napoleon bonaparte, v3-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


waited　three　weeks；　or　even　a　month；　and　when　his　Majesty　at　length　set
out；　that　which　was　waiting　on　the　road　he　did　not　take　was　ordered　to
return。　　I　have　often　thought　that　the　Emperor　acted　thus　in　order　to
disconcert　those　who　spied　on　his　proceedings；　and　to　baffle　their
schemes。

The　day　he　was　to　set　out　no　one　could　discover　that　fact　from　him；　and
everything　went　on　as　usual。　　After　a　concert；　a　play；　or　any　other
amusement　which　had　collected　a　large　number　of　people；　his　Majesty　would
simply　remark　on　retiring；　〃I　shall　leave　at　two　o'clock！〃　　Sometimes　the
time　was　earlier；　sometimes　later；　but　he　always　began　his　journey　at　the
designated　hour。　　The　order　was　instantly　announced　by　each　of　the　head
servants；　and　all　were　ready　at　the　appointed　time；　though　the　chateau
was　left　topsy…turvy；　as　may　be　seen　from　the　picture　I　have　given
elsewhere　of　the　confusion　at　the　chateau　which　preceded　and　followed　the
Emperor's　departure。　　Wherever　his　Majesty　lodged　on　the　journey；　before
leaving　he　had　all　the　expenses　of　himself　and　of　his　household　paid；
made　presents　to　his　hosts；　and　gave　gratuities　to　the　servants　of　the
house。　　On　Sunday　the　Emperor　had　mass　celebrated　by　the　curate　of　the
place；　giving　always　as　much　as　twenty　napoleons；　sometimes　more；　and
regulating　the　gift　according　to　the　needs　of　the　poor　of　the　parish。　　He
asked　many　questions　of　the　cures　concerning　their　resources；　that　of
their　parishioners；　the　intelligence　and　morality　of　the　population；　etc。
He　rarely　failed　to　ask　the　number　of　births；　deaths；　marriages；　and　if
there　were　many　young　men　and　girls　of　a　marriageable　age。　　If　the　cure
replied　to　these　questions　in　a　satisfactory　manner；　and　if　he　had　not
been　too…long　in　saying　mass；　he　could　count　on　the　favor　of　his　Majesty；
his　church　and　his　poor　would　find　themselves　well　provided　for；　and　as
for　himself；　the　Emperor　left　on　his　departure；　or　had　sent　to　him；　a
commission　as　chevalier　of　the　Legion　of　Honor。　　His　Majesty　preferred　to
be　answered　with　confidence　and　without　timidity；　he　even　endured
contradiction；　and　one　could　without　any　risk　reply　inaccurately；　this
was　almost　always　overlooked；　for　he　paid　little　attention　to　the　reply；
but　he　never　failed　to　turn　away　from　those　who　spoke　to　him　in　a
hesitating　or　embarrassed　manner。　　Whenever　the　Emperor　took　up　his
residence　at　any　place；　there　were　on　duty；　night　and　day；　a　page　and　an
aide…decamp；　who　slept　on　sacking　beds。　　There　was　also　constantly　in
attendance；　in　an　antechamber；　a　quartermaster　and　sergeant　of　the
stables　prepared　to　order；　when　necessary；　the　equipages；　which　they　took
care　to　keep　always　in　readiness　to　move；　horses　fully　saddled　and
bridled；　and　carriages　harnessed　with　two　horses；　left　the　stables　on　the
first　signal　of　his　Majesty。　　These　attendants　were　relieved　every　two
hours；　like　sentinels。

I　said　above　that　his　Majesty　liked　prompt　replies；　and　those　which
showed　vivacity　and　sprightliness。　　I　will　give　two　anecdotes　in　support
of　this　assertion。　　Once；　while　the　Emperor　was　holding　a　review　on　the
Place　du　Carrousel；　his　horse　reared；　and　in　the　efforts　his　Majesty　made
to　control　him；　his　hat　fell　to　the　ground；　a　lieutenant　（his　name；　I
think；　was　Rabusson）；　at　whose　feet　the　hat　fell；　picked　it　up；　and　came
out　from　the　front　ranks　to　offer　it　to　his　Majesty。　　〃Thanks；　Captain；〃
said　the　Emperor；　still　engaged　in　quieting　his　horse。　　〃In　what
regiment？〃〃Sire？〃　asked　the　officer。　　The　Emperor；　then　regarding　him
more　attentively；　and　perceiving　his　mistake；　said　to　him；　smiling；　〃Ah；
that　is　so；　monsieur；　in　the　Guard。〃

The　new　captain　received　the　commission　which　he　owed　to　his　presence　of
mind；　but　which　he　had　in　fact　well　earned　by　his　bravery　and　devotion　to
duty。

At　another　review；　his　Majesty　perceived　in　the　ranks　of　a　regiment　of
the　line　an　old　soldier；　whose　arms　were　decorated　with　three　chevrons。
He　recognized　him　instantly　as　having　seen　him　in　the　army　of　Italy；　and
approaching　him；　said；　〃Well；　my　brave　fellow；　why　have　you　not　the
cross？　　You　do　not　look　like　a　bad　fellow。〃〃Sire；〃　replied　the　old
soldier；　with　sorrowful　gravity；　〃I　have　three　times　been　put　on　the　list
for　the　cross。〃〃You　shall　not　be　disappointed　a　fourth　time；〃　replied
the　Emperor；　and　he　ordered　Marshal　Berthier　to　place　on　the　list；　for
the　next　promotion；　the　brave　soldier；　who　was　soon　made　a　chevalier　of
the　Legion　of　Honor。




CHAPTER　XXI。

Pope　Pius　VII。　had　left　Rome　early　in　November；　1804；　and　his　Holiness；
accompanied　by　General　Menou；　　administrator　of　Piedmont；　arrived　at　Mont
Cenis；　on　the　morning　of　Nov。　15。　　The　road　of　Mont　Cenis　had　been
surveyed　and　smoothed；　and　all　dangerous　points　made　secure　by　barriers。
The　Holy　Father　was　received　by　M。　Poitevin…Maissemy；　prefect　of　Mont
Blanc；　and　after　a　short　visit　to　the　hospice；　crossed　the　mountain　in　a
sedan　chair；　escorted　by　an　immense　crowd；　who　knelt　to　receive　his
blessing　as　he　passed。

Nov。　17　his　Holiness　resumed　his　carriage；　in　which　he　made　the　remainder
of　the　journey；　accompanied　in　the　same　manner。　　The　Emperor　went　to　meet
the　Holy　Father；　and　met　him　on　the　road　to　Nemours　in　the　forest　of
Fontainebleau。　　The　Emperor　dismounted　from　his　horse；　and　the　two
sovereigns　returned　to　Fontainebleau　in　the　same　carriage。　　It　is　said
that　neither　took　precedence　over　the　other；　and　that；　in　order　to　avoid
this；　they　both　entered　the　carriage　at　the　same　instant；　his　Majesty　by
the　door　on　the　right；　and　his　Holiness　by　that　on　the　left。

I　do　not　know　whether　it　is　true　that　the　Emperor　used　devices　and
stratagems　in　order　to　avoid　compromising　his　dignity；　but　I　do　know　that
it　would　have　been　impossible　to　show　more　regard　and　attention　to　the
venerable　old　man。　　The　day　after　his　arrival　at　Fontainebleau；　the　Pope
made　his　entrance　into　Paris　with　all　the　honors　usually　rendered　to　the
head　of　the　Empire。　　Apartments　had　been　prepared　for　him　at　the
Tuileries　in　the　Pavilion　of　Flora；　and　as　a　continuation　of　the　delicate
and　affectionate　consideration　which　his　Majesty　had　shown　from　the
beginning　in　welcoming　the　Holy　Father；　he　found　his　apartments；　in
arrangement　and　furniture；　an　exact　duplicate　of　those　he　occupied　at
Rome。　　He　evinced　much　surprise　and　gratitude　at　this　attention；　which　he
himself；　it　is　said；　with　his　usual　delicacy；　called　entirely　filial；
desiring　thus　to　acknowledge　the　respect　which　the　Emperor　had　shown　him
on　every　occasion；　and　the　new　title　of　eldest　son　of　the　Church；　which
his　Majesty　was　about　to　assume　with　the　imperial　crown。

Every　morning　I　went；　by　order　of　his　Majesty；　to　inquire　after　the
health　of　the　Holy　Father。　　Pius　VII。　had　a　noble　and　handsome
countenance；　an　air　of　angelic　sweetness；　and　a　gentle；　well　modulated
voice；　he　spoke　little；　and　always　slowly；　but　with　grace；　his　tastes
were　extremely　simple；　and　his　abstemiousness　incredible；　he　was
indulgent　to　others　and　most　lenient　in　his　judgments。　　I　must　admit　that
on　the　score　of　good　cheer　the　persons　of　his　suite　made　no　pretense　of
imitating　the　Holy　Father；　but；　on　the　contrary；　took　most　unbecoming
advantage　of　the　Emperor's　orders；　that　everything　requested　should　be
furnished。　　The　tables　set　for　them　were　abundantly　and　even
magnificently　served；　which；　however；　did　not　prevent　a　whole　basket　of
Chambertin　being　requested　each　day　for　the　Pope's　private　table；　though
he　dined　alone　and　drank　only　water。

The　sojourn　of　nearly　five　months　which　the　Holy　Father　made　at　Paris　was
a　time　of　edification　for　the　faithful；　and　his　Holiness　must　have
carried　away　a　most　flattering　opinion　of　the　populace；　who；　having
ceased　to　practice；　and　not　having　witnessed　for　more　than　ten　years；　the
ceremonies　of　the　Catholic　religion；　had　returned　to　them　with
irrepressible　zeal。　　When　the　Pope　was　not　detained　in　his　apartments　by
his　delicate　health　in　regard　to　which　the　difference　in　the　climate；
compared　with　that　of　Italy；　and　the　severity　of　the　winter；　required
him　to　take　great　precautions）；　he　visited　the　churches；　the　museum；　and
the　establishments　of　public　utility；　and　if　the　severe　weather　pre