napoleon bonaparte, v3-第17章

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often　added　to　these　gentle　caresses　one　or　two　taps；　also　well　applied。
I　was　then　sure　of　finding　him　all　the　rest　of　the　day　in　a　charming
humor；　and　full　of　good…will；　as　I　have　seen　him；　so　often。　　Roustan；　and
even　Marshal　Berthier；　received　their　due　proportion　of　these　imperial
tendernesses。




CHAPTER　XX。

The　allowance　made　by　his　Majesty　for　the　yearly　expenses　of　his　dress
was　twenty　thousand　francs；　and　the　year　of；　the　coronation　he　became
very　angry　because　that　sum　had　been　exceeded。　　It　was　never　without
trepidation　that　the　various　accounts　of　household　expenses　were
presented　to　him；　and　he　invariably　retrenched　and　cut　down；　and
recommended　all　sort　of　reforms。　　I　remember　after　asking　for　some　one　a
place　of　three　thousand　francs；　which　he　granted　me；　I　heard　him　exclaim；
〃Three　thousand　francs！　　but　do　you　understand　that　this　is　the　revenue
of　one　of　my　communes？　　When　I　was　sub…lieutenant　I　did　not　spend　as　much
as　that。〃　　This　expression　recurred　incessantly　in　his　conversations　with
those　with　whom　he　was　familiar；　and　〃when　I　had　the　honor　of　being　sub…
lieutenant〃　was　often　on　his　lips；　and　always　in　illustration　of
comparisons　or　exhortations　to　economy。

While　on　the　subject　of　accounts；　I　recall　a　circumstance　which　should
have　a　place　in　my　memoirs；　since　it　concerns　me　personally；　and　moreover
gives　an　idea　of　the　manner　in　which　his　Majesty　understood　economy。　　He
set　out　with　the　idea；　which　was；　I　think；　often　very　correct；　that　in
private　expenses　as　in　public　ones；　even　granting　the　honesty　of　agents
（which　the　Emperor　was　always；　I　admit；　very　slow　to　do）；　the　same　things
could　have　been　done　with　much　less　money。　　Thus；　when　he　required
retrenchment；　it　was　not　in　the　number　of　objects　of　expense；　but　only　in
the　prices　charged　for　these　articles　by　the　furnishers；　and　I　will
elsewhere　cite　some　examples　of　the　effect　which　this　idea　produced　on
the　conduct　of　his　Majesty　towards　the　accounting　agents　of　his
government。　　Now　I　am　relating　only　private　matters。　　One　day　when
investigating　various　accounts；　the　Emperor　complained　much　of　the
expenses　of　the　stables；　and　cut　off　a　considerable　sum；　and　the　grand
equerry；　in　order　to　put　into　effect　the　required　economy；　found　it
necessary　to　deprive　several　persons　in　the　household　of　their　carriages；
mine　being　included　in　this　number。　　Some　days　after　the　execution　of
this　measure；　his　Majesty　charged　me　with　a　commission；　which
necessitated　a　carriage；　and　I　was　obliged　to　inform　him　that；　no　longer
having　mine；　I　should　not　be　able　to　execute　his　orders。　　The　Emperor
then　exclaimed　that　he　had　not　intended　this；　and　M。　Caulaincourt　must
have　a　poor　idea　of　economy。　　When　he　again　saw　the　Duke　of　Vicenza；　he
said　to　him　that　he　did　not　wish　anything　of　mine　to　be　touched。

The　Emperor　occasionally　read　in　the　morning　the　new　works　and　romances
of　the　day；　and　when　a　work　displeased　him；　he　threw　it　into　the　fire。
This　does　not　mean　that　only　improper　books　were　thus　destroyed；　for　if
the　author　was　not　among　his　favorites；　or　if　he　spoke　too　well　of　a
foreign　country；　that　was　sufficient　to　condemn　the　volume　to　the　flames。
On　this　account　I　saw　his　Majesty　throw　into　the　fire　a　volume　of　the
works　of　Madame　de　Stael；　on　Germany。　　If　he　found　us　in　the　evening
enjoying　a　book　in　the　little　saloon；　where　we　awaited　the　hour　for
retiring；　he　examined　what　we　were　reading；　and　if　he　found　they　were
romances；　they　were　burned　without　pity；　his　Majesty　rarely　failing　to
add　a　little　lecture　to　this　confiscation；　and　to　ask　the　delinquent　〃if
a　man　could　not　find　better　reading　than　that。〃　　One　morning　he　had
glanced　over　and　thrown　in　the　fire　a　book　（by　what　author　I　do　not
know）；　and　when　Roustan　stooped　down　to　take　it　out　the　Emperor　stopped
him；　saying；　〃Let　that　filthy　thing　burn；　it　is　all　that　it　deserves。〃

The　Emperor　mounted　his　horse　most　ungracefully；　and　I　think　would　not
have　always　been　very　safe　when　there；　if　so　much　care　had　not　been　taken
to　give　him　only　those　which　were　perfectly　trained；　but　every　precaution
was　taken；　and　horses　destined　for　the　special　service　of　the　Emperor
passed　through　a　rude　novitiate　before　arriving　at　the　honor　of　carrying
him。　　They　were　habituated　to　endure；　without　making　the　least　movement；
torments　of　all　kinds；　blows　with　a　whip　over　the　head　and　ears；　the　drum
was　beaten；　pistols　were　fired；　fireworks　exploded　in　their　ears；　flags
were　shaken　before　their　eyes；　heavy　weights　were　thrown　against　their
legs；　sometimes　even　sheep　and　hogs。　　It　was　required　that　in　the　midst
of　the　most　rapid　gallop　（the　Emperor　liked　no　other　pace）；　he　should　be
able　to　stop　his　horse　suddenly；　and　in　short；　it　was　absolutely
necessary　to　have　only　the　most　perfectly　trained　animals。

M。　Jardin；　senior；　equerry　of　his　Majesty；　acquitted　himself　of　this
laborious　duty　with　much　skill　and　ability；　as　the　Emperor　attached　such
importance　to　it；　he　also　insisted　strongly　that　his　horses　should　be
very　handsome；　and　in　the　last　years　of　his　reign　would　ride　only　Arab
horses。

There　were　a　few　of　those　noble　animals　for　which　the　Emperor　had　a　great
affection；　among　others；　Styria；　which　he　rode　over　the　St。　Bernard　and
at　Marengo。　　After　this　last　campaign；　he　wished　his　favorite　to　end　his
days　in　the　luxury　of　repose；　for　Marengo　and　the　great　St。　Bernard　were
in　themselves　a　well…filled　career。　　The　Emperor　rode　also　for　many　years
an　Arab　horse　of　rare　intelligence；　in　which　he　took　much　pleasure。
During　the　time　he　was　awaiting　his　rider；　it　would　have　been　hard　to
discover　in　him　the　least　grace；　but　as　soon　as　he　heard　the　drums　beat
the　tattoo　which　announced　the　presence　of　his　Majesty；　he　reared　his
head　most　proudly；　tossed　his　mane；　and　pawed　the　ground；　and　until　the
very　moment　the　Emperor　alighted；　was　the　most　magnificent　animal
imaginable。

His　Majesty　made　a　great　point　of　good　equerries；　and　nothing　was
neglected　in　order　that　the　pages　should　receive　in　this　particular　the
most　careful　education。　　To　accustom　them　to　mount　firmly　and　with　grace；
they　practiced　exercises　in　vaulting；　for　which　it　seemed　to　me　they
would　have　no　use　except　at　the　Olympic　circus。　　And；　in　fact；　one　of　the
horsemen　of　Messieurs　Franconi　had　charge　of　this　part　of　the　pages'
education。

The　Emperor；　as　has　been　said　elsewhere；　took　no　pleasure　in　hunting；
except　just　so　far　as　was　necessary　to　conform　to　the　usage　which　makes
this　exercise　a　necessary　accompaniment　to　the　throne　and　the　crown；　and
yet　I　have　seen　him　sometimes　continue　it　sufficiently　long　to　justify
the　belief　that　he　did　not　find　it　altogether　distasteful。　　He　hunted　one
day　in　the　forest　of　Rambouillet　from　six　in　the　morning　to　eight　in　the
evening；　a　stag　being　the　object　of　this　prolonged　excursion；　and　I
remember　they　returned　without　having　taken　him。　　In　one　of　the　imperial
hunts　at　Rambouillet；　at　which　the　Empress　Josephine　was　present；　a　stag；
pursued　by　the　hunters；　threw　himself　under　the　Empress's　carriage；　which
refuge　did　not　fail　him；　for　her　Majesty；　touched　by　the　misery　of　the
poor　animal；　begged　his　life　of　the　Emperor。　　The　stag　was　spared；　and
Josephine　placed　round　its　neck　a　silver　collar　to　attest　its
deliverance；　and　protect　it　against　the　attacks　of　all　hunters。

One　of　the　ladies　of　the　Empress　one　day　showed　less　humanity　than　she；
however；　and　the　reply　which　she　made　to　the　Emperor　displeased　him
exceedingly；　for　he　loved　gentleness　and　pity　in　women。　　When　they　had
hunted　for　several　hours　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　the　Emperor　drew　near
the　carriage　of　the　Empress　Josephine；　and　began　talking　with　a　lady　who
bore　one　of　the　most　noble　and　most　ancient　names　in　all　France；　and　who；
it　is　said；　had　been　placed　near　the　Empress　against　her　wishes。　　The
Prince　of　Neuchatel　（Berthier）　announced　that　the　stag　was　at　bay。
〃Madame；〃　said　the　Emperor　gallantly　to　Madame　de　C　；　〃I　place　his
fate　in　your　hands。〃〃Do　with　him；　Sire；〃　replied　she；　〃as　you　please。
It　difference　to　me。〃　　The　Emperor　gave　her　a　glance　of　disapproval；　and
said　to　the　master　of　the　hounds；　〃Since　the　stag　in　his　misery　does　not