napoleon bonaparte, v3-第9章

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one；　〃he　will　never　have　better　weather；　and　there　will　surely　be　a　fog。〃
〃Bah！〃　　said　the　other；　〃only　he　does　not　think　so。　　We　have　now　waited
more　than　fifteen　days；　and　the　fleet　has　not　budged；　however；　all　the
ammunition　is　on　board；　and　with　one　blast　of　the　whistle　we　can　put　to
sea。〃

The　night　sentinels　came　on；　and　the　conversation　of　the　old　sea…wolves
stopped　there；　but　I　soon　had　to　acknowledge　that　their　nautical
experience　had　not　deceived　them。　　In　fact；　by　three　o'clock　in　the
morning；　a　light　fog　was　spread　over　the　sea；　which　was　somewhat　stormy；
the　wind　of　the　evening　before　began　to；　blow　again；　and　at　daylight　the
fog　was　so　thick　as　to　conceal　the　fleet　from　the　English；　while　the　most
profound　silence　reigned　everywhere。　　No　hostile　sails　had　been　signaled
through　the　night；　and；　as　the　sailors　had　predicted；　everything　favored
the　descent。

At　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　signals　were　made　from　the　semaphore；　and
in　the　twinkling　of　an　eye　all　the　sailors　were　in　motion；　and　the　port
resounded　with　cries　of　joy；　for　the　order　to　depart　had　just　been
received。　　While　the　sails　were　being　hoisted；　the　long　roll　was　beaten
in　the　four　camps；　and　the　order　was　given　for　the　entire　army　to　take
arms；　and　they　marched　rapidly　into　the　town；　hardly　believing　what　they
had　just　heard。　　〃We　are　really　going　to　start；；〃　said　all　the　soldiers；
〃we　are　actually　going　to　say　a　few　words　to　those　Englishmen；〃　and　the
joy　which　animated　them　burst　forth　in　acclamations；　which　were　silenced
by　a　roll　of　the　drums。　　The　embarkation　then　took　place　amid　profound
silence；　and　in　such　perfect　order　that　I　can　hardly　give　an　idea　of　it。
At　seven　o'clock　two　hundred　thousand　soldiers　were　on　board　the　fleet；
and　when　a　little　after　midday　this　fine　army　was　on　the　point　of
starting　amidst　the　adieus　and　good　wishes　of　the　whole　city；　assembled
upon　the　walls　and　upon　the　surrounding　cliffs；　and　at　the　very　moment
when　all　the　soldiers　standing　with　uncovered　heads　were　about　to　bid
farewell　to　the　soil　of　France；　crying；　〃Vive　l'Empereur！〃　a　message
arrived　from　the　imperial　barrack；　ordering　the　troops　to　disembark；　and
return　to　camp。　　A　telegraphic　dispatch　just　then　received　by　his　Majesty
had　made　it　necessary　that　he　should　move　his　troops　in　another
direction；　and　the　soldiers　returned　sadly　to　their　quarters；　some
expressing　in　a　loud　tone；　and　in　a　very　energetic　manner；　the
disappointment　which　this　species　of　mystification　caused　them。

They　had　always　regarded　the　success　of　the　enterprise　against　England　as
assured；　and　to　find　themselves　stopped　on　the　eve　of　departure　was；　in
their　eyes；　the　greatest　misfortune　which　could　happen　to　them。

When　order　had　again　been　restored；　the　Emperor　repaired　to　the　camp　of
the　right　wing；　and　made　a　proclamation　to　the　troops；　which　was　sent
into　the　other　camps；　and　posted　everywhere。　　This　was　very　nearly　the
tenor　of　it：　〃Brave　soldiers　of　the　camp　of　Boulogne！　　you　will　not　go　to
England。　　English　gold　has　seduced　the　Emperor　of　Austria；　who　has　just
declared　war　against　France。　　His　army　has　passed　the　line　which　he
should　have　respected；　and　Bavaria　is　invaded。　　Soldiers！　　new　laurels
await　you　beyond　the　Rhine。　　Let　us　hasten　to　defeat　once　more　enemies
whom　you　have　already　conquered。〃　　This　proclamation　called　forth
unanimous　acclamations　of　joy；　and　every　face　brightened；　for　it　mattered
little　to　these　intrepid　men　whether　they　were　to　be　led　against　Austria
or　England；　they　simply　thirsted　for　the　fray；　and　now　that　war　had　been
declared；　every　desire　was　gratified。

Thus　vanished　all　those　grand　projects　of　descent　upon　England；　which　had
been　so　long　matured；　so　wisely　planned。　　There　is　no　doubt　now　that　with
favorable　weather　and　perseverance　the　enterprise　would　have　been　crowned
with　the　greatest　success；　but　this　was　not　to　be。

A　few　regiments　remained　at　Boulogne；　and　while　their　brethren　crushed
the　Austrians；　they　erected　upon　the　seashore　a　column　destined　to　recall
for　all　time　the　memory　of　Napoleon　and　his　immortal　army。

Immediately　after　the　proclamation　of　which　I　have　just　spoken；　his
Majesty　gave　orders　that　all　should　prepare　for　immediate　departure；　and
the　grand　marshal　of　the　palace　was　charged　to　audit　and　pay　all　the
expenses　which　the　Emperor　had　made；　or　which　he　had　ordered　to　be　made；
during　his　several　visits；　not　without　cautioning　him；　according　to
custom；　to　be　careful　not　to　pay　for　too　much　of　anything；　nor　too　high　a
price。　　I　believe　that　I　have　already　stated　that　the　Emperor　was
extremely　economical　in　everything　which　concerned　him　personally；　and
that　he　was　afraid　of　spending　twenty　francs　unless　for　some　directly
useful　purpose。　　Among　many　other　accounts　to　be　audited；　the　grand
marshal　of　the　palace　received　that　of　Sordi；　engineer　of　military　roads；
whom　he　had　ordered　to　decorate　his　Majesty's　barrack；　both　inside　and
out。　　The　account　amounted　to　fifty　thousand　francs。　　The　grand　marshal
exclaimed　aloud　at　this　frightful　sum。　　He　was　not　willing　to　approve　the
account　of　Sordi；　and　sent　it　back　to　him；　saying　that　he　could　not
authorize　the　payment　without　first　receiving　the　orders　of　the　Emperor。
The　engineer　assured　the　grand　marshal　that　he　had　overcharged　nothing；
and　that　he　had　closely　followed　his　instructions；　and　added；　that　being
the　case；　it　was　impossible　for　him　to　make　the　slightest　reduction。　　The
next　day　Sordi　received　instructions　to　attend　his　Majesty。　　The　Emperor
was　in　his　barrack；　which　was　the　subject　under　discussion；　and　spread
out　before　him　was；　not　the　account　of　the　engineer；　but　a　map；　upon
which　he　was　tracing　the　intended　march　of　his　army。　　Sordi　came；　and　was
admitted　by　General　Caffarelli。　　The　half…open　door　permitted　the
general；　as　well　as　myself；　to　hear　the　conversation　which　followed。
〃Monsieur；〃　said　his　Majesty；　〃you　have　spent　far　too　much　money　in
decorating　this　miserable　barrack。　　Yes；　certainly　far　too　much。　　Fifty
thousand　francs！　　Just　think　of　it；　monsieur！　　That　is　frightful；　I　will
not　pay　you！〃　　The　engineer；　silenced　by　this　abrupt　entrance　upon
business；　did　not　at　first　know　how　to　reply。　　Happily　the　Emperor；　again
casting　his　eyes　on　the　map　which　lay　unrolled　before　him；　gave　him　time
to　recover　himself；　and　he　replied；　〃Sire；　the　golden　clouds　which
ornament　this　ceiling　〃　（for　all　this　took　place　in　the　council…chamber）；
〃and　which　surround　the　guardian　star　of　your　Majesty；　cost　twenty
thousand　francs　in　truth；　but　if　I　had　consulted　the　hearts　of　your
subjects；　the　imperial　eagle　which　is　again　about　to　strike　with　a
thunderbolt　the　enemies　of　France　and　of　your　throne；　would　have　spread
its　wings　amid　the　rarest　diamonds。〃〃That　is　very　good；〃　replied　the
Emperor；　laughing；　〃very　good；　but　I　will　not　have　you　paid　at　present；
and　since　you　tell　me　that　this　eagle　which　costs　so　dear　will　strike　the
Austrians　with　a　thunderbolt；　wait　until　he　has　done　so；　and　I　will　then
pay　your　account　in　rix　dollars　of　the　Emperor　of　Germany；　and　the　gold
frederics　of　the　King　of　Prussia。〃　　His　Majesty；　resuming　his　compass；
began　to　move　his　armies　upon　the　map；　and　truth　to　tell；　the　account　of
the　engineer　was　not　paid　until　after　the　battle　of　Austerlitz；　and　then；
as　the　Emperor　had　said；　in　rix　dollars　and　frederics。

About　the　end　of　July　（1804）；　the　Emperor　left　Boulogne　in　order　to　make
a　tour　through　Belgium　before　rejoining　the　Empress；　who　had　gone　direct
to　Aix…la…Chapelle。　　Everywhere　on　this　tour　he　was　welcomed；　not　only
with　the　honors　reserved　for　crowned　heads；　but　with　hearty　acclamations；
addressed　to　him　personally　rather　than　to　his　official　position。　　I　will
say　nothing　of　the　fetes　which　were　given　in　his　honor　during　this
journey；　nor　of　the　remarkable　things　which　occurred。　　Descriptions　of
these　can　easily　be　found　elsewhere；　and　it　is　my　purpose　to　relate　only
what　came　peculiarly　under　my　own　observation；　or　at　least　details　not
known　to　the　general　public。　　Let　it　suffice；　then；　to　say　that　our
journey　through　Arras；　Valenciennes；　Mons；　Brussels；　etc。；　resembled　a
triumphal　progress。　　At　the　gate　of　each　town　the　municipal　council
presented　to　his　Majesty　the　wine　of　honor　and　the　keys　of　the　place。
We　stopped　a　few　days　at　Lacken；　and　being　only　five　leagues　from　Alost；
a　little　town　where　my　relatives　lived；　I　requested　the　Emperor's
permission　to　leave　him　for　twenty…four　hours；　and　it　was　granted；　though
reluctantly。　　Alost；　like　the　remainder　of　Belgium　at　this　time；
professed　the　greatest　attachment　for　the　Emperor；　and　consequently　I　had
hardly　a　moment　to　myself。　　I　visited　at　the　house　of　Monsieur　D；　one
of　my　friends；　whose　family　had　long　held　positions　of　honor　in　the
government　of　Belgium。　　There　I　think　all　the　town　must　have　come　to　meet
me；　but　I　was　not　vain　enough　to　appropriate　to　myself　all　the　honor　of
this　attention；　for　each　one　who　came　was　anxious　to　learn　even　the　most
insignificant　details　concerning　the　great　man　near　whom　I　was　placed。
On　this　account　I　was　extraordinarily　feted；　and　my　twenty…four　hours
passed　only　too　quickly。　　On　my　return；　his　Majesty　deigned　to　ask
innumerable　questions　regarding　the　town　of　Alost　and　its　inhabitants；
and　as　to　what　was　thought　there　of　his　government　and　of　himself。　　I　was
glad　to　be　able　to　answer　without　flattery；　that　he　was　adored。　　He
appeared　gratified；　and　spoke　to　me　most　kindly　of　my　family　and　of　my
own　small　interests。

We　left　the　next　day　for　Lacken；　and　passed　through　Alost；　and　had　I
known　this　the　evening　before；　I　might　perhaps　have　rested　a　few　hours
longer。　　However；　the　Emperor　found　so　much　difficulty　in　granting　me
even　one　day；　that　I　would　not　probably　have　dared　to　lose　more；　even　had
I　known　that　the　household　was　to　pass　by　this　town。

The　Emperor　was　much　pleased　with　Lacken；　he　ordered　considerable　repairs
and　improvements　to　be　made　there；　and　the　palace；　owing　to　this
preference；　became　a　charming　place　of　sojourn。

This　journey　of　their　Majesties　lasted　nearly　three　months；　and　we　did
not　return　to　Paris；　or　rather　to　Saint…Cloud；　until　November。　　The
Emperor　received　at　Cologne　and　at　Coblentz　the　visits　of　several　German
princes　and　princesses；　but　as　I　know　only　from　hearsay　what　passed　in
these　interviews；　I　shall　not　undertake　to　describe　them。




CHAPTER　XIX。

Nothing　is　too　trivial　to　narrate　concerning　great　men；　for　posterity
shows　itself　eager　to　learn　even　the　most　insignificant　details
concerning　their　manner　of　life；　their　tastes；　their　slightest
peculiarities。　　When　I　attended　the　theater；　whether　in　my　short
intervals　of　leisure　or　in　the　suite　of　his　Majesty；　I　remarked　how
keenly　the　spectators　enjoyed　the　presentation　on　the　stage；　of　some
grand　historic　personage；　whose　costume；　gestures；　bearing；　even　his
infirmities　and　faults；　were　delineated　exactly　as　they　have　been
transmitted　to　us　by　contemporaries。　　I　myself　always　took　the　greatest
pleasure　in　seeing　these　living　portraits　of　celebrated　men；　and　well
remember　that　on　no　occasion　did　I　ever　so　thoroughly　enjoy　the　stage　as
when　I　saw　for　the　first　time　the　charming　piece　of　The　Two　Pages。
Fleury