memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v6-第16章

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spirits　she　did　the　honours　with　her　usual　grace。

Let　a　Government　be　what　it　may；　it　can　never　satisfy　everyone。　　At　the
establishment　of　the　Consulate　for　life；　those　who　were　averse　to　that
change　formed　but　a　feeble　minority。　　But　still　they　met；　debated；
corresponded；　and　dreamed　of　the　possibility　of　overthrowing　the　Consular
Government。

During　the　first　six　months　of　the　year　1802　there　were　meetings　of　the
discontented；　which　Fouche；　who　was　then　Minister　of　the　Police；　knew　and
would　not　condescend　to　notice；　but；　on　the　contrary；　all　the　inferior
agents　of　the　police　contended　for　a　prey　which　was　easily　seized；　and；
with　the　view　of　magnifying　their　services；　represented　these　secret
meetings　as　the　effect　of　a　vast　plot　against　the　Government。　　Bonaparte；
whenever　he　spoke　to　me　on　the　subject；　expressed　himself　weary　of　the
efforts　which　were　made　to　give　importance　to　trifles；　and　yet　he
received　the　reports　of　the　police　agents　as　if　he　thought　them　of
consequence。　　This　was　because　he　thought　Fouche　badly　informed；　and　he
was　glad　to　find　him　at　fault；　but　when　he　sent　for　the　Minister　of
Police　the　latter　told　him　that　all　the　reports　he　had　received　were　not
worth　a　moment's　attention。　　He　told　the　First　Consul　all；　and　even　a
great　deal　more　than　had　been　revealed　to　him；　mentioning　at　the　same
time　how　and　from　whom　Bonaparte　had　received　his　information。

But　these　petty　police　details　did　not　divert　the　First　Consul's
attention　from　the　great　object　he　had　in　view。　　Since　March　1802　he　had
attended　the　sittings　of　the　Council　of　State　with　remarkable　regularity。
Even　while　we　were　at　the　Luxembourg　he　busied　himself　in　drawing　up　a
new　code　of　laws　to　supersede　the　incomplete　collection　of　revolutionary
laws；　and　to　substitute　order　for　the　sort　of　anarchy　which　prevailed　in
the　legislation。　　The　man　who　were　most　distinguished　for　legal　knowledge
had　cooperated　in　this　laborious　task；　the　result　of　which　was　the　code
first　distinguished　by　the　name　of　the　Civil　Code；　and　afterwards　called
the　Code　Napoleon。　　The　labours　of　this　important　undertaking　being
completed；　a　committee　was　appointed　for　the　presentation　of　the　code。
This　committee；　of　which　Cambaceres　was　the　president；　was　composed　of
MM。　Portalis；　Merlin　de　Douai；　and　Tronchet。　　During　all　the　time　the
discussions　were　pending；　instead　of　assembling　as　usual　three　times　a
week；　the　Council　of　State　assembled　every　day；　and　the　sittings；　which
on　ordinary　occasions　only　lasted　two　or　three　hours；　were　often
prolonged　to　five　or　six。　　The　First　Consul　took　such　interest　in　these
discussions　that；　to　have　an　opportunity　of　conversing　upon　them　in　the
evening；　he　frequently　invited　several　members　of　the　Council　to　dine
with　him。　　It　was　during　these　conversations　that　I　most　admired　the
inconceivable　versatility　of　Bonaparte's　genius；　or　rather；　that　superior
instinct　which　enabled　him　to　comprehend　at　a　glance；　and　in　their　proper
point　of　view；　legislative　questions　to　which　he　might　have　been　supposed
a　stranger。　　Possessing　as　he　did；　in　a　supreme　degree；　the　knowledge　of
mankind；　ideas　important　to　the　science　of　government　flashed　upon　his
mind　like　sudden　inspirations。

Some　time　after　his　nomination　to　the　Consulate　for　life；　anxious　to
perform　a　sovereign　act；　he　went　for　the　first　time　to　preside　at　the
Senate。　　Availing　myself　that　day　of　a　few　leisure　moments　I　went　out　to
see　the　Consular　procession。　　It　was　truly　royal。　　The　First　Consul　had
given　orders　that　the　military　should…be　ranged　in　the　streets　through
which　he　had　to　pass。　　On　his　first　arrival　at　the　Tuileries；　Napoleon
had　the　soldiers　of　the　Guard　ranged　in　a　single　line　in　the　interior　of
the　court；　but　he　now　ordered　that　the　line　should　be　doubled；　and　should
extend　from　the　gate　of　the　Tuileries　to　that　of　the　Luxembourg。
Assuming　a　privilege　which　old　etiquette　had　confined　exclusively　to　the
Kings　of　France；　Bonaparte　now　for　the　first　time　rode　in　a　carriage
drawn　by　eight　horses。　　A　considerable　number　of　carriages　followed　that
of　the　First　Consul；　which　was　surrounded　by　generals　and　aides　de　camp
on　horseback。　　Louis　XIV。　　going　to　hold　a　bed　of　justice　at　the
Parliament　of　Paris　never　displayed　greater　pomp　than　did　Bonaparte　in
this　visit　to　the　Senate。　　He　appeared　in　all　the　parade　of　royalty；　and
ten　Senators　came　to　meet　him　at　the　foot　of　the　staircase　of　the
Luxembourg。

The　object　of　the　First　Consul's　visit　to　the　Senate　was　the　presentation
of　five　plans　of　'Senatus…consultes'。　　The　other　two　Consuls　were　present
at　the　ceremony；　which　took　place　about　the　middle　of　August。

Bonaparte　returned　in　the　same　style　in　which　he　went；　accompanied　by　M。
Lebrun；　Cambaceres　remaining　at　the　Senate；　of　which　he　was　President。
The　five　'Senatus…consultes'　were　adopted；　but　a　restriction　was　made　in
that　which　concerned　the　forms　of　the　Senate。　　It　was　proposed　that　when
the　Consuls　visited　the　Senate　they　should　be　received　by　a　deputation　of
ten　members　at　the　foot　of　the　staircase；　as　the　First　Consul　had　that
day　been　received；　but　Bonaparte's　brothers　Joseph　and　Lucien　opposed
this；　and　prevented　the　proposition　from　being　adopted；　observing　that
the　Second　and　Third　Consuls　being　members　of　the　Senate　could　not　be
received　with　such　honours　by　their　colleagues。　　This　little　scene　of
political　courtesy；　which　was　got　up　beforehand；　was　very　well　acted。

Bonaparte's　visit　to　the　Senate　gave　rise　to　a　change　of　rank　in　the
hierarchy　of　the　different　authorities　composing　the　Government。
Hitherto　the　Council　of　State　had　ranked　higher　in　public　opinion；　but
the　Senate；　on　the　occasion　of　its　late　deputation　to　the　Tuileries；　had
for　the　first　time；　received　the　honour　of　precedency。　　This　had　greatly
displeased　some　of　the　Councillors　of　State；　but　Bonaparte　did　not　care
for　that。　　He　instinctively　saw　that　the　Senate　would　do　what　he　wished
more　readily　than　the　other　constituted　bodies；　and　he　determined　to
augment　its　rights　and　prerogatives　even　at　the　expense　of　the　rights　of
the　Legislative　Body。　　These　encroachments　of　one　power　upon　another；
authorised　by　the　First　Consul；　gave　rise　to　reports　of　changes　in
ministerial　arrangements。　　It　was　rumoured　in　Paris　that　the　number　of
the　ministers　was　to　be　reduced　to　three；　and　that　Lucien；　Joseph；　and　M。
de　Talleyrand　were　to　divide　among　them　the　different　portfolios。　　Lucien
helped　to　circulate　these　reports；　and　this　increased　the　First　Consul's
dissatisfaction　at　his　conduct。　　The　letters　from　Madrid；　which　were
filled　with　complaints　against　him；　together　with　some　scandalous
adventures；　known　in　Paris；　such　as　his　running　away　with　the　wife　of　a
'limonadier'；　exceedingly　annoyed　Bonaparte；　who　found　his　own　family
more　difficult　to　govern　than　France。

France；　indeed；　yielded　with　admirable　facility　to　the　yoke　which；　the
First　Consul　wished　to　impose　on　her。　　How　artfully　did　he　undo　all　that
the　Revolution　had　done；　never　neglecting　any　means　of　attaining　his
object！　　He　loved　to　compare　the　opinions　of　those　whom　he　called　the
Jacobins　with　the　opinions　of　the　men　of　1789；　and　even　them　he　found　too
liberal。　　He　felt　the　ridicule　which　was　attached　to　the　mute　character
of　the　Legislative　Body；　which　he　called　his　deaf　and　dumb　assembly。　　But
as　that　ridicule　was　favourable　to　him　he　took　care　to　preserve　the
assembly　as　it　was；　and　to　turn　it　into　ridicule　whenever　he　spoke　of　it。
In　general；　Bonaparte's　judgment　must　not　be　confounded　with　his　actions。
His　accurate　mind　enabled　him　to　appreciate　all　that　was　good；　but　the
necessity　of　his　situation　enabled　him　to　judge　with　equal　shrewdness
what　was　useful　to　himself。

What　I　have　just　said　of　the　Senate　affords　me　an　opportunity　of
correcting　an　error　which　has　frequently　been　circulated　in　the　chit…chat
of　Paris。　　It　has　erroneously　been　said　of　some　persons　that　they　refused
to　become　members　of　the　Senate；　and　among　the　number　have　been　mentioned
M。　Ducis；　M。　de　La　Fayette；　and　the　Marechal　de　Rochambeau。　　The　truth
is；　that　no　such　refusals　were　ever　made。　　The　following　fact；　however；
may　have　contributed　to　raise　these