napoleon bonaparte, v12-第23章

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the　guard。


I　have　now　arrived　at　the　end　of　my　list　of　military　anecdotes。　　I　have
just　spoken　of　a　general's　promotion；　and　will　close　with　the　story　of　a
simple　drummer；　but　a　drummer　renowned　throughout　the　army　as　a　perfect
buffoon；　in　fact；　the　famous　Rata；　to　whom　General　Gros；　as　we　shall　see；
was　deeply　attached。

The　army　marched　on　Lintz　during　the　campaign　of　1809。　　Rata；　drummer　of
the　grenadiers　of　the　fourth　regiment　of　the　line；　and　famous　as　a
buffoon；　having　learned　that　the　guard　was　to　pass；　and　that　it　was
commanded　by　General　Gros；　desired　to　see　this　officer　who　had　been　his
chief　of　battalion；　and　with　whom　he　had　formerly　taken　all　sorts　of
liberties。　　Rata　thereupon　waged　his　mustache；　and　went　to　salute　the
general；　addressing　him　thus：　〃Ah；　here　you　are；　General。　　How　are　you？〃
〃Very　well；　indeed；　Rata；　and　you？〃〃Always　well；　but　not　so　well　as
you；　it　seems　to　me。　　Since　you　are　doing　so　very　well；　you　no　longer
think　of　poor　Rata；　for　if　he　did　not　come　to　see　you；　you　would　not　even
think　of　sending　him　a　few　sous　to　buy　tobacco。〃　　While　saying；　〃You　do
so　well；〃　Rata　had　quickly　seized　General　Gross　hat；　and　put　it　；on　his
head　in　place　of　his　own。　　At　this　moment　the　Emperor　passed；　and　seeing
a　drummer　wearing　the　hat　of　a　general　of　his　guard；　he　could　hardly
believe　his　eyes。　　He　spurred　up　his　horse；　and　inquired　the　cause。
General　Gros　then　said；　laughing；　and　in　the　frank　speech　he　so　often
used　even　to　the　Emperor；　〃It　is　a　brave　soldier　from　my　old　battalion；
accustomed　to　play　pranks　to　amuse　his　comrades。　　He　is　a　brave　fellow；
Sire；　and　every　inch　a　man；　and　I　recommend　him　to　your　Majesty。
Moreover；　Sire；　he　can　himself　do　more　than　a　whole　park　of　artillery。
Come；　Rata；　give　us　a　broad　side；　and　no　quarter。〃　　The　Emperor　listened；
and　observed　almost　stupefied　what　was　passing　under　his　very　eyes；　when
Rata；　in　no　wise　intimidated　by　the　presence　of　the　Emperor；　prepared　to
execute　the　general's　order；　then；　sticking　his　finger　in　his　mouth；　he
made　a　noise　like　first　the　whistling　and　then　the　bursting　of　a　shell。
The　imitation　was　so　perfect　that　the　Emperor　was　compelled　to　laugh；　and
turning　to　General　Gros；　said；　〃Come；　take　this　man　this　very　evening
into　the　guard；　and　remind　me　of　him　on　the　next　occasion。〃　　In　a　short
while　Rata　had　the　cross；　which　those　who　threw　real　shells　at　the　enemy
often　had　not；　so　largely　does　caprice　enter　into　the　destiny　of　men！




L'ENVOI。

（BY　THE　EDITOR　OF　THE　FRENCH　EDITION　OF　1830。）

The　life　of　any　one　who　has　played　a　distinguished　part　offers　many
points　of　view；　the　number　of　which　increases　in　proportion　to　the
influence　he　has　wielded　upon　the　movement　of　events。　　This　has　been
greater　in　the　case　of　Napoleon　than　of　any　other　personage　in　history。
The　product　of　an　era　of　convulsions；　in　all　of　whose　changes　he　took
part；　and　which　he　at　last　closed　by　subjecting　all　ideas　under　a　rule；
which　at　one　time　promised　to　be　lasting；　he；　like　Catiline；　requires　a
Sallust；　like　Charlemagne；　an　Eginhard；　and　like　Alexander；　a　Quintus
Curtius。　　M。　de　Bourrienne　has；　indeed；　after　the　manner　of　Commines；
shown　him　to　us　undisguised　in　his　political　manipulations　and　in　the
private　life　of　his　Court。　　This　is　a　great　step　towards　a　knowledge　of
his　individuality；　but　it　is　not　enough。　　It　is　in　a　thorough
acquaintance　with　his　private　life　that　this　disillusioned　age　will　find
the　secret　springs　of　the　drama　of　his　marvelous　career。　　The　great　men
of　former　ages　were　veiled　from　us　by　a　cloud　of　prejudice　which　even　the
good　sense　of　Plutarch　scarcely　penetrated。　　Our　age；　more　analytical　and
freer　from　illusions；　in　the　great　man　seeks　to　find　the　individual。　　It
is　by　this　searching　test　that　the　present　puts　aside　all　illusions；　and
that　the　future　will　seek　to　justify　its　judgments。　　In　the　council　of
state；　the　statesman　is　in　his　robe；　on　the　battlefield　the　warrior　is
beneath　his　armor；　but　in　his　bedchamber；　in　his　undress；　we　find　the
man。

It　has　been　said　that　no　man　is；　a　hero　to　his　valet。　　It　would　give　wide
latitude　to　a　witty　remark；　which　has　become　proverbial；　to　make　it　the
epigraph　of　these　memoirs。　　The　valet　of　a　hero　by　that　very　fact　is
something　more　than　a　valet。　　Amber　is　only　earth；　and　Bologna　stone　only
a　piece　of　rock；　but　the　first　gives　out　the　perfume　of　the　rose；　and　the
other　flashes　the　rays　of　the　sun。　　The　character　of　a　witness　is
dignified　by　the　solemnity　of　the　scene　and　the　greatness　of　the　actor。
Even　before　reading　the　manuscript　of　M。　Constant；　we　were　strongly
persuaded　that　impressions　so　unusual　and　so　striking　would　raise　him　to
the　level　of　the　occasion。

The　reader　can　now　judge　of　this　for　himself。　　These　are　the　memoirs　of
M。　Constant；autographic　memoirs　of　one　still　living；　who　has　written
them　to　preserve　his　recollections。　　It　is　the　private　history；　the
familiar　life；　the　leisure　moments；　passed　in　undress；　of　Napoleon；　which
we　now　present　to　the　public。　　It　is　Napoleon　taken　without　a　mask；
deprived　of　his　general's　sword；　the　consular　purple；　the　imperial
crown；Napoleon　resting　from　council　and　from　battle；　forgetful　of　power
and　of　conquest；　Napoleon　unbending　himself；　going　to　bed；　sleeping　the
slumber　of　a　common　man；　as　if　the　world　did　not　hang　upon　his　dreams。

These　are　striking　facts；　so　natural　and　of　such　simplicity；　that　though
a　biased　judgment　may；　perhaps；　exaggerate　their　character；　and　amplify
their　importance；　they　will　furnish　to　an　impartial　and　reflective　mind　a
wealth　of　evidence　far　superior　to　the　vain　speculations　of　the
imagination　or　the　prejudiced　judgments　of　political　parties。

In　this　light　the　author　of　these　memoirs　is　not　an　author；　but　simply　a
narrator；　who　has　seen　more　closely　and　intimately　than　any　one　else　the
Master　of　the　West；　who　was　for　fifteen　years　his　master　also；　and　what
he　has　written　he　has　seen　with　his　own　eyes。








End