--The Gentry of the + Chateaus--Effect of the Due d'Enghien's death on foreign Courts-- + Remarkable words of Mr. Pitt--Louis XVIII. sends back the insignia + of the Golden Fleece to the King of Spain. + +I will now narrate more fully the sanguinary scene which took place at +Vincennes. General Ordener, commanding the mounted grenadiers of the +Guard, received orders from the War Minister to proceed to the Rhine, to +give instructions to the chiefs of the gendarmerie of New Brissac, which +was placed at his disposal. General Ordener sent a detachment of +gendarmerie to Ettenheim, where the Due d'Enghien was arrested on the +15th of March. He was immediately conducted to the citadel of Strasburg, +where he remained till the 18th, to give time for the arrival of orders +from Paris. These orders were given rapidly, and executed promptly, for +the carriage which conveyed the unfortunate Prince arrived at the barrier +at eleven o'clock on the morning of the 20th, where it remained for five +hours, and afterwards proceeded by the exterior boulevards on the road to +Vincennes, where it arrived at night. Every scene of this horrible drama +was acted under the veil of night: the sun did not even shine upon its +tragical close. The soldiers received orders to proceed to Vincennes at +night. It was at night that the fatal gates of the fortress were closed +upon the Prince. At night the Council assembled and tried him, or rather +condemned him without trial. When the clock struck six in the morning +the orders were given to fire, and the Prince ceased to exist. + +Here a reflection occurs to me. Supposing one were inclined to admit +that the Council held on the 10th of March had some connection with the +Due d'Enghien's arrest, yet as no Council was held from the time of the +Duke's arrival at the barrier to the moment of his execution, it could +only be Bonaparte himself who issued the orders which were too punctually +obeyed. When the dreadful intelligence of the Duc d'Enghien's death was +spread in Paris it excited a feeling of consternation which recalled the +recollection of the Reign of Terror. Could Bonaparte have seen the gloom +which pervaded Paris, and compared it with the joy which prevailed on the +day when he returned victorious from the field of Marengo, he would have +felt that he had tarnished his glory by a stain which could never be +effaced. + +About half-past twelve on the 22d of March I was informed that some one +wished to speak with me. It was Harrel. + + --[Harrel, who had been unemployed till the plot of Arena and + Ceracchi on the 18th Vendemiairean IX (10th October 1800) which he + had feigned to join, and had then revealed to the police (see ante), + had been made Governor of Vincennes.]-- + +I will relate word for word what he communicated to me. Harrel probably +thought that he was bound in gratitude to acquaint me with these details; +but he owed me no gratitude, for it was much against my will that he had +encouraged the conspiracy of Ceracchi, and received the reward of his +treachery in that crime. The following is Harrel's statement:-- + +"On the evening of the day before yesterday, when the Prince arrived, +I was asked whether I had a room to lodge a prisoner in; I replied, No-- +that there were only my apartments and the Council-chamber. I was told +to prepare instantly a room in which a prisoner could sleep who was to +arrive that evening. I was also desired to dig a pit in the courtyard. + + --[This fact must be noted. Harrel is told to dig a trench before + the sentence. Thus it was known that they had come to kill the Duc + d'Enghien. How can this be answered? Can it possibly be supposed + that anyone, whoever it was, would have dared to give each an order + in anticipation if the order had not been the carrying out of a + formal command of Bonaparte? That is incredible.--Bourrienne.]-- + +"I replied that that could not be easily done, as the courtyard was paved. +The moat was then fixed upon, and there the pit was dug. The Prince +arrived at seven o'clock in the evening; he was perishing with cold and +hunger. He did not appear dispirited. He said he wanted something to +eat, and to go to bed afterwards. His apartment not being yet +sufficiently aired, I took him into my own, and sent into the village for +some refreshment. The Prince sat down to table, and invited me to eat +with him. He then asked me a number of questions respecting Vincennes-- +what was going on there, and other particulars. He told me that he had +been brought up in the neighbourhood of the castle, and spoke to me with +great freedom and kindness. 'What do they want with me?' he said. What +do they mean to do with me?' But these questions betrayed no uneasiness +or anxiety. My wife, who was ill, was lying in the same room in an +alcove, closed by a railing. She heard, without being perceived, all our +conversation, and she was exceedingly agitated, for she recognised the +Prince, whose foster-sister she was, and whose family had given her a +pension before the Revolution. + +"The Prince hastened to bed, but before he could have fallen asleep the +judges sent to request his presence in the Council-chamber. I was not +present at his examination; but when it was concluded he returned to his +chamber, and when they came to read his sentence to him he was in a +profound sleep. In a few moments after he was led out for execution. +He had so little suspicion of the fate that awaited him that on +descending the staircase leading to the moat he asked where they were +taking him. He received no answer. I went before the Prince with a +lantern. Feeling the cold air which came up the staircase he pressed my +arm and said, 'Are they going to put me into a dungeon?'" + +The rest is known. I can yet see Harrel shuddering while thinking of +this action of the Prince's. + +Much has been said about a lantern which it is pretended was attached to +one of the Due d'Enghien's button-holes. This is a pure invention. +Captain Dautancourt, whose sight was not very good, took the lantern out +of Harrel's hand to read the sentence to the victim, who had been +condemned with as little regard to judicial forms as to justice. This +circumstance probably gave rise to the story about the lantern to which I +have just alluded. The fatal event took place at six o'clock on the +morning of the 21st of March, and it was then daylight. + +General Savary did not dare to delay the execution of the sentence, +although the Prince urgently demanded to have an interview with the First +Consul. Had Bonaparte seen the prince there can be little doubt but that +he would have saved his life. Savary, however, thought himself bound to +sacrifice his own opinions to the powerful faction which then controlled +the First Consul; and whilst he thought he was serving his master, he was +in fact only serving the faction to which, I must say, he did not belong. +The truth is, that General Savary can only be reproached for not having +taken upon himself to suspend the execution, which very probably would +not have taken place had it been suspended. He was merely an instrument, +and regret on his part would, perhaps, have told more in his favour than +his vain efforts to justify Bonaparte. I have just said that if there +had been any suspension there would have been no execution; and I think +this is almost proved by the uncertainty which must have existed in the +mind of the First Consul. If he had made up his mind all the measures +would have been taken in advance, and if they had been, the carriage of +the Duke would certainly not have been kept for five hours at the +barriers. Besides, it is certain that the first intention was to take +the Prince to the prison of the Temple. + +From all that I have stated, and particularly from the non-suspension of +the execution, it appears to me as clear as day that General Savary had +received a formal order from Bonaparte for the Due d'Enghien's death, and +also a formal order that it should be so managed as to make it impossible +to speak to Bonaparte again on the subject until all should be over. Can +there be a more evident, a more direct proof of this than the digging of +the grave beforehand? I have repeated Harrel's story just as he related +it to me. He told it me without solicitation, and he could not invent a +circumstance of this nature. + +General Savary was not in the moat during the execution, but on the bank, +from whence he could easily see all that passed. Another circumstance +connected with the Due d'Enghien's death has been mentioned, which is +true. The Prince had a little dog; this faithful animal returned +incessantly to the fatal spot in the moat. There are few who have not +seen that spot. Who has not made a pilgrimage to Vincennes and dropped a +tear where the victim fell? The fidelity of the poor dog excited so much +interest that the police prevented any one from visiting the fatal spot, +and the dog was no longer heard to howl over his master's grave. + +I promised to state the truth respecting the death of the Due d'Enghien, +and I have done so, though it has cost me some pain. Harrel's narrative, +and the shocking circumstance of the grave being dug beforehand, left me +no opportunity of cherishing any doubts I might have wished to entertain; +and everything which followed confirmed the view I then took of the +subject. When Harrel left me on the 22d I determined to go to Malmaison +to see Madame Bonaparte, knowing, from her sentiments towards the House +of Bourbon, that she would be in the greatest affliction. I had +previously sent to know whether it would be convenient for her to see me, +a precaution I had never before observed, but which I conceived to be +proper upon that occasion. On my arrival I was immediately introduced to +her boudoir, where she was alone with Hortense and Madame de Remusat. +They were all deeply afflicted. "Bourrienne," exclaimed Josephine, +as soon as she perceived me, "what a dreadful event! Did you but know +the state of mind Bonaparte is in! He avoids, he dreads the presence of +every one! Who could have suggested to him such an act as this?" +I then acquainted Josephine with the particulars which I had received +from Harrel. "What barbarity!" she resumed. "But no reproach can rest +upon me, for I did everything to dissuade him from this dreadful project. +He did not confide the secret to me, but I guessed it, and he +acknowledged all. How harshly he repelled my entreaties! I clung to +him! I threw myself at his feet! 'Meddle with what concerns you!' +he exclaimed angrily. 'This is not women's business! Leave me!' And he +repulsed me with a violence which be had never displayed since our first +interview after your return from Egypt. Heavens! what will become of +us?" + +I could say nothing to calm affliction and alarm in which I participated, +for to my grief for the death of the Due d'Enghien was added my regret +that Bonaparte should be capable of such a crime. "What," said +Josephine, "can be thought of this in Paris? He must be the object of +universal, imprecation, for even here his flatterers appear astounded +when they are out of his presence. How wretched we have been since +yesterday; and he!.... You know what he is when be is dissatisfied with +himself. No one dare speak to him, and all is mournful around us. What +a commission he gave to Savary! You know I do not like the general, +because he is one of those whose flatteries will contribute to ruin +Bonaparte. Well! I pitied Savary when he came yesterday to fulfil a +commission which the Due d'Enghien had entrusted to him. Here," added +Josephine, "is his portrait and a lock of his hair, which he has +requested me to transmit to one who was dear to him. Savary almost shed +tears when he described to me the last moments of the Duke; then, +endeavouring to resume his self-possession, he said: 'It is in vain to +try to be indifferent, Madame! It is impossible to witness the death of +such a man unmoved!'" + +Josephine afterwards informed me of the only act of courage which +occurred at this period--namely, the resignation which M. de +Chateaubriand had sent to Bonaparte. She admired his conduct greatly, +and said: "What a pity he is not surrounded by men of this description! +It would be the means of preventing all the errors into which he is led +by the constant approbation of those about him." Josephine thanked me +for my attention in coming to see her at such an unhappy juncture; and I +confess that it required all the regard I cherished for her to induce me +to do so, for at that moment I should not have wished to see the First +Consul, since the evil was irreparable. On the evening of that day +nothing was spoken of but the transaction of the 21st of March, and the +noble conduct of M. de Chateaubriand. As the name of that celebrated man +is for ever written in characters of honour in the history of that +period, I think I may with propriety relate here what I know respecting +his previous connection with Bonaparte. + +I do not recollect the precise date of M. de Chateaubriand's return to +France; I only know that it was about the year 1800, for we were, +I think, still at the Luxembourg: However, I recollect perfectly that +Bonaparte began to conceive prejudices against him; and when I one day +expressed my surprise to the First Consul that M. de Chateaubriand's name +did not appear on any of the lists which he had ordered to be presented +to him for filling up vacant places, he said: "He has been mentioned to +me, but I replied in a way to check all hopes of his obtaining any +appointment. He has notions of liberty and independence which will not +suit my system. I would rather have him my enemy than my forced friend. +At all events, he must wait awhile; I may, perhaps, try him first in a +secondary place, and, if he does well, I may advance him." + +The above is, word for word, what Bonaparte said the: first time I +conversed with him about M. de Chateaubriand. The publication of 'Atala' +and the 'Genie du Christianisme' suddenly gave Chateaubriand celebrity, +and attracted the attention of the First Consul. Bonaparte who then +meditated the restoration of religious worship: in France, found himself +wonderfully supported by the publication of a book which excited the +highest interest, and whose superior merit led the public mind to the +consideration of religious topics. I remember Madame Bacciocchi coming +one day to visit her brother with a little volume in her hand; it was +'Atala'. She presented it to the First Consul, and begged he would read +it. "What, more romances!" exclaimed he. "Do you think I have time to +read all your fooleries?" He, however, took the book from his sister and +laid it down on my desk. Madame Bacciocchi then solicited the erasure of +M. de Chateaubriand's name from the list of emigrants. "Oh! oh!" said +Bonaparte, "it is Chateaubriand's book, is it? I will read it, then. +Bourrienne, write to Fouche to erase his name from the list." + +Bonaparte, at that time paid so little attention to what was doing in the +literary world that he was not aware of Chateaubriand being the author of +'Atala'. It was on the recommendation of M. de Fontanel that Madame +Bacciocchi tried this experiment, which was attended by complete success. +The First Consul read 'Atala', and was much pleased with it. On the +publication of the 'Genie du Christianisme' some time after, his first +prejudices were wholly removed. Among the persons about him there were +many who dreaded to see a man of de Chateaubriand's talent approach the +First Consul, who knew how to appreciate superior merit when it did not +exite his envy. + +Our relations with the Court of the Vatican being renewed, and Cardinal +Fesch appointed Ambassador to the Holy See, Bonaparte conceived the idea +of making M. de Chateaubriand first secretary to the Embassy, thinking +that the author of the 'Genie du Christianisme' was peculiarly fitted to +make up for his uncle's deficiency of talent in the capital of the +Christian world, which was destined to become the second city of the +Empire. + +It was not a little extraordinary to let a man, previously, a stranger to +diplomatic business; stepping over all the intermediate degrees; and +being at once invested with the functions of first secretary to an +important Embassy. I oftener than once heard the First Consul +congratulate himself on having made the appointment. I knew, though +Bonaparte was not aware of the circumstance at the time, that +Chateaubriand at first refused the situation, and that he was only +induced to accept it by the entreaties of the head of the clergy, +particularly of the Abby Emery, a man of great influence. They +represented to the author of the' Genie du Christianisme that it was +necessary he should accompany the uncle of the First Consul to Rome; and +M. de Chateaubriand accordingly resolved to do so. + +However, clouds, gathered; I do not know from what cause, between the +ambassador and his secretary. All I know is, that on Bonaparte being +informed of the circumstance he took the part of the Cardinal, and the +friends of M. de Chateaubriand expected to see him soon deprived of his +appointment, when, to the great astonishment of every one, the secretary +to the Roman Embassy, far from being disgraced, was raised by the First +Consul to the rank of Minister Plenipotentiary to the Valais, with leave +to travel in Switzerland and Italy, together with the promise of the +first vacant Embassy. + +This favour excited a considerable sensation at the Tuileries; but as it +was known to be the will and pleasure of the First Consul all expression +of opinion on the subject was confined to a few quiet murmurs that +Bonaparte had done for the name of Chateaubriand what, in fact, he had +done only on account of his talent. It was during the continuance of +this favour that the second edition of the 'Genie du Christianisme' was +dedicated to the First Consul. + +M. de Chateaubriand returned to France previously to entering on the +fulfilment of his new mission. He remained for some months in Paris, and +on the day appointed for his departure he went to take leave of the First +Consul. By a singular chance it happened to be the fatal morning of the +21st of March, and consequently only a few hours after the Duc d'Enghien +had been shot. It is unnecessary to observe that M. de Chateaubriand was +ignorant of the fatal event. However, on his return home he said to his +friends that he had remarked a singular change in the appearance of the +First Consul, and that there was a sort of sinister expression in his +countenance. Bonaparte saw his new minister amidst the crowd who +attended the audience, and several times seemed inclined to step forward +to speak to him, but as often turned away, and did not approach him the +whole morning. A few hours after, when M. de Chatenubriand mentioned his +observations to some of his friends; he was made acquainted with the +cause of that agitation which, in spite of all his strength of mind and +self-command, Bonaparte could not disguise. + +M. de Chateaubriand instantly resigned his appointment of Minister +Plenipotentiary to the Valais. For several days his friends were much +alarmed for his safety, and they called every morning early to ascertain +whether he had not been carried off during the night. Their fears were +not without foundation. I must confess that I, who knew Bonaparte well, +was somewhat surprised that no serious consequence attended the anger he +manifested on receiving the resignation of the man who had dedicated his +work to him. In fact, there was good reason for apprehension, and it was +not without considerable difficulty that Elisa succeeded in averting the +threatened storm. From this time began a state of hostility between +Bonaparte and Chateaubriand which only terminated at the Restoration. + +I am persuaded, from my knowledge of Bonaparte's character, that though +he retained implacable resentment against a returned emigrant who had +dared to censure his conduct in so positive a manner, yet, his first +burst of anger being soothed, that which was the cause of hatred was at +the same time the ground of esteem. Bonaparte's animosity was, +I confess, very natural, for he could not disguise from himself the real +meaning of a resignation made under such circumstances. It said plainly, +"You have committed a crime, and I will not serve your Government, which +is stained with the blood of a Bourbon!" I can therefore very well +imagine that Bonaparte could never pardon the only man who dared to give +him such a lesson in the midst of the plenitude of his power. But, as I +have often had occasion to remark, there was no unison between +Bonaparte's feelings and his judgment. + +I find a fresh proof of this in the following passage, which he dictated +to M. de Montholon at St. Helena (Memoires, tome iv. p 248). "If," said +he, "the royal confidence had not been placed in men whose minds were +unstrung by too important circumstances, or who, renegade to their +country, saw no safety or glory for their master's throne except under +the yoke of the Holy Alliance; if the Duc de Richelieu, whose ambition +was to deliver his country from the presence of foreign bayonets; if +Chateaubriand, who had just rendered valuable services at Ghent; if they +had had the direction of affairs, France would have emerged from these +two great national crises powerful and redoubtable. Chateaubriand had +received from Nature the sacred fire-his works show it! His style is not +that of Racine but of a prophet. Only he could have said with impunity +in the chamber of peers, 'that the redingote and cocked hat of Napoleon, +put on a stick on the coast of Brest, would make all Europe run to +arms.'" + +The immediate consequences of the Duc d'Enghien's death were not confined +to the general consternation which that unjustifiable stroke of state +policy produced in the capital. The news spread rapidly through the +provinces and foreign countries, and was everywhere accompanied by +astonishment and sorrow. There is in the departments a separate class of +society, possessing great influence, and constituted entirely of persons +usually called the "Gentry of the Chateaux," who may be said to form the +provincial Faubourg St. Germain, and who were overwhelmed by the news. +The opinion of the Gentry of the Chateaux was not hitherto unfavourable +to the First Consul, for the law of hostages which he repealed had been +felt very severely by them. With the exception of some families +accustomed to consider themselves, in relation to the whole world, what +they were only within the circle of a couple of leagues; that is to say, +illustrious personages, all the inhabitants of the provinces, though they +might retain some attachment to the ancient order of things, had viewed +with satisfaction the substitution of the Consular for the Directorial +government, and entertained no personal dislike to the First Consul. +Among the Chateaux, more than anywhere else, it had always been the +custom to cherish Utopian ideas respecting the management of public +affairs, and to criticise the acts of the Government. It is well known +that at this time there was not in all France a single old mansion +surmounted by its two weathercocks which had not a systems of policy +peculiar to itself, and in which the question whether the First Consul +would play the part of Cromwell or Monk was not frequently canvassed. +In those innocent controversies the little news which the Paris papers +were allowed to publish was freely discussed, and a confidential letter +from Paris sometimes furnished food for the conversation of a whole week. + +While I was with Bonaparte he often talked to me about the life in the +Chateaux, which he considered as the happiest for men with sufficient +income and exempt from ambition. He knew and could appreciate this sort +of life, for he often told me the period of his life which he remembered. +with the greatest pleasure was that which he had passed in a Chateau of +the family of Boulat du Colombier near Valence. Bonaparte set great +value on the opinion of the Chateaux, because while living in the country +he had observed the moral influence which their inhabitants exercise over +their neighbourhood. He had succeeded to a great degree in conciliating +them, but the news of the death of the Due d'Enghien alienated from him +minds which were still wavering, and even those which had already +declared in his favour. That act of tyranny dissolved the charm which +had created hope from his government and awakened affections which had as +yet only slumbered. Those to whom this event was almost indifferent also +joined in condemning it; for there are certain aristocratic ideas which +are always fashionable in a certain class of society. Thus for different +causes this atrocity gave a retrograde direction to public opinion, which +had previously been favourably disposed to Bonaparte throughout the whole +of France. + +The consequences were not less important, and might have been disastrous +with respect to foreign Courts. I learned, through a channel which does +not permit me to entertain any doubt of the correctness of my +information, that as soon as the Emperor Alexander received the news it +became clear that England might conceive a well-founded hope of forming a +new coalition against France. Alexander openly expressed his +indignation. I also learned with equal certainty that when Mr. Pitt was +informed of the death of the French Prince he said, "Bonaparte has now +done himself more mischief than we have done him since the last +declaration of war." + + --[The remark made on this murder by the astute cold-blooded Fouche + is well known. He said, "It was worse than a crime--it was a + blunder!"--Editor of 1836 Edition.]-- + +Pitt was not the man to feel much concern for the death of any one; but +he understood and seized all the advantages afforded to him by this great +error of policy committed by the most formidable enemy of England. In +all the Treasury journals published in London Bonaparte was never spoken +of under any other name than that of the "assassin of the Duc d'Enghien." +The inert policy of the Cabinet of Vienna prevented the manifestation of +its displeasure by remonstrances, or by any outward act. At Berlin, in +consequence of the neighbourhood of the French troops in Hanover, the +commiseration for the death of the Due d'Enghien was also confined to the +King's cabinet, and more particularly to the salons of the Queen of +Prussia; but it is certain that that transaction almost everywhere +changed the disposition of sovereigns towards the First Consul, and that +if it did not cause, it at least hastened the success of the negotiations +which England was secretly carrying on with Austria and Prussia. Every +Prince of Germany was offended by the violation of the Grand Duke of +Baden's territory, and the death of a Prince could not fail everywhere to +irritate that kind of sympathy of blood and of race which had hitherto +always influenced the crowned heads and sovereign families of Europe; for +it was felt as an injury to all of them. + +When Louis XVIII. learned the death of the Due d'Enghien he wrote to the +King of Spain, returning him the insignia of the Order of the Golden +Fleece (which had also been conferred on Bonaparte), with the +accompanying letter: + + SIRE, MONSIEUR, AND DEAR COUSIN--It is with regret that I send back + to you the insignia of the Order of the Golden Fleece which his + Majesty, your father, of glorious memory conferred upon me. There + can be nothing in common between me and the great criminal whom + audacity and fortune have placed on my throne, since he has had the + barbarity to stain himself with the blood of a Bourbon, the Duc + d'Enghien. + + Religion might make me pardon an assassin, but the tyrant of my + people must always be my enemy. + + In the present age it is more glorious to merit a sceptre than to + possess one. + + Providence, for incomprehensible reasons, may condemn me to end my + days in exile, but neither my contemporaries nor posterity shall + ever have to say, that in the period of adversity I showed my self + unworthy of occupying the throne of my ancestors. + LOUIS + +The death of the Due d'Enghien was a horrible episode in the proceedings +of the great trial which was then preparing, and which was speedily +followed by the accession of Bonaparte to the Imperial dignity. It was +not one of the least remarkable anomalies of the epoch to see the +judgment by which criminal enterprises against the Republic were +condemned pronounced in the name of the Emperor who had so evidently +destroyed that Republic. This anomaly certainly was not removed by the +subtlety, by the aid of which he at first declared himself Emperor of the +Republic, as a preliminary to his proclaiming himself Emperor of the +French. Setting aside the means, it must be acknowledged that it is +impossible not to admire the genius of Bonaparte, his tenacity in +advancing towards his object, and that adroit employment of suppleness +and audacity which made him sometimes dare fortune, sometimes avoid +difficulties which he found insurmountable, to arrive, not merely at the +throne of Louis XVI., but at the reconstructed throne of Charlemagne. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + +1804. + + Pichegru betrayed--His arrest--His conduct to his old aide de camp-- + Account of Pichegru's family, and his education at Brienne-- + Permission to visit M. Carbonnet--The prisoners in the Temple-- + Absurd application of the word "brigand"--Moreau and the state of + public opinion respecting him--Pichegru's firmness--Pichegru + strangled in prison--Public opinion at the time--Report on the death + of Pichegru. + +I shall now proceed to relate what I knew at the time and what I have +since learnt of the different phases of the trial of Georges, Pichegru, +Moreau and the other persons accused of conspiracy,--a trial to all the +proceedings of which I closely attended. From those proceedings I was +convinced that Moreau was no conspirator, but at the same time I must +confess that it is very probable the First Consul might believe that he +had been engaged in the plot, and I am also of opinion that the real +conspirators believed Moreau to be their accomplice and their chief; for +the object of the machinations of the police agents was to create a +foundation for such a belief, it being important to the success of their +scheme. + +It has been stated that Moreau was arrested on the day after the +confessions made by Bouvet de Lozier; Pichegru was taken by means of the +most infamous treachery that a man can be guilty of. The official police +had at last ascertained that he was in Paris, but they could not learn +the place of his concealment. The police agents had in vain exerted all +their efforts to discover him, when an old friend, who had given him his +last asylum, offered to deliver him up for 100,000 crowns. This infamous +fellow gave an enact description of the chamber which Pichegru occupied +in the Rue de Chabanais, and in consequence of his information Comminges, +commissary of police, proceeded thither, accompanied by some determined +men. Precautions were necessary, because it was known that Pichegru was +a man of prodigious bodily strength, and that besides, as he possessed +the means of defence, he would not allow himself to be taken without +making a desperate resistance. The police entered his chamber by using +false keys, which the man who had sold him had the baseness to get made +for them. A light was burning on his night table. The party of police, +directed by Comminges, overturned the table, extinguished the light, and +threw themselves on the general, who struggled with all his strength, and +cried out loudly. They were obliged to bind him, and in this state the +conqueror of Holland was removed to the Temple, out of which he was +destined never to come alive. + +It must be owned that Pichegru was far from exciting the same interest as +Moreau. The public, and more especially the army, never pardoned him for +his negotiations with the Prince de Conde prior to the 18th Fructidor. +However, I became acquainted with a trait respecting him while he was in +Paris which I think does him much honour. A son of M. Lagrenee, formerly +director of the French Academy at Rome, had been one of Pichegru's aides +de camp. This young man, though he had obtained the rank of captain, +resigned on the banishment of his general, and resumed the pencil, which +he had lad aside for the sword. Pichegru, while he was concealed in +Paris; visited his former aide de camp, who insisted upon giving him an +asylum; but Pichegru positively refused to accept M. Lagrenee's offer, +being determined not to commit a man who had already given him so strong +a proof of friendship. I learned this fact by a singular coincidence. +At this period Madame de Bourrienne wished to have a portrait of one of +our children; she was recommended to M. Lagrenee, and he related the +circumstance to her. + +It was on the night of the 22d of February that Pichegru was arrested in +the manner I have described. The deceitful friend who gave him up was +named Le Blanc, and he went to settle at Hamburg with the reward of his +treachery, I had entirely lost sight of Pichegru since we left Brienne, +for Pichegru was also a pupil of that establishment; but, being older +than either Bonaparte or I, he was already a tutor when we were only +scholars, and I very well recollect that it was he who examined Bonaparte +in the four first rules of arithmetic. + +Pichegru belonged to an agricultural family of Franche-Comte. He had a +relation, a minim,' in that country. The minim, who had the charge of +educating the pupils of the Military School of Brienne, being very poor, +and their poverty not enabling them to hold out much inducement to other +persons to assist them, they applied to the minims of Franche-Comte. In +consequence of this application Pichegru's relation, and some other +minims, repaired to Brienne. An aunt of Pichegru, who was a sister of +the order of charity, accompanied them, and the care of the infirmary was +entrusted to her. This good woman took her nephew to Brienne with her, +and he was educated at the school gratuitously. As soon as his age +permitted, Pichegru was made a tutor; but all, his ambition was to become +a minim. He was, however, dissuaded from that pursuit by his relation, +and he adopted the military profession. There is this further remarkable +circumstance in the youth of Pichegru, that, though he was older by +several years than Bonaparte, they were both made lieutenants of +artillery at the same time. What a difference in their destiny! While +the one was preparing to ascend a throne the other was a solitary +prisoner in the dungeon of the Temple. + +I had no motive to induce me to visit either the Temple or La Force, but +I received at the time circumstantial details of what was passing in +those prisons, particularly in the former; I went, however, frequently to +St. Pelagie, where M. Carbonnet was confined. As soon as I knew that he +was lodged in that prison I set about getting an admission from Real, who +smoothed all difficulties. M. Carbonnet was detained two months in +solitary confinement. He was several times examined, but the +interrogatories produced no result, and, notwithstanding the desire to +implicate him in consequence of the known intimacy between him and +Moreau, it was at last found impossible to put him on trial with the +other parties accused. + +The Temple had more terrors than St. Pelagie, but not for the prisoners +who were committed to it, for none of those illustrious victims of police +machination displayed any weakness, with the exception of Bouvet de +Lozier, who, being sensible of his weakness, wished to prevent its +consequences by death. The public, however, kept their attention riveted +on the prison in which Moreau was confined. I have already mentioned +that Pichegru was conveyed thither on the night of the 22d of February; a +fortnight later Georges was arrested, and committed to the same prison. + +Either Real or Desmarets, and sometimes both together, repaired to the +Temple to examine the prisoners. In vain the police endeavoured to +direct public odium against the prisoners by placarding lists of their +names through the whole of Paris, even before they were arrested. In +those lists they were styled "brigands," and at the head of "the +brigands," the name of General Moreau shone conspicuously. An absurdity +without a parallel. The effect produced was totally opposite to that +calculated on; for, as no person could connect the idea of a brigand with +that of a general who was the object of public esteem, it was naturally +concluded that those whose names were placarded along with his were no +more brigands than he. + +Public opinion was decidedly in favour of Moreau, and every one was +indignant at seeing him described as a brigand. Far from believing him +guilty, he was regarded as a victim fastened on because his reputation +embarrassed Bonaparte; for Moreau had always been looked up to as capable +of opposing the accomplishment of the First Consul's ambitious views. +The whole crime of Moreau was his having numerous partisans among those +who still clung to the phantom of the Republic, and that crime was +unpardonable in the eyes of the First Consul, who for two years had ruled +the destinies of France as sovereign master. What means were not +employed to mislead the opinion of the public respecting Moreau? The +police published pamphlets of all sorts, and the Comte de Montgaillard +was brought from Lyons to draw up a libel implicating him with Pichegru +and the exiled Princes. But nothing that was done produced the effect +proposed. + +The weak character of Moreau is known. In fact, he allowed himself to be +circumvented by a few intriguers, who endeavoured to derive advantage +from the influence of his name. But he was so decidedly opposed to the +reestablishment of the ancient system that he replied to one of the +agents who addressed' him, "I cannot put myself at the head of any +movement for the Bourbons, and such an attempt would not succeed. If +Pichegru act on another principle--and even in that case I have told him +that the Consuls and the Governor of Paris must disappear--I believe that +I have a party strong enough in the Senate to obtain possession of +authority, and I will immediately make use of it to protect his friends; +public opinion will then dictate what may be fit to be done, but I will +promise nothing in writing." Admitting these words attributed to Moreau +to be true, they prove that he was dissatisfied with the Consular +Government, and that he wished a change; but there is a great difference +between a conditional wish and a conspiracy. + +The commander of the principal guard of the Temple was General Savory, +and he had reinforced that guard by his select gendarmerie. The +prisoners did not dare to communicate one with another for fear of mutual +injury, but all evinced a courage which created no little alarm as to the +consequences of the trial. Neither offers nor threats produced any +confessions in the course of the interrogatories. Pichegru, in +particular, displayed an extraordinary firmness, and Real one day, on +leaving the chamber where he had been examining him, said aloud in the +presence of several persons, "What a man that Pichegru is!" + +Forty days elapsed after the arrest of General Pichegru when, on the +morning of the 6th of April, he was found dead in the chamber he occupied +in the Temple. Pichegru had undergone ten examinations; but he had made +no confessions, and no person was committed by his replies. + +All his declarations, however, gave reason to believe that he would speak +out, and that too in a lofty and energetic manner during the progress of +the trial. "When I am before my judges," said he, "my language shall be +conformable to truth and the interests of my country." What would that +language have been? Without doubt there was no wish that it should be +heard. Pichegru would have kept his promise, for he was distinguished +for his firmness of character above everything, even above his qualities +as a soldier; differing in this respect from Moreau, who allowed himself +to be guided by his wife and mother-in-law, both of whom displayed +ridiculous pretensions in their visits to Madame Bonaparte. + +The day on which Real spoke before several persons of Pichegru in the way +I have related was the day of his last examination. I afterwards +learned, from a source on which I can rely, that during his examination +Pichegru, though careful to say nothing which could affect the other +prisoners, showed no disposition to be tender of him who had sought and +resolved his death, but evinced a firm resolution to unveil before the +public the odious machinery of the plot into which the police had drawn +him. He also declared that he and his companions had no longer any +object but to consider of the means of leaving Paris, with the view of +escaping from the snares laid for them when their arrest took place. +He declared that they had all of them given up the idea of overturning +the power of Bonaparte, a scheme into which they had been enticed by +shameful intrigues. I am convinced the dread excited by his +manifestation of a resolution to speak out with the most rigid candour +hastened the death of Pichegru. M. Real, who is still living, knows +better than any one else what were Pichegru's declarations, as he +interrogated him. I know not whether that gentleman will think fit, +either at the present or some future period, to raise the veil of mystery +which hangs over these events, but of this I am sure, he will be unable +to deny anything I advance. There is evidence almost amounting to +demonstration that Pichegru was strangled in prison, and consequently all +idea of suicide must be rejected as inadmissible. Have I positive and +substantive proof of what I assert? I have not; but the concurrence of +facts and the weight of probabilities do not leave me in possession of +the doubts I should wish to entertain on that tragic event. Besides, +there exists a certain popular instinct, which is rarely at fault, and it +must be in the recollection of many, not only that the general opinion +favoured the notion of Pichegru's assassination, but that the pains taken +to give that opinion another direction, by the affected exhibition of the +body, only served to strengthen it. He who spontaneously says, I have not +committed such or such a crime, at least admits there is room for +suspecting his guilt. + +The truth is, the tide of opinion never set in with such force against +Bonaparte as during the trial of Moreau; nor was the popular sentiment in +error on the subject of the death of Pichegru, who was clearly strangled +in the Temple by secret agents. The authors, the actors, and the +witnesses of the horrible prison scenes of the period are the only +persons capable of removing the doubts which still hang over the death of +Pichegru; but I must nevertheless contend that the preceding +circumstances, the general belief at the time, and even probability, are +in contradiction with any idea of suicide on the part of Pichegru. His +death was considered necessary, and this necessity was its real cause. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + +1804. + + Arrest of Georges--The fruiterer's daughter of the Rue de La + Montagne--St. Genevieve--Louis Bonaparte's visit to the Temple-- + General Lauriston--Arrest of Villeneuve and Barco--Villeneuve + wounded--Moreau during his imprisonment--Preparations for leaving + the Temple--Remarkable change in Georges--Addresses and + congratulations--Speech of the First Consul forgotten--Secret + negotiations with the Senate--Official proposition of Bonaparte's + elevation to the Empire--Sitting of the Council of State-- + Interference of Bonaparte--Individual votes--Seven against twenty-- + His subjects and his people--Appropriateness of the title of + Emperor--Communications between Bonaparte and the Senate--Bonaparte + first called Sire by Cambaceres--First letter signed by Napoleon as + Emperor--Grand levee at the Tuileries--Napoleon's address to the + Imperial Guard--Organic 'Senatus-consulte'--Revival of old formulas + and titles--The Republicanism of Lucien--The Spanish Princess-- + Lucien's clandestine marriage--Bonaparte's influence on the German + Princes--Intrigues of England--Drake at Munich--Project for + overthrowing Bonaparte's Government--Circular from the Minister for + Foreign Affairs to the members of the Diplomatic Body--Answers to + that circular. + +Georges was arrested about seven o'clock, on the evening of the 9th of +March, with another conspirator, whose name, I think, was Leridan. +Georges was stopped in a cabriolet on the Place de l'Odeon, whither he +had no doubt been directed by the police agent, who was constantly about +him. In not seizing him at his lodgings, the object, probably, was to +give more publicity to his arrest, and to produce an effect upon the +minds of the multitude. This calculation cost the life of one man, and +had well-nigh sacrificed the lives of two, for Georges, who constantly +carried arms about him, first shot dead the police officer who seized the +horse's reins, and wounded another who advanced to arrest him is the +cabriolet. Besides his pistols there was found upon him a poniard of +English manufacture. + +Georges lodged with a woman named Lemoine, who kept a fruiterer's shop in +the Rue de la Montagne St. Genevieve, and on the evening of the 9th of +March he had just left his lodging to go, it was said, to a perfumer's +named Caron. It is difficult to suppose that the circumstance of the +police being on the spot was the mere effect of chance. The fruiterer's +daughter was putting into the cabriolet a parcel belonging to Georges at +the moment of his arrest. Georges, seeing the officers advance to seize +him, desired the girl to get out of the way, fearing lest he should shoot +her when he fired on the officers. She ran into a neighbouring house, +taking the parcel along with her. The police, it may readily be +supposed, were soon after her. The master of the house in which she had +taken refuge, curious to know what the parcel contained, had opened it, +and discovered, among other things, a bag containing 1000 Dutch +sovereigns, from which he acknowledged he had abstracted a considerable +sum. He and his wife, as well as the fruiterer's daughter, were all +arrested; as to Georges, he was taken that same evening to the Temple, +where he remained until his removal to the Conciergerie when the trial +commenced. + +During the whole of the legal proceedings Georges and the other important +prisoners were kept in solitary confinement. Immediately on Pichegru's +death the prisoners were informed of the circumstance. As they were all +acquainted with the general, and none believed the fact of his reported +suicide, it may easily be conceived what consternation and horror the +tragical event excited among them. I learned, and I was sorry to hear of +it, that Louis Bonaparte, who was an excellent man, and, beyond all +comparison, the best of the family, had the cruel curiosity to see +Georges in his prison a few days after the death of Pichegru, and when +the sensation of horror excited by that event in the interior of the +Temple was at its height, Louis repaired to the prison, accompanied by a +brilliant escort of staff-officers, and General Savary introduced him to +the prisoners. When Louis arrived, Georges was lying on his bed with his +hands strongly bound by manacles. Lauriston, who accompanied Louis, +related to me some of the particulars of this visit, which, in spite of +his sincere devotedness to the first Consul, he assured me had been very +painful to him. + +After the arrest of Georges there were still some individuals marked out +as accomplices in the conspiracy who had found means to elude the search +of the police. The persons last arrested were, I think, Villeneuve, one- +of the principal confidants of Georges, Burban Malabre, who went by the +name of Barco, and Charles d'Hozier. They were not taken till five days +after the arrest of the Duc d'Enghien. The famous Commissioner +Comminges, accompanied by an inspector and a detachment of gendarmes +d'Elite, found Villeneuve and Burban Malabre in the house of a man named +Dubuisson, in the Rue Jean Robert. + +This Dubuisson and his wife had sheltered some of the principal persons +proscribed by the police. The Messieurs de Polignac and M. de Riviere +had lodged with them. When the police came to arrest Villeneuve and +Burban Malabre the people with whom they lodged declared that they had +gone away in the morning. The officers, however, searched the house, and +discovered a secret door within a closet. They called, and receiving no +answer, the gendarmerie had recourse to one of those expedients which +were, unfortunately, too familiar to them. They fired a pistol through +the door. Villeneuve, who went by the name of Joyau, was wounded in the +arm, which obliged him and his companion to come from the place of their +concealment, and they were then made prisoners. + +Moreau was not treated with the degree of rigour observed towards the +other prisoners. Indeed, it would not have been safe so to treat him, +for even in his prison he received the homage and respect of all the +military, not excepting even those who were his guards. Many of these +soldiers had served under him, and it could not be forgotten how much he +was beloved by the troops he had commanded. He did not possess that +irresistible charm which in Bonaparte excited attachment, but his +mildness of temper and excellent character inspired love and respect. +It was the general opinion in Paris that a single word from Moreau to the +soldiers in whose custody he was placed would in a moment have converted +the gaoler-guard into a guard of honour, ready to execute all that might +be required for the safety of the conqueror of Hohenlinden. Perhaps the +respect with which he was treated and the indulgence of daily seeing his +wife and child were but artful calculations for keeping him within the +limits of his usual character. Besides, Moreau was so confident of the +injustice of the charge brought against him that he was calm and +resigned, and showed no disposition to rouse the anger of an enemy who +would have been happy to have some real accusation against him. To these +causes combined I always attributed the resignation; and I may say the +indifference, of Moreau while he was in prison and on his trial. + +When the legal preparations for the trial were ended the prisoners of the +Temple were permitted to communicate with each other, and, viewing their +fate with that indifference which youth, misfortune, and courage +inspired, they amused themselves with some of those games which usually +serve for boyish recreation. While they were thus engaged the order +arrived for their removal to the Conciergerie. The firmness of all +remained unshaken, and they made their preparations for departure as if +they were going about any ordinary business. This fortitude was +particularly remarkable in Georges, in whose manner a change had taken +place which was remarked by all his companions in misfortune. + +For some time past the agents of Government throughout France had been +instructed to solicit the First Consul to grant for the people what the +people did not want, but what Bonaparte wished to take while he appeared +to yield to the general will, namely, unlimited sovereign authority, free +from any subterfuge of denomination. The opportunity of the great +conspiracy just discovered, and in which Bonaparte had not incurred a +moment's danger, as he did at the time of the infernal machine, was not +suffered to escape; that opportunity was, on the contrary, eagerly +seized by the authorities of every rank, civil, ecclesiastical, and +military, and a torrent of addresses, congratulations, and thanksgivings +inundated the Tuileries. Most of the authors of these addressee did not +confine themselves to mere congratulations; they entreated Bonaparte to +consolidate his work, the true meaning of which was that it was time he +should make himself Emperor and establish hereditary succession. Those +who on other occasions had shown an officious readiness to execute +Bonaparte's commands did not now fear to risk his displeasure by opposing +the opinion he had expressed in the Council of State on the discussion of +the question of the Consulate for life. Bonaparte then said, "Hereditary +succession is absurd. It is irreconcilable with the principle of the +sovereignty of the people, and impossible in France." + +In this scene of the grand drama Bonaparte played his part with his +accustomed talent, keeping himself in the background and leaving to +others the task of preparing the catastrophe. The Senate, who took the +lead in the way of insinuation, did not fail, while congratulating the +First Consul on his escape from the plots of foreigners, or, as they were +officially styled, the daggers of England, to conjure him not to delay +the completion of his work. Six days after the death of the Due +d'Enghien the Senate first expressed this wish. Either because Bonaparte +began to repent of a useless crime, and felt the ill effect it must +produce on the public mind, or because he found the language of the +Senate somewhat vague, he left the address nearly a month unanswered, and +then only replied by the request that the intention of the address might +be more completely expressed. These negotiations between the Senate and +the Head of the Government were not immediately published. Bonaparte did +not like publicity except for what had arrived at a result; but to attain +the result which was the object of his ambition it was necessary that the +project which he was maturing should be introduced in the Tribunate, and +the tribune Curee had the honour to be the first to propose officially, +on the 30th of April 1804, the conversion of the Consular Republic into +an Empire, and the elevation of Bonaparte to the title of Emperor; with +the rights of hereditary succession. + +If any doubts could exist respecting the complaisant part which Curee +acted on this occasion one circumstance would suffice to remove them; +that is, that ten days before the development of his proposition +Bonaparte had caused the question of founding the Empire and establishing +hereditary succession in his family to be secretly discussed in the +Council of State. I learned from one of the Councillors of State all +that passed on that occasion, and I may remark that Cambaceres showed +himself particularly eager in the Council of State, as well as afterwards +in the Senate, to become the exalted subject of him who had been his +first colleague in the Consulate. + +About the middle of April, the Council of State being assembled as for an +ordinary sitting, the First Consul, who was frequently present at the +sittings, did not appear. Cambaceres arrived and took the Presidency in +his quality of Second Consul, and it was remarked that his air was more +solemn than usual, though he at all times affected gravity. + +The partisans of hereditary succession were the majority, and resolved to +present an address to the First Consul. Those of the Councillors who +opposed this determined on their part to send a counter-address; and to +avoid this clashing of opinions Bonaparte signified his wish that each +member of the Council should send him his opinion individually, with his +signature affixed. By a singular accident it happened to be Berlier's +task to present to the First Consul the separate opinions of the Council. +Out of the twenty-seven Councillors present only seven opposed the +question. Bonaparte received them all most graciously, and told them, +among other things, that be wished for hereditary power only for the +benefit of France; that the citizens would never be his subjects, and +that the French people would never be his people. Such were the +preliminaries to the official proposition of Curee to the Tribunate, and +upon reflection it was decided that, as all opposition would be useless +and perhaps dangerous to the opposing party, the minority should join the +majority. This was accordingly done. + +The Tribunate having adopted the proposition of Curee, there was no +longer any motive for concealing the overtures of the Senate. Its +address to the First Consul was therefore published forty days after its +date: the pear was then ripe. This period is so important that I must +not omit putting together the most remarkable facts which either came +within my own observation, or which I have learned since respecting the +foundation of the Empire. + +Bonaparte had a long time before spoken to me of the title of Emperor as +being the most appropriate for the new sovereignty which he wished to +found in France. This, he observed, was not restoring the old system +entirely, and he dwelt much on its being the title which Caesar had +borne. He often said, "One may be the Emperor of a republic, but not the +King of a republic, those two terms are incongruous." + +In its first address the Senate had taken as a test the documents it had +received from the Government in relation to the intrigues of Drake, who +had been sent from England to Munich. That text afforded the opportunity +for a vague expression of what the Senate termed the necessities of +France. To give greater solemnity to the affair the Senate proceeded in +a body to the Tuileries, and one thing which gave a peculiar character to +the preconcerted advances of the Senate was that Cambaceres, the Second +Consul, fulfilled his functions of President on this occasion, and +delivered the address to the First Consul. + +However, the First Consul thought the address of the Senate, which, I +have been informed, was drawn up by Francois de Neufchateau, was not +expressed with sufficient clearness; he therefore, after suffering a +little interval to elapse, sent a message to the Senate signed by +himself, in which he said, "Your address has been the object of my +earnest consideration." And though the address contained no mention of +hereditary succession, he added, "You consider the hereditary succession +of the supreme magistracy necessary to defend the French people against +the plots of our enemies and the agitation arising from rival ambition. +At the same time several of our institutions appear to you to require +improvement so as to ensure the triumph of equality and public liberty, +and to offer to the nation and the Government the double guarantee they +require." From the subsequent passages of the message it will be +sufficient to extract the following: "We have been constantly guided by +this great truth: that the sovereignty dwells with the French people, and +that it is for their interest, happiness, and glory that the Supreme +Magistracy, the Senate, the Council of State, the Legislative Body, the +Electoral Colleges, and the different branches of the Government, are and +must be instituted." The omission of the Tribunate in this enumeration +is somewhat remarkable. It announced a promise which was speedily +realised. + +The will of Bonaparte being thus expressed in his message to the--Senate, +that body, which was created to preserve the institutions consecrated by +the Constitution of the year VIII., had no alternative but to submit to +the intentions manifested by the First Consul. The reply to the message +was, therefore, merely a counterpart of the message itself. It +positively declared that hereditary government was essential to the +happiness, the glory, and the prosperity of France, and that that +government could be confided only to Bonaparte and his family. While the +Senate so complaisantly played its part in this well-get-up piece, yet, +the better to impose on the credulity of the multitude, its reply, like +Bonaparte's message, resounded with the words liberty and equality. +Indeed, it was impudently asserted in that reply that Bonaparte's +accession to hereditary power would be a certain guarantee for the +liberty of the press, a liberty which Bonaparte held in the greatest +horror, and without which all other liberty is but a vain illusion. + +By this reply of the Senate the most important step was performed. There +now remained merely ceremonies to regulate and formulas to fill up. +These various arrangements occasioned a delay of a fortnight. On the +18th of May the First Consul was greeted for the first time by the +appellation of Sire by his former colleague, Cambaceres, who at the head +of the Senate went to present to Bonaparte the organic 'Senatus-consulte' +containing the foundation of the Empire. Napoleon was at St. Cloud, +whither the Senate proceeded in state. After the speech of Cambaceres, +in which the old designation of Majesty was for the first time revived, +the EMPEROR replied:-- + + All that can contribute to the welfare of the country is essentially + connected with my happiness. I accept the title which you believe + to be conducive to the glory of the nation. I submit to the + sanction of the people the law of hereditary succession. I hope + that France will never repent the honours she may confer on my + family. At all events, my spirit will not be with my posterity when + they cease to merit the confidence and love of the great nation. + +Cambaceres next went to congratulate the Empress, and then was realised +to Josephine the prediction which I had made to her three years before at +Malmaison. + + + --[In the original motion as prepared by Curee, the Imperial dignity + was to be declared hereditary in the family of Napoleon. Previous to + being formerly read before the Tribunate, the First Consul sent for + the document, and when it was returned it was found that the word + family was altered to descendants. Fabre, the President of the + Tribunate, who received the altered document from Maret, seeing the + effect the alteration would have on the brothers of Napoleon, and + finding that Maret affected to crest the change as immaterial, took + on himself to restore the original form, and in that shape it was + read by the unconscious Curee to the Tribunals. On this curious, + passage see Miot de Melito, tome ii, p. 179. As finally settled the + descent of the crown in default of Napoleon's children was limited + to Joseph and Louis and their descendants, but the power of adoption + was given to Napoleon. The draft of the 'Senates-consulte' was + heard by the Council of State in silence, and Napoleon tried in vain + to get even the most talkative of the members now to speak. The + Senate were not unanimous in rendering the 'Senatus-consulte'. The + three votes given against it were said to have been Gregoire, the + former constitutional Bishop of Blois, Carat, who as Minister of + Justice had read to Louis XVI. the sentence of death, and + Lanjuinais, one of the very few survivors of the Girondists, Thiers + says there was only one dissentient voice. For the fury of the + brothers of Napoleon, who saw the destruction of all their ambitions + hopes in any measure for the descent of the crown except in the + family, see Miot, tome ii. p.. 172, where Joseph is described as + cursing the ambition of his brother, and desiring his death as a + benefit for France and his family.]-- + +Bonaparte's first act as Emperor, on the very day of his elevation to the +Imperial throne, was the nomination of Joseph to the dignity of Grand +Elector, with the title of Imperial Highness. Louis was raised to the +dignity of Constable, with the same title, and Cambaceres and Lebrun were +created Arch-Chancellor and Arch-Treasurer of the Empire. On the same +day Bonaparte wrote the following letter to Cambaceres, the first which +he signed as Emperor, and merely with the name of Napoleon:-- + + CITIZEN CONSUL CAMBACERES--Your title has changed; but your + functions and my confidence remain the same. In the high dignity + with which you are now invested you will continue to manifest, as + you have hitherto done in that of Consul, that wisdom and that + distinguished talent which entitle you to so important a share in + all the good which I may have effected. I have, therefore, only to + desire the continuance of the sentiments you cherish towards the + State and me. + + Given at the Palace of St. Cloud, 28th Floreal, an XII. + (18th May 1804). + (Signed) NAPOLEON. + + By the Emperor. + H. B. MARET. + +I have quoted this first letter of the Emperor because it is +characteristic of Bonaparte's art in managing transitions. It was to the +Citizen Consul that the Emperor addressed himself, and it was dated +according to the Republican calendar. That calendar, together with the +delusive inscription on the coin, were all that now remained of the +Republic. Next day the Emperor came to Paris to hold a grand levee at +the Tuileries, for he was not the man to postpone the gratification that +vanity derived from his new dignity and title. The assembly was more +numerous and brilliant than on any former occasion. Bessieres having +addressed the Emperor on the part of the Guards, the Emperor replied in +the following terms: "I know the sentiments the Guards cherish towards +me. I repose perfect confidence in their courage and fidelity. I +constantly see, with renewed pleasure, companions in arms who have +escaped so many dangers, and are covered with so many honourable wounds. +I experience a sentiment of satisfaction when I look at the Guards, and +think that there has not, for the last fifteen years, in any of the four +quarters of the world, been a battle in which some of them have not taken +part." + +On the same day all the generals and colonels in Paris were presented to +the Emperor by Louis Bonaparte, who had already begun to exercise his +functions of Constable. In a few days everything assumed a new aspect; +but in spite of the admiration which was openly expressed the Parisians +secretly ridiculed the new courtiers. This greatly displeased Bonaparte, +who was very charitably informed of it in order to check his +prepossession in favour of the men of the old Court, such as the Comte de +Segur, and at a later period Comte Louis de Narbonne. + +To give all possible solemnity to his accession Napoleon ordered that the +Senate itself should proclaim in Paris the organic 'Senates-consulte', +which entirely changed the Constitution of the State. By one of those +anomalies which I have frequently had occasion to remark, the Emperor +fixed for this ceremony Sunday, the 30th Floral. That day was a festival +in all Paris, while the unfortunate prisoners were languishing in the +dungeons of the Temple. + +On the day after Bonaparte's accession the old formulae were restored. +The Emperor determined that the French Princes and Princesses should +receive the title of Imperial Highness; that his sisters should take the +same title; that the grand dignitaries of the Empire should be called +Serene Highnesses; that the Princes and titularies of the grand +dignitaries should be addressed by the title of Monseigneur; that M. +Maret, the Secretary of State, should have the rank of Minister; that the +ministers should retain the title of Excellency, to which should be added +that of Monseigneur in the petitions addressed to them; and that the +title of Excellency should be given to the President of the Senate. + +At the same time Napoleon appointed the first Marshals of the Empire, +and determined that they should be called Monsieur le Marechal when +addressed verbally, and Monseigneur in writing. The following are the +names of these sons of the Republic transformed into props of the Empire: +Berthier, Murat, Moncey, Jourdan, Massena, Augereau, Bernadotte, Soult, +Brune, Lannes, Mortier, Ney, Davoust, and Besaieres. The title of +Marshal of the Empire was also granted to the generals Kellerman, +Lefebvre, Perignon, and Serrurier, as having served as commander-in- +chief. + +The reader cannot have failed to observe that the name of Lucien has not +been mentioned among the individuals of Bonaparte's family on whom +dignities were conferred. The fact is, the two brothers were no longer +on good terms with each other. Not, as it has been alleged, because +Lucien wished to play the part of a Republican, but because he would not +submit to the imperious will of Napoleon in a circumstance in which the +latter counted on his brother's docility to serve the interests of his +policy. In the conferences which preceded the great change in the form +of government it was not Lucien but Joseph who, probably for the sake of +sounding opinion, affected an opposition, which was by some mistaken for +Republicanism. With regard to Lucien, as he had really rendered great +services to Napoleon on the 19th Brumaire at St. Cloud, and as he himself +exaggerated the value of those services, he saw no reward worthy of his +ambition but a throne independent of his brother. It is certain that +when at Madrid he had aspired to win the good graces of a Spanish +Infanta, and on that subject reports were circulated with which I have +nothing to do, because I never had any opportunity of ascertaining their +truth. All I know is that, Lucien's first wife being dead, Bonaparte, +wished him to marry a German Princess, by way of forming the first great +alliance in the family. Lucien, however, refused to comply with +Napoleon's wishes, and he secretly married the wife of an agent, named, +I believe, Joubertou, who for the sake of convenience was sent to the +West Indies, where he: died shortly after. When Bonaparte heard of this +marriage from the priest by whom it had been clandestinely performed, he +fell into a furious passion, and resolved not to confer on Lucien the +title of French Prince, on account of what he termed his unequal match. +Lucien, therefore, obtained no other dignity than that of Senator. + + --[According to Lucien himself, Napoleon wished him to marry the + Queen of Etruria Maria-Louise, daughter of Charles IV. of Spain, who + had married, 1795 Louie de Bourbon, Prince of Parma, son of the Duke + of Parma, to whom Napoleon had given Tuscany in 1801 as the Kingdom + of, Etruria. Her husband had died in May 1808, and she governed in + the name of her son. Lucien, whose first wife, Anne Christine + Boyer, had died in 1801, had married his second wife, Alexandrine + Laurence de Bleschamps, who had married, but who had divorced, a M. + Jonberthon. When Lucien had been ambassador in Spain in 1801, + charged among other things with obtaining Elba, the Queen, he says, + wished Napoleon should marry an Infanta,--Donna Isabella, her + youngest daughter, afterwards Queen of Naples, an overture to which + Napoleon seems not to have made any answer. As for Lucien, he + objected to his brother that the Queen was ugly, and laughed at + Napoleon's representations as to her being "propre": but at last he + acknowledged his marriage with Madame Jouberthon. This made a + complete break between the brothers, and on hearing of the execution + of the Due d'Enghien, Lucien said to his wife, "Alexandrine, let us + go; he has tasted blood." He went to Italy, and in 1810 tried to go + to the United States. Taken prisoner by the English, he was + detained first at Malta, and then in England, at Ludlow Castle and + at Thorngrove, till 1814, when he went to Rome. The Pope, who ever + showed a kindly feeling towards the Bonapartes, made the ex- + "Brutus" Bonaparte Prince de Canino and Due de Musignano. In 1815 + he joined Napoleon and on the final fall of the Empire he was + interned at Rome till the death of his brother.]-- + +Jerome, who pursued an opposite line of conduct, was afterwards made a +King. As to Lucien's Republicanism, it did not survive the 18th +Brumaire, and he was always a warm partisan of hereditary succession. + +But I pass on to relate what I know respecting the almost incredible +influence which, on the foundation of the Empire, Bonaparte exercised +over the powers which did not yet dare to declare war against him. +I studied Bonaparte's policy closely, and I came to this conclusion on +the subject, that he was governed by ambition, by the passion of +dominion, and that no relations, on a footing of equality, between +himself and any other power, could be of long duration. The other States +of Europe had only to choose one of two things--submission or war. As to +secondary States, they might thenceforth be considered as fiefs of the +French Government; and as they could not resist, Bonaparte easily +accustomed them to bend to his yoke. Can there be a stronger proof of +this arbitrary influence than what occurred at Carlsruhe, after the +violation of the territory of Baden, by the arrest of the Due d'Enghien? +Far from venturing to make any observation on that violation, so contrary +to the rights of nations, the Grand Duke of Baden was obliged to publish, +in his own State, a decree evidently dictated by Bonaparte. The decree +stated, that many individuals formerly belonging to the army of Conde +having come to the neighbourhood of Carlsruhe, his Electoral Highness had +felt it his duty to direct that no individual coming from Conde's army, +nor indeed any French emigrant, should, unless he had permission +previously to the place, make a longer sojourn than was allowed to +foreign travellers. Such was already the influence which Bonaparte +exercised over Germany, whose Princes, to use an expression which he +employed in a later decree, were crushed by the grand measures of the +Empire. + +But to be just, without however justifying Bonaparte, I must acknowledge +that the intrigues which England fomented in all parts of the Continent +were calculated to excite his natural irritability to the utmost degree. +The agents of England were spread over the whole of Europe, and they +varied the rumours which they were commissioned to circulate, according +to the chances of credit which the different places afforded. Their +reports were generally false; but credulity gave ear to them, and +speculators endeavoured, each according to his interest, to give them +support. The headquarters of all this plotting was Munich, where Drake, +who was sent from England, had the supreme direction. His +correspondence, which was seized by the French Government, was at first +placed amongst the documents to be produced on the trial of Georges, +Moreau, and the other prisoners; but in the course of the preliminary +proceedings the Grand Judge received directions to detach them, and make +them the subject of a special report to the First Consul, in order that +their publication beforehand might influence public opinion, and render +it unfavourable to those who were doomed to be sacrificed. The +instructions given by Drake to his agents render it impossible to doubt +that England wished to overthrow the Government of Bonaparte. Drake +wrote as follows to a man who was appointed to travel through France:-- + + The principal object of your journey being the overthrow of the + existing Government, one of the means of effecting it is to acquire + a knowledge of the enemy's plans. For this purpose it is of the + highest importance to begin, in the first place, by establishing + communications with persons who may be depended upon in the + different Government offices in order to obtain exact information of + all plans with respect to foreign or internal affairs. The + knowledge of these plans will supply the best means of defeating + them; and failure is the way to bring the Government into complete + discredit--the first and most important step towards the end + proposed. Try to gain over trustworthy agents in the different + Government departments. Endeavour, also, to learn what passes in + the secret committee, which is supposed to be established at St + Cloud, and composed of the friends of the First Consul. Be careful + to furnish information of the various projects which Bonaparte may + entertain relative to Turkey and Ireland. Likewise send + intelligence respecting the movements of troops, respecting vessels + and ship-building, and all military preparations. + +Drake, in his instructions, also recommended that the subversion of +Bonaparte's Government should, for the time, be the only object in view, +and that nothing should be said about the King's intentions until certain +information could be obtained respecting his views; but most of his +letters and instructions were anterior to 1804. The whole bearing of the +seized documents proved what Bonaparte could not be ignorant of, namely, +that England was his constant enemy; but after examining them, I was of +opinion that they contained nothing which could justify the belief that +the Government of Great Britain authorised any attempt at assassination. + +When the First Consul received the report of the Grand Judge relative to +Drake's plots' against his Government he transmitted a copy of it to the +Senate, and it was in reply to this communication that the Senate made +those first overtures which Bonaparte thought vague, but which, +nevertheless, led to the formation of the Empire. Notwithstanding this +important circumstance, I have not hitherto mentioned Drake, because his +intrigues for Bonaparte'soverthrow appeared to me to be more immediately +connected with the preliminaries of the trial of Georges and Moreau, +which I shall notice in my next chapter. + + --[These were not plots for assassination. Bonaparte, in the same + way, had his secret agents in every country of Europe, without + excepting England. Alison (chap. xxxvii. par. 89) says on this + matter of Drake that, though the English agents were certainly + attempting a counter-revolution, they had no idea of encouraging the + assassination of Napoleon, while "England was no match for the + French police agents in a transaction of this description, for the + publication of Regular revealed the mortifying fact that the whole + correspondence both of Drake and Spencer Smith had been regularly + transmitted, as fast as it took place, to the police of Paris, and + that their principal corresponded in that city, M. Mehu de la + Tonche, was himself an agent of the police, employed to tempt the + British envoys into this perilous enterprise."]-- + +At the same time that Bonaparte communicated to the Senate the report of +the Grand Judge, the Minister for Foreign Affairs addressed the following +circular letter to the members of the Diplomatic Body: + + The First Consul has commanded me to forward to your Excellency a + copy of a report which has been presented to him, respecting a + conspiracy formed in France by Mr. Drake, his Britannic Majesty's + Minister at the Court of Munich, which, by its object as well as its + date, is evidently connected with the infamous plot now in the + course of investigation. + + The printed copy of Mr. Drake's letters and authentic documents is + annexed to the report. The originals will be immediately sent, by + order of the First Consul, to the Elector of Bavaria. + + Such a prostitution of the most honourable function which can be + intrusted to a man is unexampled in the history of civilised + nations. It will astonish and afflict Europe as an unheard of + crime, which hitherto the most perverse Governments have not dared + to meditate. The First Consul is too well acquainted with + sentiments of the Diplomatic Body accredited to him not to be fully + convinced that every one of its members will behold, with profound + regret, the profanation of the sacred character of Ambassador, + basely transformed into a minister of plots, snares, and corruption. + +All the ambassadors, ministers, plenipotentiaries, envoys, ordinary or +extraordinary, whatever might be their denomination, addressed answers to +the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in which they expressed horror and +indignation at the conduct of England and Drake's machinations. These +answers were returned only five days after the Duc d'Enghien's death; +and here one cannot help admiring the adroitness of Bonaparte, who thus +compelled all the representatives of the European Governments to give +official testimonies of regard for his person and Government. + + + + +CHAPTER XXYI. + +1804. + + Trial of Moreau, Georges, and others--Public interest excited by + Moreau--Arraignment of the prisoners--Moreau's letter to Bonaparte-- + Violence of the President of the Court towards the prisoners-- + Lajolais and Rolland--Examinations intended to criminate Moreau-- + Remarkable observations--Speech written by M. Garat--Bonaparte's + opinion of Garat's eloquence--General Lecourbe and Moreau's son-- + Respect shown to Moreau by the military--Different sentiments + excited by Georges and Moreau--Thoriot and 'Tui-roi'--Georges' + answers to the interrogatories--He refuses an offer of pardon-- + Coster St. Victor--Napoleon and an actress--Captain Wright-- + M. de Riviere and the medal of the Comte d'Artois--Generous struggle + between MM. de Polignac--Sentence on the prisoners--Bonaparte's + remark--Pardons and executions. + +On the 28th of May, about ten days after Napoleon had been declared +Emperor, the trials of Moreau and others commenced. No similar event +that has since occurred can convey an idea of the fermentation which then +prevailed in Paris. The indignation excited by Moreau's arrest was +openly manifested, and braved the observation of the police. Endeavours +had been successfully made to mislead public opinion with respect to +Georges and some others among the accused, who were looked upon as +assassins in the pay of England, at least by that numerous portion of the +public who lent implicit faith to declarations presented to them as +official. But the case was different with regard to those individuals +who were particularly the objects of public interest, -viz. MM. de +Polignac, de Riviere, Charles d'Hozier, and, above all, Moreau. The name +of Moreau towered above all the rest, and with respect to him the +Government found itself not a little perplexed. It was necessary on the +one hand to surround him with a guard sufficiently imposing, to repress +the eagerness of the people and of his friends, and yet on the other hand +care was required that this guard should not be so strong as to admit of +the possibility of making it a rallying-point, should the voice of a +chief so honoured by the army appeal to it for defence. A rising of the +populace in favour of Moreau was considered as a very possible event,-- +some hoped for it, others dreaded it. When I reflect on the state of +feeling which then prevailed, I am certain that a movement in his favour +would infallibly have taken place had judges more complying than even +those who presided at the trial condemned Moreau to capital punishment. + +It is impossible to form an idea of the crowd that choked up the avenues +of the Palace of Justice on the day the trials commenced. This crowd +continued during the twelve days the proceedings lasted, and was +exceedingly great on the day the sentence was pronounced. Persons of the +highest class were anxious to be present. + +I was one of the first in the Hall, being determined to watch the course +of these solemn proceedings. The Court being assembled, the President +ordered the prisoners to be brought in. They entered in a file, and +ranged themselves on the benches each between two gendarmes. They +appeared composed and collected, and resignation was depicted on the +countenances of all except Bouvet de Lozier, who did not dare to raise +his eyes to his companions in misfortune, whom his weakness, rather than +his will, had betrayed. I did not recognise him until the President +proceeded to call over the prisoners, and to put the usual questions +respecting their names, professions, and places of abode. Of the forty- +nine prisoners, among whom were several females, only two were personally +known to me; namely, Moreau, whose presence on the prisoner's bench +seemed to wring every heart, and Georges, whom I had seen at the +Tuileries in the First Consul's cabinet. + +The first sitting of the Court was occupied with the reading of the act +of accusation or indictment, and the voices of the ushers, commanding +silence, could scarce suppress the buzz which pervaded the Court at the +mention of Moreau's name. All eyes were turned towards the conqueror of +Hohenlinden, and while the Procureur Imperial read over the long +indictment and invoked the vengeance of the law on an attempt against the +head of the Republic, it was easy to perceive how he tortured his +ingenuity to fasten apparent guilt on the laurels of Moreau. The good +sense of the public discerned proofs of his innocence in the very +circumstances brought forward against him. I shall never forget the +effect produced--so contrary to what was anticipated by the prosecutors-- +by the reading of a letter addressed by Moreau from his prison in the +Temple to the First Consul, when the judges appointed to interrogate him +sought to make his past conduct the subject of accusation, on account of +M. de Klinglin's papers having fallen into his hands. He was reproached +with having too long delayed transmitting these documents to the +Directory; and it was curious to see the Emperor Napoleon become the +avenger of pretended offences committed against the Directory which he +had overthrown. + +In the letter here alluded to Moreau said to Bonaparte, then First +Consul-- + + "In the short campaign of the year V. (from the 20th to the 23d of + March 1797) we took the papers belonging to the staff of the enemy's + army, and a number of documents were brought to me which General + Desaix, then wounded, amused himself by perusing. It appeared from + this correspondence that General Pichegru had maintained + communications with the French Princes. This discovery was very + painful, and particularly to me, and we agreed to say nothing of the + matter. Pichegru, as a member of the Legislative Body, could do but + little to injure the public cause, since peace was established. I + nevertheless took every precaution for protecting the army against + the ill effects of a system of espionage . . . . The events of + the 18th Fructidor occasioned so much anxiety that two officers, who + knew of the existence of the correspondence, prevailed on me to + communicate it to the Government . . . . I felt that, as a + public functionary, I could no longer remain silent . . . . + During the two last campaigns in Germany, and since the peace, + distant overtures have been made to me, with the view of drawing me + into connection with the French Princes. This appeared so absurd + that I took no notice of these overtures. As to the present + conspiracy, I can assure you I have been far from taking any share + in it. I repeat to you, General, that whatever proposition to that + effect was made me, I rejected it, and regarded it as the height of + madness. When it was represented to me that the invasion of England + would offer a favourable opportunity for effecting a change in the + French Government, I invariably answered that the Senate was the + authority to which the whole of France would naturally cling in the + time of trouble, and that I would be the first to place myself under + its orders. To such overtures made to a private individual, who + wished to preserve no connection either with the army, of whom nine- + tenths have served under me, or any constituted authority, the only + possible answer was a refusal. Betrayal of confidence I disdained. + Such a step, which is always base, becomes doubly odious when the + treachery is committed against those to whom we owe gratitude, or + have been bound by old friendship. + + "This, General, is all I have to tell you respecting my relations + with Pichegru, and it must convince you that very false and hasty + inferences have been drawn from conduct which, though perhaps + imprudent, was far from being criminal." + +Moreau fulfilled his duty as a public functionary by communicating to the +Directory the papers which unfolded a plot against the Government, and +which the chances of war had thrown into his hands. He fulfilled his +duty as a man of honour by not voluntarily incurring the infamy which can +never be wiped from the character of an informer. Bonaparte in Moreau's +situation would have acted the same part, for I never knew a man express +stronger indignation than himself against informers, until be began to +consider everything a virtue which served his ambition, and everything a +crime which opposed it. + +The two facts which most forcibly obtruded themselves on my attention +during the trial were the inveterate violence of the President of the +Court towards the prisoners and the innocence of Moreau. + + --[It is strange that Bourrienne does not acknowledge that he was + charged by Napoleon with the duty of attending this trial of Moreau, + and of sending in a daily report of the proceedings.]-- + +But, in spite of the most insidious examinations which can be conceived, +Moreau never once fell into the least contradiction. If my memory fail +me not, it was on the fourth day that he was examined by Thuriot, one of +the judges. The result, clear as day to all present, was, that Moreau +was a total stranger to all the plots, all the intrigues which had been +set on foot in London. In fact, during the whole course of the trial, to +which I listened with as much attention as interest, I did not discover +the shadow of a circumstance which could in the least commit him, or +which had the least reference to him. Scarcely one of the hundred and +thirty-nine witnesses who were heard for the prosecution knew him, and he +himself declared on the fourth sitting, which took place on the 31st of +May, that there was not an individual among the accused whom he knew,-- +not one whom he had ever seen. In the course of the long proceedings, +notwithstanding the manifest efforts of Thuriot to extort false +admissions and force contradictions, no fact of any consequence was +elicited to the prejudice of Moreau. His appearance was as calm as his +conscience; and as he sat on the bench he had the appearance of one led +by curiosity to be present at this interesting trial, rather than of an +accused person, to whom the proceedings might end in condemnation and +death. But for the fall of Moreau in the ranks of the enemy,--but for +the foreign cockade which disgraced the cap of the conqueror of +Hohenlinden, his complete innocence would long since have been put beyond +doubt, and it would have been acknowledged that the most infamous +machinations were employed for his destruction. It is evident that +Lajolais, who had passed from London to Paris, and from Paris to London, +had been acting the part of an intriguer rather than of a conspirator; +and that the object of his missions was not so much to reconcile Moreau +and Pichegru as to make Pichegru the instrument of implicating Moreau. +Those who supposed Lajolais to be in the pay of the British Government +were egregiously imposed on. Lajolais was only in the pay of the secret +police; he was condemned to death, as was expected, but he received his +pardon, as was agreed upon. Here was one of the disclosures which +Pichegru might have made; hence the necessity of getting him out of the +way before the trial. As to the evidence of the man named Rolland, +it was clear to everybody that Moreau was right when he said to the +President, "In my opinion, Rolland is either a creature of the police, or +he has given his evidence under the influence of fear." Rolland made two +declarations the first contained nothing at all; the second was in answer +to the following observations: "You see you stand in a terrible +situation; you must either be held to be an accomplice in the conspiracy, +or you must be taken as evidence. If you say nothing, you will be +considered in the light of an accomplice; if you confess, you will be +saved." This single circumstance may serve to give an idea of the way +the trials were conducted so as to criminate Moreau. On his part the +general repelled the attacks, of which he was the object, with calm +composure and modest confidence, though flashes of just indignation would +occasionally burst from him. I recollect the effect he produced upon the +Court and the auditors at one of the sittings, when the President had +accused him of the design of making himself Dictator. He exclaimed, +"I Dictator! What, make myself Dictator at the head of the partisans of +the Bourbons! Point out my partisans! My partisans would naturally be +the soldiers of France, of whom I have commanded nine-tenths, and saved +more than fifty thousand. These are the partisans I should look to! All +my aides de camp, all the officers of my acquaintance, have been +arrested; not the shadow of a suspicion could be found against any of +them, and they have been set at liberty. Why, then, attribute to me the +madness of aiming to get myself made Dictator by the aid of the adherents +of the old French Princes, of persons who have fought in their cause +since 1792? You allege that these men, in the space of four-and-twenty +hours, formed the project of raising me to the Dictatorship! It is +madness to think of it! My fortune and my pay have been alluded to; I +began the world with nothing; I might have had by this time fifty +millions; I have merely a house and a bit of ground; as to my pay, it is +forty thousand francs. Surely that sum will not be compared with my +services." + +During the trial Moreau delivered a defence, which I knew had been +written by his friend Garat, whose eloquence I well remember was always +disliked by Bonaparte. Of this I had a proof on the occasion of a grand +ceremony which took place in the Place des Victoires, on laying the first +stone of a monument which was to have been erected to the memory of +Desaix, but which was never executed. The First Consul returned home in +very ill-humour, and said to me, "Bourrienne, what a brute that Garat is! +What a stringer of words! I have been obliged to listen to him for +three-quarters of an hour. There are people who never know when to hold +their tongues!" + +Whatever might be the character of Garat's eloquence or Bonaparte's +opinion of it, his conduct was noble on the occasion of Moreau's trial; +for he might be sure Bonaparte would bear him a grudge for lending the +aid of his pen to the only man whose military glory, though not equal to +that of the First Consul, might entitle him to be looked upon as his +rival in fame. At one of the sittings a circumstance occurred which +produced an almost electrical effect. I think I still see General +Lecourbe, the worthy friend of Moreau, entering unexpectedly into the +Court, leading a little boy. Raising the child in his arms, he exclaimed +aloud, and with considerable emotion, "Soldiers, behold the son of your +general!" + + --[This action of Lecourbe, together with the part played in this + trial by his brother, one of the judges, was most unfortunate, not + only for Lecourbe but for France, which consequently lost the + services of its best general of mountain warfare. His campaigns of + Switzerland in 1799 on the St. Gothard against Suwarrow are well + known. Naturally disgraced for the part he took with Moreau, he was + not again employed till the Cent Jours, when he did good service, + although he had disapproved of the defection of Ney from the + Royalist cause. He died in 1816; his brother, the judge, had a most + furious reception from Napoleon, who called him a prevaricating + judge, and dismissed him from his office (Remusat, tome ii. p. + 8).]-- + +At this unexpected movement all the military present spontaneously rose +and presented arms; while a murmur of approbation from the spectators +applauded the act. It is certain that had Moreau at that moment said but +one word, such was the enthusiasm in his favour, the tribunal would have +been broken up and the prisoners liberated. Moreau, however, was silent, +and indeed appeared the only unconcerned person in Court. Throughout the +whole course of the trial Moreau inspired so much respect that when he +was asked a question and rose to reply the gendarmes appointed to guard +him rose at the same time and stood uncovered while he spoke. + +Georges was far from exciting the interest inspired by Moreau. He was an +object of curiosity rather than of interest. The difference of their +previous conduct was in itself sufficient to occasion a great contrast in +their situation before the Court. Moreau was full of confidence and +Georges full of resignation. The latter regarded his fate with a fierce +kind of resolution. He occasionally resumed the caustic tone which he +seemed to have renounced when he harangued his associates before their +departure from the Temple. With the most sarcastic bitterness he alluded +to the name and vote of Thuriot, one of the most violent of the judges, +often terming him 'Tue-roi'; + + --[Thuriot and the President Hemart both voted for the death of the + King. Merlin, the imperial Procureur-General, was one of the + regicides.--Bourrienne.]-- + +and after pronouncing his name, or being forced to reply to his +interrogatories, he would ask for a glass of brandy to wash his mouth. + +Georges had the manners and bearing of a rude soldier; but under his +coarse exterior he concealed the soul of a hero. When the witnesses of +his arrest had answered the questions of the President Hemart, this judge +turned towards the accused, and inquired whether he had anything to say +in reply.--"No."--"Do you admit the facts?"--"Yes." Here Georges busied +himself in looking over the papers which lay before him, when Hemart +warned him to desist, and attend to the questions. The following +dialogue then commenced. "Do you confess having been arrested in the +place designated by the witness?"--"I do not know the name of the +place."--"Do you confess having been arrested?"--"Yes."--" Did you twice +fire a pistol?"--"Yes."--"Did you kill a man?"--"Indeed I do not know."-- +"Had you a poniard?"--"Yes."--"And two pistols?"--" Yes."--"Who was in +company with you?"--"I do not know the person."--" Where did you lodge in +Paris?"--" Nowhere."--"At the time of your arrest did you not reside in +the house of a fruiterer in the Rue de la Montagne St. Genevieve?"-- +"At the time of my arrest I was in a cabriolet. I lodged nowhere."-- +"Where did you sleep on the evening of your arrest?"--"Nowhere."--"What +were you doing in Paris?"--"I was walking about."--" Whom have you seen +in Paris?"--" I shall name no one; I know no one." + +From this short specimen of the manner in which Georges replied to the +questions of the President we may judge of his unshaken firmness during +the proceedings. In all that concerned himself he was perfectly open; +but in regard to whatever tended to endanger his associates he maintained +the most obstinate silence, notwithstanding every attempt to overcome his +firmness. + +That I was not the only one who justly appreciated the noble character of +Georges is rendered evident by the following circumstance. Having +accompanied M. Carbonnet to the police, where he went to demand his +papers, on the day of his removal to St. Pelagic, we were obliged to +await the return of M. Real, who was absent. M. Desmarets and several +other persons were also in attendance. M. Real had been at the +Conciergerie, where he had seen Georges Cadoudal, and on his entrance +observed to M. Desmarets and the others, sufficiently loud to be +distinctly heard by M. Carbonnet and myself, "I have had an interview +with Georges who is an extraordinary man. I told him that I was disposed +to offer him a pardon if he would promise to renounce the conspiracy and +accept of employment under Government. But to my arguments and +persuasions he only replied, 'My comrades followed me to France, and I +shall fellow them, to death.'" In this he kept his word. + +Were we to judge these memorable proceedings from the official documents +published in the Moniteur and other journals of that period, we should +form a very erroneous opinion. Those falsities were even the object of a +very serious complaint on the part of Cosier St. Victor, one of the +accused. + +After the speech of M. Gauthier, the advocate of Coster St. Victor, the +President inquired of the accused whether he had anything further to say +in his defence, to which he replied, "I have only to add that the +witnesses necessary to my exculpation have not yet appeared. I must +besides express my surprise at the means which have been employed to lead +astray public opinion, and to load with infamy not only the accused but +also their intrepid defenders. I have read with pain in the journals of +to-day that the proceedings--" Here the President interrupting, observed +that "these were circumstances foreign to the case."--" Not in the +least," replied Cosier St. Victor; "on the contrary, they bear very +materially on the cause, since mangling and misrepresenting our defence +is a practice assuredly calculated to ruin us in the estimation of the +public. In the journals of to-day the speech of M. Gauthier is +shamefully garbled, and I should be deficient in gratitude were I not +here to bear testimony to the zeal and courage which he has displayed in +my defence. I protest against the puerilities and absurdities which have +been put into his mouth, and I entreat him not to relax in his generous +efforts. It is not on his account that I make this observation; he does +not require it at my hands; it is for 'myself, it is for the accused, +whom such arts tend to injure in the estimation of the public." + +Coster St. Victor had something chivalrous in his language and manners +which spoke greatly in his favour; he conveyed no bad idea of one of the +Fiesco conspirators, or of those leaders of the Fronds who intermingled +gallantry with their politics. + +An anecdote to this effect was current about the period of the trial. +Coster St. Victor, it is related, being unable any longer to find a +secure asylum in Paris, sought refuge for a single night in the house of +a beautiful actress, formerly in the good graces of the First Consul; and +it is added that Bonaparte, on the same night, having secretly arrived on +a visit to the lady, found himself unexpectedly in the presence of Coster +St. Victor, who might have taken his life; but that only an interchange +of courtesy took place betwixt the rival gallants. + +This ridiculous story was doubtless intended to throw additional odium on +the First Consul, if Cosier St. Victor should be condemned and not obtain +a pardon, in which case malignity would not fail to attribute his +execution to the vengeance of a jealous lover. + +I should blush to relate such stories, equally destitute of probability +and truth, had they not obtained some credit at the time. Whilst I was +with Bonaparte he never went abroad during the night; and it was not +surely at a moment when the saying of Fouche, "The air is full of +poniards," was fully explained that he would have risked such nocturnal +adventures. + +Wright was heard in the sixth sitting, on the 2d of June, as the hundred +and thirty-fourth witness in support of the prosecution. He, however, +refused to answer any interrogatories put to him, declaring that, as a +prisoner of war, he considered himself only amenable to his own +Government. + +The Procureur-General requested the President to order the examinations +of Captain Wright on the 21st of May' and at a later period to be read +over to him; which being done, the witness replied, that it was omitted +to be stated that on these occasions the questions had been accompanied +with the threat of transferring him to a military tribunal, in order to +be shot, if he did not betray the secrets of his country. + +In the course of the trial the most lively interest was felt for MM. de +Polignac-- + + --[The eldest of the Polignacs, Armand (1771-1847), condemned to + death, had that penalty remitted, but was imprisoned in Ham till + permitted to escape m 1813. He became Duc de Richelieu in 1817. + His younger brother, Jules (1780-1847) was also imprisoned and + escaped. In 1814 he was one of the first to display the white flag + in Paris. In 1829 he became Minister of Charles X. and was + responsible for the ordinances which oust his master his throne in + 1830. Imprisoned, nominally for life, he was released in 1836, and + after passing some time in England returned to France. The + remission of the sentence of death on Prince Armand was obtained by + the Empress Josephine. Time after time, urged on by Madame de + Remusat, she implored mercy from Napoleon, who at last consented to + see the wife of the Prince. Unlike the Bourbon Louis XVIII., who + could see Madame de Lavalette only to refuse the wretched woman's + prayer for her husband, for Napoleon to grant the interview was to + concede the pardon. The Prince escaped death, and his wife who had + obtained the interview by applying to Madame de Remusat, when she + met her benefactress in the times of the Restoration, displayed a + really grand forgetfulness of what had passed (see Remusat, tome ii. + chap. i.).]-- + +Charles d'Hozier, and de Riviere. So short a period had elapsed since +the proscription of the nobility that, independently of every feeling of +humanity, it was certainly impolitic to exhibit before the public the +heirs of an illustrious name, endowed with that devoted heroism which +could not fail to extort admiration even from those who condemned their +opinions and principles. + +The prisoners were all young, and their situation create universal +sympathy. The greatest number of them disdained to have recourse to a +denial, and seemed less anxious for the preservation of their own lives +than for the honour of the cause in which they had embarked, not with the +view of assassination, as had been demonstrated, but for the purpose of +ascertaining the true state of the public feeling, which had been +represented by some factious intriguers as favourable to the Bourbons. +Even when the sword of the law was suspended over their heads the +faithful adherents of the Bourbons displayed on every occasion their +attachment and fidelity to the royal cause. I recollect that the Court +was dissolved in tears when the President adduced as a proof of the guilt +of M. de Riviere his having worn a medal of the Comte d'Artois, which the +prisoner requested to examine; and, on its being handed to him by an +officer, M. de Riviere pressed it to his lips and his heart, then +returning it, he said that he only wished to render homage to the Prince +whom he loved. + +The Court was still more deeply affected on witnessing the generous +fraternal struggle which took place during the last sitting between the +two De Polignacs. The emotion was general when the eldest of the +brothers, after having observed that his always going out alone and +during the day did not look like a conspirator anxious for concealment, +added these remarkable words which will remain indelibly engraven on my +memory: "I have now only one wish, which is that, as the sword is +suspended over our heads, and threatens to cut short the existence of +several of the accused, you would, in consideration of his youth if not +of his innocence, spare my brother, and shower down upon me the whole +weight of your vengeance." It was during the last sitting but one, on +Friday the 8th of June, that M. Armand de Polignac made the above +affecting appeal in favour of his brother. The following day, before the +fatal sentence was pronounced, M. Jules de Polignac addressed the judges, +saying, "I was so deeply affected yesterday, while my brother was +speaking, as not fully to have attended to what I read in my own defence: +but being now perfectly tranquil, I entreat, gentlemen, that you will not +regard what he urged in my behalf. I repeat, on the contrary, and with +most justice, if one of us must fall a sacrifice, if there be yet time, +save him, restore him to the tears of his wife; I have no tie like him, I +can meet death unappalled;--too young to have tasted the pleasures of the +world, I cannot regret their loss."--" No, no," exclaimed his brother, +"you are still in the outset of your career; it is I who ought to fall." + +At eight in the morning the members of the Tribunal withdrew to the +council-chamber. Since the commencement of the proceedings the crowd, +far from diminishing, seemed each day to increase; this morning it was +immense, and, though the sentence was not expected to be pronounced till +a late hour, no one quitted the Court for fear of not being able to find +a place when the Tribunal should resume its sitting. + +Sentence of death was passed upon Georges Caudoudal, Bouvet de Lozier, +Rusillon, Rochelle, Armand de Polignac, Charles d'Hozier, De Riviere, +Louis Ducorps, Picot, Lajolais, Roger, Coster St. Victor, Deville, +Gaillard, Joyaub, Burban; Lemercier, Jean Cadudol, Lelan, and Merille; +while Lies de Polignac, Leridant, General Moreau,--[General Moreau's +sentence was remitted, and he was allowed to go to America.]--Rolland, +and Hisay were only condemned to two years' imprisonment. + +This decree was heard with consternation by the assembly, and soon spread +throughout Paris. I may well affirm it to have been a day of public +mourning; even though it was Sunday every place of amusement was nearly +deserted. To the horror inspired by a sentence of death passed so +wantonly, and of which the greater number of the victims belonged to the +most distinguished class of society, was joined the ridicule inspired by +the condemnation of Moreau; of the absurdity of which no one seemed more +sensible than Bonaparte himself, and respecting which he expressed +himself in the most pointed terms. I am persuaded that every one who +narrowly watched the proceedings of this celebrated trial must have been +convinced that all means were resorted to in order that Moreau, once +accused, should not appear entirely free from guilt. + +Bonaparte is reported to have said, "Gentlemen, I have no control over +your proceedings; it is your duty strictly to examine the evidence before +presenting a report to me. But when it has once the sanction of your +signatures, woe to you if an innocent man be condemned." This remark is +in strict conformity with his usual language, and bears a striking +similarity to the conversation I held with him on the following Thursday; +but though this language might be appropriate from the lips of a +sovereign whose ministers are responsible, it appears but a lame excuse +in the mouth of Bonaparte, the possessor of absolute power. + +The condemned busied themselves in endeavouring to procure a repeal of +their sentence, the greatest number of them yielded in this respect to +the entreaties of their friends, who lost no time in taking the steps +requisite to obtain the pardon of those in whom they were most +interested. Moreau at first also determined to appeal; but he +relinquished his purpose before the Court of Cessation commenced its +sittings. + +As soon as the decree of the special Tribunal was delivered, Murat, +Governor of Paris, and brother-in-law to the Emperor, sought his presence +and conjured him in the most urgent manner to pardon all the criminals, +observing that such an act of clemency would redound greatly to his +honour in the opinion of France and all Europe, that it would be said the +Emperor pardoned the attempt against the life of the First Consul, that +this act of mercy would shed more glory over the commencement of his +reign than any security which could accrue from the execution of the +prisoners. Such was the conduct of Murat; but he did not solicit, as +has been reported, the pardon of any one in particular. + +Those who obtained the imperial pardon were Bouvet de Lozier, who +expected it from the disclosures he had made; Rusillon, de Riviere, +Rochelle, Armand de Polignac, d'Hozier, Lajolais, who had beforehand +received a promise to that effect, and Armand Gaillard. + +The other ill-fated victims of a sanguinary police underwent their +sentence on the 25th of June, two days after the promulgation of the +pardon of their associates. + +Their courage and resignation never forsook them even for a moment, and +Georges, knowing that it was rumoured he had obtained a pardon, +entreated that he might die the first, in order that his companions in +their last moments might be assured he had not survived them. + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +Malice delights to blacken the characters of prominent men +Manufacturers of phrases +More glorious to merit a sceptre than to possess one +Necessary to let men and things take their course + + + + +End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of The Memoirs of Napoleon--1804, v7 +by Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne + diff --git a/3557.zip b/3557.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..5f102bb --- /dev/null +++ b/3557.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7267fc --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #3557 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3557) |