napoleon bonaparte, v2-第5章

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he　was　dressing　I　saw　Joseph　Bonaparte　enter　his　room　with　Cambaceres。

〃Well；〃　said　the　First　Consul　to　the　latter；　〃we　are　going　to　mass。　　What
do　they　think　of　that　in　Paris？〃〃Many　persons；〃　replied　M。　Cambaceres；
〃will　go　to　the　representation　with　the　intention　of　hissing　the　piece；
if　they　do　not　find　it　amusing。〃

〃If　any　one　thinks　of　hissing；　I　will　have　him　put　out…of…doors　by　the
grenadiers　of　the　Consular　Guard。〃

〃But　if　the　grenadiers　begin　to　hiss　like　the　others？〃

〃I　have　no　fear　of　that。　　My　old　soldiers　will　go　to　Notre　Dame　exactly
as　they　went　to　the　mosque　at　Cairo。　　They　will　watch　me；　and　seeing
their　general　remain　quiet　and　reverent；　they　will　do　as　he　does；　saying
to　themselves；　〃That　is　the　countersign！〃

〃I　am　afraid；〃　said　Joseph　Bonaparte；　〃that　the　general　officers　will　not
be　so　accommodating。　　I　have　just　left　Augereau；　who　was　vomiting　fire
and　fury　against　what　he　calls　your　capricious　proclamations。　　He；　and。
a　few　others；　will　not　be　easy　to　bring　back　into　the　pale　of　our　holy
mother；　the　church。〃

〃Bah！　that　is　like　Augereau。　　He　is　a　bawler；　who　makes　a　great　noise；
and　yet　if　he　has　a　little　imbecile　cousin；　he　puts　him　in　the　priests
college　for　me　to　make　a　chaplain　of　him。

〃That　reminds　me；〃　continued　the　First　Consul；　addressing　his　colleague；
〃when　is　your　brother　going　to　take　possession　of　his　see　of　Rouen？　　Do
you　know　it　has　the　finest　archiepiscopal　palace　in　France？　　He　will　be
cardinal　before　a　year　has　passed；　that　matter　is　already　arranged。〃

The　second　consul　bowed。　　From　that　moment　his　manner　towards　the　First
Consul　was　rather　that　of　a　courtier　than　an　equal。

The　plenipotentiaries　who　had　been　appointed　to　examine　and　sign　the
Concordat　were　Joseph　Bonaparte；　Cruet；　and　the　Abbe　Bernier。　　This
latter；　whom　I　saw　sometimes　at　the　Tuileries；　had　been　a　chief　of　the
Chouans；　＇The　Chouans　were　Royalists　in　insurrection　in　Brittany。＇
and　took　a　prominent　part　in　all　that　occurred。　　The　First　Consul；　in
this　same　conversation；　the　opening　of　which　I　have　just　related；
discussed　with　his　two　companions　the　subject　of　the　conferences　on　the
Concordat。　　〃The　Abby　Bernier；〃　said　the　First　Consul；　〃inspired　fear　in
the　Italian　prelates　by　the　vehemence　of　his　logic。　　It　might　have　been
said　that　he　imagined　himself　living　over　again　the　days　in　which　he　led
the　Vendeens　to　the　charge　against　the　blues。　　Nothing　could　be　more
striking　than　the　contrast　of　his　rude　and　quarrelsome　manner　with　the
polished　bearing　and　honeyed　tones　of　the　prelates。　　Cardinal　Caprara
came　to　me　two　days　ago；　with　a　shocked　air；　to　ask　if　it　is　true　that；
during　the　war　of　the　Vendee；　the　Abbe　Bernier　made　an　altar　on　which　to
celebrate　mass　out　of　the　corpses　of　the　Republicans。　　I　replied　that　I
knew　nothing　of　it；　but　that　it　was　possible。　　'General；　First　Consul；'
cried　the　frightened　cardinal；　'it　is　not　a　red　hat；　but　a　red　cap；　which
that　man　should　have？'

〃I　am　much　afraid；〃　continued　the　First　Consul；　〃that　that　kind　of　cap
would　prevent　the　Abbe　Bernier　from　getting　the　red　hat。〃

These　gentlemen　left　the　First　Consul　when　his　toilet　was　finished；　and
went　to　make　their　own。　　The　First　Consul　wore　on　that　day　the　costume　of
the　consuls；　which　consisted　of　a　scarlet　coat　without　facings；　and　with
a　broad　embroidery　of　palms；　in　gold；　on　all　the　seams。　　His　sword；　which
he　had　worn　in　Egypt；　hung　at　his　side　from　a　belt；　which；　though　not
very　wide；　was　of　beautiful　workmanship；　and　richly　embroidered。　　He　wore
his　black　stock；　in　preference　to　a　lace　cravat；　and　like　his　colleagues；
wore　knee…breeches　and　shoes；　a　French　hat；　with　floating　plumes　of　the
three　colors；　completed　this　rich　costume。

The　celebration　of　this　sacrament　at　Notre　Dame　was　a　novel　sight　to　the
Parisians；　and　many　attended　as　if　it　were　a　theatrical　representation。
Many；　also；　especially　amongst　the　military；　found　it　rather　a　matter　of
raillery　than　of　edification；　and　those　who；　during　the　Revolution；　had
contributed　all　their　strength　to　the　overthrow　of　the　worship　which　the
First　Consul　had　just　re…established；　could　with　difficulty　conceal　their
indignation　and　their　chagrin。

The　common　people　saw　in　the　Te　Deum　which　was　sung　that　day　for　peace
and　the　Concordat；　only　an　additional　gratification　of　their　curiosity；
but　among　the　middle　classes　there　was　a　large　number　of　pious　persons；
who　had　deeply　regretted　the　suppression　of　the　forms　of　devotion　in
which　they　had　been　reared；　and　who　were　very　happy　in　returning　to　the
old　worship。　　And；　indeed；　there　was　then　no　manifestation　of
superstition　or　of　bigotry　sufficient　to　alarm　the　enemies　of
intolerance。

The　clergy　were　exceedingly　careful　not　to　appear　too　exacting；　they
demanded　little；　condemned　no　one；　and　the　representative　of　the　Holy
Father；　the　cardinal　legate；　pleased　all；　except　perhaps　a　few
dissatisfied　old　priests；　by　his　indulgence；　the　worldly　grace　of　his
manners；　and　the　freedom　of　his　conduct。　　This　prelate　was　entirely　in
accord　with　the　First　Consul；　and　he　took　great　pleasure　in　conversing
with　him。

It　is　also　certain；　that　apart　from　all　religious　sentiment；　the　fidelity
of　the　people　to　their　ancient　customs　made　them　return　with　pleasure　to
the　repose　and　celebration　of　Sunday。　　The　Republican　calendar　was
doubtless　wisely　computed；　but　every　one　is　at　first　sight　struck　with
the　ridiculousness　of　replacing　the　legend　of　the　saints　of　the　old
calendar　with　the　days　of　the　ass；　the　hog；　the　turnip；　the　onion；　etc。
Besides；　if　it　was　skillfully　computed；　it　was　by　no　means　conveniently
divided。　　I　recall　on　this　subject　the　remark　of　a　man　of　much　wit；　and
who；　notwithstanding　the　disapprobation　which　his　remark　implied；
nevertheless　desired　the　establishment　of　the　Republican　system；
everywhere　except　in　the　almanac。　　When　the　decree　of　the　Convention
which　ordered　the　adoption　of　the　Republican　calendar　was　published；　he
remarked：　〃They　have　done　finely；　but　they　have　to　fight　two　enemies　who
never　yield；　the　beard；　and　the　white　shirt。〃

　　　　　＇That　is　to　say；　the　barber　and　the　washerwoman；　for　whom　ten　days
　　　　　was　too　long　an　interval。TRANS。＇

The　truth　is；　the　interval　from　one　decadi　to　another　was　too　long　for
the　working…classes；　and　for　all　those　who　were　constantly　occupied。
I　do　not　know　whether　it　was　the　effect　of　a　deep…rooted　habit；　but
people　accustomed　to　working　six　days　in　succession；　and　resting　on　the
seventh；　found　nine　days　of　consecutive　labor　too　long；　and　consequently
the　suppression　of　the　decadi　was　universally　approved。　　The　decree　which
ordered　the　publication　of　marriage　bans　on　Sunday　was　not　so　popular；
for　some　persons　were　afraid　of　finding　in　this　the　revival　of　the　former
dominance　of　the　clergy　over　the　civil　authorities。

A　few　days　after　the　solemn　re…establishment　of　the　catholic　worship；
there　arrived　at　the　Tuileries　a　general　officer；　who　would　perhaps　have
preferred　the　establishment　of　Mahomet；　and　the　change　of　Notre　Dame　into
a　mosque。　　He　was　the　last　general…in…chief　of　the　army　of　Egypt；　and　was
said　to　have　turned　Mussulman　at　Cairo；　ex…Baron　de　Menou。　　In　spite　of
the　defeat　by　the　English　which　he　had　recently　undergone　in　Egypt；
General　Abdallah…Menou　was　well　received　by　the　First　Consul；　who
appointed　him　soon　after　governor…general　of　Piedmont。　　General　Menou　was
of　tried　courage；　and　had　given　proof　of　it　elsewhere；　as　well　as　on　the
field　of　battle；　and　amid　the　most　trying　circumstances。

After　the　10th　of　August；　although　belonging　to　the　Republican　party；　he
had　accompanied　Louis　Sixteenth　to　the　Assembly；　and　had　been　denounced
as　a　Royalist　by　the　Jacobins。　　In　1795　the　Faubourg　Saint　Antoine　having
risen　en　masse；　and　advanced　against　the　Convention；　General　Menou　had
surrounded　and　disarmed　the　seditious　citizens；　but　he　had　refused　to
obey　the　atrocious　orders　of　the　commissioners　of　the　Convention；　who
decreed　that　the　entire　faubourg　should　be　burned；　in　order　to　punish　the
inhabitants　for　their　continued　insurrections。　　Some　time　afterwards；
having　again　refused　to　obey　the　order　these　commissioners　of　the
Convention　gave；　to