napoleon bonaparte, v10-第14章

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consequently　have　expected　this　loss；　he　felt　it　none　the　less　sensibly；
and　sincerely　mourned　his　former　aide…decamp。

The　Emperor　remained　only　a　few　days　with　the　Empress；　whom　he　met　again
with　extreme　pleasure。　　But　as　important　political　considerations
recalled　him；　he　returned　to　Dresden；　visiting　several　places　on　his
route；　and　the　4th　of　August　we　returned　to　the　capital　of　Saxony。
Travelers　who　had　seen　this　beautiful　country　only　in　a　time　of　peace
would　have　recognized　it　with　difficulty。　　Immense　fortifications　had
metamorphosed　it　into　a　warlike　town；　numerous　batteries　had　been　placed
in　the　suburbs　overlooking　the　opposite　bank　of　the　Elbe。　　Everything
assumed　a　warlike　attitude；　and　the　Emperor's　time　became　so　completely
and　entirely　absorbed　that　he　remained　nearly　three　days　without　leaving
his　cabinet。

Nevertheless；　in　the　midst　of　the　preparations　for　war　all　arrangements
were　made　to　celebrate　on　the　10th　of　August　the　Emperor's　fete；　which
had　been　advanced　five　days；　because；　as　I　have　previously　observed；　the
armistice　expired　precisely　on　the　anniversary　of　Saint…Napoleon；　and；　as
may　be　readily　inferred　from　his　natural　passion　for　war；　the　resumption
of　hostilities　was　not　an　addition　to　his　fete　which　he　would　be　likely
to　disdain。

There　was　at　Dresden；　as　had　been　customary　at　Paris；　a　special
representation　at　the　theater　on　the　evening　before　the　Emperor's　fete。
The　actors　of　the　French　theater　played　two　comedies　on　the　9th　at　five
o'clock　in　the　evening；　which　representation　was　the　last；　as　the　actors
of　the　French　Comedy　received　orders　immediately　afterwards　to　return　to
Paris。　　The　next　day　the　King　of　Saxony；　accompanied　by　all　the　princes
of　the　royal　family；　repaired　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　to　the
Marcolini　palace；　in　order　to　pay　his　respects　to　the　Emperor；　after
which　a　grand　morning　reception　was　held　as　was　the　custom　at　the
Tuileries；　and　a　review；　at　which　the　Emperor　inspected　a　part　of　his
guard；　several　regiments；　and　the　Saxon　troops；　who　were　invited　to　dine
by　the　French　troops。　　On　that　day　the　city　of　Dresden　without　much
exaggeration　might　have　been　compared　to　a　great　dining…hall。　　In　fact；
while　his　Majesty　was　dining　in　state　at　the　palace　of　the　King　of
Saxony；　where　the　whole　family　of　this　prince　was　assembled；　the　entire
diplomatic　corps　was　seated　at　the　table　of　the　Duke　of　Bassano；　Baron
Bignon；　　envoy　from　France　to　Warsaw；　feasted　all　the　distinguished　Poles
present　in　Dresden；　Count　Darn　gave　a　grand　dinner　to　the　French
authorities；　General　Friant　to　the　French　and　Saxon　generals；　and　Baron
de　Serra；　minister　from　France　to　Dresden；　to　the　chiefs　of　the　Saxon
colleges。　　This　day　of　dinings　was　concluded　by　a　supper　for　nearly　two
hundred　guests；　which　General　Henri　Durosnel；　Governor　of　Dresden；　gave
that　evening　at　the　close　of　a　magnificent　ball　at　the　residence　of　M。　de
Serra。

On　our　return　from　Mayence　to　Dresden　I　learned　that　the　residence　of
General　Durosnel　was　the　rendezvous　of　all　the　highest　circles　of
society；　both　Saxon　and　French。　　During　the　absence　of　his　Majesty；　the
general；　taking　advantage　of　this　leisure；　gave　numerous　fetes；　among
others　one　to　the　actors　and　actresses　of　French　Comedy。　　I　recall　in
this　connection　an　amusing　anecdote　which　was　related　to　me　at　the　time。
Baptiste　junior；　with　no　lack　either　of　decorum　or　refinement；
contributed　greatly　to　the　amusement　of　the　evening；　being　presented
under　the　name　of　my　Lord　Bristol；　English　diplomat；　en　route　to　the
Council　of　Prague。　　His　disguise　was　so　perfect；　his　accent　so　natural；
and　his　phlegm　so　imperturbable；　that　many　persons　of　the　Saxon　court
were　completely　deceived；　which　did　not　in　the　least　astonish　me；　and　I
thereby　saw　that　Baptiste　junior's　talent　for　mystification　had　lost
nothing　since　the　time　when　I　had　been　so　highly　diverted　at　the
breakfasts　of　Colonel　Beauharnais。　　How　many　events　had　occurred　since
that　time。

The　Emperor；　seeing　that　nothing　could　longer　delay　the　resumption　of
hostilities；　had　consequently　divided　the　two　hundred　thousand　men　of　his
infantry　into　fourteen　army　corps；　the　command　of　which　was　given　to
Marshals　Victor；　Ney；　Marmont；　Augereau；　Macdonald；　Oudinot；　Davoust；　and
Gouvion　Saint…Cyr；　Prince　Poniatowski；　and　Generals　Reynier；　Rapp；
Lauriston；　Vandamme；　and　Bertrand；。　　The　forty　thousand　cavalry　formed
six　grand　divisions　under　the　command　of　Generals　Nansouty；　Latour…
Maubourg；　Sebastiani；　Arrighi；　Milhaud；　and　Kellermann；　and；　as　I　have
already　said；　the　King　of　Naples　had　the　command　of　the　Imperial　Guard。
Moreover；　in　this　campaign　appeared　for　the　first　time　on　our　fields　of
battle　the　guard　of　honor；　a　select　troop　recruited　from　the　richest　and
most　distinguished　families；　and　which　had　been　increased　to　more　than
ten　thousand　men；　divided　into　two　divisions　under　the　simple　title　of
regiments；　one　of　which　was　commanded　by　General　Count　of　Pully；　and　the
other；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　by　General　Segur。　　These　youths；　but　lately
idlers　given　up　to　repose　and　pleasure；　became　in　a　short　time　most
excellent　cavalry；　which　signalized　itself　on　various　occasions；　notably
at　the　battle　of　Dresden；　of　which　I　shall　soon　have　occasion　to　speak。

The　strength　of　the　French　army　has　been　previously　stated。　　The　combined
army　of　the　allies　amounted　to　four　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　infantry；
and　its　cavalry　to　hardly　less　than　one　hundred　thousand；　without
counting　a　reserve　army　corps　of　eighty　thousand　Russians；　in　readiness
to　leave　Poland　under　the　command　of　General　Beningsen。　　Thus　the　enemy's
army　outnumbered　ours　in　the　proportion　of　two　to　one。

At　the　time　we　entered　into　this　campaign；　Austria　had　just　declared　war
openly　against　us。　　This　blow；　although　not　unexpected；　struck　the
Emperor　deeply；　and　he　expressed　himself　freely　in　regard　to　it　before
all　persons　who　had　the　honor　to　approach　him。　　M。　de　Metternich；　I　have
heard　it　stated；　had　almost　certainly　forewarned　him　of　this　in　the　last
interviews　this　minister　had　at　Dresden　with　his　Majesty；　but　the　Emperor
had　been　entirely　unable　to　bring　himself　to　the　belief　that　the　Emperor
of　Austria　would　make　common　cause　with　the　coalition　of　the　north
against　his　own　daughter　and　grandson。　　Finally　all　doubts　were　solved　by
the　arrival　of　Count　Louis　de　Narbonne；　who　was　returning　from　Prague　to
Dresden；　as　bearer　of　a　declaration　of　war　from　Austria。　　Every　one
foresaw　that　France　must　soon　count　among　its　enemies　all　the　countries
no　longer　occupied　by　its　troops；　and　results　justified　this　prediction
only　too　well。　　Nevertheless；　everything　was　not　lost；　for　we　had　not　yet
been　compelled　to　take　the　defensive。




CHAPTER　XIV。

War　recommenced　before　negotiations　were　finally　broken；　for　the　Duke　of
Vicenza　was　still　in　communication　with　M。　de　Metternich。　　The　Emperor；
as　he　mounted　his　horse；　said　to　the　numerous　generals　surrounding　him
that　he　now　marched　to　conquer　a　peace。　　But　what　hope　could　remain　after
the　declaration　of　war　by　Austria；　and　above　all；　when　it　was　known　that
the　allied　sovereigns　had　incessantly　increased　their　pretensions　in
proportion　as　the　Emperor　granted　the　concessions　demanded？　　The　Emperor
left　Dresden　at　five　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　advancing　on　the　road　to
Koenigstein；　and　passed　the　next　day　at　Bautzen；　where　he　revisited　the
battlefield；　the　scene　of　his　last　victory。　　There　the　king　of　Naples；
who　did　not　wish　royal　honors　to　be　rendered　himself；　came　to　rejoin　the
Emperor　at　the　head　of　the　Imperial　Guard；　who　presented　as　imposing　an
appearance　as　in　its　pristine　days。

We　arrived　at　Gorlitz　on　the　18th；　where　the　Emperor　found　the　Duke　of
Vicenza；　who　was　returning　from　Bohemia。　　He　confirmed　the　truth　of　the
report　his　Majesty　had　already　received　at　Dresden；　that　the　Emperor　of
Austria　had　already　decided　to　make　common　cause　with　the　Emperor　of
Russia　and　the　Kings　of　Prussia　and　Sweden　against　the　husband　of　his
daughter；　the　princess　whom　he　had　given　to　the　Emperor　as　a　pledge　of
peace。　　It　was　also　through　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　that　the　Emperor　learned
that　General　Blucher　had　just　ent