napoleon bonaparte, v11-第5章

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〃Gentlemen；　here　we　must　die　with　honor！〃　　It　is　added　that　putting　into
practice　this　heroic　resolution　he　swam　across　the　waters　of　the　Pleisse
in　spite　of　the　wounds　he　had　received　in　the　stubborn　combat　he　had
sustained　since　morning。　　Then　finding　no　longer　any　refuge　from
inevitable　captivity；　except　in　the　waters　of　the　Elster；　the　brave
prince　had　thrown　himself　into　it　without　considering　the　impassable
steepness　of　the　opposite　bank；　and　in　a　few　moments　he　with　his　horse
was　ingulfed　beneath　the　waves。　　His　body　was　not　found　until　five　days
afterwards；　and　then　drawn　from　the　water　by　a　fisherman。　　Such　was　the
end；　both　deplorable　and　glorious；　of　one　of　the　most　brilliant　and
chivalrous　of　officers；　who　showed　himself　worthy　to　rank　among　the
foremost　French　generals。　　Meanwhile　the　lack　of　ammunition　compelled　the
Emperor　to　retire　promptly；　although　in　remarkably　good　order；　to　Erfurt；
a　town　well　furnished　with　both　provisions　and　forage；　as　well　as
material　for　arming　and　equipping　the　army；in　fact　with　all　the
materials　of　war。　　His　Majesty　arrived　on　the　23d；　having　engagements
each　day；　in　order　to　protect　his　retreat　against　forces　four　or　five
times　as　numerous　as　those　remaining　at　his　disposal。　　At　Erfurt　the
Emperor　remained　only　two　days；　and　left　on　the　25th　after　bidding　adieu
to　his　brother…in…law　the　King　of　Naples；　whom　he　was　never　to　see　again。
I　witnessed　a　part　of　this　last　interview；　and　remarked　a　certain
constraint　in　the　manner　of　the　King　of　Naples；　which；　however；　his
Majesty　seemed　not　to　perceive。　　It　is　true　that　the　king　did　not
announce　his　immediate　departure；　and　his　Majesty　was　ignorant　that　this
prince　had　secretly　received　an　Austrian　general。

　　　　　＇This　was　Count　Mier；　charged　to　guarantee　to　Murat　the　possession
　　　　　of　his　kingdom　if　he　abandoned　the　cause　of　the　Emperor。　　He
　　　　　abandoned　him。　　What　did　he　gain？NOTE　BY　THE　EDITOR。＇

His　Majesty　was　not　informed　of　this　until　afterwards；　and　manifested
little　surprise。　　Moreover　（I　call　attention　to　this　because　I　so　often
had　occasion　to　remark　it）；　so　many　severe　blows　repeated　in　such　quick
succession　had　struck　the　Emperor　for　some　time　past；　that　he　seemed　to
have　become　almost　insensible；　and　it　might　well　have　been　said　that　he
felt　himself　perfectly　intrenched　in　his　ideas　of　fatality。
Nevertheless；　his　Majesty；　though　unmoved　under　his　own　misfortunes；　gave
full　vent　to　his　indignation　on　learning　that　the　allied　sovereigns
considered　the　King　of　Saxony　as　their　prisoner；　and　had　declared　him　a
traitor；　simply　because　he　was　the　only　one　who　had　not　betrayed　him。
Certainly　if　fortune　had　again　become　favorable　to　him；　as　in　the　past；
the　King　of　Saxony　would　have　found　himself　master　of　one　of　the　most
extensive　kingdoms　of　Europe；　but　fortune　was　hereafter　to　be　always
adverse；　and　even　our　victories　brought　us　only　a　barren　glory。

Thus；　for　instance；　the　French　army　soon　covered　itself　with　glory　at
Hanau；　through　which　it　was　necessary　to　pass　by　overwhelming　the　immense
army　of　Austrians　and　Bavarians　collected　at　this　point　under　the　command
of　General　Wrede。　　Six　thousand　prisoners　were　the　result　of　this
triumph；　which　at　the　same　time　opened　to　us　the　road　to　Mayence；　which
we　expected　to　reach　without　other　obstacles。　　It　was　on　the　2d　of
November；　after　a　march　of　fourteen　days　from　Leipzig；　that　we　again
beheld　the　banks　of　the　Rhine；　and　felt　that　we　could　breathe　in　safety。

Having　devoted　five　days　to　reorganizing　the　army；　giving　his　orders；　and
assigning　to　each　of　the　marshals　and　chiefs　of　the　several　corps　the
post　he　was　to　occupy　during　his　absence；　the　Emperor　left　Mayence　on　the
7th；　and　on　the　9th　slept　at　Saint…Cloud；　to　which　he　returned　preceded
by　a　few　trophies；　as　both　at　Erfurt　and　Frankfort　we　had　taken　twenty
banners　from　the　Bavarians。　　These　banners；　presented　to　the　minister　of
war　by　M。　Lecouteux　aide…de…camp　to　the　Prince　de　Neuchatel；　had　preceded
his　Majesty's　arrival　in　Paris　by　two　days；　and　had　already　been
presented　to　the　Empress；　to　whom　the　Emperor　had　done　homage　in　the
following　terms：

　　　　　MADAME；　AND　MY　VERY　DEAR　WIFE；

　　　　　I　send。　　you　twenty　banners　taken　by　my　army　at　the　battles　of
　　　　　Wachau；　Leipzig；　and　Hanau。　　This　is　an　homage　it　gives　me　pleasure
　　　　　to　render　to　you。　　I　desire　that　you…will　accept　it　as　a　mark　of　my
　　　　　entire　satisfaction　with　the　manner　in　which　you　have　administered
　　　　　the　regency　which　I　confided　to　you。〃

Under　the　Consulate　and　during　the　first　six　years　of　the　Empire；
whenever　the　Emperor　had　returned　to　Paris　after　a　campaign；　it　was
because　that　campaign　was　finished；　and　the　news　of　a　peace　concluded　in
consequence　of　a　victory　had　always　preceded　him。　　For　a　second　time　he
returned　from　Mayence　under　different　circumstances。　　In　this　case；　as　on
the　return　from　Smorghoni；　he　left　the　war　still　in　progress；　and
returned；　not　for　the　purpose　of　presenting　to　France　the　fruit　of　his
victories；　but　to　demand　new　subsidies　of　men　and　money　in　order　to
repair　the　defeat　and　losses　sustained　by　our　army。　　Notwithstanding　this
difference　in　the　result　of　our　wars；　the　welcome　accorded　to　his　Majesty
by　the　nation　was　still　the　same；　apparently　at　least；　and　the　addresses
by　the　different　towns　of　the　interior　were　not　less　numerous；　nor　less
filled　with　expressions　of　devotion；　and　those　especially　who　were　the
prey　of　fears　for　the　future　showed　themselves　even　more　devoted　than　all
others；　fearing　lest　their　fatal　premonitions　should　be　discovered。　　For
my　own　part；　it　had　never　occurred　to　me　that　the　Emperor　could　finally
succumb　in　the　struggle　he　was　maintaining；　for　my　ideas　had　never
reached　this　point；　and　it　is　only　in　reflecting　upon　it　since　that　I
have　been　able　to　comprehend　the　dangers　which　threatened　him　at　the
period　we　had　now　reached。　　He　was　like　a　man　who　had　passed　the　night　on
the　edge　of　a　precipice；　totally　unaware　of　the　danger　to　which　he　was
exposed　until　it　was　revealed　by　the　light　of　day。　　Nevertheless；　I　may
say　that　every　one　was　weary　of　the　war；　and　that　all　those　of　my　friends
whom　I　saw　on　the　return　from　Mayence　spoke　to　me　of　the　need　of　peace。

Within　the　palace　itself　I　heard　many　persons　attached　to　the　Emperor　say
the　same　thing　when　he　was　not　present；　though　they　spoke　very
differently　in　the　presence　of　his　Majesty。　　When　he　deigned　to
interrogate　me；　as　he　frequently　did；　on　what　I　had　heard　people　say；　I
reported　to　him　the　exact　truth；　and　when　in　these　confidential　toilet
conversations　of　the　Emperor　I　uttered　the　word　peace；　he　exclaimed　again
and　again；　〃Peace　！　　Peace！　　Ah！　　who　can　desire　it　more　than　I？　　There
are　some；　however；　who　do　not　desire　it；　and　the　more　I　concede　the　more
they　demand。〃

An　extraordinary　event　which　took　place　the　very　day　of　his　Majesty's
arrival　at　Saint…Cloud；　when　it　became　known；　led　to　the　belief　that　the
allies　had　conceived　the　idea　of　entering　upon　new　negotiations。　　In
fact；　it　was　learned　that　M。　de　Saint…Aignan；　his　Majesty's　minister　at
the　ducal　court　of　Saxony；　had　been　taken　by　main　force　and　conducted　to
Frankfort；　where　were　then　assembled　M。　de　Metternich；　the　Prince　von
Schwarzenberg；　and　the　ministers　of　Russia　and　Prussia。　　There　overtures
entirely　in　the　interests　of　peace　were　made　to　him　on　the　part　of　the
allied　sovereigns；　after　which　M。　de　Saint…Aignan　was　allowed　to　return
immediately　to　the　Emperor　to　inform　him　of　the　details　of　his　seizure
and　the　propositions　which　had　been　made　to　him。　　These　offers　made　by
the　allies；　of　which　I　was　not　informed；　and　consequently　can　say
nothing；　seemed　to　strike　the　Emperor　as　worthy　of　consideration；　and
there　was　soon　a　general　rumor　in　the　palace　that　a　new　Congress　was　to
be　assembled　at　Manheim；　that　the　Duke　of　Vicenza　had　been　appointed　by
his　Majesty　as　minister　plenipotentiary；　and　that　in　order　to　give　more
dignity　to　his　mission；　the　portfolio　of　foreign　affairs　had　been　at　the
same　time　committed　to　him。　　I　remember　that　this　news　revived　the　hopes
of　all；　and　was　most　favorably　received；　for　although　it　was　doubtless
the　effect　of　prejudice；　no