napoleon bonaparte, v10-第10章

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complications　was　added　the　fear；　soon　only　too　well　justified；　of　seeing
Austria　from　an　inoffensive　and　unbiased　mediator　become　a　declared
enemy。

Before　going　farther；　I　deem　it　best　to　refer　again　to　two　or　three
occurrences　I　have　inadvertently　omitted　which　took　place　during　our　stay
at　Dresden　previous　to　what　might　be　called　the　second　campaign　of　1813。
The　first　of　these　was　the　appearance　at　Dresden　of　the　Duke　of　Otranto；
whom　his　Majesty　had　summoned。

He　had　been　very　rarely　seen　at　the　Tuileries　since　the　Duke　of　Rovigo
had　replaced　him　as　minister　of　general　police；　and　I　noticed　that　his
presence　at　headquarters　was　a　great　surprise　to　every　one；　as　he　was
thought　to　be　in　complete　disgrace。　　Those　who　seek　to　explain　the　causes
of　the　smallest　events　think　that　his　Majesty's　idea　was　to　oppose　the
subtle　expedients　of　the　police　under　M。　Fouche　to　the　then　all…powerful
police　of　the　Baron　de　Stein；　the　armed　head　of　all　the　secret　parties
which　were　forming　in　every　direction；　and　which　were　regarded；　not
without　reason；　as　the　rulers　of　popular　opinion　in　Prussia　and　Germany；
and；　above　all；　in　the　numerous　schools；　where　the　students　were　only
awaiting　the　moment　for　taking　up　arms。　　These　conjectures　as　to　M。
Fouche's　presence　at　Dresden　were　without　foundation。　　The　Emperor　in
recalling　him　had　a　real　motive；　which　he；　however；　disguised　under　a
specious　pretext。　　Having　been　deeply　impressed　by　the　conspiracy　of
Malet；　his　Majesty　thought　that　it　would　not　be　prudent　to　leave　at　Paris
during　his　absence　a　person　so　discontented　and　at　the　same　time　so
influential　as　the　Duke　of　Otranto；　and　I　heard　him　many　times　express
himself　on　this　subject　in　a　manner　which　left　no　room　for　doubt。　　But　in
order　to　disguise　this　real　motive；　the　Emperor　appointed　M。　Fouche
governor　of　the　Illyrian　provinces　in　place　of　Count　Bertrand；　who　was
given　the　command　of　an　army…corps；　and　was　soon　after　appointed　to
succeed　the　adorable　General　Duroc　in　the　functions　of　grand　marshal　of
the　palace。　　Whatever　the　justice　of　this　distrust　of　Fouche；　it　is　very
certain　that　few　persons　were　so　well　convinced　of　the　superiority　of　his
talents　as　a　police　officer　as　his　Majesty　himself。　　Several　times　when
anything　extraordinary　occurred　at　Paris；　and　especially　when　he　learned
of　the　conspiracy　of　Malet；　the　Emperor；　recalling　in　the　evening　what
had　impressed　him　most　deeply　during　the　day；　ended　by　saying；　〃This
would　not　have　happened　if　Fouche　had　been　minister　of　police！〃　　Perhaps
this　was　undue　partiality；　for　the　Emperor　assuredly　never　had　a　more
faithful　and　devoted　servant　than　the　Duke　of　Rovigo；　although　many　jests
were　made　in　Paris　over　his　custom　of　punishing　by　a　few　hours
imprisonment。

Prince　Eugene　having　returned　to　Italy　at　the　beginning　of　the　campaign
in　order　to　organize　a　new　army　in　that　country；　we　did　not　see　him　at
Dresden；　the　King　of　Naples；　who　had　arrived　on　the　night　of　the　13th　or
14th　August　presented　himself　there　almost　alone；　and　his　contribution　to
the　grand　army　consisted　of　only　the　small　number　of　Neapolitan　troops　he
had　left　there　on　his　departure　for　Naples。

I　was　in　the　Emperor's　apartment　when　the　King　of　Naples　entered；　and　saw
him　for　the　first　time。　　I　did　not　know　to　what　cause　to　attribute　it；
but　I　noticed　that　the　Emperor　did　not　give　his　brother…in…law　as　cordial
a　welcome　as　in　the　past。　　Prince　Murat　said　that　he　could　no　longer
remain　idle　at　Naples；　knowing　that　the　French　army　to　which　he　still
belonged　was　in　the　field；　and　he　asked　only　to　be　allowed　to　fight　in
its　ranks。　　The　Emperor　took　him　with　him　to　the　parade；　and　gave　him　the
command　of　the　Imperial　Guard；　and　a　more　intrepid　commander　would　have
been　difficult　to　find。　　Later　he　was　given　the　general　command　of　the
cavalry。

During　the　whole　time　of　the　armistice；　spun　out　rather　than　filled　with
the　slow　and　useless　conferences　of　the　Congress　of　Prague；　it　would　be
impossible　to　describe　the　various　labors　in　which　the　Emperor　occupied
himself　from　morning　till　evening；　and　often　far　into　the　night。　　He
could　frequently　be　seen　bending　over　his　maps；　making；　so　to　speak；　a
rehearsal　of　the　battles　he　meditated。　　Nevertheless；　greatly　exasperated
by　the　slowness　of　the　negotiations　as　to　the　issue　of　which　he　could　no
longer　delude　himself；　he　ordered；　shortly　before　the　end　of　July；　that
everything　should　be　prepared　and　in　readiness　for　a　journey　he　intended
making　as　far　as　Mayence。　　He　made　an　appointment　to　meet　the　Empress
there；　and　as　she　was　to　arrive　on　the　25th；　the　Emperor　consequently
arranged　his　departure　so　as　to　arrive　only　a　short　time　after。　　I　recall
this　journey　only　as　a　fact；　since　it　was　signalized　by　nothing
remarkable；　except　the　information　the　Emperor　received　at　this　time　of
the　death　of　the　Duke　of　Abrantes；　who　had　just　succumbed　at　Dijon　to　a
violent　attack　of　his　former　malady。　　Although　the　Emperor　was　already
aware　that　he　was　in　a　deplorable　state　of　mental　alienation；　and　must
consequently　have　expected　this　loss；　he　felt　it　none　the　less　sensibly；
and　sincerely　mourned　his　former　aide…decamp。

The　Emperor　remained　only　a　few　days　with　the　Empress；　whom　he　met　again
with　extreme　pleasure。　　But　as　important　political　considerations
recalled　him；　he　returned　to　Dresden；　visiting　several　places　on　his
route；　and　the　4th　of　August　we　returned　to　the　capital　of　Saxony。
Travelers　who　had　seen　this　beautiful　country　only　in　a　time　of　peace
would　have　recognized　it　with　difficulty。　　Immense　fortifications　had
metamorphosed　it　into　a　warlike　town；　numerous　batteries　had　been　placed
in　the　suburbs　overlooking　the　opposite　bank　of　the　Elbe。　　Everything
assumed　a　warlike　attitude；　and　the　Emperor's　time　became　so　completely
and　entirely　absorbed　that　he　remained　nearly　three　days　without　leaving
his　cabinet。

Nevertheless；　in　the　midst　of　the　preparations　for　war　all　arrangements
were　made　to　celebrate　on　the　10th　of　August　the　Emperor's　fete；　which
had　been　advanced　five　days；　because；　as　I　have　previously　observed；　the
armistice　expired　precisely　on　the　anniversary　of　Saint…Napoleon；　and；　as
may　be　readily　inferred　from　his　natural　passion　for　war；　the　resumption
of　hostilities　was　not　an　addition　to　his　fete　which　he　would　be　likely
to　disdain。

There　was　at　Dresden；　as　had　been　customary　at　Paris；　a　special
representation　at　the　theater　on　the　evening　before　the　Emperor's　fete。
The　actors　of　the　French　theater　played　two　comedies　on　the　9th　at　five
o'clock　in　the　evening；　which　representation　was　the　last；　as　the　actors
of　the　French　Comedy　received　orders　immediately　afterwards　to　return　to
Paris。　　The　next　day　the　King　of　Saxony；　accompanied　by　all　the　princes
of　the　royal　family；　repaired　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　to　the
Marcolini　palace；　in　order　to　pay　his　respects　to　the　Emperor；　after
which　a　grand　morning　reception　was　held　as　was　the　custom　at　the
Tuileries；　and　a　review；　at　which　the　Emperor　inspected　a　part　of　his
guard；　several　regiments；　and　the　Saxon　troops；　who　were　invited　to　dine
by　the　French　troops。　　On　that　day　the　city　of　Dresden　without　much
exaggeration　might　have　been　compared　to　a　great　dining…hall。　　In　fact；
while　his　Majesty　was　dining　in　state　at　the　palace　of　the　King　of
Saxony；　where　the　whole　family　of　this　prince　was　assembled；　the　entire
diplomatic　corps　was　seated　at　the　table　of　the　Duke　of　Bassano；　Baron
Bignon；　　envoy　from　France　to　Warsaw；　feasted　all　the　distinguished　Poles
present　in　Dresden；　Count　Darn　gave　a　grand　dinner　to　the　French
authorities；　General　Friant　to　the　French　and　Saxon　generals；　and　Baron
de　Serra；　minister　from　France　to　Dresden；　to　the　chiefs　of　the　Saxon
colleges。　　This　day　of　dinings　was　concluded　by　a　supper　for　nearly　two
hundred　guests；　which　General　Henri　Durosnel；　Governor　of　Dresden；　gave
that　evening　at　the　close　of　a　magnificent　ball　at　the　residence　of　M。　de
Serra。

On　our　return　from　Mayence　to　Dresden　I　learned　that　the　residence　of
General　Durosnel　was　the　rendezvous　of　all　the　highest　circles　of
society；　both　Saxon　and　French。　　During　the　absence　of　his　Majesty；　the
general；　taking　advantage　of　this　leisure；　gave　numerous　fetes；　among
others　one　to　the　actors　and　actresses　of　French　Comedy。　　I　recall　in
this　connection　an　amusing　anecdote　which　was　related　to　me　at　the　time。
Baptiste　junior；　with　no　lack　either　of　decorum　or　refinement；
contributed　greatly　to　the　amusement　of　the　evening；　being　presented
under　the　name　of　my　Lord　Bristol；　English　diplomat；　en　route　to　the
Council　of　Prague。　　His　disguise　was　so　perfect；　his　accent　so　natural；
and　his　phlegm　so　imperturbable；　that　many　persons　of　the　Saxon　court
were　completely　deceived；　which　did　not　in　the　least　astonish　me；　and　I
thereby　saw　that　Baptiste　junior's　talent　for　mystification　had　lost
nothing　since　the　time　when　I　had　been　so　highly　diverted　at　the
breakfasts　of　Colonel　Beauharnais。　　How　many　events　had　occurred　since
that　time。

The　Emperor；　seeing　that　nothing　could　longer　delay　the　resumption　of
hostilities；　had　consequently　divided　the　two　hundred　thousand　men　of　his
infantry　into　fourteen　army　corps；　the　command　of　which　was　given　to
Marshals　Victor；　Ney；　Marmont；　Augereau；　Macdonald；　Oudinot；　Davoust；　and
Gouvion　Saint…Cyr；　Prince　Poniatowski；　and　Generals　Reynier；　Rapp；
Lauriston；　Vandamme；　and　Bertrand；。　　The　forty　thousand　cavalry　formed
six　grand　divisions　under　the　command　of　Generals　Nansouty；　Latour…
Maubourg；　Sebastiani；　Arrighi；　Milhaud；　and　Kellermann；　and；　as　I　have
already　said；　the　King　of　Naples　had　the　command　of　the　Imperial　Guard。
Moreover；　in　this　campaign　appeared　for　the　first　time　on　our　fields　of
battle　the　guard　of　honor；　a　select　troop　recruited　from　the　richest　and
most　distinguished　families；　and　which　had　been　increased　to　more　than
ten　thousand　men；　divided　into　two　divisions　under　the　simple　title　of
regiments；　one　of　which　was　commanded　by　General　Count　of　Pully；　and　the
other；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　by　General　Segur。　　These　youths；　but　lately
idlers　given　up　to　repose　and　pleasure；　became　in　a　short　time　most
excellent　cavalry；　which　signalized　itself　on　various　occasions；　notably
at　the　battle　of　Dresden；　of　which　I　shall　soon　have　occasion　to　speak。

The　strength　of　the　French　army　has　been　previously　stated。　　The　combined
army　of　the　allies　amounted　to　four　hundred　and　twenty　thousand　infantry；
and　its　cavalry　to　hardly　less　than　one　hundred　thousand；　without
counting　a　reserve　army　corps　of　eighty　thousand　Russians；　in　readiness
to　leave　Poland　under　the　command　of　General　Beningsen。　　Thus　the　enemy's
army　outnumbered　ours　in　the　proportion　of　two　to　one。

At　the　time　we　entered　into　this　campaign；　Austria　had　just　declared　war
openly　against　us。　　This　blow；　although　not　unexpected；　struck　the
Emperor　deeply；　and　he　expressed　himself　freely　in　regard　to　it　before
all　persons　who　had　the　honor　to　approach　him。　　M。　de　Metternich；　I　have
heard　it　stated；　had　almost　certainly　forewarned　him　of　this　in　the　last
interviews　this　minister　had　at　Dresden　with　his　Majesty；　but　the　Emperor
had　been　entirely　unable　to　bring　himself　to　the　belief　that