napoleon bonaparte, v2-第10章

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stretched　out　towards　the　general；　as　if　to　receive　the　word　of　command。
The　First　Consul　made　them　relate　the　notable　deeds　which　had　brought
each　his　national　recognition；　and　often　laughed　boisterously　at　their
singular　narrations。　　He　encouraged　them　to　eat；　and　frequently　drank　to
their　health；　but　in　spite　of　all　this；　his　encouragement　failed　to
overcome　the　timidity　of　some；　and　the　servants　removed　the　plates　of
each　course　without　their　having　touched　them；　though　this　constraint　did
not　prevent　their　being　full　of　joy　and　enthusiasm　as　they　left　the
table。　　〃Au　revoir；　my　brave　men；〃　the　First　Consul　would　say　to　them；
〃baptize　for　me　quickly　these　new…born；〃　touching　with　his　fingers　their
sabers　of　honor。　　God　knows　whether　they　spared　themselves！

This　preference　of　the　First　Consul　for　the　private　soldier　recalls　an
instance　which　took…place　at　Malmaison；　and　which　furnishes；　besides；　a
complete　refutal　of　the　charges　of　severity　and　harshness　which　have　been
brought　against　him。

The　First　Consul　set　out　on　foot　one　morning；　dressed　in　his　gray　riding…
coat；　and　accompanied　by　General　Duroc；　on　the　road　to　Marly。　　Chatting
as　they　walked；　they　saw　a　plowman；　who　turned　a　furrow　as　he　came
towards　them。

〃See　here；　my　good　man；〃　said　the　First　Consul；　stopping　him；　〃your
furrow　is　not　straight。　　You　do　not　know　your　business。〃〃It　is　not　you；
my　fine　gentleman；　who　can　teach　me。　　You　cannot　do　as　well。　　No；　indeed
…you　think　so；　very　well；　just　try　it；〃　replied　the　good　man；　yielding
his　place　to　the　First　Consul；　who　took　the　plow…handle；　and　making　the
team　start；　commenced　to　give　his　lesson。　　But　he　did　not　plow　a　single
yard　of　a　straight　line。　　The　whole　furrow　was　crooked。　　〃Come；　come；〃
said　the　countryman；　putting　his　hand　on　that　of　the　general　to　resume
his　plow；　〃your　work　is　no　good。　　Each　one　to　his　trade。　　Saunter　along；
that　is　your　business。〃　　But　the　First　Consul　did　not　proceed　without
paying　for　the　lesson　he　had　received。　　General　Duroc　handed　the　laborer
two　or　three　louis　to　compensate　him　for　the　loss　of　time　they　had　caused
him；　and　the　countryman；　astonished　by　this　generosity；　quitted　his　plow
to　relate　his　adventure；　and　met　on　the　way　a　woman　whom　he　told　that　he
had　met　two　big　men；　judging　by　what　he　had　in　his　hand。

The　woman；　better　informed；　asked　him　to　describe　the　dress　of　the　men；
and　from　his　description　ascertained　that　it　was　the　First　Consul　and　one
of　his　staff；　the　good　man　was　overcome　with　astonishment。　　The　next　day
he　made　a　brave　resolution；　and　donning　his　best　clothes；　presented
himself　at　Malmaison；　requesting　to　speak　to　the　First　Consul；　to　thank
him；　he　said；　for　the　fine　present　he　had　given　him　the　day　before。

I　notified　the　First　Consul　of　this　visit；　and　he　ordered　me　to　bring　the
laborer　in。　　While　I　was　gone　to　announce　him；　he　had；　according　to　his
own　expression；　taken　his　courage　in　both　hands　to　prepare　himself　for
this　grand　interview；　and　I　found　him　on　my　return；　standing　in　the
center　of　the　antechamber　（for　he　did　not　dare　to　sit　upon　the　sofas；
which　though　very　simple　seemed　to　him　magnificent）；　and　pondering　what
he　should　say　to　the　First　Consul　in　token　of　his　gratitude。　　I　preceded
him；　and　he　followed　me；　placing　each　foot　cautiously　on　the　carpet；　and
when　I　opened　the　door　of　the　cabinet；　he　insisted　with　much　civility　on
my　going　first。　　When　the　First　Consul　had　nothing　private　to　say　or
dictate；　he　permitted　the　door　to　stand　open；　and　he　now　made　me　a　sign
not　to　close　it；　so　that　I　was　able　to　see　and　hear　all　that　passed。

The　honest　laborer　commenced；　on　entering　the　cabinet；　by　saluting　the
back　of　de　Bourrienne；　who　could　not　see　him；　occupied　as　he　was　in
writing　upon　a　small　table　placed　in　the　recess　of　a　window。　　The　First
Consul　saw　him　make　his　bows；　himself　reclining　in　his　armchair；　one　of
the　arms　of　which；　according　to　habit；　he　was　pricking　with　the　point　of
his　knife。　　Finally　he　spoke。　　〃Well；　my　brave　fellow。〃　　The　peasant
turned；　recognized　him；　and　saluted　anew。　　〃Well；〃　continued　the　First
Consul；　〃has　the　harvest　been　fine　this　year？〃〃No；　with　all　respect；
Citizen　General；　but　not　so　very　bad。〃

〃In　order　that　the　earth　should　produce；　it　is　necessary　that　it　should
be　turned　up；　is　it　not　so？　　Fine　gentlemen　are　no　good　for　such　work。〃

〃Meaning　no　offense；　General；　the　bourgeois　have　hands　too　soft　to　handle
a　plow。　　There　is　need　of　a　hard　fist　to　handle　these　tools。〃

〃That　is　so；〃　replied　the　First　Consul；　smiling。　　〃But　big　and　strong　as
you　are；　you　should　handle　something　else　than　a　plow。　　A　good　musket；
for　instance；　or　the　handle　of　a　good　saber。〃

The　laborer　drew　himself　up　with　an　air　of　pride。　〃General；　in　my　time　I
have　done　as　others。　　I　had　been　married　six　or　seven　years　when　these
d…d　Prussians　（pardon　me；　General）　entered　Landrecies。　　The　requisition
came。　　They　gave　me　a　gun　and　a　cartridge…box　at　the　Commune
headquarters；　and　march！　　My　soul；　we　were　not　equipped　like　those　big
gallants　that　I　saw　just　now　on　entering　the　courtyard。〃　　He　referred　to
the　grenadiers　of　the　Consular　Guard。

〃Why　did　you　quit　the　service？〃　　resumed　the　First　Consul；　who　appeared
to　take　great　interest　in　the　conversation。

〃My　faith；　General；　each　one　in　his　turn；　and　there　are　saber　strokes
enough　for　every　one。　　One　fell　on　me　there　〃　（the　worthy　laborer　bent
his　head　and　divided　the　locks　of　his　hair）；　〃and　after　some　weeks　in　the
field　hospital；　they　gave　me　a　discharge　to　return　to　my　wife　and　my
plow。〃

〃Have　you　any　children？〃

〃I　have　three；　General；　two　boys　and　a　girl。〃

〃You　must　make　a　soldier　of　the　oldest。　　If　he　will　conduct　himself　well；
I　will　take　care　of　him。　　Adieu；　my　brave　man。　　Whenever　I　can　help　you；
come　to　see　me　again。〃　　The　First　Consul　rose；　made　de　Bourrienne　give
him　some　louis；　which　he　added　to　those　the　laborer　had　already　received
from　him；　and　directed　me　to　show　him　out；　and　we　had　already　reached　the
antechamber；　when　the　First　Consul　called　the　peasant　back　to　say　to　him；
〃You　were　at　Fleurus？〃〃Yes；　General。〃〃Can　you　tell　me　the　name　of
your　general…in…chief？〃〃Indeed；　I　should　think　so。　　It　was　General
Jourdan。〃〃That　is　correct。　　Au　revoir；〃　and　I　carried　off　the　old
soldier　of　the　Republic；　enchanted　with　his　reception。




CHAPTER　XI。

At　the　beginning　of　this　year　（1803）；　there　arrived　at　Paris　an　envoy
from　Tunis；　who　presented　the　First　Consul；　on　the　part　of　the　Bey；　with
ten　Arab　horses。　　The　Bey　at　that　time　feared　the　anger　of　England；　and
hoped　to　find　in　France　a　powerful　ally；　capable　of　protecting　him；　and
he　could　not　have　found　a　better　time　to　make　the　application；　for
everything　announced　the　rupture　of　the　peace　of　Amiens；　over　which　all
Europe　had　so　greatly　rejoiced；　for　England　had　kept　none　of　her
promises；　and　had　executed　no　article　of　the　treaty。　　On　his　side；　the
First　Consul；　shocked　by　such　bad　faith；　and　not　wishing　to　be　a　dupe；
openly　prepared　for　war；　and　ordered　the　filling　up　of　the　ranks；　and　a
new　levy　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　conscripts。　　War　was
officially　declared　in　June；　but　hostilities　had　already　begun　before
this　time。

At　the　end　of　this　month　the　First　Consul　made　a　journey　to　Boulogne；　and
visited　Picardy；　Flanders；　and　Belgium；　in　order　to　organize　an
expedition　which　he　was　meditating　against　the　English；　and　to　place　the
northern　seacoast　in　a　state　of　defense。　　He　returned　to　Paris　in　August；
but　set　out　in　November　for　a　second　visit　to　Boulogne。

This　constant　traveling　was　too　much　for　Hambard；　who　for　a　long　time　had
been　in　feeble　health；　and　when　the　First　Consul　was　on　the　point　of
setting　out　for　his　first　tour　in　the　North；　Hambard　had　asked　to　be
excused；　alleging；　which　was　only　too　true；　the　bad　state　of　his　health。
〃See　how　you　are；〃　said　the　First　Consul；　〃always　sick　and　complaining；
and　if　you　stay　here；　who　then　will　shave　me？〃〃General；〃　replied
Hambard；　〃Constant　knows　how　to　shave　as　well　as　I。〃　　I　was　present；　and
occupied　at　that　very　moment　in　dressing　the　First　Consul。　　He　looked　at
me　and　said；　〃Well；　you　queer　fellow；　since　you　are　so　skilled；　you　s