memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v8-第2章

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with　me；　everywhere　public　opinion　has　been　declared　in　my　favour；　so
that　I　have　nothing　to　apprehend　from　giving　the　greatest　publicity　to
these　plots；　and　bringing　the　accused　to　a　solemn　trial。　　The　greater
number　of　those　gentlemen　wished　me　to　bring　the　prisoners　before　a
military　commission；　that　summary　judgment　might　be　obtained；　but　I
refused　my　consent　to　this　measure。　　It　might　have　been　said　that　I
dreaded　public　opinion；　and　I　fear　it　not。　　People　may　talk　as　much　as
they　please；　well　and　good；　I　am　not　obliged　to　hear　them；　but　I　do　not
like　those　who　are　attached　to　my　person　to　blame　what　I　have　done。〃

As　I　could　not　wholly　conceal　an　involuntary　emotion；　in　which　the
Emperor　saw　something　more　than　mere　surprise；　he　paused；　took　me　by　the
ear；　and；　smiling　in　the　most　affectionate　manner；　said；　〃I　had　no
reference　to　you　in　what　I　said；　but　I　have　to　complain　of　Lacuee。　　Could
you　believe　that　during　the　trial　he　went　about　clamouring　in　behalf　of
Moreau？　　He；　my　aide　de　campa　man　who　owes　everything　to　me！　　As　for
you；　I　have　said　that　you　acted　very　well　in　this　affair。〃〃　I　know　not；
Sire；　what　has　either　been　done　or　said　by　Lacuee；whom　I　have　not　seen
for　a　long　time；　what　I　said　to　Duroc　is　what　history　teaches　in　every
page。〃〃By　the　by；〃　resumed　the　Emperor；　after　a　short　silence；　〃do　you
know　that　it　was　I　myself　who　discovered　that　Pichegru　was　in　Paris。
Everyone　said　to　me；　Pichegru　is　in　Paris；　Fouche；　Real；　harped　on　the
same　string；　but　could　give　me　no　proof　of　their　assertion。　　'What　a　fool
you　are；'　said　I　to　Real；　　when　in　an　instant　you　may　ascertain　the　fact。
Pichegru　has　a　brother；　an　aged　ecclesiastic；　who　resides　in　Paris；　let
his　dwelling　be　searched；　and　should　he　be　absent；　it　will　warrant　a
suspicion　that　Pichegru　is　here；　if；　on　the　contrary；　his　brother　should
be　at　home；　let　him　be　arrested：　he　is　a　simple…minded　man；　and　in　the
first　moments　of　agitation　will　betray　the　truth。　　Everything　happened　as
I　had　foreseen；　for　no　sooner　was　he　arrested　than；　without　waiting　to　be
questioned；　he　inquired　if　it　was　a　crime　to　have　received　his　brother
into　his　house。　　Thus　every　doubt　was　removed；　and　a　miscreant　in　the
house　in　which　Pichegru　lodged　betrayed　him　to　the　police。　　What　horrid
degradation　to　betray　a　friend　for　the　sake　of　gold。〃

Then　reverting　to　Moreau；　the　Emperor　talked　a　great　deal　respecting　that
general。　　〃Moreau；〃　he　said；　〃possesses　many　good　qualities；　his　bravery
is　undoubted；　but　he　has　more　courage　than　energy；　he　is　indolent　and
effeminate。　　When　with　the　army　he　lived　like　a　pasha；　he　smoked；　was
almost　constantly　in　bed；　and　gave　himself　up　to　the　pleasures　of　the
table。　　His　dispositions　are　naturally　good；　but　he　is　too　indolent　for
study；　he　does　not　read；　and　since　he　has　been　tied　to　his　wife's
apronstrings　is　fit　for　nothing。　　He　sees　only　with　the　eyes　of　his　wife
and　her　mother；　who　have　had　a　hand　in　all　these　late　plots；　and　then；
Bourrienne；　is　it　not　very　strange　that　it　was　by　my　advice　that　he
entered　into　this　union？　　I　was　told　that　Mademoiselle　Hulot　was　a
creole；　and　I　believed　that　he　would　find　in　her　a　second　Josephine；　how
greatly　was　I　mistaken！　　It　is　these　women　who　have　estranged　us　from
each　other；　and　I　regret　that　he　should　have　acted　so　unworthily。　　You
must　remember　my　observing　to　you　more　than　two　years　ago　that　Moreau
would　one　day　run　his　head　against　the　gate　of　the　Tuileries；　that　he　has
done　so　was　no　fault　of　mine；　for　you　know　how　much　I　did　to　secure　his
attachment。　　You　cannot　have　forgotten　the　reception　I　gave　him　at
Malmaison。　　On　the　18th　Brumaire　I　conferred　on　him　the　charge　of　the
Luxembourg；　and　in　that　situation　he　fully　justified　my；　choice。　　But
since　that　period　he　has　behaved　towards　me　with　the　utmost　ingratitude　…
…entered　into　all　the　silly　cabala　against　me；　blamed　all　my　measures；
and　turned　into　ridicule　the　Legion　of　Honour。　　Have　not　some　of　the
intriguers　put　it　into　his　head　that　I　regard　him　with　jealousy？　　You
must　be　aware　of　that。　　You　must　also　know　as　well　as　I　how　anxious　the
members　of　the　Directory　were　to　exalt　the　reputation　of　Moreau。　　Alarmed
at　my　success　in　Italy；　they　wished　to　have　in　the　armies　a　general　to
serve　as　a　counterpoise　to　my　renown。　　I　have　ascended　the　throne　and　he
is　the　inmate　of　a　prison！　　You　are　aware　of　the　incessant　clamouring
raised　against　me　by　the　whole　family；　at　which　I　confess　I　was　very　much
displeased；　coming　from　those　whom　I　had　treated　so　well！　　Had　he
attached　himself　to　me；　I　would　doubtless　have　conferred　on　him　the　title
of　First　Marshal　of　the　Empire；　but　what　could　I　do？　　He　constantly
depreciated　my　campaigns　and　my　government。　　From　discontent　to　revolt
there　is　frequently　only　one　step；　especially　when　a　man　of　a　weak
character　becomes　the　tool　of　popular　clubs；　and　therefore　when　I　was
first　informed　that　Moreau　was　implicated　in　the　conspiracy　of　Georges　I
believed　him　to　be　guilty；　but　hesitated　to　issue　an　order　for　his　arrest
till　I　had　taken　the　opinion　of　my　Council。　　The　members　having
assembled；　I　ordered　the　different　documents　to　be　laid　before　them；　with
an　injunction　to　examine　them　with　the　utmost　care；　since　they　related　to
an　affair　of　importance；　and　I　urged　them　candidly　to　inform　me　whether；
in　their　opinion；　any　of　the　charges　against　Moreau　were　sufficiently
strong　to　endanger　his　life。　　The　fools！　　their　reply　was　in　the
affirmative；　I　believe　they　were　even　unanimous！　　Then　I　had　no
alternative　but　to　suffer　the　proceedings　to　take　their　course。　　It　is
unnecessary　to　affirm　to　you；　Bourrienne；　that　Moreau　never　should　have
perished　on　a　scaffold！　　Most　assuredly　I　would　have　pardoned　him；　but
with　the　sentence　of　death　hanging　over　his　head　he　could　no　longer　have
proved　dangerous；　and　his　name　would　have　ceased　to　be　a　rallying…point
for　disaffected　Republicans　or　imbecile　Royalists。　　Had　the　Council
expressed　any　doubts　respecting　his　guilt　I　would　have　intimated　to　him
that　the　suspicions　against　him　were　so　strong　as　to　render　any　further
connection　between　us　impossible；　and　that　the　best　course　he　could
pursue　would　be　to　leave　France　for　three　years；　under　the　pretext　of
visiting　some　of　the　places　rendered　celebrated　during　the　late　wars；　but
that　if　he　preferred　a　diplomatic　mission　I　would　make　a　suitable
provision　for　his　expenses；　and　the　great　innovator；　Time；　might　effect
great　changes　during　the　period　of　his　absence。　　But　my　foolish　Council
affirmed　to　me　that　his　guilt；　as　a　principal；　being　evident；　it　was
absolutely　necessary　to　bring　him　to　trial；　and　now　his　sentence　is　only
that　of　a　pickpocket。　　What　think　you　I　ought　to　do？　　Detain　him？　　He
might　still　prove　a　rallying…point。　　No。　　Let　him　sell　his　property　and
quit？　　Can　I　confine　him　in　the　Temple？　　It　is　full　enough　without　him。
Still；　if　this　had　been　the　only　great　error　they　had　led　me　to　commit〃

〃Sire；　how　greatly　you　have　been　deceived。〃

〃Oh　yes；　I　have　been　so；　but　I　cannot　see　everything　　with　my　own　eyes。〃

At　this　part　of　our　conversation；　of　which　I　have　suppressed　my　own　share
as　much　as　possible；　I　conceived　that　the　last　words　of　Bonaparte　alluded
to　the　death　of　the　Duc　d'Enghien；　and　I　fancied　he　was　about　to　mention
that　event　but　he　again　spoke　of　Moreau。

〃He　is　very　much　mistaken；〃　resumed　the　Emperor；　〃if　he　conceives　I　bore
any　ill…will　towards　him。　　After　his　arrest　I　sent　Lauriston　to　the
Temple；　whom　I　chose　because　he　was　of　an　amiable　and　conciliating
disposition；　I　charged　him　to　tell　Moreau　to　confess　he　had　only　seen
Pichegru；　and　I　would　cause　the　proceedings　against　him　to　be　suspended。
Instead　of　receiving　this　act　of　generosity　as　he　ought　to　have　done；　he
replied　to　it　with　great　haughtiness；　so　much　was　he　elated　that　Pichegru
had　not　been　arrested；　he　afterwards；　however；　lowered　his　tone。　He　wrote
to　me　a　letter　of　excuse　respecting　his　anterior　conduct；　which　I　caused
to　be　produced　on　the　trial。　　He　was　the　author　of　his　own　ruin；　besides；
it　would　have　required　men　of　a　different　stamp　from　Moreau　to　conspire
against　me。　　Amoung；　the　conspirators；　for　example；　was　an　individual
whose