napoleon bonaparte, v7-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


Emperor；　as　he　was　walking　outside　his　tent；　stopped　a　moment　watching
the　grenadiers　of　his　guard　who　were　breakfasting。　　〃Well；　my　children；
what　do　you　think　of　the　wine？〃〃It　will　not　make　us　tipsy；　Sire；　there
is　our　cellar；〃　said　a　soldier　pointing　to　the　Danube。　　The　Emperor；　who
had　ordered　a　bottle　of　good　wine　to　be　distributed　to　each　soldier；　was
surprised　to　see　that　they　were　so　abstemious　the　evening　before　a
battle。　　He　inquired　of　the　Prince　de　Neuchatel　the　cause　of　this；　and
upon　investigation；　it　was　learned　that　two　storekeepers　and　an　employee
in　the　commissary　department　had　sold　forty　thousand　bottles　of　the　wine
which　the　Emperor　had　ordered　to　be　distributed；　and　had　replaced　it　with
some　of　inferior　quality。　　This　wine　had　been　seized　by　the　Imperial
Guard　in　a　rich　abbey；　and　was　valued　at　thirty　thousand　florins。　　The
culprits　were　arrested；　tried；　and　condemned　to　death。

There　was　in　the　camp　at　Lobau　a　dog　which　I　think　all　the　army　knew　by
the　name　of　corps…de…garde。　　He　was　old；　emaciated；　and　ugly；　but　his
moral　qualities　caused　his　exterior　defects　to　be　quickly　lost　sight　of。
He　was　sometimes　called　the　brave　dog　of　the　Empire；　since　he　had
received　a　bayonet　stroke　at　Marengo；　and　had　a　paw　broken　by　a　gun　at
Austerlitz；　being　at　that　time　attached　to　a　regiment　of　dragoons。　　He
had　no　master。　　He　was　in　the　habit　of　attaching　himself　to　a　corps；　and
continuing　faithful　so　long　as　they　fed　him　well　and　did　not　beat　him。
A　kick　or　a　blow　with　the　flat　of　a　sword　would　cause　him　to　desert　this
regiment；　and　pass　on　to　another。　　He　was　unusually　intelligent；　and
whatever　position　of　the　corps　in　which　he　might　be　the　was　serving；　he
did　not　abandon　it；　or　confound　it　with　any　other；　and　in　the　thickest　of
the　fight　was　always　near　the　banner　he　had　chosen；　and　if　in　the　camp　he
met　a　soldier　from　the　regiment　he　had　deserted；　he　would　droop　his　ears；
drop　his　tail　between　his　legs；　and　scamper　off　quickly　to　rejoin　his　new
brothers　in　arms。　　When　his　regiment　was　on　the　march　he　circled　as　a
scout　all　around　it；　and　gave　warning　by　a　bark　if　he　found　anything
unusual；　thus　on　more　than　one　occasion　saving　his　comrades　from　ambush。

Among　the　officers　who　perished　at　the　battle　of　Wagram；　or　rather　in　a
small　engagement　which　took　place　after　the　battle　had　ended；　one　of
those　most　regretted　by　the　soldiers　was　General　Oudet。　　He　was　one　of
the　bravest　generals　of　the　army；　but　what　brings　his　name　especially　to
mind；　among　all　those　whom　the　army　lost　on　that　memorable　day；　is　a　note
which　I　have　preserved　of　a　conversation　I　held　several　years　after　this
battle　with　an　excellent　officer　who　was　one　of　my　sincerest　friends。

In　a　conversation　with　Lieutenant…colonel　B　in　1812；　he　remarked；　〃I
must　tell　you；　my　dear　Constant；　of　a　strange　adventure　which　happened　to
me　at　Wagram。　　I　did　not　tell　you　at　the　time；　because　I　had　promised　to
be　silent；　but　since　at　the　present　time　no　one　can　be　compromised　by　my
indiscretion；　and　since　those　who　then　had　most　to　fear　if　their　singular
ideas　（for　I　can　call　them　by　no　other　name）　had　been　revealed；　would　now
be　first　to　laugh　at　them；　I　can　well　inform　you　of　the　mysterious
discovery　I　made　at　that　period。

〃You　well　know　that　I　was　much　attached　to　poor　F　whom　we　so　much
regretted；　and　he　was　one　of　our　most　popular　and　attractive　officers；
his　good　qualities　winning　the　hearts　of　all；　especially　of　those　who
like　himself　had　an　unfailing　fund　of　frankness　and　good　humor。　　All　at
once　I　noticed　a　great　change　in　his　manner；　as　well　as　in　that　of　his
habitual　companions；　they　appeared　gloomy；　and　met　together　no　more　for
gay　conversation；　but　on　the　contrary　spoke　in　low　tones　and　with　an　air
of　mystery。　　More　than　once　this　sudden　change　had　struck　me；　and　if　by
chance　I　met　them　in　retired　places；　instead　of　receiving　me　cordially　as
had　always　been　their　custom；　they　seemed　as　if　trying　to　avoid　me。　　At
last；　weary　of　this　inexplicable　mystery；　I　took　F　aside；　and　asked
him　what　this　strange　conduct　meant。　　'You　have　forestalled　me；　my　dear
friend；'　said　he。　　'I　was　on　the　point　of　making　an　important　disclosure；
I　trust　you　will　not　accuse　me　of　want　of　confidence；　but　swear　to　me
before　I　confide　in　you　that　you　will　tell　no　living　soul　what　I　am　now
going　to　reveal。'　　When　I　had　taken　this　oath；　which　he　demanded　of　me　in
a　tone　of　gravity　which　surprised　me　inexpressibly；　he　continued；　'If　I
have　not　already　told　you　of　the　'Philadelphi'；　it　is　only　because　I　knew
that　reasons　which　I　respect　would　prevent　your　ever　joining　them；　but
since　you　have　asked　this　secret；　it　would　be　a　want　of　confidence　in
you；　and　at　the　same　time　perhaps　an　imprudence；　not　to　reveal　it。　　Some
patriots　have　united　themselves　under　the　title　of　'Philadelphi'；　in
order　to　save　our　country　from　the　dangers　to　which　it　is　exposed。　　The
Emperor　Napoleon　has　tarnished　the　glory　of　the　First　Consul　Bonaparte；
he　had　saved　our　liberty；　but　he　has　since　destroyed　it　by　the
reestablishment　of　the　nobility　and　by　the　Concordat。　　The　society　of　the
'Philadelphi'　has　as　yet　no　well…defined　plans　for　preventing　the　evils
with　which　ambition　will　continue　to　overwhelm　France；　but　when　peace　is
restored　we　shall　see　if　it　is　impossible　to　force　Bonaparte　to　restore
republican　institutions；　and　meanwhile　we　are　overcome　by　grief　and
despair。　　The　brave　chief　of　the　'Philadelphi'；　the　pure　Oudet；　has　been
assassinated；　and　who　is　worthy　to　take　his　place？　　Poor　Oudet！　　never
was　one　braver　or　more　eloquent　than　he！　　With　a　noble　haughtiness　and　an
immovable　firmness　of　character；　he　possessed　an　excellent　heart。　　His
first　battle　showed　his　intrepid　spirit。　　When　cut　down　at　Saint
Bartholomew　by　a　ball；　his　comrades　wished　to　bear　him　away；　〃No；　no；〃
cried　he；　〃don't　waste　time　over　me。　　The　Spaniards！　　the　Spaniards！〃
〃Shall　we　leave　you　to　the　enemy？〃　　said　one　of　those　who　had　advanced
towards　him。　　〃Well；　drive　them　back　if　you　do　not　wish　me　to　be　left
with　them。〃　　At　the　beginning　of　the　campaign　of　Wagram；　he　was　colonel
of　the　Ninth　regiment　of　the　line；　and　was　made　general　of　brigade　on　the
evening　before　the　battle；　his　corps　forming　part　of　the　left　wing
commanded　by　Massena。　　Our　line　was　broken　on　this　side　for　a　moment；　and
Oudet　made　heroic　efforts　to　reform　it；　and　after　he　had　been　wounded　by
three　bayonet　strokes；　with　the　loss　of　much　blood；　and　dragged　away　by
those　of　us　who　were　forced　to　fall　back；　still　had　himself　fastened　on
his　horse　in　order　that　he　might　not　be　forced　to　leave　the　battlefield。

〃'After　the　battle；　he　received　orders　to　advance　to　the　front；　and　to
place　himself　with　his　regiment　in　an　advantageous　position　for
observation；　and　then　return　immediately　to　headquarters；　with　a　certain
number　of　his　officers；　to　receive　new　orders。　　He　executed　these　orders；
and　was　returning　in　the　night；　when　a　discharge　of　musketry　was　suddenly
heard；　and　he　fell　into　an　ambush；　he　fought　furiously　in　the　darkness；
knowing　neither　the　number　nor　character　of　his　adversaries；　and　at　break
of　day　was　found；　covered　with　wounds；　in　the　midst　of　twenty　officers
who　had　been　slain　around　him。　　He　was　still　breathing；　and　lived　three
days；　but　the　only　words　he　pronounced　were　those　of　commiseration　for
the　fate　of　his　country。　　When　his　body　was　taken　from　the　hospital　to
prepare　it　for　burial；　several　of　the　wounded　in　their　despair　tore　the
bandages　from　their　wounds；　a　sergeant…major　threw　himself　on　his　sword
near　the　grave；　and　a　lieutenant　there　blew　out　his　brains。　　Behold；'
said　F；　'a　death　that　plunges　us　into　the　deepest　despair！'　　I　tried
to　prove　to　him　that　he　was　mistaken；　and　that　the　plans　of　the
'Philadelphi'　were　mad；　but　succeeded　very　imperfectly；　and　though　he
listened　to　my　advice；　he　again　earnestly　recommended　secrecy。〃

The　day　after　the　battle　of　Wagram；　I　think；　a　large　number　of　officers
were　breakfasting　near　the　Emperor's　tent；　the　generals　seated　on　the
grass；　and　the　officers　standing　around　them。　　They　discussed　the　battle
at　length；　and　related　numerous　remarkable　anecdotes；　some　of　which
remain　engraven　on　my