napoleon bonaparte, v7-第11章

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expressing　angelic　forgiveness：　〃Sire；　I　am　going　to　fall　on　my　knees　in
my　oratory；　and　will　not　rise　until　I　have　obtained　from　Heaven　your
Majesty's　pardon。〃　　The　Emperor　could　no　longer　hold　out；　he　granted　the
pardon；　and　M。　M　was　released　after　a　month　of　close　confinement。
M。　Larrey　was　charged　by　his　Majesty　to　reprove　him　most　severely；　with　a
caution　to　guard　more　carefully　the　honor　of　the　corps　to　which　he
belonged；　and　the　remonstrances　of　this　excellent　man　were　made　in　so
paternal　a　manner　that　they　doubled　in　M。　M's　eyes　the　value　of　the
inestimable　service　M。　Larrey　had　rendered　him。

M。　le　Baron　Larrey　was　always　most　disinterested　in　his　kind　services；　a
fact　which　was　well　known　and　often　abused。　　General　d'A；　the　son　of
a　rich　senator；　had　his　shoulder　broken　by　a　shell　at　Wagram；　and　an
exceedingly　delicate　operation　was　found　necessary；　requiring　a　skilled
hand；　and　which　M。　Larrey　alone　could　perform。　　This　operation　was　a
complete　success；　but　the　wounded　man　had　a　delicate　constitution；　which
had　been　much　impaired；　and　consequently　required　the　most　incessant　care
and　attention。　　M。　Larrey　hardly　ever　left　his　bedside；　and　was　assisted
by　two　medical　students；　who　watched　by　turns；　and　assisted　him　in
dressing　the　wound。　　The　treatment　was　long　and　painful；　but　a　complete
cure　was　the　result；　and　when　almost　entirely　recovered；　the　general　took
leave　of　the　Emperor　to　return　to　France。　　A　pension　and　decorations
canceled　the　debt　of　the　head　of　the　state　to　him；　but　the　manner　in
which　he　acquitted　his　own　towards　the　man　who　had　saved　his　life　is
worthy　of　consideration。

As　he　entered　his　carriage　he　handed　to　one　of　his　friends　a　letter　and　a
little　box；　saying　to　this　general；　〃I　cannot　leave　Vienna　without
thanking　M。　Larrey；　do　me　the　favor　of　handing　to　him　for　me　this　mark　of
my　gratitude。　　Good　Larrey；　I　will　never　forget　the　services　he　has
rendered　me。〃　　Next　day　the　friend　performed　his　commission；　and　a
soldier　was　sent　with　the　letter　and　the　present；　and；　as　he　reached
Schoenbrunn　during　the　parade；　sought　M。　Larrey　in　the　line。　　〃Here　is　a
letter　and　a　box　which　I　bring　from　General　A。〃　　M。　Larrey　put　both
in　his　pocket；　but　after　the　parade　examined　them；　and　showed　the　package
to　Cadet　de　Gassicourt；　saying；　〃Look　at　it；　and　tell　me　what　you　think
of　it。〃　　The　letter　was　very　prettily　written；　as　for　the　box；　it
contained　a　diamond　worth　about　sixty　francs。

This　pitiful　recompense　recalls　one　both　glorious　and　well…earned　which
M。　Larrey　received　from　the　Emperor　during　the　campaign　in　Egypt。　　At　the
battle　of　Aboukir；　General　Fugieres　was　operated　on　by　M。　Larrey　under
the　enemies'　fire　for　a　dangerous　wound　on　the　shoulder；　and　thinking
himself　about　to　die；　offered　his　sword　to　General　Bonaparte；　saying　to
him；　〃General；　perhaps　one　day　you　may　envy　my　fate。〃　　The　general…in…
chief　presented　this　sword　to　M。　Larrey；　after　having　engraved　on　it　the
name　of　M。　Larrey　and　that　of　the　battle。　　However；　General　Fugieres　did
not　die；　his　life　was　saved　by　the　skillful　operation　he　had　undergone；
and　for　seventeen　years　he　commanded　the　Invalids　at　Avignon。




CHAPTER　XX。

It　is　not　in　the　presence　of　the　enemy　that　differences　in　the　manner　and
bearing　of　soldiers　can　be　remarked；　for　the　requirements　of　the　service
completely　engross　both　the　ideas　and　time　of　officers；　whatever　their
grade；　and　uniformity　of　occupation　produces　also　a　kind　of　uniformity　of
habit　and　character；　but；　in　the　monotonous　life　of　the　camp；　differences
due　to　nature　and　education　reassert　themselves。　　I　noted　this　many　times
after　the　truces　and　treaties　of　peace　which　crowned　the　most　glorious
campaigns　of　the　Emperor；　and　had　occasion　to　renew　my　observations　on
this　point　during　the　long　sojourn　which　we　made　at　Schoenbrunn　with　the
army。　　Military　tone　in　the　army　is　a　most　difficult　thing　to　define；　and
differs　according　to　rank；　time　of　service；　and　kind　of　service；　and
there　are　no　genuine　soldiers　except　those　who　form　part　of　the　line；　or
who　command　it。　　In　the　soldiers'　opinion；　the　Prince　de　Neuchatel　and
his　brilliant　staff；　the　grand　marshal；　Generals　Bertrand；　Bacler　d'Albe；
etc。；　were　only　men　of　the　cabinet　council；　whose　experience　might　be　of
some　use　in　such　deliberations；　but　to　whom　bravery　was　not
indispensable。

The　chief　generals；　such　as　Prince　Eugene；　Marshals　Oudinot；　Davoust；
Bessieres；　and　his　Majesty's　aides…decamp；　Rapp；　Lebrun；　Lauriston；
Mouton；　etc。；　were　exceedingly　affable；　and　every　one　was　most　politely
received　by　them；　their　dignity　never　became　haughtiness；　nor　their　ease
an　excessive　familiarity；　though　their　manners　were　at　all　times　slightly
tinged　by　the　austerity　inseparable　from　the　character　of　a　warrior。
This　was　not　the　idea　held　in　the　army　in　regard　to　a　few　of　the　ordnance
and　staff　officers　（aides…de…camp）；　for；　while　according　them　all　the
consideration　due　both　to　their　education　and　their　courage；　they　called
them　the　jay…birds　of　the　army；　receiving　favors　which　others　deserved；
obtaining　cordons　and　promotions　for　carrying　a　few　letters　into　camp；
often　without　having　even　seen　the　enemy；　insulting　by　their　luxury　the
modest　temperance　of　the　braver　officers；　and　more　foppish　in　the　midst
of　their　battalions　than　in　the　boudoirs　of　their　mistresses。　　The
silver…gilt　box　of　one　of　these　gentlemen　was　a　complete　portable
dressing…case；　and　contained；　instead　of　cartridges；　essence　bottles；
brushes；　a　mirror；　a　tongue…scraper；　a　shell…comb；　andI　do　not　know
that　it　lacked　even　a　pot　of　rouge。　　It　could　not　be　said　that　they　were
not　brave；　for　they　would　allow　themselves　to　be　killed　for　a　glance；
but　they　were　very；　rarely　exposed　to　danger。　　Foreigners　would　be　right
in　maintaining　the　assertion　that　the　French　soldier　is　frivolous；
presumptuous；　impertinent；　and　immoral；　if　they　formed　their　judgment
alone　from　these　officers　by　courtesy；　who；　in　place　of　study　and
faithful　service；　had　often　no　other　title　to　their　rank　than　the　merit
of　having　emigrated。

The　officers　of　the　line；　who　had　served　in　several　campaigns　and　had
gained　their　epaulettes　on　the　field　of　battle；　held　a　very　different
position　in　the　army。　　Always　grave；　polite；　and　considerate；　there　was　a
kind　of　fraternity　among　them；　and　having　known　suffering　and　misery
themselves；　they　were　always　ready　to　help　others；　and　their
conversation；　though　not　distinguished　by　brilliant　information；　was
often　full　of　interest。　　In　nearly　every　case　boasting　quitted　them　with
their　youth；　and　the　bravest　were　always　the　most　modest。　　Influenced　by
no　imaginary　points　of　honor；　they　estimated　themselves　at　their　real
worth；　and　all　fear　of　being　suspected　of　cowardice　was　beneath　them。
With　these　brave　soldiers；　who　often　united　to　the　greatest　kindness　of
heart　a　mettle　no　less　great；　a　flat　contradiction　or　even　a　little　hasty
abuse　from　one　of　their　brothers　in　arms　was　not　obliged　to　be　washed　out
in　blood；　and　examples　of　the　moderation　which　true　courage　alone　has　a
right　to　show　were　not　rare　in　the　army。　　Those　who　cared　least　for
money；　and　were　most　generous；　were　most　exposed；　the　artillerymen　and
the　hussars；　for　instance。　　At　Wagram　I　saw　a　lieutenant　pay　a　louis　for
a　bottle　of　brandy；　and　immediately　divide　it　among　the　soldiers　of　his
company；　and　brave　officers　often　formed　such　an　attachment　to　their
regiment；　especially　if　it　had　distinguished　itself；　that　they　sometimes
refused　promotion　rather　than　be　separated　from　their　children；　as　they
called　them。　　In　them　we　behold　the　true　model　of　the　French　soldier；　and
it　is　this　kindness；　mingled　with　the　austerity　of　a　warrior；　this
attachment　of　the　chief　to　the　soldier；　which　the　latter　is　so　capable　of
appreciating；　and　an　impregnable　honor；　which　serve　to　distinguish　our
soldiers　from　all　others；　and　not；　as　foreigners　think；　presumption；
braggadocio；　and　libertinage；　which　latter　are　ever　the　characteristics
of　the　parasites　of　glory　alone。

In　the　camp　of　Lobau　on　the　evening　before　the　battle　of　Wagram；　the
Emperor；　as　he　was　walking　outside　his　tent；　stopped　a　moment　watching
the　grenadiers　of　hi