napoleon bonaparte, v3-第13章

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journey　through　Arras；　Valenciennes；　Mons；　Brussels；　etc。；　resembled　a
triumphal　progress。　　At　the　gate　of　each　town　the　municipal　council
presented　to　his　Majesty　the　wine　of　honor　and　the　keys　of　the　place。
We　stopped　a　few　days　at　Lacken；　and　being　only　five　leagues　from　Alost；
a　little　town　where　my　relatives　lived；　I　requested　the　Emperor's
permission　to　leave　him　for　twenty…four　hours；　and　it　was　granted；　though
reluctantly。　　Alost；　like　the　remainder　of　Belgium　at　this　time；
professed　the　greatest　attachment　for　the　Emperor；　and　consequently　I　had
hardly　a　moment　to　myself。　　I　visited　at　the　house　of　Monsieur　D；　one
of　my　friends；　whose　family　had　long　held　positions　of　honor　in　the
government　of　Belgium。　　There　I　think　all　the　town　must　have　come　to　meet
me；　but　I　was　not　vain　enough　to　appropriate　to　myself　all　the　honor　of
this　attention；　for　each　one　who　came　was　anxious　to　learn　even　the　most
insignificant　details　concerning　the　great　man　near　whom　I　was　placed。
On　this　account　I　was　extraordinarily　feted；　and　my　twenty…four　hours
passed　only　too　quickly。　　On　my　return；　his　Majesty　deigned　to　ask
innumerable　questions　regarding　the　town　of　Alost　and　its　inhabitants；
and　as　to　what　was　thought　there　of　his　government　and　of　himself。　　I　was
glad　to　be　able　to　answer　without　flattery；　that　he　was　adored。　　He
appeared　gratified；　and　spoke　to　me　most　kindly　of　my　family　and　of　my
own　small　interests。

We　left　the　next　day　for　Lacken；　and　passed　through　Alost；　and　had　I
known　this　the　evening　before；　I　might　perhaps　have　rested　a　few　hours
longer。　　However；　the　Emperor　found　so　much　difficulty　in　granting　me
even　one　day；　that　I　would　not　probably　have　dared　to　lose　more；　even　had
I　known　that　the　household　was　to　pass　by　this　town。

The　Emperor　was　much　pleased　with　Lacken；　he　ordered　considerable　repairs
and　improvements　to　be　made　there；　and　the　palace；　owing　to　this
preference；　became　a　charming　place　of　sojourn。

This　journey　of　their　Majesties　lasted　nearly　three　months；　and　we　did
not　return　to　Paris；　or　rather　to　Saint…Cloud；　until　November。　　The
Emperor　received　at　Cologne　and　at　Coblentz　the　visits　of　several　German
princes　and　princesses；　but　as　I　know　only　from　hearsay　what　passed　in
these　interviews；　I　shall　not　undertake　to　describe　them。




CHAPTER　XIX。

Nothing　is　too　trivial　to　narrate　concerning　great　men；　for　posterity
shows　itself　eager　to　learn　even　the　most　insignificant　details
concerning　their　manner　of　life；　their　tastes；　their　slightest
peculiarities。　　When　I　attended　the　theater；　whether　in　my　short
intervals　of　leisure　or　in　the　suite　of　his　Majesty；　I　remarked　how
keenly　the　spectators　enjoyed　the　presentation　on　the　stage；　of　some
grand　historic　personage；　whose　costume；　gestures；　bearing；　even　his
infirmities　and　faults；　were　delineated　exactly　as　they　have　been
transmitted　to　us　by　contemporaries。　　I　myself　always　took　the　greatest
pleasure　in　seeing　these　living　portraits　of　celebrated　men；　and　well
remember　that　on　no　occasion　did　I　ever　so　thoroughly　enjoy　the　stage　as
when　I　saw　for　the　first　time　the　charming　piece　of　The　Two　Pages。
Fleury　in　the　role　of　Frederick　the　Great　reproduced　so　perfectly　the
slow　walk；　the　dry　tones；　the　sudden　movements；　and　even　the　short…
sightedness　of　this　monarch；　that　as　soon　as　he　appeared　on　the　stage　the
whole　house　burst　into　applause。　　It　was；　in　the　opinion　of　persons
sufficiently　well　informed　to　judge；　a　most　perfect　and　faithful
presentation；　and　though　for　my　own　part；　I　was　not　able　to　say　whether
the　resemblance　was　perfect　or　not；　I　felt　that　it　must　be。　　Michelot；
whom　I　have　since　seen　in　the　same　role；　gave　me　no　less　pleasure　than
his　predecessor；　and　it　is　evident　that　both　these　talented　actors　must
have　studied　the　subject　deeply；　to　have　learned　so　thoroughly　and
depicted　so　faithfully　the　characteristics　of　their　model。

I　must　confess　a　feeling　of　pride　in　the　thought　that　these　memoirs　may
perhaps　excite　in　my　readers　some　of　the　same　pleasurable　emotions　which
I　have　here　attempted　to　describe；　and　that　perhaps　in　a　future；　which
will　inevitably　come；　though　far　distant　now　perhaps；　the　artist　who　will
attempt　to　restore　to　life；　and　hold　up　to　the　view　of　the　world；　the
greatest　man　of　this　age；　will　be　compelled；　in　order　to　give　a　faithful
delineation；　to　take　for　his　model　the　portrait　which　I；　better　than　any
one　else；　have　been　able　to　draw　from　fife。　　I　think　that　no　one　has　done
this　as　yet；　certainly　not　so　much　in　detail。

On　his　return　from　Egypt　the　Emperor　was　very　thin　and　sallow；　his　skin
was　copper…colored；　his　eyes　sunken；　and　his　figure；　though　perfect；　also
very　thin。　　The　likeness　is　excellent　in　the　portrait　which　Horace　Vernet
drew　in。　　his　picture　called　〃A　Review　of　the　First　Consul　on　the　Place
du　Carrousel。〃　　His　forehead　was　very　high；　and　bare；　his　hair　thin；
especially　on　the　temples；　but　very　fine　and　soft；　and　a　rich　brown
color；　his　eyes　deep　blue；　expressing　in　an　almost　incredible　manner　the
various　emotions　by　which　he　was　affected；　sometimes　extremely　gentle　and
caressing；　sometimes　severe；　and　even　inflexible。　　His　mouth　was　very
fine；　his　lips　straight　and　rather　firmly　closed；　particularly　when
irritated。　　His　teeth；　without　being　very　regular；　were　very　white　and
sound；　and　he　never　suffered　from　them。　　His　nose　of　Grecian　shape；　was
well　formed；　and　his　sense　of　smell　perfect。　　His　whole　frame　was
handsomely　proportioned；　though　at　this　time　his　extreme　leanness
prevented　the　beauty　of　his　features　being　especially　noticed；　and　had　an
injurious　effect　on　his　whole　physiognomy。

It　would　be　necessary　to　describe　his　features　separately；　one　by　one；　in
order　to　form　a　correct　idea　of　the　whole；　and　comprehend　the　perfect
regularity　and　beauty　of　each。　　His　head　was　very　large；　being　twenty…two
inches　in　circumference；　it　way　a　little　longer　than　broad；　consequently
a　little　flattened　on　the　temples；　it　was　so　extremely　sensitive；　that　I
had　his　hats　padded；　and　took　the　trouble　to　wear　them　several　days　in　my
room　to　break　them。　　His　ears　were　small；　perfectly　formed；　and　well　set。
The　Emperor's　feet　were　also　very　tender；　and　I　had　his　shoes　broken　by　a
boy　of　the　wardrobe；　called　Joseph；　who　wore　exactly　the　same　size　as　the
Emperor。

His　height　was　five　feet；　two　inches；　three　lines。　He　had　a　rather　short
neck；　sloping　shoulders；　broad　chest；　almost　free　from　hairs；　well　shaped
leg　and　thigh；　a　small　foot；　and　well　formed　fingers；　entirely　free　from
enlargements　or　abrasions；　his　arms　were　finely　molded；　and　well　hung　to
his　body；　his　hands　were　beautiful；　and　the　nails　did　not　detract　from
their　beauty。　　He　took　the　greatest　care　of　them；　as　in　fact　of　his　whole
person；　without　foppishness；　however。　　He　often　bit　his　nails　slightly；
which　was　a　sign　of　impatience　or　preoccupation。

Later　on　he　grew　much　stouter；　but　without　losing　any　of　the　beauty　of
his　figure；　on　the　contrary；　he　was　handsomer　under　the　Empire　than　under
the　Consulate；　his　skin　had　become　very　white；　and　his　expression
animated。

The　Emperor；　during　his　moments；　or　rather　his　long　hours；　of　labor　and
of　meditation；　was　subject　to　a　peculiar　spasmodic　movement；　which　seemed
to　be　a　nervous　affection；　and　which　clung　to　him　all　his　life。　　It
consisted　in　raising　his　right　shoulder　frequently　and　rapidly；　and
persons　who　were　not　acquainted　with　this　habit　sometimes　interpreted
this　as　a　gesture　of　disapprobation　and　dissatisfaction；　and　inquired
with　anxiety　in　what　way　they　could　have　offended　him。　　He；　however；　was
not　at　all　affected　by　it；　and　repeated　the　same　movement　again　and　again
without　being　conscious　of　it。

One　most　remarkable　peculiarity　was　that　the　Emperor　never　felt　his　heart
beat。　　He　mentioned　this　often　to　M。　Corvisart；　as　well　as　to　me；　and
more　than　once　he　made　us　pass　our　hands　over　his　breast；　in　order　to
prove　this　singular　exception。　　Never　did　we　feel　the　slightest
pulsation。＇Another　peculiarity　was　that　his　pulse　was　only　forty　to　the
minute。＇

The　Emperor　ate　very　fast；　and　hardly　spent　a　dozen　minutes　at　the　table。
When　he　had　finished　he　arose；　and　passed　i