napoleon bonaparte, v2-第12章

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General　Berthier；　saying；　〃This　is　where　I　wish　my　headquarters
established。〃　　Then　he　spurred　his　horse　and　rode　off；　while　a　general
and　some　officers　remained　to　execute　the　order　of　the　First　Consul；　who；
on　the　very　night　of　his　arrival　at　Boulogne；　returned　to　sleep　at　Pont
de　Brique。

They　related　to　me　at　Boulogne　the　details　of　a　naval　combat　which　had
taken　place　a　short　time　before　our　arrival　between　the　French　fleet；
commanded　by　Admiral　Bruix；　　and　the　English　squadron　with　which　Nelson
blockaded　the　port　of　Boulogne。　　I　will　relate　this　as　told　to　me；
deeming　very　unusual　the　comfortable　mode　in　which　the　French　admiral
directed　the　operations　of　the　sailors。

About　two　hundred　boats；　counting　gunboats　and　mortars；　barges　and
sloops；　formed　the　line　of　defense；　the　shore　and　the　forts　bristling
with　batteries。　　Some　frigates　advanced　from　the　hostile　line；　and；
preceded　by　two　or　three　brigs；　ranged　themselves　in　line　of　battle
before　us　and　in　reach　of　the　cannon　of　our　flotilla；　and　the　combat
began。　　Balls　flew　in　every　direction。　　Nelson；　who　had　promised　the
destruction　of　the　flotilla；　re…enforced　his　line　of　battle　with　two
other　lines　of　vessels　and　frigates；　and　thus　placed　en　echelon；　they
fought　with　a　vastly　superior　force。　　For　more　than　seven　hours　the　sea；
covered　with　fire　and　smoke；　offered　to　the　entire　population　of　Boulogne
the　superb　and　frightful　spectacle　of　a　naval　combat　in　which　more　than
eighteen　hundred　cannon　were　fired　at　the　same　time；　but　the　genius　of
Nelson　could　not　avail　against　our　sailors　or　soldiers。　　Admiral　Bruix
was　at　his　headquarters　near　the　signal　station；　and　from　this　position
directed　the　fight　against　Nelson；　while　drinking　with　his　staff　and　some
ladies　of　Boulogne　whom　he　had　invited　to　dinner。　　The　guests　sang　the
early　victories　of　the　First　Consul；　while　the　admiral；　without　leaving
the　table；　maneuvered　the　flotilla　by　means　of　the　signals　he　ordered。
Nelson；　eager　to　conquer；　ordered　all　his　naval　forces　to　advance；　but
the　wind　being　in　favor　of　the　French；　he　was　not　able　to　keep　the
promise　he　had　made　in　London　to　burn　our　fleet；　while　on　the　contrary
many　of　his　own　boats　were　so　greatly　damaged；　that　Admiral　Bruix；　seeing
the　English　begin　to　retire；　cried　〃Victory！〃　pouring　out　champagne　for
his　guests。　　The　French　flotilla　suffered　very　little；　while　the　enemy's
squadron　was　ruined　by　the　steady　fire；　of　our　stationary　batteries。　　On
that　day　the　English　learned　that　they　could　not　possibly　approach　the
shore　at　Boulogne；　which　after　this　they　named　the　Iron　Coast　（Cote　de
Fer）。

When　the　First　Consul　left　Boulogne；　he　made　his　arrangements　to　pass
through　Abbeville；　and　to　stop　twenty　four　hours　there。　　The　mayor　of　the
town　left　nothing　undone　towards　a　suitable　reception；　and　Abbeville　was
magnificent　on　that　day。　　The　finest　trees　from　the　neighboring　woods
were　taken　up　bodily　with　their　roots　to　form　avenues　in　all　the　streets
through　which　the　First　Consul　was　to　pass；　and　some　of　the　citizens；　who
owned　magnificent　gardens；　sent　their　rarest　shrubs　to　be　displayed　along
his　route；　and　carpets　from　the　factory　of　Hecquet…Dorval　were　spread　on
the　ground；　to　be　trodden　by　his　horses。　　But　unforeseen　circumstances
suddenly　cut　short　the　fete。

A　courier；　sent　by　the　minister　of　police；　　arrived　as　we　were
approaching　the　town；　who　notified　the　First　Consul　of　a　plot　to
assassinate　him　two　leagues　farther　on；　the　very　day　and　hour　were　named。
To　baffle　the　attempt　that　they　intended　against　his　person；　the　First
Consul　traversed　the　city　in　a　gallop；　and；　followed　by　some　lancers；
went　to　the　spot　where　he　was　to　be　attacked；　halted　about　half　an　hour；
ate　some　Abbeville　cakes；　and　set　out。　　The　assassins　were　deceived。
They　had　not　expected　his　arrival　until　the　next　day。

The　First　Consul　and　Madame　Bonaparte　continued　their　journey　through
Picardy；　Flanders；　and　the　Low　Countries。　　Each　day　the　First　Consul
received　offers　of　vessels　of　war　from　the　different　council…generals；
the　citizens　continued　to　offer　him　addresses；　and　the　mayors　to　present
him　with　the　keys　of　the　cities；　as　if　he　exercised　royal　power。　　Amiens；
Dunkirk；　Lille；　Bruges；　Ghent；　Brussels；　Liege；　and　Namur　distinguished
themselves　by　the　brilliant　receptions　they　gave　to　the　illustrious
travelers。　　The　inhabitants　of　Antwerp　presented　the　First　Consul　with
six　magnificent　bay　horses。　　Everywhere　also；　the　First　Consul　left
valuable　souvenirs　of　his　journey；　and　by　his　orders；　works　were
immediately　commenced　to　deepen　and　improve　the　port　of　Amiens。　　He
visited　in　that　city；　and　in　all　the　others　where　he　stopped；　the
exposition　of　the　products　of　industry；　encouraging　manufacturers　by　his
advice；　and　favoring　them　in　his　decrees。　　At　Liege；　he　put　at　the
disposal　of　the　prefect　of　the　Ourthe　the　sum　of　three　hundred　thousand
francs）　to　repair　the　houses　burned　by　the　Austrians；　in　that　department；
during　the　early　years　of　the　Revolution。　　Antwerp　owes　to　him　the　inner
port；　a　basin；　and　the　building　of　carpenter…shops。　　At　Brussels；　he
ordered　that　the　Rhine；　the　Meuse；　and　the　Scheldt　should　be　connected　by
a　canal。　　He　gave　to　Givet　a　stone　bridge　over　the　Meuse；　and　at　Sedan
the　widow　Madame　Rousseau　received　from　him　the　sum　of　sixty　thousand
francs　for　the　re…establishment　of　the　factory　destroyed　by　fire。
Indeed；　I　cannot　begin　to　enumerate　all　the　benefits；　both　public　and
private；　which　the　First　Consul　and　Madame　Bonaparte　scattered　along
their　route。

A　little　while　after　our　return　to　Saint…Cloud；　the　First　Consul；　while
riding　in　the　park　with　his　wife　and　Cambaceres；　took　a　fancy　to　drive
the　four　horses　attached　to　the　carriage　which　had　been　given　him　by　the
inhabitants　of　Antwerp。　　He　took　his　place　on　the　driver's　seat；　and　took
the　reins　from　the　hands　of　Caesar；　his　coachman；　who　got　up　behind　the
carriage。　　At　that　instant　they　were　in　the　horse…shoe　alley；　which　leads
to　the　road　of　the　Pavilion　Breteuil；　and　of　Ville　d'Avray。　　It　is　stated
in　the　Memorial　of　St。　Helena；　that　the　aide…de…camp；　having　awkwardly
frightened　the　horses；　made　them　run　away；　but　Caesar；　who　related　to　me
in　detail　this　sad　disaster　a　few　moments　after　the　accident　had　taken
place；　said　not　a　word　to　me　about　the　aide…de…camp；　and；　in　truth；　there
was　needed；　to　upset　the　coach；　nothing　more　than　the　awkwardness　of　a
coachman　with　so　little　experience　as　the　First　Consul。　　Besides；　the
horses　were　young　and　spirited；　and　Caesar　himself　needed　all　his　skill
to　guide　them。　　Not　feeling　his　hand　on　the　reins；　they　set　out　at　a
gallop；　while　Caesar；　seeing　the　new　direction　they　were　taking　to　the
right；　cried　out；　〃To　the　left；〃　in　a　stentorian　voice。　　Consul
Cambaceres；　even　paler　than　usual；　gave　himself　little　concern　as　to
reassuring　Madame　Bonaparte；　who　was　much　alarmed；　but　screamed　with　all
his　might；　〃Stop；　stop！　　you　will　break　all　our　necks！〃　　That　might　well
happen；　for　the　First　Consul　heard　nothing；　and；　besides；　could　not
control　the　horses；　and　when　he　reached；　or　rather　was　carried　with　the
speed　of　lightning　to；　the　very　gate；　he　was　not　able　to　keep　in　the
road；　but　ran　against　a　post；　where　the　carriage　fell　over　heavily；　and
fortunately　the　horses　stopped。　　The　First　Consul　was　thrown　about　ten
steps；　fell　on　his　stomach；　and　fainted　away；　and　did　not　revive　until
some　one　attempted　to　lift　him　up。　　Madame　Bonaparte　and　the　second
consul　had　only　slight　contusions；　but　good　Josephine　had　suffered
horrible　anxiety　about　her　husband。　　However；　although　he　was　badly
bruised；　he　would　not　be　bled；　and　satisfied　himself　with　a　few　rubbings
with　eau　de　Cologne；　his　favorite　remedy。　　That　evening；　on　retiring；　he
spoke　gayly　of　his　misadventure；　and　of　the　great　fright　that　his
colleague　had　shown；　and　ended　by　saying；　〃We　must　render　unto　Caesar
that　which　is　Caesar's；　let　him　keep　his　whip；　and　let　us　each　mind　his
own　business。〃

He　admitted；　however；　notwithstanding　all　his　jokes；　that　he　had　never
thought　himself　so　near　death；　and　that　he　felt　as　if　he　had　been　dead
for　a　few　seconds。　　I　do　not　remember　whether　it　was　on　this　or　another