napoleon bonaparte, v3-第6章

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after　which　the　Emperor　took　his　seat；　and　putting　on　his　hat；　repeated
in　a　firm　voice　the　formula　of　the　oath；　at　the　end　of　which　all　the
members　of　the　Legion　cried；　〃Je　le　jure！〃　（I　swear　it）；　and　immediately
shouts　of　〃Vive　l'Empereur；〃　repeated　a　thousand　times；　were　heard　in　the
church　and　outside。

A　singular　circumstance　added　still　more　to　the　interest　which　the
ceremony　excited。　　While　the　chevaliers　of　the　new　order　were　passing　one
by　one　before　the　Emperor；　who　welcomed　them；　a　man　of　the　people；
wearing　a　roundabout；　placed　himself　on　the　steps　of　the　throne。　　His
Majesty　showed　some　astonishment；　and　paused　an　instant；　whereupon　the
man；　being　interrogated；　showed　his　warrant。　　The　Emperor　at　once　and
with　great　cordiality　bade　him　advance；　and　gave　him　the　decoration；
accompanied　by　a　sharp　accolade。　　The　cortege；　on　its　return；　followed
the　same　route；　passing　again　through　the　garden　of　the　Tuileries。

On　the　18th　of　July；　three　days　after　this　ceremony；　the　Emperor　set　out
from　Saint…Cloud　for　the　camp　of　Boulogne。　　Believing　that　his　Majesty
would　be　willing　to　dispense　with　my　presence　for　a　few　days；　and　as　it
was　a　number　of　years　since　I　had　seen　my　family；　I　felt　a　natural　desire
to　meet　them　again；　and　to　review　with　my　parents　the　singular
circumstances　through　which　I　had　passed　since　I　had　left　them。

I　should　have　experienced；　I　confess；　great　joy　in　talking　with　them　of
my　present　situation　and　my　hopes；　and　I　felt　the　need　of　freely
expressing　myself；　and　enjoying　the　confidences　of　domestic　privacy；　in
compensation　for　the　repression　and　constraint　which　my　position　imposed
on　me。　　Therefore　I　requested　permission　to　pass　eight　days　at　Perueltz。
It　was　readily　granted；　and　I　lost　no　time　in　setting　out；　but　my
astonishment　may　be　imagined　when；　the　very　day　after　my　arrival；　a
courier　brought　me　a　letter　from　the　Count　de　Remusat；　ordering　me　to
rejoin　the　Emperor　immediately；　adding　that　his　Majesty　needed　me；　and　I
should　have　no　other　thought　than　that　of　returning　without　delay。　　In
spite　of　the　disappointment　induced　by　such　orders；　I　felt　flattered
nevertheless　at　having　become　so　necessary　to　the　great　man　who　had
deigned　to　admit　me　into　his　service；　and　at　once　bade　adieu　to　my
family。　　His　Majesty　had　hardly　reached　Boulogne；　when　he　set　out　again
immediately　on　a　tour　of　several　days　in　the　departments　of　the　north。
I　was　at　Boulogne　before　his　return；　and　had　organized　his　Majesty's
service　so　that　he　found　everything　ready　on　his　arrival；　but　this　did
not　prevent　his　saying　to　me　that　I　had　been　absent　a　long　time。

While　I　am　on　this　subject；　I　will　narrate　here；　although　some　years　in
advance；　one　or　two　circumstances　which　will　give　the　reader　a　better
idea　of　the　rigorous　confinement　to　which　I　was　subjected。　　I　had
contracted；　in　consequence　of　the　fatigues　of　my　continual　journeyings　in
the　suite　of　the　Emperor；　a　disease　of　the　bladder；　from　which　I　suffered
horribly。　　For　a　long　time　I　combated　the　disease　with　patience　and
dieting；　but　at　last；　the　pain　having　become　entirely　unbearable；　in　1808
I　requested　of　his　Majesty　a　month's　leave　of　absence　in　order　to　be
cured；　Dr。　Boyer　having　told　me　that　a　month　was　the　shortest　time
absolutely　necessary　for　my　restoration；　and　that　without　it　my　disease
would　become　incurable。　　I　went　to　Saint…Cloud　to　visit　my　wife's　family；
where　Yvan；　surgeon　of　the　Emperor；　came　to　see　me　every　day。　　Hardly　a
week　had　passed；　when　he　told　me　that　his　Majesty　thought　I　ought　to　be
entirely　well；　and　wished　me　to　resume　my　duties。　　This　wish　was
equivalent　to　an　order；　it　was　thus　I　understood　it；　and　returned　to　the
Emperor；　who　seeing　me　pale；　and　suffering　excruciatingly；　deigned　to　say
to　me　many　kind　things；　without；　however；　mentioning　a　new　leave　of
absence。　　These　two　were　my　only　absences　for　sixteen　years；　therefore；
on　my　return　from　Moscow；　and　during　the　campaign　of　France；　my　disease
having　reached　its　height；　I　quitted　the　Emperor　at　Fontainebleau；
because　it　was　impossible　for　me；　in　spite　of　all　my　attachment　to　so
kind　a　master；　and　all　the　gratitude　which　I　felt　towards　him；　to　perform
my　duties　longer。　　Even　after　this　separation；　which　was　exceedingly
painful　to　me；　a　year　hardly　sufficed　to　cure　me；　and　then　not　entirely。
But　I　shall　take　occasion　farther　on　to　speak　of　this　melancholy　event。
I　now　return　to　the　recital　of　facts；　which　prove　that　I　could；　with　more
reason　than　many　others；　believe　myself　a　person　of　great　importance；
since　my　humble　services　seemed　to　be　indispensable　to　the　master　of
Europe；　and　many　frequenters　of　the　Tuileries　would　have　had　more
difficulty　than　I　in　proving　their　usefulness。　　Is　there　too　much　vanity
in　what　I　have　just　said？　and　would　not　the　chamberlains　have　a　right　to
be　vexed　by　it？　　I　am　not　concerned　with　that；　so　I　continue　my
narrative。　　The　Emperor　was　tenacious　of　old　habits；　he　preferred；　as　we
have　already　seen；　being　served　by　me　in　preference　to　all　others；
nevertheless；　it　is　my　duty　to　state　that　his　servants　were　all　full　of
zeal　and　devotion；　though　I　had　been　with　him　longest；　and　had　never　left
him。　　One　day　the　Emperor　asked　for　tea　in　the　middle　of　the　day。　　M。
Seneschal　was　on　duty；　consequently　made　the　tea；　and　presented　it　to　his
Majesty；　who　declared　it　to　be　detestable；　and　had　me　summoned。　　The
Emperor　complained　to　me　that　they　were　trying　to　poison　him　（this　was
his　expression　when　he　found　a　bad　taste　in　anything）；　so　going　into　the
kitchen；　I　poured　out　of　the　same　teapot；　a　cup；　which　I　prepared　and
carried　to　his　Majesty；　with　two　silver…gilt　spoons　as　usual；　one　to
taste　the　tea　in　the　presence　of　the　Emperor；　and　the　other　for　him。
This　time　he　said　the　tea　was　excellent；　and　complimented　me　on　it　with　a
kind　familiarity　which　he　deigned　at　times　to　use　towards　his　servants。
On　returning　the　cup　to　me；　he　pulled　my　ears；　and　said；　〃You　must　teach
them　how　to　make　tea；　they　know　nothing　about　it。〃　　De　Bourrienne；　whose
excellent　Memoirs　I　have　read　with　the　greatest　pleasure；　says　somewhere；
that　the　Emperor　in　his　moments　of　good　humor　pinched　the　tip　of　the　ears
of　his　familiars。　　I　myself　think　that　he　pinched　the　whole　ear；　often；
indeed；　both　ears　at　once；　and　with　the　hand　of　a　master。　　He　also　says
in　these　same　Memoirs；　that　the　Emperor　gave　little　friendly　slaps　with
two　fingers；　in　which　De　Bourrienne　is　very　moderate；　for　I　can　bear
witness　in　regard　to　this　matter；　that　his　Majesty；　although　his　hand　was
not　large；　bestowed　his　favors　much　more　broadly；　but　this　kind　of
caress；　as　well　as　the　former；　was　given　and　received　as　a　mark　of
particular　favor；　and　the　recipients　were　far　from　complaining　then。　　I
have　heard　more　than　one　dignitary　say　with　pride；　like　the　sergeant　in
the　comedy；

　　　　　〃Sir；　feel　there；　the　blow　upon　my　cheek　is　still　warm。〃

In　his　private　apartments　the　Emperor　was　almost　always　cheerful　and
approachable；　conversing　freely　with　the　persons　in　his　service；
questioning　them　about　their　families；　their　affairs；　and　even　as　to
their　pleasures。　　His　toilet　finished；　his　appearance　suddenly　changed；
he　became　grave　and　thoughtful；　and　assumed　again　the　bearing　of　an
emperor。　　It　has　been　said；　that　he　often　beat　the　people　of　his
household；　which　statement　is　untrue。　　I　saw　him　once　only　give　himself
up　to　a　transport　of　this　kind；　and　certainly　the　circumstances　which
caused　it；　and　the　reparation　which　followed；　ought　to　render　it；　if　not
excusable；　at　least　easily　understood：　This　is　the　incident；　of　which　I
was　a　witness；　and　which　took　place　in　the　suburbs　of　Vienna；　the　day
after　the　death　of　Marshal　Lannes。　　The　Emperor　was　profoundly　affected；
and　had　not　spoken　a　word　during　his　toilet。　　As　soon　as　he　was　dressed
he　asked　for　his　horse；　and　as　an　unlucky　chance　would　have　it；　Jardin；
superintendent　of　the　stables；　could　not　be　found　when　the　horse　was
saddled；　and　the　groom　did　not　put　on　him　his　regular　bridle；　in
consequence　of　which　his　Majesty　had　no　sooner　mounted；　than　the　animal
plunged；　reared；　and　the　rider　fell　heavily　to　the　ground。　　Jardin
arrived　just　as　the　Emperor　was　rising