STORAC
HUS
B 440692
DUPL

1
!
ARTES
4
1837
LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN |
VERITAS
E PLURIBUS UNUM
VUAILURK.U
SCIENTIA
TOEBUR
OF THE
SI-QUAERIS PENINSULAM AMOENAM
CIRCUMSPICE
MARINAHIA
KRONANIMDIMIENTRA
miria
KARIERA DISPENSE
„1005/2
t
I
N. Campus Stor
DC
198
.12
L243
Cl
EVENINGS
WITH
PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.
VOL. I.

NAPOLEON,
י.
¡
:
El Ale
Kom die lank vattens
Station t
i.
*.
4
Kon
!
*
Lamothe-
dokaz 1
получи,
1 7 8 6 - 1 7 64
Étienne Léon, forme
bon
EVENINGS
WITH
PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS,
Q
5755
SECOND CONSUL,
ARCH-CHANCELLOR OF THE EMPIRE, DUKE OF PARMA,
&c. &c. &c.
BY BARON LANGON.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER,
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
}
1837.
}
$
LONDON:
SCHULZE AND CO. 13, POLAND STREET.
i
1
·
}
F
+
!
1
!
ADVERTISEMENT.
THE volumes here presented to the public con-
tain a faithful record of Conversations which the
author had the happiness to enjoy with the dis-
tinguished personages whose names authenticate
the extraordinary facts they related.
The evening parties, to which Prince Cambacérès
had the kindness to admit me, were composed
of the old friends of the ex-chancellor of the
Empire. In summer in his garden, and in winter
in his saloon or his cabinet, Prince Cambacérès
was the soul of an interesting circle, presenting
an intellectual feast to which, each visitor
contributed his contingent.
The old and the new systems, the Republic,
the Directory, the Consulate, the Empire and the
incipient Restoration, furnished the texts of these
Conversations. The most important events often
formed subjects of narration and discussion; as for
example-the death of the Duke d'Enghien; the
cabal which gave birth to the imperial govern-
ment; the misunderstandings with the Pope; the
invasion of Spain; Napoleon's divorce;
divorce; scenes
vi
ADVERTISEMENT.
in the Tuileries, Saint-Cloud, Malmaison, Fon-
tainebleau ; and finally, as it were by way of
episodes, came the marvels of the campaigns of
Italy and Egypt.
It was my good fortune to hear events of the
most deep and stirring interest described by per-
sons who had witnessed them, and, in many in-
stances, by those who had acted conspicuous parts
in them. These descriptions, instead of being
introduced by the dull common-place preliminary
-It is said, or, I have heard, rivetted the attention
of the listener by such words as :- One day, when the
Emperor sent for me, or, Robespierre, addressing me,
said, &c. &c. The distinguished visitors of Prince
Cambacérès could truly say, in reference to the
scenes they described: -" J'étais là quand telle
chose advint."
In the arrangement of my materials, I have
not observed any chronological regularity. I pre-
sent them to the reader nearly in the order, or,
to speak more correctly, the disorder, in which
I find them collected in my notes. I give the
Conversations as they occurred, and, consequently,
without regard to unity of time, place, or subject.
The merit of the work rests solely on the value of
the materials of which it is composed; and, in sub-
mitting those materials to the press, I have been
actuated by the spirit of truth, and not by the
vanity of authorship.
L. L. L.
→
CONTENTS
OF
THE FIRST VOLUME.
CHAPTER I.
The author visits Prince Cambacérès in 1814-Count Jules
de Polignac-Count Réal-Count Fabre de l'Aude-Dis-
closure of the circumstances which caused the trial of
Louis XVI to terminate in the sentence of death-Scene
in the National Convention-The two Robespierres, Le-
gendre, Saint-Just, Lebas, Couthon, Collot d'Herbois,
Barrère, Fouquier-Tinville, Santerre, Carrier and Lebon-
Cambacérès and the Duke of Orleans-Extraordinary
statement made by the Duke-First interview between
Cambacérès and General Bonaparte-Bonaparte and Count
Fabre de l'Aude-Unpublished correspondence-A re-
markable phrase twice repeated-An anecdote of 1797
-Napoleon at the Museum in 1807-The Author's con-
versation with him--Political sentiments of the youth of
France in 1814.
CHAPTER II.
Cambacérès and Carnot at the Palais Royal on the 10th
of August 1792-David the Painter-His disavowal of a
Page
1
viii
CONTENTS.
phrase often attributed to him-Pretended list of the con-
demned—Alarm of the Jacobins-Théroigne de Méricourt
-Unpublished details relating to the 10th of August
-Count Roederer's visit to the Tuileries-A mysterious
message-A Conversation with Marie-Antoinette-Louis
XVI-Curious disclosures-Roederer's account of the
events of the 10th of August-Cambacérès relates the
circumstances which preceded the 18th Fructidor-Con-
sultation between Cambacérès, Talleyrand, Barras, Ma-
dame de Staël and Benjamin Constant-Dialogue between.
Cambacérès and Barras-An interview with Barthélemy
-The Prince de C....-Anecdotes-The Royalists' plot
discovered-Carnot's account of his escape-Details not
published in his Memoirs-Interview between Napoleon
and David the Painter-The picture of the coronation
-Discussion between Napoleon and Count Fabre de
l'Aude respecting the restoration of titles and armorial
bearings-The cock and the eagle-Napoleon suggests
the re-establishment of monarchy-Curious details.
A
CHAPTER III.
Secret audience granted by His Majesty Louis XVIII to
Cambacérès-Carnot's Memorial-Gloomy forebodings-
How their fulfilment might be avoided-A comic scene
with three serious characters-Freemasons and White
Penitents-Anecdote of the Princess Borghese-Madame
Mère-Story of a Vampire related by Fouché, when
Minister of the Police-The Lady of the Forest, a Lan-
guedocian anecdote Mysterious disappearances-Baron
Pasquier, the Prefect of Police-Parisian thieves and swin-
dlers-The diamond shoe-buckles-The pretended Russian
Prince and the parure of diamonds-The snuff-box and
the robber duped-Robespierre and the English-A pro-
posed marriage between Robespierre and a Royal Princess
Robespierre's blue coat, and bouquet of tri-coloured
Page
53
n
CONTENTS.
flowers-A story related by Tallien-A second pro-
position for a marriage between Robespierre and a Princess.
-True cause of the death of the Duke of Orleans.
CHAPTER IV.
The Duke of Otranto-Police disclosures-A lady of quality
in the pay of the police-Snare laid to entrap the Po-
lignacs-A gang of thieves betrayed-Love and Police
-A mysterious billet-Fouché's rendez-vous-The dis-
creet porter-Discovery of murders committed by the
Countess Polvère-Poison and somnambulism-The dou-
ble lady, an optical phenomenon-The General and the
Pilgrim-The brigands and the crucifix-Singular vision
of Louis-Sebastian Mercier-Apparition seen by Napoleon
and Josephine.
CHAPTER V.
•
The Marquis de Maniban-Remarks on the old French Ma-
gistracy-Emoluments and duties of a Parliament Coun-
sellor The Doyen's mule, a Toulousian anecdote-Opi-
nions respecting the guilt of the Calas family-Victims
sacrificed by the Jacobins to revenge Calas-Napoleon's
intention of restoring the old Parliaments-His conversa-
tion with Cambacérès on that subject-Remarks of the
Duke d'Angoulême relative to the old Parliaments-
Scheme for a gallant intrigue at the Court of the Tuileries
-Base speculations on Napoleon's gallantry-Beautiful
reply of the Emperor to a petition of the Empress Jo-
sephine-Military anecdotes-Secret mission to England
in 1811-Plan for inducing the Bourbons to renounce
their claim to the throne of France-Prince Talleyrand's
loss of memory-Madame de N....-Unpublished letter
of Fouché-Madame de N... .'s visit to Hartwell-Her
letter to Prince Cambacérès-The Count de La Châtre-
M
ix
Page
122
187
X
CONTENTS.
The Duke of Orleans-The Count de Blacas-Description
of His Majesty Louis XVIII-Père Elysée-The Duchess
d'Angoulême-Her charitable disposition -The Duke de
Berry-His morganatic marriage-His two daughters-
Napoleon's reception of the Royal message-A celebrated
remark of Napoleon-Explanation of the occasion on which
it was made.
CHAPTER VI.
Louis Sebastien Mercier-Details hitherto unpublished, re-
lating to the assassination of Marat-Trial and execution
of Charlotte Corday-The source of her fanaticism ex-
plained-Napoleon's belief in fatality-His courage and
disregard of personal danger -The Imperial Chamberlains
-Example of courtly meanness-The gilded weathercock
—An ungrateful chamberlain on the 20th of March-An
anecdote for the edification of honest men-Wise maxims
of Cambacérès-Adventures of a courtier from 1787 to
1830-Amusing letter from a provincial lady to a friend
in Paris Missive from an ambitious poet - Literary
discussion-The classic school and the romantic school-
Cause of literary failures and disappointments-Prevalence
of suicide-Literary opinions of Cambacérès-Rétif de
la Bretonne-Chenier and his Epistle to Voltaire-Na-
polcon's displeasure, and Chenier's punishment.
CHAPTER VII.
Page
. 231
•
Count Regnauld de Saint-Jean d'Angely-His portrait and
character Special value set upon him by Napoleon-
Sharp and unpublished sayings of the Emperor—Count
Regnauld in 1814-The five assassinations-Romantic
chapter in the life of a counsellor of state-Poison and
chocolate, an anecdote of the days of the Empire-Baron
288
CONTENTS.
xi
Page
de Puymaurin-M. de C......-Story of an imperial
spy related by M. de Puymaurin-Incredible and disin-
terested language of M. Benoit, an ex-minister of state
Conversation with Cambacérès on the probable return of
Napoleon-Unpublished letter of the latter written at the
close of 1814-Tribulations of an ex-grand dignitary-The
female chapter, an anecdote of the Restoration-The dearly
paid bride's clothes of a maiden espoused without a por-
tion-Persons going a-begging-The actress and the win-
dow-A beggar who has lost his memory; stories of the
present day-The Emperor and a grognard-Unpublished
and anecdotical letters of Napoleon to Josephine concern-
ing the battle of Austerlitz-The black leg and the joke, a
fantastic anecdote.
337
1
ILLUSTRATIONS.
FRONTISPIECE TO VOL. I.
Portrait of Napoleon.
FRONTISPIECE TO VOL. II.
Portrait of Prince Cambacérès.
EVENINGS
WITH
PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.
CHAPTER I.
The author visits Prince Cambacérès in 1814-Count Jules
de Polignac-Count Réal-Count Fabre de l'Aude-Dis-
closure of the circumstances which caused the trial of
Louis XVI to terminate in the sentence of death-Scene
in the National Convention-The two Robespierres, Legen-
dre, Saint-Just, Lebas, Couthon, Collot d'Herbois, Barrère,
Fouquier-Tinville, Santerre, Carrier and Lebon-Cambacérès
and the Duke of Orleans-Extraordinary statement made by
the Duke-First interview between Cambacérès and General
Bonaparte-Bonaparte and Count Fabre de l'Aude-Unpub-
lished correspondence-A remarkable phrase twice repeated
-An anecdote of 1797-Napoleon at the Museum in 1807
-The Author's conversation with him-Political sentiments
of the youth of France in 1814.
THE Consequences of the European war having
compelled me to leave Italy in February 1814.
VOL. I.
B
2
VISIT TO PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.
I returned to France and took up my residence
at Carcassonne. The restoration ensued, and,
in the August following, I proceeded to Paris.
On my arrival in that capital, I lost no time
in calling on Prince Cambacérès. He still
resided at the old Hotel de Monaco, where he
fixed his abode when the demolition of the Hotel
d'Elbeuf compelled him, in 1809, to remove from
the Place du Carrousel. His new residence was
situated in the Rue Saint-Dominique. Her Royal
Highness the Duchess dowager of Orleans pur-
chased it from him after the Hundred Days;
and she died there. The council of state now
holds its sittings in that hotel. What next will
be its destiny? Houses, like empires, often
change masters. The chronicles of the palaces
and hotels of Paris might furnish matter for a
few amusing volumes.
When, on saluting the Prince, I recollected
the many stirring events which had occurred
within the space of a few short months, I felt
unable to conceal my emotion. His manner was
marked by his accustomed kindness and amia-
bility:
"How is this ?" said he. "You turn to
the setting sun! Do you profess the worship
of sinking stars ?"
Monseigneur," replied I, your highness
overwhelmed me with favours
in the days of
CC
S
(C
3
your power. I can never cease to cherish a
grateful remembrance of them.”
(C
Leon," said he, "if you knew how basely
I have been forsaken. Messieurs so and so,
(he named about ten or a dozen persons,) are
at the Tuileries... But, I am delighted to see
you. Whenever you have an hour to spare,
especially in the evening, come and see me,
and we will talk over the past."
(C
Yes, and we will build in the regions of
chimera, castles in the air for the future."
COUNT JULES DE POLIGNAC.
"The future! Alas! we have nothing to
look for in the future. The Emperor has closed
every chance against himself. The Bourbons
will reign for ever.'
"I do not think so."
"Indeed! and pray what inspires you with
that doubt?"
"A line of La Fontaine; that writer whose
works are an inexhaustible mine, in which every
thing is to be found. In the fable of l'Ours et
l'Amateur, you will find this maxim :
(C
Rien n'est si dangereux qu'un ignorant ami.''
**
"It is very true."
For example, I passed a few days at Car-
cassonne with Count Jules de Polignac. Two
strange hallucinations have taken possession of
his mind one is the complete return to the old
B 2
4
COUNT RÉAL.
régime; and the other, that France can never
be saved until he himself is made prime minister.
He repeated this nonsense over and over, and
made it the subject of a hundred arguments."
"What a singular man he is!"
"He is a pure specimen of loyalty and of
exalted piety; a man of the most amiable dis-
position and manners, but of the most complete
incapacity. There is no junior clerk in any of
our public offices, who is not better qualified to
be a minister than the Count."
"So much the worse, for he is very in-
fluential now, and will be very powerful by
and bye. But he will see-he will reflect, and
will learn to judge of things more accurately."
،،
Monseigneur, there are people who close
their eyes that they may not see, and stop
their ears that they may not hear. We have
many such in France, now."
Count Réal was announced. His highness
uttered an exclamation of joy.
66
How, Count! is it you? I have not seen
you this age."
REAL.-I go out but little : the weather is so
bad.
He looked at me with an air of doubt.
THE PRINCE.-Oh! he is one of ourselves.
You may speak freely.
He introduced me. My humble name was
COUNT FABRE DE L'AUDE.
5
unknown to Count Réal; but his Serene
Highness' guarantee was of course sufficient to
insure full confidence in me. The Count again
made some remarks upon the weather, which
he intended to be figurative, and expressed his
fears that it would be very stormy. The re-
publicans distrusted the Bourbons, and cer-
tainly without reason; for their forbearance,
indulgence, and clemency, knew no bounds; and,
in 1814, it might have been truly said that the
Bourbons alone had forgotten every thing.
:
Count Fabre de l'Aude next dropped in.
The Count was a magistrate and a politician of
the good old school, distinguished for probity
and parsimonious economy; but, at the same
time, a warm hearted man, and ever ready to
serve his friends in short, he had no enemies,
except those who were ungrateful for his kind-
ness. He was an able financier and a most
accurate calculator. Accounts never became
confused in his hands. Napoleon esteemed and
appreciated his merit, and frequently appealed
to his advice in private; though he never con-
ferred on him any other reward than the func-
tionless post of procureur-général of the conseil
des sceaux des titres. After being president of
the tribunal, he, of necessity, became a senator:
he was created a count with the rest of his
colleagues en masse, and, at the same time, he
6
TRIAL OF LOUIS XVI.
S
obtained the title of commander of the legion of
honour. He was the friend of Cambacérès, and
he honoured me with his particular regard, on
account of his connexion with my father-in-law,
who, during the empire, was a counsellor of the
criminal court of Toulouse.
We all entered into conversation without
reserve. We spoke of the royal family. Prince
Cambacérès, who took every opportunity of
clearing himself from the charge of being a
regicide, introduced the subject of the King's
death. Some observations were made on the
political error committed by the Girondins in
consenting to the death of Louis XVI.
(C
I should like," said Réal, "to tell some-
thing which I dare say you do not know. I
can inform you why, and through whose influ-
ence, it was determined that the sentence on the
King should be attended by a tragical result."
We all manifested our curiosity.
Réal stationed himself with his back to the
fireplace; there was no fire. The Prince took
his seat in a large arm-chair; Fabre de l'Aude
in another of smaller dimensions; and I in a
chair without arms. The hierarchy being thus
arranged, Réal commenced :
"On the 21st September 1792, about mid-
night, the National Convention, which had been
installed since the morning, had, as a first
·
operation, and on the proposition of Count Gré-
goire, resolved to terminate the monarchy by pro-
claiming the creation of the republic, single and
indivisible. I can fancy myself, even now, in
that apartment of Robespierre. It was a room
on the ground-floor, the entrance to which was
through a very shabby antichamber. On the
day I have mentioned, there were assembled in
the room, Saint-Just, Lebas, Couthon, Collot
d'Herbois, Barrère, Fouquier-Tinville, Carrier
Lebon, Legendre, Santerre, the two Robes-
pierres, (Maximillian and Augustin,) and my-
SITTINGS OF THE CONVENTION.
self thirteen in all an unlucky number.
CC
M
Robespierre the elder made the remark."
He, Sir?" exclaimed I.
("
T
7
Yes, he," replied Count Réal.
"Does that surprise you, my young friend?”
said Prince Cambacérès. "It is a superstition, to
be sure; but there are many similar examples !"
I know one more, thought I to myself, and I
recollected certain dinners....but I shall come
to this subject hereafter.
(
T
"The two sittings of the Convention," mur-
mured Réal, “ had been stormy, and, though the
proclamation of the republic had been carried al-
most unanimously, yet it met with opposition
from a few discontented spirits, who complained
that the important measure had not been suffi
ciently matured and discussed. Carrier alluded
ܕ
·★
8
SITTINGS OF THE CONVENTION.
to the dissatisfaction of Gensonné, upon which
Maximillian Robespierre observed :
Gentlemen, this Gironde is an assemblage
of Tartufes."
LEGENDRE. No matter;
((
on the 10th of
August, they put their shoulders to the wheel
nobly.
ROBESPIERRE. Parbleu! They did indeed.
And, if the Château had gained the day, they
would all have been hanged and we with them.
LEGENDRE. Then they are not for the tyrant?
ROBESPIERRE.-They are for the monarchy.
They want a king.
Get
BARRÈRE.-Or a president.
AUGUSTIN.-It is the same thing.
REAL.-No.
SAINT-JUST.-Yes.
It matters not, king or
president; two heads in one cap; a Philip VII.,
instead of a Louis XVI. If such are to be the
results, what have we been labouring for? Those
gentlemen of the Gironde are not quite so great
as their own ambition. I would lay a good wager
that they have already disposed of all the posts
in the ministry, and sent us a-packing.
A discussion now arose on another subject.
None of the assembly were favourable to Égalité,
who had just then assumed that absurd title.
All vowed to unite firmly against him.
ROBESPIERRE (with a look like that of a wolf
T
9
PRINCE ÉGALITÉ.
thirsting for blood).-Parbleu ! gentlemen, we
might strike a grand blow.
ALL. HOW?
ROBESPIERRE (lowering his voice).-This is
among ourselves.
ourselves. What would you give to him
who would furnish you with the means of so
completely degrading Egalité, that he should
have no refuge but the grave; and so deeply
embroil the royalists with the Gironde, that any
treaty, armistice, or adjustment, should become
impossible?
LEBAS.-Diable! That would be excellent!
and have you discovered such a plan?
ROBESPIERRE. Yes, if you are not faint-
hearted.
COLLOT D'HERBOIS.-Proofs of our courage
are not wanting!
BARRÈRE (with an expression of alarm).—This
is something serious.
ROBESPIERRE.-Gentlemen, to serious evils,
we must apply serious remedies. By proclaim-
ing the republic, we have passed the rubicon.
Let us continue our march; Louis must be
brought to judgment, condemned to death, and
executed.
ALL. Ah!
SANTERRE. -The King condemned to death!
the constitution declares him inviolable.
ROBESPIERRE.-Lebas, Couthon, Réal, Saint-
10
PROPOSED DEATH OF THE KING.
Just, in short all of us here, except Fouquier and
yourself, are also inviolable, by virtue of the
same constitution; and yet, if the republic
should demand our heads, we must forfeit them,
in spite of that same constitution.
REAL.-Gentlemen, it appears to me that
Robespierre is in the wrong. The King cannot
be tried.
AUGUSTIN.-Silence, aristocrat ! Agent of Pitt
and Coburg!
RÉAL.-I say we are overstepping our power.
CARRIER.
We are all-powerful against a
tyrant.
M
FOUQUIER-TINVILLE.-It is certain that if
the head of Capet fall with the concurrence
of Egalité and the Girondins, they will get
into terrible disgrace with the respectable class
of people.
SAINT-JUST.-What do you mean, by res-
pectable people, Fouquier? Are we brigands?
FOUQUIER.-Words have changed their mean-
ings. The term respectable people (gens de
bien) is synonymous with traitors;-canaille
means good citizens.
BARRÈRE.-Take the life of the King! It
is a grand--patriotic idea! Will it be popular?
ROBESPIERRE.-Yes! with the aid of Sainte
Peur. (Laughter.) That Saint whom Danton
created on the 2nd and 3rd instant, and who
THE PLAIN, MOUNTAIN, AND MARSII.
now keeps Paris in awe.
and it will vote with us;
be for the cause of liberty.
will commit
11
Frighten the Plain,
the Girondins will
As to Egalité, he
REAL.-What is the Plain ?
ROBESPIERRE. -The lower benches of the
assembly-which are occupied by the insane
moderates, those monsters who recommend con-
cord, when blood ought to flow in torrents. The
Mountain shall be the high benches, whence we
will overwhelm the plain, and command the
marsh. By the latter term, I mean the centre,
which is occupied by those sleepers, who awake
only to vote with the majority.
"It was," continued Réal, addressing us,
"the elder of the Robespierres who, on the very
first day of the Convention, created those terms
which subsequently became the watch-words of
so much agitation and crime. As to me, I felt
myself ill at ease in this conventicle. It was
urged that the question was inopportune, and a
warm discussion ensued on this point. Robes-
pierre knew that Danton, Fabre d'Églantine,
Camille-Desmoulins, Hébert, Brissot, Louvet,
Condorcet, Dumouriez, Valence, Gorsas, Fon-
frède, Barras, Tallien, Marat, Manuel-Pétion,
Voidel, Genlis, Le Pelletier-Saint-Fargeau, Châ-
teau-Neuf, Randon-Vadier, and others belonged
to the Égalité faction, round whom the Giron-
}
12
CARRIER AND ROBESPIERRE.
dins, in despair of success, would rally. To put
the King to death, was to complete the anni-
hilation of royalty: to oblige Égalité to co-
operate in the regicide, was to render him for
ever incapable of wearing the crown, by what-
ever title it might be offered to him. Thus
Égalité, though a participator in the crime,
would reap no advantage from it: the whole
benefit would revert to Robespierre and his
party."
These considerations had their due weight
in the minds of the majority of the assembly,
and determined them to take the decisive step.
It was resolved that the King should be brought
to trial, as soon as the urgent business, then in
progress, could be settled; and that the trial,
when once commenced, should be actively car-
ried on to its close. Carrier was heard to
observe, "Even though Capet should escape,
a more lucky 6th of October, 20th of June, or
10th of August, will rid us of him."
"Fool!" replied Robespierre, "what shall we
gain by this measure, if it be executed by vio-
lence? We must have a well grounded charge,
an open investigation, counsel for the accused,
in short, a trial lawfully instituted, maintained,
and decided. His head must fall in due legal
form this will produce an effect; will make
Europe tremble, and secure to us the support of
FOUQUIER-TINville.
13
the citizens-for they will be our accomplices.
We shall receive addresses of congratulation
and adherence from every commune and town
in France."
The sitting rose. Mademoiselle Duplay,
Maximillian Robespierre's mistress, entered and
announced Marat. I signified my intention of
retiring. Fouquier-Tinville and Santerre went
away with me. The latter passed through the
Rue Saint-Honoré. He seemed to be going to
the Palais-Royal, for he took leave of us on the
Place, and entered one of the turnings leading
to the Palais. Fouquier and I continued our
course along the Rue Saint-Honoré. I lodged
at No. 75. When we were alone, Fouquier said
to me :
"I could wager that he is going to denounce
us. He is sold to Orleans. To whom do you
belong?"
"To myself."
"Bah! That is madness! In these times,
every man must devote himself to a leader.
Join Robespierre."
.
Why? A member of the sovereign people
ought to maintain his independence."
"You are wrong. You will be set down as a
royalist."
"I can show proofs to the contrary.
friend to the republic."
I am a
14
ANECDOTE RELATED BY CAMBACÉRÈS.
"I assure you, gentlemen," pursued Réal,
addressing himself to us, "I spoke the truth.
At that time, I was a sincere democrat. I have
changed my opinions since then, and I am
now a monarchist." He then resumed his nar-
rative.
I
Fouquier appeared to me to be a man already
sold to Robespierre. This threw a light upon
me. I was averse to the sentence of death.
put myself on the watch, and I could plainly
perceive that the plan which had been proposed
at Robespierre's, was gradually developing itself
in other places. Egalité, though well cautioned,
could neither avert the trial, nor refrain from
taking part in it. He, the King's nearest relation,
accepted the office of his judge from that mo-
ment, he was lost. He was afterwards regarded
with a feeling of repugnance; and it was scarcely
considered a subject of regret, when, in his turn,
he mounted the scaffold. Thus ends my story.
We rose from our seats, and thanked Réal.
Excited by the compliments which Fabre de
l'Aude and I lavished on the ex-senator, Prince
Cambacérès rubbed his hands, and said:
((
:
M
""
"It is indeed a very interesting story. Would
you like to hear one which I can tell you,
and which relates to the same period ?"
"Yes!" we all exclaimed with one voice;
and the Prince thus commenced-
THE DUKE OF ORLEANS.
15
"When I was chosen a member of the Na-
tional Convention by my Department (Herault),
I lodged in Paris, at the Hotel de Bearn,
Rue Feydeau. I occupied a modest set of
apartments on the third story without an anti-
chamber. One morning, about eight o'clock,
I heard a knocking at my door: the key was
on the outside. Come in, said I, and two
persons entered. One was Voidel, and the
other was the Duke of Orleans. I rose from
chair and began to stammer out some apologies
for my humble abode.
my
C
"Never mind, my dear colleague,' said
Voidel. I have come to introduce you to one
of ourselves; an excellent patriot, animated
with the desire to render France happy. He
wishes to know you, and requested that I would
bring him here."
"I again commenced my protestations. I
could not conceive why the first Prince of the
blood, instead of summoning me to his palace,
should come to visit me in my obscure retreat.
As to the Duke, his manner was embarrassed
and restrained. His exquisite tact evidently re-
proached him for the course he was pursuing.
Voidel took his leave, saying he had some visits
to make, and left me alone with the Most
Serene Highness of the day. The Duke of Or-
leans, opening the conversation, said in a low
tone of voice :
16
|ortmund
EXTRAORDINARY STATEMENT.
CCC
My dear colleague, you see before you
a very unfortunate man. I am surrounded by
enemies who traduce me, who misrepresent my
actions, and even my thoughts. At first, I was
accused of conspiracy against Louis XVI. ; now
it is alleged that I aspire to the attainment of
despotic power, under the title of President,
Protector, Consul or anything else they may
invent. It is certain that my sentiments are
those of the French people. For upwards of
four years, I have been fighting in the cause of
France, and serving her with my fortune and
my influence; my eldest sons are in the army;
I have renounced all distinction. Yesterday
evening (this interview occurred on the 17th of
September,) I went even farther-I went very
far-perhaps a greater length than I should
have gone.... In short, by the help of a patriotic
fiction, I endeavoured to prove my aversion
to continue the course that has been pursued.'
"He paused and hesitated, then said a few
words, and paused again. He looked at me
steadfastly, and I observed that he turned pale.
"You doubtless know what I did yesterday
at the Jacobins ?'
"No, Monseigneur, I replied; I have been
very unwell for the last few days, and have been
confined to my room. Your serene highness
and Voidel are the first visitors who have broken
my solitude; consequently, I cannot know
OBJECTIONS TO TITLES.
17
Jolmestad
any thing that Monseigneur may have done or
said.
66 C
"Why do you constantly repeat Mon-
seigneur and your highness ?
your highness? I assure you,
my dear colleague, I have voluntarily relin-
quished those titles and qualifications; therefore,
call me simply Sir, if you do not choose to call
me your colleague; though the latter appella-
tion is the one in which I pride myself.'
"I bowed. These words surprised me. Where
a man derives distinctions from his birth, or
social position; or, when he has solicited or
accepted distinctions, he ought not to relinquish
them voluntarily. For example, would it not
be absurd in me to reprove M. Langon, whose
superior I have been in the council of state,
when he addressed me by the titles of prince
and serene highness? In public, I should not
have addressed the Duke of Orleans by titles,
which were interdicted by law, and still more by
prudence; but, in a private interview, I con-
ceived it proper for me to use them, and for
him to receive them: but, to proceed with my
story.
"I bowed silently and respectfully, and, after
kindly shaking my hand, the Prince thus con-
tinued :
You must know, then, that urged by the
desire of separating myself from the past, to
VOL. I.
C
18
LEGITIMACY DISAVOWED.
afford no pretext for calumny, and in order to
be consistent with the new and flattering title
of civic adoption, accorded to me by the city
of Paris, I thought it incumbent on me to
declare, at the meeting of the Jacobins, that-
I said it jokingly-not exactly jokingly-I was
serious, quite serious-Ah, Monsieur de Cam-
bacérès! if you knew what a difficult position I
stand in, and what sacrifices I must make to
extricate myself from it!'
"These broken sentences, and the Prince's
evident hesitation to make me acquainted with
something, which he nevertheless wished to tell,
roused my curiosity. I sat in silent suspense,
with my eyes cast down, puzzled to guess what
was to follow these last words; though I confess
all my conjectures were far enough from the
truth. At length, after some equally mysterious
circumlocution, the prince informed me that, on
the preceding evening, urged by some fatal
inspiration, he had conceived the notion that,
by raising doubts of the legitimacy of his birth,
he should succeed in mitigating, as far as con-
cerned himself, the violent hatred cherished by
the sans culottes against the royal family. Doubt-
less, if he had had time for reflection, he would
have resorted to some less ignominious stra-
tagem; but the unfortunate Prince had one
earnest wish to gratify; and that was to live,
and, if possible, to die in France.
-
FALLEN GREATNESS.
19
"I hope I am not wanting in due consi-
deration for misfortune; I am aware of the
sacrifices which it is necessary to make to cir-
cumstances, and I knew too well, at that time,
how presence of mind may be paralyzed by the
fear of a speedy and horrible death. Never-
theless, what I heard from the Prince filled me
with amazement, and my countenance no doubt
expressed the bewilderment into which the
Duke's extraordinary disclosure threw me. I
was at a loss to comprehend how a man, having
the good fortune to possess the noblest name in
the world, should renounce it, not only without
compulsion, but voluntarily; instead of pre-
ferring torture, or death, to the loss of it!
For a moment, I suspected the possibility of a
mystification, but I repelled the idea. Since
the Prince had ventured to tell me what I had
just heard, it must necessarily be true.
"Ah Monseigneur! I exclaimed, you speak
as Tacitus wrote.
66 C
My dear Sir,' resumed the Prince, no
flattery, I am fallen. You disapprove of what
I have done,—I am sensible of my error; but,
I have a large fortune, children, and friends.
I love France, and, rather than quit my country,
I would descend to the regions below. Hence-
forth, I presume they will let me live at my ease,
and I trust that the revolution will adopt me
c 2
·
20
AN ARTFUL HINT.
in emulation of the city of Paris. My dear
colleague,' he added, drawing his chair closer to
mine, are you not tired of this state of things?
Would you not rejoice to see a change for the
better?'
"I should rejoice, said I, eagerly seizing the
opportunity to change the conversation, to see
the sovereignty of the laws, and the establish-
ment of true principles of wisdom and mode-
ration, without pillage, or bloodshed.
CC C
That is what I also wish to see it is what
you desire in common with me.'
G
"This was coming to the point. I smiled.
I knew the Prince to be artful, and I was fully
sensible of the danger I should incur by en-
tering into his indirect confidence. He, encou-
raged by what he imagined to be an approving
movement of my lips, thus proceeded :
6
Yes, if I should be deemed worthy-
capable of conducting affairs prudently--whether
under the title of president, protector, first con-
sul, or even dauphin-I pledge my word that
men of your stamp should compose my council,
and that I should feel pleasure in making you
amends beforehand, for the injustice of fortune.'
( 6
My dear colleague, said I, pronouncing the
qualification emphatically, I thank you for this
proof of your confidence. I am flattered by it,
and, in return, I promise to bury it in inviolable
، ،
A
INFLUENCE OF THE QUEEN.
21
(C (
secrecy. As to the subject to which it refers,
I think it at present inopportune. See how we
are situated. Consider what you were forced
to say yesterday, and what would be the result
of a demand for sovereign power, even for you.
Yes, I see the difficulty-but, with per-
severance, numerous and warm friends, and
money judiciously applied I have opened
my mind to you, because I know you to be
prudent and intelligent. Voidel has likewise
spoken to you....I have all the leading men
of the cap of liberty party, besides the Gi-
rondins with whom I am treating I have
Marat, Danton, Robespierre, Santerre, Barras,
Condorcet !'
:
"I let him run on, though I was not a little
astonished at the array of names which he had
set down on his list. But men situated as the
Duke then was, are so ready to delude them-
selves by chimeras. To hear him, I might have
supposed he could count on two thirds of the
Convention.
CC
And Louis XVI, said I, what of him?
r
"Ah! there is the embarrassing point. But
Louis would listen to reason, were it not
for the Queen. It has been proposed to me
but no....I will never consent to it....I
should shrink with horror from a sceptre stained
by the blood of my relation, and of him who
22
ÉGALITÉ'S FAMILIARS.
(
was my sovereign. (This was said on the
17th of September," observed Cambacérès.
"Mark that, Gentlemen!) It is necessary
that the King should leave the Temple...
should quit France, and then...
"Here the Duke of Orleans paused, and re-
mained for some minutes absorbed in his own
reflections- then, drawing out his watch, he
said:
2
“Ten o'clock already; Pétion is waiting for
me at Mousseaux. He is one of our party-I hope
you will soon know them all... Adieu, Monsieur
Cambacérès. Then the matter is understood be-
tween us. Adieu! Speak to Voidel, or Laclos,
about the arrangements. They are my fami-
liars.' (laughing.)
66
Indeed, Prince, said I, then what are we
to be called ?"
"Oh! the parties present are always ex-
cepted. You will dine to-morrow at the Palais
Royal. Adieu !'
(C
He left me, and I began to reflect on
his conduct of the preceding evening. Into
what a gulph had he plunged, in the hope of
mounting a throne! How was he to extricate
himself from the difficulties with which he was
surrounded? What magnanimity! what heroism
would be required!
"I went to dine next day at the Palais Royal;
CAMBACÉRÈS AND BONAPARTE.
but I had no opportunity of conversing privately,
either with Laclos, or Voidel. Subsequent events
carried me insensibly so far from Egalité, that
I passed before his scaffold to fill the place as-
signed to me as the second person in the state.
I have had an important part to play."
Cambacérès had become quite animated, whilst
relating the above story, and, when it was ended,
he said, rubbing his hands: " Gentlemen, this
reminds me of my first interview with another
personage much more worthy your attention-L
mean the Emperor."
23
FABRE DE L'AUDE.-Where did your Serene
Highness first see him?
PRINCE CAMBA CÉRÈS.
CAMBACÉRÈS. You shall hear.
About the end of the year 1794, after the 9th
Thermidor, there was a president of the com-
mittee of war, named Aubry. He was a man
of no capacity, without a particle of military
talent, and, consequently, the avowed enemy of
all superior merit. For example, he never par-
doned any one who got promoted before him
and left him in the rear. Thus, he was fu-
riously enraged against a certain Corsican, who
had taken Toulon, in spite of the stupid Car-
teaux, the imbecile Doppet, and the English;
and who, having subsequently become a general,
completed, in the space of a few days, a brilliant
campaign on the other side of the Alps.
K
-
24
jenfaisa
THE YOUNG AND OLD GENERAL.
Aubry owed a bitter grudge to the little
general, whom he often reproached for his
youth. One soon grows old on the field of
battle, and I am getting on,' was the reply to
these reproaches. Aubry got up a malicious
charge, and the result was, that the general, at
once young and old, was suspended. Amidst
the blundering and mismanagement which then
prevailed in all matters of business, I was
made one of the committee of war. Imagine
how well fitted I was for the appointment. The
case of the suspension was presented to me,
accompanied by a report of disobedience. Aubry
made a very long face. He wanted the case to
be regarded as a matter of vast importance,
and was astonished to find that I treated it with
indifference. I should have been as much as-
tonished if he had presumed to pronounce an
opinion on a question of jurisprudence! I
contented myself with signing the paper, in my
turn, and throwing all the responsibility on
him.
G
Some time after this, when I was lodging in
the Rue Chabannais, I was startled by a knock
at my door early one morning. The knock
was somewhat louder than that given by the
Duke of Orleans, when he had honoured me with a
visit about two years previously. I requested my
visitor to enter, and I saw before me a little,
BONAPARTE DESCRIBED.
25
thin, sallow complexioned man. His ill arranged
hair was hanging down in the curls called oreilles
de chien, which were in fashion at that time. He
was very badly dressed-his boots were too short,
his coat too long, his cravat horridly wrinkled,
and his hat bearing evidence of long service.
Disfigured as he was by these shabby habili-
ments, I could not help remarking his white and
beautifully formed hands, and his mouth, which
was inconceivably handsome, especially when
animated by either a good natured or a satirical
smile. And then his eyes! ..what eyes they
were!....as brilliant as those of the lion, or
the eagle-at once gentle, fierce, penetrating
and confiding....expressive of sublime genius
and magnanimity. His fine teeth, also, attracted
my attention. He had, altogether, the air of a
sovereign in the garb of a beggar; or, perhaps,
I may say he looked like Jupiter, when he
visited Baucis and Philemon. Add to this, a
full, sonorous and clear toned voice, easy un-
affected, yet dignified and commanding, manners.
Superiority of intellect was marked in every look
and gesture :—in short, his appearance produced
upon me an immediate and irresistible fasci-
nation. I was under a spell. I felt that I was
in the presence of a man who commanded my
respect and admiration. Such, at least, is the
impression he produced on me at first sight.
26
ERROR ACKNowledged.
FABRE DE L'AUDE.-He made the same im-
pression on me. My first rencontre with him is
quite a history.
REAL. And so is mine. I tremble, even now,
when I think of it.
MYSELF. I shall never forget the first time I
saw him.
PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.-Well, you shall each
in your turn describe that memorable day of
your lives. Meanwhile, let me proceed with my
story.
"Citizen!' said my visitor, I am General
Napoleon Bonaparte, whom you have unjustly
suspended.'
"General, I replied, I fear there has been
some mistake. Doubtless there was an error. . . .
and I am afraid I committed it.
"That is wisely said! None but fools
lay claim to infallibility, the Pope excepted.'
Truly, General, said I, laughing, you
would be fully justified in blaming me, if I
had considered the case as anything more than
a matter of form. It would have been most
absurd in me to have pretended to judge you as a
military man. I merely saw the public functiona-
ries refusing obedience to the constituted au-
thority. The fact is clear. You must admit that I
acted as any other person would do in my place.
But now to deal candidly with you; I willingly
، ،
BONAPARTE COMPLIMENted.
acknowledge that I treated you with great in-
justice. You are one of those who ought to be
advanced, instead of being kept back among
the common crowd. I know we are indebted
to you for the taking of Toulon, and the taking
of Toulon saved the republic. Your merit ex-
cites envy. People who have no talent cannot
endure those who have any. But, have a little
patience; you will work your way to your proper
rank, if they do not speedily assign it to you as
they should do.
CC
27
"that my
You see," continued Cambacérès,
compliments were well turned, or, as M. Pour-
ceaugnac says, assez bien troussés. The General
had come with the intention of reproving me
and we parted on friendly terms. He called
on me again, admitted me to his confidence, and
opened a correspondence with me about Italy
and Egypt;-in short, he admitted me to his
friendship....You know the rest. Now, Count
Fabre de l'Aude, let us hear your story."
"I knew General Bonaparte only by name,
said Count Fabre de l'Aude, by the brilliant
reputation he had earned at Toulon, and his
first campaign of the Alps. There was at that
time in the south of France, a Sieur P………. an
ill disposed, envious, malignant creature who,
in addition to all his other bad qualities, was
avaricious and eager to grasp money, no matter
(C
""
28
STORY BY FABRE DE L'AUDE.
by what means. One day, this miserable fellow
entered my apartments pale, dejected, and
apparently almost frightened out of his senses.
You will be hanged to a certainty, said
I. They are in pursuit of
you.
"Alas! I am innocent! My only object was
to save the republic.'
"To save the republic, truly, by your ro-
guery. I know you well.
"For the sake of my poor father, of my
mother whom you respect, of my brother...
"It is lucky for you that you are connected
with so many respectable people. Let me
hear what you have to say for yourself,-
"At this moment a loud knocking was heard
at the outer door. (I then lodged in the Rue
Coq-Heron, No. 63) I trembled, and P....
uttering a cry of terror, looked around him with
an air of bewilderment: then, after a moment's
pause, he made a spring, and, by a miracle of
agility, he leaped completely over my bed and
concealed himself by crouching down in the
space between the bedstead and the wall.
door opened and a man entered. . . . .
But why
should I attempt to describe him?.... It was
General Bonaparte. The portrait which Prince
Cambacérès just now drew of him, is better
than any I could trace. His eye flashed with
rage, and, though innocent, I was almost as
much awed as the criminal.
The
A LUCKY ESCAPE.
Fabre de l'Aude ?'
"C
"C
29
I presume I am in the presence of Citizen
Yes, citizen, and I have the honour to
address General Bonaparte ?
"The same: I have come to inquire whether
you can furnish me with any information re-
lating to a villain, a forger, a calumniator.
I will make an end of him, Citizen Five-Hun-
dred, if I catch him. The rascal shall die by
my hand. He comes from Carcassonne.'
He does.
"He is of a respectable family?'
"Yes.
"Whom he has disgraced, but whom I will
avenge.
"What offence has he committed Gene-
ral?
"He has been corresponding with the En-
glish cabinet under my name, and has de-
nounced me to the Directory as a traitor to my
country. What do you think of that, Citizen
Fabre ?'
"That any one has a good right to hang
him, except yourself, General Bonaparte. You
are a hero.
"I am a man of honour, and it is my duty
to punish the villain. I request that you will give
me his address.'
"And I request that you will grant his
pardon.
30
VISIT TO MADAME BONAPARTE.
"I then made some observations, with the
view of convincing the General how much he
would degrade himself by taking revenge on so
contemptible an enemy.
"You are right,' said he, after a moment's
reflection, and raising his hand to his eyes, ‘I
will spare his life, but it must be only on con-
dition of your making him retract and confess
his turpitude. Let this point be clearly under-
stood, without any room for evasion. The
explanation must leave him black as ink, and
me white as snow. On that condition, I will
spare him, but on no other.'
"This ultimatum, which was delivered in a
voice of thunder, was not calculated to meet
with objection, or resistance. I promised in the
name of P.... all that was required, and the
General then said :
"Citizen Five-Hundred, (these were his
words) I am delighted to have made your ac-
quaintance. Come and see me; I am going to
be married to-morrow, and it will not be long
before I quit Paris. Honest men should meet
together.'
เC
I accepted his invitation to visit him. After
his marriage, I went to pay my respects to
Mme. Bonaparte. The newly married couple
admitted me to their intimacy; and I did not
prove myself undeserving of it. I met at their
OPINION OF BONAPARTE.
31
house one of my colleagues, Ozun, who was,
like myself, a member of the Council of Five-
Hundred. He was a man of considerable talent,
and was devotedly attached to General Bona-
parte. Thus, a double link of friendship was
formed between us. After his departure for Italy,
he wrote to me often. A year had not elapsed,
when Ozun, in the course of conversation, one
day said to me:
(C (
The General might be placed at the head
of the government. His talent is universal, and
he would govern and legislate as well as he
fights. In short, he is a man without an
equal.'
"I acquainted the General with what Ozun
had said. His reply was, that the pear was not
ripe, and that he never hurried things. However,
our indiscretion did not injure us in his good
opinion on the contrary, I think it helped to
recommend us to favour, as subsequent occur-
rences proved.
“A short time after this, I had an opportunity
of acquainting Bonaparte with the ill-feeling
entertained towards him by the Directory; but
he knew it without my information. I was a
spectator, rather than an actor, on the occasion
of the 18th Fructidor. I observed the dissatisfac-
tion of Barras. At one moment, he attempted
to turn against the General the revolution which
32
had been undertaken with his concurrence.
This circumstance is not generally known: I will
explain it to you some other time. Barras
failed to accomplish his base design. Neverthe-
less, Bonaparte heard of it, and the lion began to
roar. To appease him, it was proposed that he
should go to Egypt. He departed, and our
correspondence continued. One day, when I
was writing to him, I overstepped the bounds of
my reserve. Shall I give you a specimen of my
style of writing at that time?"
We all with one voice signified our eager
curiosity. Count Fabre reflected for a few mo-
ments, and then repeated to us (such was the
retentive power of his memory) a letter couched
in nearly the following terms:
DEPARTURE FOR EGYPT.
'
"General,
Things are going from bad to worse. No
more victories abroad, and at home nothing but
abroad
famine, pillage and oppression;
neither credit nor respect; at home, listlessness
and want of spirit. We are lost, unless speedily
aided by a firm hand. That hand is not in
France, nor even in Europe: yet, without it, all
will be compromised and ruined.
Negociations have been set on foot with
66
Paris, August 12th 1799.
CORRESPONDENCE WITH BONAPARTE.
33
the Bourbons. Their return now would be
fatal to us; though, perhaps, not so hereafter.
Meanwhile, you are lost sight of, and all this is
done by four or five men at most; for the rest
of the republic look only to the conqueror of
Italy, the hero of Malta and of the Pyramids.
You belong to your country, and your proper
place is not in Cairo, but in Paris. Come, then,
....we anxiously await you. With you we
shall be strong; without you, all is lost. In sum-
moning you hither, I am but the trumpet of the
immense majority. You belong not to a few,
but to all. Even those who fear you, look to
you for their salvation. I send you an exact
account of the state of affairs, together with the
names of those on whom you may count, and
also the names of the hostile and the timid.
Examine and reflect. Would you have us turn
to Moreau? surely not-and yet things cannot
continue thus. Assistance must come from
abroad; and it depends on you whether it shall
come from the south or the north."
-
"After despatching this missive, I was not
utterly free from alarm. I was surrounded by
rogues, who had a keen scent. However, I
escaped detection. Some time afterwards, I re-
ceived an answer, which I conceived it to be my
duty to sacrifice to prudence. This answer
was, if my memory serves me, as follows-
VOL. I.
D
34
((
'One thing is certain, namely, that I have
nothing more to do in Egypt....I can easily
imagine the embarrassed state of France, badly
as she is governed, and fiercely as she is as-
sailed....I am ready to sacrifice myself in her
cause. We shall be taxed with ambition, be-
cause we draw her out of the abyss.... No
matter; let us do our duty, without regarding
the clamour of the mob. I knew
to be
a contemptible fellow, but I did not think him a
traitor. The Bourbons!!... They can never
return, except by marching over two hundred thou-
sand dead bodies...
A CELEBRATED PHRASE.
"""
REAL. (interrupting Count Fabre) That is
precisely the phrase he used in his letter to
Louis XVIII.
COUNT FABRE.-True: it is the same. That
only proves how permanently he entertained
the idea.
(C
(
letter,
As to Moreau,' continued Napoleon in his
he may be driven aside with a thrust
of one's shoulder.'
We all laughed at hearing Moreau thus admi-
rably characterized.
'
"I shall speedily rejoin you: the sooner the
better. If your notes be correct, the danger is
imminent, and the resources immense.... I will
come, and I will see....
"He arrived twenty-five days after I received
PROPOSED MISSION TO RASTADT.
35
the above letter. I need not proceed further;
long a story:
time. Count
it would be entering upon too
I reserve the rest for another
Réal, I throw the ball to you.
count of your first interview
Bonaparte."
COUNT RÉAL.— After the campaigns of Italy,
the Directory, with the view of retarding Bona-
parte's arrival in Paris, proposed sending him to
Rastadt, where negociations for peace were to be
opened. Our Directors were afraid of him, and
subsequent events proved that their fears were
not unfounded. They trembled at the very
name of the young General who, in less than two
years, had earned a colossal reputation. His
glory eclipsed that of all his contemporaries;
and, if the other generals of the republic were
ever spoken of, it was only when conversation
was exhausted on the theme of General Bo-
naparte.
Give us an ac-
with General
I was frequently in company with Barras,
and he used to converse with me confidentially.
I don't know why it was, but he, more than any
of his colleagues, betrayed symptoms of dissatis-
faction when he heard praises lavished on
General Bonaparte, which, as may be supposed,
was not unfrequently. The General was sent to
Rastadt, in the hope that he would be detained
there till the close of the conferences. But they
D 2
36
AN UNEXPECTED SUMMONS.
little knew him who flattered themselves with
this hope. He felt that Paris was his proper
place, and there he speedily presented himself.
About two o'clock one morning I was at
home, and had retired to bed, when I was
alarmed by a knocking at my door.
I say
alarmed, for at that time every thing excited
fear. I called out who is there ?" I have
brought a dispatch from Citizen Director Barras,"
was the answer. Diable! I was overwhelmed
:
with forebodings. The candles were lighted,
and I opened the fearful missive. It contained
only the following words:
cr
"I beg that my good friend Réal will come
to me without a moment's delay."
(Signed)
BARRAS.
At that time, the request of a Director was
equivalent to the command of a prince of the
old régime. Though greatly fatigued and in
want of sleep, I immediately rose. I interro-
gated the messenger: "Has anything hap-
pened?—Is there any conspiracy ?” I inquired ;
but I could obtain no satisfactory answer. I
became more and more alarmed, and, having
hastily dressed myself, the messenger and I got
into a fiacre which was waiting for us at the
door-the coachman smacked his whip, and
we drove off.
The Luxembourg was guarded like a gar-
rison, and my conductor had to give various
pass words before we reached the cabinet of the
director.
Barras was up, and was writing by lamp
light. As soon as I entered, he rose from his
seat, advanced towards me, and cordially pressed
CONVERSATION WITH BARRAS.
-
- my hand. This reception somewhat cheered me,
and helped to dispel the gloomy pictures which
my imagination had conjured up.
CC
I am afraid you have been roused from
your sleep?" said Barras in a tone of kindness.
"Indeed I have," replied I,—“ I was enjoying
very sound slumber."
"How happy you are to be able to sleep!
..as to me, I never know the luxury of closing
my eyes, except by the help of an opiate, or after
being exhausted by the most horrible fatigue."
"But you are a Director!"
،،
37
And, like Damocles, the sword is sus-
pended by a hair over my head....Have you
heard the news?"
CC
t t
(6
What news ?"
Bonaparte has arrived."
"When ?"
"A few hours ago.... At midnight. He is
an unsettled dissatisfied spirit. . He is now storm-
ing and raging.."
About what ?”
-
38
UNFOUNDED SCANDAL.
"Indeed I scarcely know. Somebody, it
would seem, has been cramming him with false-
hoods and making him believe-”
I could perceive that Barras was embar-
rassed. He walked about the room with
hurried steps. He could not prevail on him-
self to tell me that Napoleon was jealous, and
that a malignant tongue had bred mischief be-
tween the General and himself. I dropped
a hint on the subject, and Barras, appa-
rently delighted that I had broken the ice,
thus proceeded:
"Yes," said he, "one of Bonaparte's sister's,
(he did not inform me which of them, but I
believe it was the eldest) "has been telling him
some odious tales. His poor wife is inconsolable.
I am much annoyed about it. He is determined
to make an uproar, and I assure you there is no
foundation for it. Now, Réal, I wish you to go
to him...you can speak coolly and reasonably.
Advise him to be prudent: and say I am ready
to offer any explanation."
"But I am not acquainted with him.'
"What does that signify? I send you as a
messenger of peace. Go!"
What, now? At three o'clock in the morn-
ing? I could not see him."
"You think not ?”
"Most assuredly."
<<
59
M
te
39
Well, then, go at seven o'clock; I know he
A DIFFICULT MISSION.
is an early riser.'
I shrugged my shoulders. My mission was
a difficult one. But there was no declining it.
A Director was then a sort of sovereign. Prince
Cambacérès, I believe you were at one time
nearly being made a Director?
THE PRINCE.-Yes, but some obstacle arose.
I owe my consular fortune to my exclusion
from the Directory. It was the touchstone
which convinced Bonaparte that I was not de-
voted to Barras.
RÉAL.-I received my instructions, and de-
parted, not a little embarrassed. It was three
quarters past six when I entered the Rue Chan-
tereine, which had only a few hours previously
received its new name of Rue de la Victoire.
This was a token of respect from the muni-
cipality of Paris to the conqueror of Italy and
the pacificator of Europe. Instead of presenting
its usual solitude, the street was filled by a
crowd of persons, all eager to offer incense
at the altar of the new deity. The crowd was
chiefly composed of military officers, a class
of men for whom independence is ill-suited.
The equality of the republic had become odious
to them; and they were impatient to serve some-
thing or somebody. These heroes on the field
of battle, were humble slaves in the presence of
C
}
40.
ATTENTION OF JUNOT.
Napoleon. They seemed to have divined his
future greatness.
"
Very few of them succeeded in gaining sight
of him; but no matter-they inscribed their
names at the door. I happened to cast my eyes
on General C-- a sort of long serpent,
who was always creeping at the feet of peo-
ple in power; and, consequently, he made his
way in the antichambers rather than in the
army. He advanced and embraced me.
(C
My dear friend," said he, "are you very
intimate with the General in Chief, Bonaparte?
You are very fortunate, and I envy you. Pray
assure him how highly I admire"
I checked him by observing that I had
never yet exchanged words with General Bona-
parte. He then turned his back, and wished me
good morning. Since then, however, he has
made ample amends for his coolness, by abun-
dance of cringing and bowing, when he saw me
on the road to fortune. The civilians, (Messieurs
les civils, as the Prince de Benevento called
them) never knew how to pay their court so well
as the military.
On this point, we all agreed.
.
An aid-de-camp, pursued Count Réal, ad-
vanced to me: the circumstance of my being
a stranger procured me this mark of attention.
This aid-de-camp was Junot. He was a hand-
!
INTERVIEW WITH BONAPARTE.
CC
some young man, of pleasing manners. He was
devoted to his General and to his country. His
ardent courage and other estimable qualities
well entitled him to a better fate than that
which awaited him. He inquired what I was
waiting for.
"To see the General," I replied; “I am sent
by one of the Directors."
By which of them ?"
"I can name him only to the General."
Junot bowed and retired. In a few mi-
nutes after, a servant to whom I had doubtless
been described, entered the room. After looking
about, and satisfying himself that I was the
person he was in search of, he inquired my
name, which I had just given to Junot. I
repeated it. The servant then conducted me
up a
narrow staircase and into an entresol,
through which I was obliged to creep almost bent
double. He opened a door,-I entered,—and
found myself within the distance of two feet
from General Bonaparte. Darting at me a
glance, which I shall always remember, he said:
"What brings you here, citizen?"
"The wish to render justice to a man, who
has been calumniated and misrepresented to you;
I come
41
>>
"Silence!" exclaimed he in a voice which
vibrated through my ears like a peal of thunder,
42
SATISFACTORY EXPLANATION.
"no one has been calumniated....I have heard
nothing but truth.... and death...."
He paused. I confess I felt so ill at ease
that I would rather have been in any other
place than where I was. However, I was the
messenger of peace, and, making an effort to
resume my presence of mind, I repeated what
Barras had told me. I maintained his inno-
cence, and pointed out the interest which certain
persons had in creating dissension between him
and the General. I affirmed that he never
could have boasted of that which was utterly
false....in short, I wound up my pleading with
so much energy, that Bonaparte seized me by
the button of my coat, and, with a less gloomy
expression of countenance than he had hitherto
maintained, said:
"It is possible that I may have been de-
ceived....that they who have reported the mis-
chief may have been its inventors... It is not
the first time I have had to defeat a wicked plot
of this sort. But, in this case, circumstances
were so precisely detailed-
""
He stopped short, I perceived that my argu-
ments had produced some effect, and, anxious to
follow up my advantage, I observed that the cir-
cumstances to which he alluded, were merely un-
founded allegations; that, on the one hand,
there existed a jealousy of his marriage with
<
43
a woman of good family and the widow of a
man of rank; whilst, on the other hand, Madame
Bonaparte was envied for the attachment which
her husband bore her. I adverted to the im-
prudence and indecorum of making known to
the public the malignant inventions of his ene-
mies. Bonaparte was always ready to listen
to the voice of reason. His irritation was
gradually appeased, and the storm, which at
first threatened to burst with such violence, soon
passed away. He dismissed me with a con-
ciliatory message. I was overjoyed at my suc-
cess. I saw him frequently afterwards; and,
at a latter period of his career, he did me the
honour to remember me. He gave me an ap-
pointment, and I may venture to say that he
was satisfied with me.
VISIT TO THE MUSEUM.
Count Réal, having finished his story, my turn
came, and I related as follows, the most im-
portant incident of my life :-
One day, when I was strolling idly about
Paris, I happened to enter the Place du Louvre.
The Imperial Museum caught my eye, and
roused me from my reverie. As I possessed a
ticket, which was admissible on all days, I
thought I would take advantage of it. I pre-
sented my ticket at the door, and, being admitted,
I hesitated for a moment whether I should first
view the picture gallery, or the apartments
C
44
DIANA HUNTING.
containing the antiques. My lucky star deter-
mined my choice in favour of the latter, and
this circumstance was not without its influence
on the rest of my life.
-
The day was exceedingly dark and cloudy,
and I found the salles des antiques almost de-
serted. Very few visitors were passing through
the spacious apartments, and no one was en-
gaged in drawing from the statues. I felt no
inclination to break from this solitude, which
was congenial with the melancholy state of my
feelings at the time. I sauntered about, some-
times gazing on vacancy, and sometimes ad-
miring the sublime specimens of grace and
beauty which were grouped around me.
The Diana hunting, that wonder of art,
then stood in the apartment which Prudhom
had adorned with the productions of his pencil.
The statue rivetted my attention, and I stood
for some time thoughtful and motionless before
that exquisite representation of immortal grace
and beauty. Whilst I was thus rapt in ad-
miration, I did not perceive that I was an object
of curiosity to a person who had entered the
room unperceived by me, and who seemed not
a little amused at my enthusiasm, which was the
more sincere inasmuch as I was totally ab-
stracted.
The person to whom I allude was of the
PERSON OF NAPOLEON.
45
middle height; though, by the effect of an op-
tical delusion (which his presence frequently pro-
duced) he appeared to me to be of tall stature.
This may be accounted for by the extreme
dignity of his movements, and an air of majesty,
which made even tall men appear little when
near him. His eyes, whose glance was so ter-
rific when he was roused to anger, exercised
an irresistible influence over the hearts of those
on whom he looked kindly. Nothing could
equal the magical expression of his mouth :-
when he smiled, the fascination was irresistible;
and, when compressed by rage, it made the firmest
nerves tremble. In those moments, every word
to which he gave utterance fell like a thun-
derbolt. It was a mouth which could make
powerful monarchs tremble, or confer happiness
on thousands by a benignant smile.
But, to return to my scene in the Louvre.
The stranger whom I have just been describing
stood with one hand hanging carelessly at his
side; the other was raised, and the fingers were
passed through the button-holes of his waistcoat
of white wadded silk: the hands were remarkable
for delicate whiteness and elegance of form. A
green uniform coat with two silver epaulets, a
small three cornered cocked hat, of a peculiar
form, white kerseymere small-clothes, white silk
stockings, shoes with gold buckles, the grand
46
PYGMALION.
cordon of the legion of honour, almost entirely
concealing a sword in a white sheath with a hilt of
mother-o'-pearl and silver:—such was the dress
of His Imperial and Royal Majesty, Napoleon
Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, and King of
Italy, etc.; for he himself stood before me.
Napoleon frequently entered the apartments
of the Museum by the inner door communicating
with the Tuileries. There he would walk about
by way of relaxation, after long and wearisome
confinement in his cabinet. Whilst the Emperor
was in the Museum, it was customary not to
admit strangers, lest he should be annoyed
by idle curiosity; but, any persons who happened
to be in the apartments before he entered, were
suffered to remain. On the day to which I
have alluded, he had taken it into his head to
visit the lower part of the Museum, and my
immoveability attracted his notice.
He had stood for a minute or two looking
at me, and, finding that my contemplative reverie
was likely to be of long duration, he advanced a
few paces, and raising his hand so as to catch
my eye, he said:
"Do not forget, Sir, that Pygmalion fell in
love with a statue.
""
This apostrophe drew me from the intel-
lectual to the material world; and I hastily
looked round at the person who had addressed
CONVERSATION WITH NAPOLEON.
47
me.
I immediately recognized the Emperor.
Though I was not elated by any of the feelings
which such a rencontre would probably have
excited in the heart of an ambitious courtier ; yet,
I was highly pleased at finding myself thus face
to face with the great man, whom I had hitherto
admired only at a distance. Uncertain whether
the Emperor wished to be known or not, I con-
tented myself with making a respectful obeisance
and replied:
"The error of the artist proves the power of
the art."
"Are you a sculptor?" inquired the Em-
peror.
C
"No.... Sir."
Napoleon smiled at my marked hesitation,
which proved that I was aware whom I was
addressing, and he said:
"Are you a painter ?"
"No."
"What are you, then?" he continued with
some degree of impatience.
"I aspire to discharge those important func-
tions, which afford a young man the opportunity
of qualifying himself to serve his sovereign use-
fully."
"Perhaps you would like to be an auditor
in the council of state ?"
"That is the object of my ambition.”
48
THE VEIL DRAWN ASIDE.
I mentioned you, Prince, and you Count
Fabre de l'Aude.
"Your name?" continued the Emperor.
I gave it.
"Where is your father?"
"I have lost him."
,
Is he an emigrant ?”
، ،
No, he perished on the scaffold in 1794.
“Ah!....and you would wish to enter my
service ?"
"It is an honour of which I should be proud."
"You know me, then ?"
I bowed profoundly, and crossed my arms,
on my bosom in token of affection and devoted-
ness.
"Ah! you know me, and yet you pretended
you did not," said he. "Bravo! you must be a
diplomatist."
"I am the subject of Your Imperial Majesty.
It would ill have become me to raise the veil
beneath which your Majesty thought fit to dis-
guise yourself."
"Well! very well! Go on as you have
begun, and you will find your path smooth in
the career you have to pursue. Above all things,
be humble."
"I will exert, in the service of Your Imperial
Majesty, the same zeal with which my ancestors
served the Kings your predecessors."
PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.-Did I ever tell you
NOBLE BIRTH AND NOBLE SPIRIT.
49
that that same evening the Emperor asked me
some questions respecting you? He repeated
to me literally the words you have just now
uttered. He was much pleased with them, and
he made the remark, that people of quality were
the best fitted for courts.
"You might have reminded him, Prince," said
I, "that in past revolutions, men of rank have
always been the last to bow their heads to the
conqueror. One only of all the members of the
council of state, withheld his adherence from
the act of deposition; and that one was a noble-
This should be borne in mind.”
man.
RÉAL.-And how did your interview with the
Emperor terminate ?
After I had made the remark, which Prince
Cambacérès has just adverted to, Napoleon smiled,
and, with great kindness of tone and manner, said :
Lose the remembrance of this meeting,
and I will not forget you."
"
He kept his word. Having saluted me, he
proceeded towards the Salle des gardes of Henry
II. I remained rivetted to the spot, as if by
enchantment. On the departure of the Em-
peror, all my self-possession seemed to have
forsaken me; and, but for an effort of physical
strength, I should have been overcome by the
excess of my joy.
The present generation, who see thrones filled
VOL. I.
Ε
50
THE YOUTH OF FRANCE.
merely by men of the ordinary stamp, are perhaps
unable to comprehend such a state of feeling.
Providence has not granted to them the favour
which must ever be our pride and glory; namely,
to have been face to face with Napoleon, to
have heard his voice vibrated through our ears
and hearts, and to have gazed on his placid and
majestic countenance. To us, Napoleon was not
a mere King or Emperor; he was a being of a
higher order; one of those sublime creations,
that perhaps help to exalt our idea of the
Creator. Napoleon was our father, our master,
and, in some degree, our idol. We young men
cherished for him the affection and duty of sons.
There existed between him and ourselves a po-
sitive sympathy which made us regard as a sacred
and family duty, that which the present gene-
ration of young Frenchmen would pronounce to
be servility and base vassalage. It is certain
that we believed the Emperor's government to
be the best of republics; and yet what a down-
right despotism it was!
It was sometime before I could restore my
feelings to their ordinary level, and regulate my
mind so as to render myself superior to my good
fortune; for to me it was a singularly good
fortune to have been honoured by the notice of
the Emperor, and to have acquired his special
protection. I felt that thenceforward every
LOVE FOR NAPOLEON.
51
object would appear to me under a new aspect,
that I should no longer stand alone in the world,
or require those supports which, like fragile
reeds, snap when implicitly trusted to. I should
now no longer need the protection of strangers-
that protection which was such a burthen to me.
No one who saw me enter the Museum that
day, would have recognized me when I came
out. My walk....my looks....all must have
been changed. I felt as though I had been
electrified by contact with the great man. I
looked forward to the future with a pride and
confidence which henceforth nothing could shake.
Napoleon was our religion:-our faith in him
was like our faith in Providence. With his aid,
we felt that nothing could fail us, and we set at
defiance all hostile influence. Our sovereign
was not a mere signing machine; and who in all
the world could have morally countersigned Na-
poleon?
Katja
In the midst of my joy, I did not forget the
injunction of profound silence which I had re-
ceived from the Emperor. I should have con-
sidered myself criminal had I revealed a syllable
to any person whatever, and you, Monseigneur,
must pardon me for the reserve I maintained
even to you.
PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.-I commend you for it
..Ah! young enthusiast! you have drawn
E 2
52
THE CONSCRIPTION.
an accurate picture of the French youth at that
time.
REAL. And now it is affirmed that they were
hostile to the Emperor.
Nothing can be more false than that asser-
tion! exclaimed I. The conscription, that fright-
ful tyranny, as it has been termed, was painfully
felt by parents; but we....we gloried in our
administrative embroidery, our magisterial fur,
and our military epaulets! Napoleon justly un-
derstood and estimated the youth of France;
he did not basely flatter us, but he opened to us
the path of glory, in which he himself trium-
phantly led the way.
;
CHAPTER II.
Cambacérès and Carnot at the Palais Royal on the 10th of
August 1792-David the Painter-His disavowal of a phrase
often attributed to him-Pretended list of the condemned—
Alarm of the Jacobins-Théroigne de Méricourt-Unpub-
lished details relating to the 10th of August-Count
Roederer's visit to the Tuileries-A mysterious message-A
Conversation with Marie-Antoinette-Louis XVI-Curious
disclosures-Roederer's account of the events of the 10th of
August-Cambacérès relates the circumstances which pre-
ceded the 18th Fructidor- Consultation between Cam-
bacérès, Talleyrand, Barras, Madame de Stael and Benjamin
Constant-Dialogue between Cambacérès and Barras-An
interview with Barthélemy-The Prince de C....—Anec-
dotes-The Royalists' plot discovered-Carnot's account of
his escape-Details not published in his Memoirs-Interview
between Napoleon and David the Painter-The picture of
the coronation-Discussion between Napoleon and Count
Fabre de l'Aude respecting the restoration of titles and
armorial bearings-The cock and the eagle-Napoleon sug-
gests the re-establishment of monarchy-Curious details.
THE first time I dined with Prince Camba-
cérès, after the events of 1814, was at his
54
CARNOT AND CAMBACÉRÈS.
country seat, and the party consisted of six
guests, myself included. There were present
Count Fabre de l'Aude, Carnot, Baron Dubois-
Dubay, Baron Denon, and Baron Louis David
(the painter.) During dinner, the conversation
was general, but, when we retired to the drawing-
room, the party separated into several little
groups. The Prince chatted with Carnot, and
related to him how I had made his acquaintance.
Cambacérès then said to the ex-director:
"You and I did not see each other for a very
long interval after the day when we met for the
first time."
Carnot inquired whether they did not first
meet at a sitting of the Committee of public
safety.
"No," replied the Prince," our acquaintance
is of older date. I first saw you on the 10th of
August, 1792.
We supped that evening at the
Palais-Royal."
I know not why Carnot's memory should have
been at fault on such a point; but he never
wished it to be understood that he had been
on terms of familiarity with the Duke of Orleans.
At all events," resumed the Prince, appa-
rently a little piqued, "our acquaintance was
formed in very stormy times."
..
"Yes, it certainly was. First, during the
trial of Capet, (here I looked at the ex-arch-
--
55
DAVID, THE PAINTER.
chancellor, who made a sort of grimace, which
Carnot did not perceive, or did not choose to
notice,) then, on the 10th May, or the 1st Prai-
rial, on the 9th Thermidor, and on the 18th
Fructidor. After the latter period, I lost sight
of you."
"It was lucky for you that you got out of
the way."
"Did you find yourself lucky in staying
behind ?"
"I proved my innocence. Those were sad
times.'
""
Count Roederer was announced, and his en-
trance interrupted the colloquy. The salutations
and introductions being ended, the Prince said,
addressing himself to Count Roederer :-
M
"I was just now relating to M. Carnot some
circumstances connected with the 18th Fruc-
tidor, with which he is unacquainted; but
perhaps, Count, it would be more interesting
if you would relate what took place on the 10th
of August, which possibly we may all have
forgotten."
Roederer, at first, did not seem much inclined
to accede to this suggestion; but, being ac-
quainted with us all, he at length consented,
and, pointing to David, he said: "There is one
who can set me right, if my memory should
fail me."
56
I assure you, replied the painter, that my
memory is none of the best: besides, the fine
arts are now the only subject to which I direct
my attention.”
(C
THE HEMLOCK JUICE.
We all smiled at his scrupulous prudence,
and Carnot, seating himself, turned towards
David, and said:
Robespierre, I will drink the hemlock juice
with you.
>>
Carnot," said David, with some warmth,
you are repeating a calumny. My enemies
thought proper to attribute that phrase to me,
but I never uttered it. It is vexatious to
think of the folly and wickedness that have
been attributed to me. Ah! gentlemen, we were
all more or less mad in 1798, and 1799."
66
ܕܪ
σε
Every one seemed to acknowledge the truth
of this remark. David again positively denied
the apostrophe to Robespierre. I may likewise
observe that, on several other occasions, in my
presence, he has made the same disavowal.
When the warmth of feeling, occasioned by this
little incident, had somewhat subsided, Roederer
thus continued :
"For the space of a year, it had been a settled
point that Royalty would henceforth be op-
posed to our interests. One of two things was
inevitable; either Royalty must be overthrown,
or, we must take to flight; for a re-action was
57
near at hand. There were a great number of us
who had reason to fear the vengeance of the
Court. I recollect that, sometime between the
15th and the 20th of July 1792, I was spending
an evening at Mousseaux, when a list was pro-
duced, written, it was alleged, by the ex-minister
of marine, Bertrand-Molleville, with notes in
the hand of the Queen. This list contained
three hundred names, classed in five divisions.
To these divisions the following punishments,
were allotted: 1st execution, 2nd the galleys,
3rd imprisonment for life, 4th exile for life,
5th banishment, or imprisonment, for a certain
period; and to all was affixed the additional
punishment of total confiscation of property.
The Dukes of Orleans, de Biron and d'Aiguillon,
and sixty members of the Constituent Assembly,
were in the first class, together with Robespierre,
Pétion, Lameth, and Marat. In the second
division, which was equally well filled, I had the
honour to be set down, with a long list of good
company. The Duke de Liancourt was at the
head of the third division, and Monsieur, the
King's brother, at the head of the fourth. This
horrible document bore every appearance of
being genuine. Pétion declared he had received
it from Madame Campan, which statement was
false; but, at that time, any story obtained credit,
especially any one which excited alarm. The
PROSCRIPTION LIST.
J
58
Duke of Orleans was dismayed-Sillery and
Voidel were in utter despair. Barbaroux, who
already fancied himself slaving at the galleys for
life, in company with Vergniaud, asked us what
we proposed to do. For my part,' he added,
my resolution is taken. The Marseillais are
advancing. Whenever they appear, I shall put
myself at their head, I shall repair to the Tui-
leries, make an end of the King and Queen, or
perish in the attempt.'
(6
At these energetic words, terror seized even
the boldest of the company. Pétion was as
white as his own shirt, and Robespierre a little
whiter. The Duke of Orleans signified his wish
to return to England, and Robespierre and Marat
aspired to accompany him. Danton, then raising
his voice, exclaimed :
"I will murder the first coward who shall
take to flight. The wine is drawn, and we have
nothing to do but to drink it. There must be
no demur. Let us follow Barbaroux, and turn
the Tuileries inside out. This vigorous stroke
will disarm the royalists. They will tremble
and fly, and our triumph will be complete!'
terms.
Laclos spoke in the same tone, but in better
All agreed as to the danger of hesi-
tation. Pétion, on being questioned, declared his
belief that the National Guard were partly royal-
ists; that two or three battalions would doubt-
(6
A PARTY AT MOUSSEAUX.
(
THE FORGERY DETECTED.
59
less declare themselves hostile to the King, if
Mandat, their commander, could be sent out of
6
the way.
"Sent out of the way,' exclaimed Danton;
kill him, the dead do not come back.'
16
Several individuals present expressed their
horror at the proposed mode of getting rid of
poor Mandat; upon which Danton observed :
'It is better to devour the beast than to be
devoured by him.' No one made any reply to
this remark. It was resolved that an attack
should be made on the Tuileries, as soon as the
Marseillais arrived in sufficient numbers to en-
courage the Parisians. It was never imagined
that the King would surrender without an
attempt at resistance; the possibility of such
a want of spirit was not for a moment con-
templated. A certain individual, to whom the
was promised, gave up all the money
he possessed to pay the men of the 10th of
August. He was fairly duped; but he well
deserved it. Our party at Mousseaux broke up,
and we all went to apprise our friends of the
proscription list which we had just seen."
crown
PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.-And by whom was
that pretended list really drawn up?
REDERER.-I afterwards learned that it was
the work of a man named Duport, a notary, who
lived near the church of Saint-Eustache. This
60
THÉROIGNE.
man, by using his left hand, could counterfeit
any person's writing. He was much employed
at the Palais-Royal in drawing up accounts.
The list which I have just mentioned was perhaps
his master-piece. Théroigne paid him, but of
course not from her own purse.
I here interrupted Count Roederer, to inquire
what had become of the woman Théroigne.
RODERER.She is dead.
DENON. That is a mistake. She is now a
lunatic and an inmate of the Salpétrière.
PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.-I recollect a strange
present which I received from M. Pinel. It
was the original copy of some correspondence of
that creature Théroigne with a female of her
own stamp. It presents a curious picture of
the profligacy of the time. Would you like
to see it? added the Prince, addressing himself to
Well, I will make you a present of it....
But let Count Roederer proceed.
me.
"This interruption," observed I,
observed I," has afforded
the Count an opportunity of adding a note to
his narrative."
K
PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.-Let the notes be given
at the end of the story, and not at the foot of
every page.
REDERER.-Théroigne, who was an absolute
demon, was employed to assassinate Suleau, a
worthy citizen, a man of talent and respecta-
MILITARY PREPARATIONS.
61
bility, and a hearty royalist. Théroigne formed
acquaintance with Danton, with the base Saint-
Hurugues, with Maillard, Mehée, Sergent,
Hébert, Roussin, Merlin de Thionville, Chabot,
Manuel, Bourdon de l'Oise, Santerre, Bazire,
Fabre d'Eglantine, Panis, and Chaumette. As
to Robespierre, his alarm had induced him to
quit the capital; and, in spite of all that may
have been said about Marat's movements, he
was no where to be seen. Henriot had a heavy
duty to perform on that occasion: he took
charge of the Faubourg Saint-Victor; Panis took
Saint-Marceau; and Santerre, Saint-Antoine.
Barbaroux headed his Marseillais : all their
orders and pass words were issued by him. The
police, without any regular authorization, dis-
tributed five thousand cartridges among the
federates, who had been joined by about a thou-
sand thieves and vagabonds; for all were deemed
good enough to fight in the holy cause. The
end was supposed to justify the means.
could not pick and choose. August was to
restore the old régime, or banish it for ever.
We
As to me, I knew not half the measures
that were adopted, though I very well under-
stood the danger, and I also knew the fate that
awaited me, should the court party prove victori-
ous. I was not very much at my ease. On the
evening of the 8th, I went to the Tuileries. Every
62
one there was agitated by gloomy presentiments.
The King seemed to have lost his senses; for he
was laughing immoderately. Madame Elizabeth
was silent and dejected. The Queen was calm,
proud and indignant; she was the soul of the
Royalist party. I know not what prompted me
to mention the arrival of the Duke of Orleans,
whose carriage I understood had been seen in
the court-yard. The mere mention of his name
called forth a general burst of hatred and in-
dignation; so violent, that I feared a terrible
scene would ensue, and, to avoid it, I took my
departure. The information, however, proved
untrue-the Prince did not appear.
I was descending the grand stair-case when
an ex-body-guard, (M. de Gaston if I recollect
rightly) who was behind me, said in a low tone
of voice: "Sir, the King requests that you will
follow me. He wishes to speak to you." Taken
by surprise by this mysterious message, I hesi-
tated whether or not I should accept the royal
invitation. A moment's reflection made me
ashamed of my apprehensions. M. Gaston
looked at me, and I bowed in token of acquies-
cence. We crossed the vestibule, and entered
the gallery on the left of the court-yard, which
opens, in arcades, to the gardens. My guide
went forward to speak to a sentinel, and then to
a valet de pied, after which we ascended another
VISIT TO THE ROYAL FAMILY.
CONVERSATION WITH MARIE-ANTOINETTE. 63
staircase, which brought us to an entresol. Here
I was left alone for about ten minutes, which
I should possibly have imagined to be the dura-
tion of an hour, had not the course of time
been marked by a splendid clock which stood in
the apartment.
I heard the rustling of a silk dress, and
I rose from the arm chair in which I had seated
myself. A lady entered: it was the Queen. I
expected the King, and my surprise must have
been marked in my countenance. The eagle
eye of Marie-Antoinette perceived it, and she
said:
"You are surprised to see me, Monsieur
de Roederer; you expected the King. He is
engaged in an audience with M. Mandat, and
cannot come to you just this moment. I feared
you would be tired of waiting....'
""
I stammered out some formula about duty,
the desire to prove my affection, etc. Another
inquisitorial glance from Marie-Antoinette ac-
companied by a sigh, and she said:
Duty, affection, respect, even love, are
words unsparingly addressed to us; and yet we
can put no faith in them. Who is there now
(C
can say he loves the King ?"
All France, Madam, I assure you.
"All France, say you? Then, why is he left
here desolate, without respect, without power ;
(C
64
SNARE LAID BY THE QUEEN.
compelled to contest with the vile canaille, and
exposed to every outrage?.... Ah! Monsieur
Roederer... I ask again, who loves the King?
Would not they who love him give proof of
their affection? Would they not defend him,
remove his enemies, and afford him the means
of doing good? The King is grateful. He
would reward munificently and promptly any
one who might render him an important service.
""
The Queen paused. She awaited my an-
swer with visible anxiety. I saw the snare;
and I observed that if any coldness were mani-
fested towards the King, it must be because
he was supposed not to be sincerely attached
to the constitution. Upon this, the Queen
exclaimed in a tone of impatience :
'Mon Dieu, Monsieur! With the exception
of the King, who must regard it as his only
safeguard, tell me who is attached to this fine
constitution? Certainly not the traitors who
are plotting a republic. You are a man of
sense, Monsieur Roederer, and you cannot fail
to perceive what they are aiming at. Why is
this forging of pikes continued? Why are a
thousand banditti in reserve at the barrière?
And the Marseillais, who is leading them on?
Is it with the view of cementing the constitution
that the national guards are excited against us,
and our defenders disorganized? What is meant,
(C
SHARP
1 ask you, by these acts of hostility? Against
whom are they directed? What would the
people have? and you Sir, what would you
have ?"
CC
INTERROGATORIES.
These animated and pointed interrogatories,
accompanied as they were by the Queen's keen
and searching looks, not a little embarrassed me.
However, I felt the necessity of summoning all
my presence of mind, and I replied:
،،
I do assure you, Madam, that you are
misled by exaggerated statements. I am aware
that the police yesterday distributed ammu-
nition; but only to the national guards.
As to
the unrecognized parties to whom your Majesty
alludes, I know not who or where they are.
Perhaps they are confounded with the neigh-
bouring federists, who have zealously offered
themselves for the defence of Paris. The Mar-
seillais will do the same.
Here I was interrupted by a gesture of con-
tempt. The Queen's eyes flashed anger, as she
said:
،،
65
CC
5)
S
Ah Sir! I would rather think you blind
than treacherous. You are either the one or
the other—that is certain.”
Madam !"
A
-
Do you imagine you can gain any advan-
tage by setting yourselves in hostility to us?
The situation of the King is not so desperate,
VOL. I.
F
66
His adherents
The feeling in
but that he can help himself.
and his resources are immense.
the departments is favourable; it will be wise in
you to concur with it. We are all anxious for
the happiness of the country."
، ،
Why not say the happiness of the king-
dom? Is the republic proclaimed ?”
"Who has any thought of such a thing,
Madam ?"
"The leaders of the pretended federists. Do
they imagine Europe will endure such a volcano
of agitation ?"
INTERVIEW WITH THE KING.
She stopped short, on hearing a heavy foot-
step advancing towards the apartment.
Here is the King, Sir; I hope he may be
more successful with you than I have been."
Without waiting for my reply, she rose and
opened a door leading to another room. She
then curtsied and closed the door after her,
but not before I had caught a glance of Madame
Elizabeth, who was in the adjoining apartment,
and who had doubtless overheard every word that
had passed between us. In a court, one must
never count on absolute privacy.
The King appeared, and in the must cour-
teous manner, apologized for having kept me
waiting. In the course of my interview with
him, he let fall some remarks which made but
little impression on me at the moment, but
which created in me a feeling of no little un-
CC
67
easiness when I reflected
I reflected upon
upon them the
following day. You must bear in mind, gen-
tlemen, that the interview I am about to describe
took place on the evening of the 8th of August.
The King observed that M. Mandat had unex-
pectedly detained him and added:
"The poor Commandant is very melancholy.
He is assailed by gloomy forebodings. He as-
sures me that they seek his life."
I protested that such a thing could not
possibly be thought of.
(C
So I have assured him," replied the King.
"But reasoning will not overcome fear. For my
own part, I have more confidence in the people.
They will not renew the horrors of 1789."
"I am convinced they will not, Sire."
INTERVIEW WITH THE KING.
:
The King then questioned me about the
departments, and the members of the com-
mune. He asked me whether Bailly might not
hope for a re-action of public opinion in his
favour and whether the national guards would
do their duty in the event of an attack on the
Tuileries. He urged me to give him my sincere
opinion on this point. Certainly," added he,
"I will never commence a civil war ; but, if they
fire into my windows, there is a lawful defence
which I may be permitted to maintain."
"But which would be very painful to a heart
like yours," said I.
ܕ
،،
F 2
68
INTERVIEW WITH THE KING.
Here Louis XVI took my hand, pressed
it cordially in his, and said in a tone of deep
emotion:
"Ah, Monsieur! I cannot sleep, so much
am I tormented by the idea of being compelled
to shed the blood of my people, who are my
children. I would rather a thousand times,
(should I be pushed to the extremity) shed my
own blood, even to the last drop."
you
When Roederer repeated these words, all
present gave utterance to a simultaneous ex-
pression of admiration; and yet there were se-
veral regicides in the party. Roederer was
delighted at the impression he had produced,
and, recollecting the remark made by the orator
Eschines to his pupils, when he was reading to
them an oration of his antagonist Demosthenes,
he very appropriately quoted it and said: Ah! if
had heard this uttered by his own lips !
"For my own part," resumed Roederer, "the
King's words made so powerful an impression on
me, that, in the impulse of the moment, I was
about to throw myself at his feet and to reveal the
plot that was hatching. But prudence inter-
posed, and I reflected that as matters then stood
1 should only hurl myself to destruction without
saving him.
I confined myself to general re-
marks. The King, without much disguise, pro-
posed that I should devote myself to his in-
-
LOUIS XVI AND MANDAT.
69
and hinted that he had in his pay
terests;
several members of the left side. I feigned not
to understand him, and he, becoming weary of
the interview, dismissed me.'
,,
Here Count Roederer paused. Several of the
party expressed themselves gratified by his in-
teresting story. Even Cambacérès had not before
heard it fully. Carnot and David said nothing:
the former looked dissatisfied, and the latter was
evidently ill at ease. All the rest of us were
delighted, and we expressed so much gratifi-
cation at what we had heard, that Roederer was
induced to proceed as follows:
"Mandat was, at heart, a royalist; and yet, by
some strange fatality, the King at first classed
him among his enemies. In the presence of
Count de Rochefort, M. de Guyon, the Duke de
Brissac, and some other faithful friends of the
royal family, the King remarked: 'In case of
danger, Mandat will take part with me, because
he will execute the law; but he is in principle a
republican.' Mandat, to whom some one repeated
this observation, replied: "I see that I must
sacrifice my life to convince the King of my real
sentiments." He proceeded to Pétion, and in-
formed him that an attack was meditated on the
executive power.
He spoke with so much
energy, that the Mayor of Paris, after a long
discussion, and being pressed to the utmost ex-
70
THE MAYOR OF PARIS.
tremity, gave him a note couched in the follow-
ing terms:
"Sir,
"The terms of the constitution are precise.
If traitors should attack any constituted au-
thority in the exercise of its functions, you must,
under pain of forfeiture to the nation, defend
that authority, in concurrence with the national
guard. The King, as you may suppose, is not
excepted from the duty which the law of the
country imposes on you.
(Signed)
I saw this note in Mandat's hands. He
shewed it me on the 9th of August. I read it
over three times, and since then it has remained
engraven in my memory. I may add, and it is
a subject of deep remorse to me, that I was the
indirect cause of the death of that unfortunate
citizen. He had just parted from me, when
Pétion came to me. My thoughts where wholly
engrossed by the communication I had just
perused; and I congratulated the Mayor of Paris
on the honourable letter he had addressed to
Mandat. Pétion turned pale, bit his lips, and
said: 'I have committed a fault.' He said no
more, but this was quite enough. On the
"PÉTION.'
-
""
71
morning of the 10th, an imperative order of the
commune summoned Mandat to the Hôtel de
Ville. Here he was censured for the measures
he had adopted against the people. He was
broken, and sent to prison, under the guard of
Rossignol. The latter caused him to be imme-
diately assassinated, and, after his death, Pétion's
letter was found upon him.
"The whole of the 9th of August was ac-
tively employed by our friends. They stirred
up insurrection in the faubourgs, and held
themselves in readiness to march. The night
of the 9th was terrific. Terror was universal.
Many persons, finding it unsafe to sleep in their
own houses, procured beds elsewhere. I was
one of them. It is impossible to form any
conception of the absolute listlessness of Louis
XVI. Paris was illuminated almost in every
part. The tocsin had ceased to sound. The
streets were crowded by furious mobs, and few
could pass through them with safety. Any one
wearing a green coat was sure to be attacked :
that was the signal of proscription. Cannon
was drawn through the streets, and the multitude
provided themselves with arms. At length, the
word was given for the attack on the Tuileries -
thither the assailants marched
MANDAT'S DEATH.
C
"On the morning of the 10th, Pétion's pru-
dence forsook him. Being summoned to the
72
DETENTION OF PÉTION.
Tuileries, he repaired thither, and, under some
pretext or other, was detained as a hostage. He
soon perceived his error and wrote a note to
Vergniaud, acquainting him with his situation,
and begging to be released with all possible
speed. Vergniaud thought the best thing he
could do was to cause the Legislative Assembly
to issue a decree, summoning Pétion to the bar,
where he would have to reader an account of
his conduct on the preceding evening. The
messenger who was ordered to convey this sum-
mons, met him in the gardens of the Tuileries.
Pétion welcomed him as his deliverer; there
was no contending against the will of the legisla-
ture, and the mayor of Paris, being released from
captivity, fled to his own house, in which the
conspirators shut him up in order to save him
from all responsibility in case of accident.
This was a favour which he exacted from
them.
( ×
Danton came to me early in the morning.
He was half intoxicated and he said :-
-
6 C
'We are going to have an explosion.
"Then take care you don't get blown up in
it," observed I.
There is no danger of that. Everything
is arranged, and we are sure of success. There
are some who insist on the death of the King
this day; but I do not think that necessary. -
، ، (
THREATS OF DANTON.
73
Indeed, it would perhaps be prejudicial to us.
Those who sincerely want the Duke of Orleans,
would of course be delighted to get Louis out of
the way; but I think that would only serve
to retard matters, and I am not for striking at the
life of the King. Will you take upon yourself,
continued he, the task of intimidating him?
Prevail on him to quit the Tuileries, and to
come and seek refuge in the National Assembly.
There we can surround him, and get rid of him
quietly.'
CC
I must confess that I was not over eager
to undertake this dangerous task; but Danton
fixed his fierce eyes on me; and the colossus,
seizing me by the throat, which he grasped
almost to suffocation, said :-
66 C
Mark, that in this tragedy each one has
his part to play. Should any one, who is re-
quired to be an actor, shew himself disposed to
remain a mere spectator, it will cost him his
head. Do not hesitate, then, or you will have
reason to repent it. I shall keep my eye upon
you; and you will be treated according to your
deserts.'
"I cast down my eyes, and promised all he
required. It was arranged that, as president of
the department, I should proceed to the Tuileries,
and do all I could to prevail on the King to
leave the castle
74
،،
((
THE 10TH OF AUGUST.
The report of artillery was heard.
'Hark!' said Danton, the work has
Morbleu ! we will make them
<
commenced.
dance to a fine tune.'
"He departed almost in a state of frenzy. I
dressed myself, and proceeded to the office of
the department. I was pensive and melan-
choly, and yet I could not help smiling at the
groups of maniacs who every moment stopped
me on my way through the streets. I had the
pass-word, the card of recognition; and those
who happened not to know me personally
suffered me to pass on when my interrogatory
was ended.
"I need not relate to you, gentlemen,"
ursued Count Roederer," the events of the 10th
of August. I have published my justification; I
will, therefore, confine myself to some facts which
I had exclusively the means of knowing. The
King, in spite of all the Queen's entreaties, could
not be prevailed on to defend himself. He
ought to have appeared in military uniform,
with the white plume of Henry IV, booted,
spurred and on horseback. But, instead of this,
he made his appearance dressed in a violet coat,
(the colour of mourning and of ill omen,) small-
clothes, silk stockings, shoes with diamond
buckles and a rapier by his side. His pale and
haggard countenance was expressive only of
THE KING'S IRRESOLUTION.
terror and irresolution. He inspected, with an
air of indifference, the ranks of the national
guard. Some ventured to address to him in-
sulting remarks; but all would blindly have
obeyed his word of command, if he had had
courage to give it. Barbaroux assured me, that
if the King had only shewn himself, the citizens
would have rallied round him, and the counter-
revolution would have been accomplished.
((
75
"Meanwhile, the decisive moment approached.
Fouquier-Tinville, who was that day aid-de-camp
to Danton, came, on the part of the latter, to desire
me to repair to the Tuileries with my colleagues.
We proceeded thither at half past eight o'clock.
I was the first who entered the court-yard,
where I successively addressed several batta-
lions. Those of the Filles-Saint-Thomas, and
the Petits-Pères, were for the King. I recom-
mended them to act with caution. Do not be
assailants, said I; stand on the defensive. One
of them replied:
'We will do our duty
my
death to traitors!'
This language alarmed me. Accompanied
by my colleagues, we waited on the King, who
was surrounded by his family. He asked
advice. I observed that to maintain the conflict
would be a fearful extremity; and that it would
be better for him to seek the protection of the
National Assembly, who would quell the tumult.
<<
ww
-
76
COURAGE OF THE QUEEN.
C
"The King will do better,' said Marie-An-
toinette. He will punish the factious; his lenity
encourages them to outrage. Here, Monsieur,
she added, presenting to him a pistol, take this,
and God will aid you.'
"The King looked at her with a piteous
air.
"A member of the department addressed
some words to the Queen which I did not
hear.
(C C
Silence, Sir!' she exclaimed, 'you have
no right to speak here. These disturbances
would not have taken place, if you had done
your duty. We do not want talkers: at this
time, we want men who can act !'
، ،
I cannot attempt to describe, gentlemen,
the effect which these words produced all who
heard them were electrified. Mon Dieu! how
easily sovereigns may preserve their crowns!
If they lose them, it must be by their own weak-
ness. I then addressed myself to Marie-An-
toinette, and asked her whether she would take
upon herself the responsibility of what was
about to ensue the destruction of so many
faithful servants of the King, and possibly even
of the royal family. The Queen turned pale.
The ministers consulted together, and it was
determined that the King should go to the As-
sembly. Marie-Antoinette then said to me :—
:
:
LOUIS AT THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. 77
"You have prevailed, Monsieur Roederer,
and the King is lost.'
،،
I have saved him, Madam."
"You have sacrificed him. Ah Sire!' she
added turning to the King, 'you promised me
better than this.'
"Tears and sobs prevented her from con-
tinuing. She asked for a glass of water, but
she shook so violently that I thought the goblet
would break between her teeth. We left the
Tuileries, and proceeded to the place of our des-
tination. The rest is known. I need not
repeat it.
But I may mention that, as we
passed through the streets, I twice saved the life
of Louis XVI. One of the assassins, from
whose hands I forced a musket which he had pre-
sented at the King, said to me in a tone similar
to that in which he would have addressed an
accomplice-
'But you know it has been agreed on!'
"No; no!" replied I, assuming an air of
mystery; not to-day. “The plan is changed.
He
Here Count Roederer ended his recital.
had interspersed it with some very curious
particulars, which, as they had not been pub-
lished, I determined to note down among my
memoranda. Carnot, turning to Prince Cam-
bacérès, said:-
66
، .
""
Now, Monsieur, the 18th Fructidor, if you
please."
78
THE 18TH FRUCTIDOr.
CAMBACÉRÈS.-All was going on badly. I
was distressed at the melancholy aspect of
affairs. My correspondence with Bonaparte was
actively kept up. I painted to him the dis-
tracted state of France, and he replied to me by
these few words :-It is not yet time. On the one
hand, there was the royalist conspiracy carried on
unreservedly, headed by Pichegru and Villot,
and boldly threatening to restore the old régime;
whilst, on the other hand, the Old Mountain was
in motion. Barras was in the middle, striving
to maintain himself in his eminent position.
He was negociating with the Count de Lille
(Louis XVIII) with General Hoche, with
Bonaparte, and with the tail of Robespierre.
You know that, at the time I allude to, the five
Directors were Barras, Rewbell, La Réveillère-
Lepeaux, you Monsieur Carnot, and Barthélemy.
The three first were anxious, above all things, to
keep their places. The Marquis de Barthélemy
had a leaning to the King, and you, Monsieur
Carnot, wanted the Republic. But the three
whose schemes you thwarted were more anxious
to get rid of a troublesome watcher than to
humble themselves to a good citizen. Do you
recollect your conversation with M. de la Rue?
Yes," replied Carnot, and I have related it
in my Memoirs.”
.،
CAMBACÉRÈS.-But I can inform you that
your interlocutor relates it in other terms, and
that your respective accounts do not agree.
Be that as it may, it is certain that the Di-
..
CARNOT'S MEMOIRS.
* The following is the account given of the conversation.
here alluded to, by the Chevalier de la Rue, in his publication
entitled The History of the 18th Fructidor."
79
Co
CC
*
"
The danger was daily becoming more urgent and more ap-
parent, and we thought that Carnot would at length perceive
the advantages of his position and turn them to the advance-
ment of his own glory and the salvation of France. One of
our party, who had been engaged in private and confidential
relations with Carnot, resolved to make one more effort.
After proving to him that all the circumstances of the conspi-
racy were known to us, he endeavoured to convince him that
the fate of the country was in his hands, and that no man
ever had allotted to him a more important political part. He
warmly urged him to seize the favourable opportunity of
rendering to his country the greatest service that could be con-
ferred on her."
ཡ
"is very
The picture you have drawn," replied Carnot,
:
seducing but I can see royalists behind the curtain; and I will
never consent to rally round their banner."
"What an opinion you entertain of us!" observed the De-
puty. Woe to those who should meditate, at this moment,
the restoration of royalty! Our sole object is to give you
colleagues as capable of governing France, as they are
anxious to ensure her happiness. Doubtless, there are de-
puties who think that the executive authority would be better
placed in the hands of a single ruler, than divided among five
who are incessantly at variance. You yourselves afford a proof
of this truth, since you are animated by hatred and jealousy of
each other. You, Citizen, who are an able politician, and who
have meditated profoundly on all the various forms of govern-
ment, must of necessity share this opinion. But such a change
80
rectory was split into two opposing parties, and
that three of its members were endeavouring
THE CHEVALIER DE LA RUE.
"
can only be the fruit of experience; it must be effected
without violence, without commotion, and it must be the
result of experience and of the national will."
"You
Now, we have come to the point," said Carnot.
would have the Republic resolve itself into a monarchy, and
the monarchy to restore the Bourbons. Now, these changes I
will exert all my efforts to prevent."
"C
Your imagination, Citizen Director, hurries forward
events with vast rapidity. It appears to me that we are very
far from a monarchy, and still further from a recall of the Bour-
bons. But, supposing both these changes should ensue, and
that our political vicissitudes should terminate like those of
England, what conclusion is to be drawn? surely this....
that your most powerful interest counsels that course which
glory and the love of your country imperatively command. I
know the cause of your dislike of the Bourbons.. but is there
any more certain means of effacing your political errors-any
more noble justification? Who will doubt that your errors
are attributable to circumstances, and not to your own heart?
What prince would bear in mind the mistakes of the man who
should open to him the way to his throne? And, finally, sup-
posing we should one day or other return to the monarchy,
would it not be desirable for the happiness and tranquillity
of France, to restore princes before whom ambition and pre-
tension dare not raise their heads? If, on the contrary, the
army were to dispose of the crown, as it threatens to do, might
we not justly fear the fate of Macedonia, which the Gene-
rals of Alexander, after his death, parcelled out among them-
selves? Or, might we not share the fate of the Romans, when
the empire was to be won by the intrigues of commanders of
legions, most of whom ascended the throne by the aid of revo-
lution and crime? Do you imagine that an usurper would shew
CARNOT AND M. DE LA RUE.
81
to expel the other two. Amidst this conflict,
it was not a little dangerous to maintain a
more tenderness than a legitimate sovereign to the destroyers
of kings? Being necessarily more suspicious, he would pro-
bably be far less indulgent than a Bourbon, whose position, as
well as the characteristic goodness of the family, would urge
to pardon the past."
<<
however specious, will
Your argument," replied Carnot,
never convince me of that indulgeace. Even if I carried in
my pocket a pardon, cemented by the royal promise, I should
place no faith in it. . On the day after his elevation to the throne,
the King would perhaps be obliged to revoke it."
CC
I should sincerely pity you, citizen, for being a prey to
such alarms, but that we are merely arguing on a chimera!
However, to return to the object of my mission to you. You must
perceive that we are hurrying towards anarchy or to military
despotism, which is the most cruel of all tyrannies. This is
the danger from which we must endeavour to escape, and to
you, citizen, fate has reserved the honorable task of preserv-
ing France from these new scourges.
Let me recommend you,
then, cordially to unite with your colleague Barthélemy. Em-
ploy against the conspirators the arms with which the consti-
tution provides you Pursue earnestly with us, the course
marked out for you, and the country, which you say you love,
will be indebted to you for her salvation."
<<
I have already explained my sentiments on this point,"
said the inexorable Carnot; "I will never become the accuser
1
of my colleagues. Besides, I do not perceive any of the dangers
at which you are so much alarmed; though if they existed, I
should from my position have the best opportunity of seeing
them. I think, on the contrary, that there are among you im-
prudent or designing men who conjure up these phantoms of
conspiracy, with the view of casting odium on the patriots, and
VOL. I.
G
82
MADAME DE STAEL.
neutral position. I was not without inquietude.
One evening, my humble abode was honoured by
four visitors ...Parbleu! gentlemen, who do
you think they were? But, you would name
a thousand persons, before you guessed right.
On the door being opened, I beheld, to my utter
surprise, the Director Barras in person, M. de
Talleyrand Périgord, the Baroness de Staël, and
the Baron Constant de Rebecque !
I fancied I was labouring under some de-
lusion of vision, and I began to rub my eyes.
Barras, observing my surprise, said :—-
(6
You did not expect us ?"
"M. Cambacérès," said Madame de Staël,
"I know you are a prudent counsellor ; there-
fore, I have advised these gentlemen to come
and hold a little conversation with you.
""
I requested my visitors to be seated. I
fastened the door, and drew the curtains, and,
being installed in perfect privacy, I inquired to
what subject the proposed consultation was to
refer. At that time, M. Constant was a Swiss,
very anxious to become a Frenchman. He was
dying of the mania of being thought somebody;
not having sufficient good sense to be satisfied
with being a man of the world and a man of
driving you into some error, of which the royalists will not
fail to take advantage. Subdue your alarms, be more confi-
dent, and all will be well."
TALLEYRAND AND M. CONSTANT.
83
talent. He lent his pen to any one who pro-
mised him the reward of a place; and he
who now leans to liberal monarchical ideas,
was at that time singularly infected with re-
publican despotism. He undertook to explain
the object of our interview, and made a long
speech composed of obscure, long-winded sen-
tences, which no doubt he thought very elo-
quent. Madame de Staël every now and
then prompted him both in words and ideas ;
so that the oration was altogether not a little
amusing. Barras, seeing me smile, grew im-
patient to make an end of M. Constant's speech,
which he very unceremoniously interrupted by
saying:
"At first, I did not wish to see you in the
Directory; not from any objection to yourself,
but on account of my engagements. Now, I
should see you there with pleasure on one con-
dition, which is, that you assure to us the co-
operation of Bonaparte."
GNS
*
The mo-
For what object?" inquired I.
They all looked at each other.
ment had arrived when it was necessary to be
candid; and, after a sign interchanged between
the Ex-Bishop of Autun and the Baroness,
Barras thus continued :-
CC
We are between two gulfs: the old ré-
gime on the right, and terrorism on the left.
G 2
84
AN ARM, AND NOT A HEAD.
By dint of leaning first to one side and then to
the other, we shall lose our equilibrium. We
must endeavour to stand firm and not fall; but
it would be well to close up the gulfs which
are yawning on either side. This we might do
by pursuing our course in the path opened by
the present constitution (that of the year III and
not of 1793); but, to do so, we must have the
aid of a sword.”
"Do you want Hoche, Moreau, Bernadotte,
or Augereau ?" inquired I.
Objections were urged against them all. Au-
gereau was declared to be useful only for a
coup-de-main. He was said to be an arm and
not a head. There is only one," said Barras,
only one who by sincerely uniting with us
could lend us ample support. Henceforth, in
all measures that may be contemplated, that
General must be placed in the foremost rank.
He has already been applied to through Ozun :*
66
CC
* Marie Joseph Ozun, was a native of Sarrancolin in the
department of the Pyrenees, and was descended from an ancient
family in that part of the country. He was a man of talent
and of agreeable person and inanners. On his arrival in Paris,
he commenced his official career in the office of the National
Treasury. He became a member of the Council of Five-Hun-
dred in 1795, and was made a tribune after the 18th Fructi-
dor. He was subsequently created Prefect of l'Ain, and he
died shortly afterwards in consequence of a fall from his horse.
At the time of his death, the First Consul, who was his inti-
SCHEME OF MADAME DE STAEL.
upwards of two hundred persons have written to
him, and I wish you to procure his final
answer.'
"What if he should demand a share of the
cake ?"
BARRAS.-How?
66
A place in the Directory."
TALLEYRAND.-He is not of the age.
(C
85
Oh! He is an exception. Nobody would
dispute the point with him.'
They all laughed, and I joined them. Madame
de Staël now thought it was her turn to speak.
Her silence had hitherto been a manifest effort
of self-denial.
در
:
"I have suggested," said she, that the
Director shall intrust me with the negotiation.
A woman is a person of no importance. Is it
not so, gentlemen?" (We made many gallant
protestations to the contrary) I can go to Italy :
of all journeys that is the least likely to awaken
curiosity. I will see the hero; I will paint to
him a picture of his future glory. If he has a
spark of patriotism in his soul, I will fan it into
a flame. I will be his prophetess, his sybil, the
CC
mate friend was about to give him the appointment of Prefet
du Palais. From his entrance to the council of Five-Hundred
to the time of his death, he actively espoused the interests of
Napoleon. He has left behind him some very curious memoirs
extending from 1784 to 1808.
86
SCHEME OF MADAME DE STAEL.
Egeria of a victorious Numa. This will ensure
success, whilst, if you employ ordinary nego-
tiators, they will merely resort to cold common-
place arguments. Bonaparte will grow weary,
and matters will never arrive at a close. What
is your opinion, Monsieur de Cambacérès ?”
I was
by no means anxious to mediate be-
tween Barras and Bonaparte; and I, therefore,
eagerly seconded the proposition of the enthusias-
tic daughter of Necker. "Gentlemen," said I,
،،
Madame de Staël is a man in politics, and the
Graces cannot fail to negotiate advantageously
with heroes."
I perceived that neither Barras nor M. de
Talleyrand shared my opinion. The former
observed :-
"I fear that the General, of whose stoicism I
have witnessed examples, will not be very well
pleased to see affairs during the Republic con-
ducted as they would have been in the reign of
Louis XV.”
S
TALLEYRAND.-The Gentleman (Bonaparte)
is very positive, and but little given to gallantry.
So far from consenting to listen to Minerva, he
would, I verily believe, shrink from the zone of
Venus.
Though the pill was well gilded, yet never-
theless Madame de Staël shewed herself piqued.
However, some
some remarks which were made,
FRENCH LOVE OF EXCITEMENT.
soothed her dissatisfaction, and the party took
leave of me, with a very absurd recommendation
of secrecy.
Three hours afterwards, I repaired to the
Luxembourg: I desired Barras' valet-de-chambre
to inform his master that I was awaiting his
commands. Barras desired that I should be
shewn in, and, as soon as he saw me, said :—
"What do you think of that mad project?
Do not imagine that I had any share in it. The
whole merit belongs to those two sages whose
heads Sappho has turned. They will see their
absurdity by and bye. However, she has talent
enough for the whole
Academy."
forty of
forty of a French
((
87
"Do you wish them to add another act to the
Revolution?" I inquired.
We must. The French are a strange
people; agitation is their element, and they can-
not be kept tranquil. Such is their taste for
violent emotions, that repose is painful to them.
When they complain of inertness, they mean to
say-We rise and go to bed to-day, just as we did
yesterday and the day before this is too weari-
some. Release us from this insipid state of existence!”
"It is too true," I observed.
C
Well, then! we must serve our master in
his own way. These Councils are plotting my
destruction, with that of La Réveillère and Rew-
88
EPITHET APPLIED TO CARNOT.
ness.
bell. They are leagued with Carnot and Bar-
thélemy. You seem to doubt this. I know it
to be the fact. The ferocious Carnot (I repeat
the epithet which was used," said Prince Cam-
bacérès, "without vouching for its appropriate-
Carnot bowed, and we all laughed)....
The Republican Carnot wishes to be a Marquis,
and to fill a place at court. . I tell you again it is
so..Do you know so little of mankind? Carnot
hates us and will do anything for the pleasure
of revenge. We must keep watch on him, and
anticipate his designs. If you are not for us,
your name will be inscribed as against us; and
then, God help you! If you will let good sense
guide you, you will have a decisive answer from
Bonaparte. In the first place, he must transmit
funds. The Treasury is drained. There is not
enough in it to pay for a man's supper :
<6
Voilà, belle Emilie, à quel point nous en sommes.
This droll application of the above line of
Corneille, made me laugh, though the subject of
our conversation was melancholy enough. I
shook my head and said :—
"Hoche will not agree to this.
"Never mind him."
"He will be compromised."
That is his own fault."
-
""
(6
"And if he should speak?"
We must close his mouth."
"How are you to impose silence on a man in
t t
THE CORTES OF ARRAGON.
his position?"
There is a way to do so. . . .and an in-
fallible one."
The tone in which this was said made me
shudder. I replied:-
k
But I need not trouble
"I know there is.
is.
myself about what does not concern me. I will
write to Bonaparte.”
Go and see him!"
<<
66
89
Stop!" said I, "this is not child's play. My
mission would excite attention. Would Bona-
parte be pleased with it? If he could be
be brought to a favourable decision, I would
go. . . .If not, not-
"Oh!" exclaimed Barras, laughing, "this is
the Cortes of Arragon over again! But, seriously,
one cannot treat this gentleman so cavalierly as
one would another...You are one of those
who threw him in my way in Vendémiaire."
"Have you any reason to regret it ?"
66
I do not mean to say I have....But he is
worse than a bar of iron; one can break that if
one cannot bend it; but he is neither to be
broken nor bent. These obstinate spirits are
always more troublesome than useful.... And
then you turn round upon me and say, tu l'as
A
>>
Ka
"
90
BONAPARTE AND FREDERICK II.
voulu, Georges Dandin!.... Well! I confess I
did admire him; but then I knew nothing of
him beyond his courage and military talent.
Who would have imagined, in these times, that
an officer would think about anything but pay
and promotion? His correspondence is quite
unique!....It is like Frederick II writing to his
Council of State!.... What extended views!..
..What lofty feelings of honour ! . . . . What fore-
sight! If we ever suffer him to get a firm
footing in Paris, there will be but one dwelling
for him, and that is the Tuileries ;. ... and he
will doff his military cap for the crown of
France."
I listened with deep interest to these obser-
vations. Barras formed a just estimate of Bona-
parte; but yet I was not without apprehension
that his fears might suggest that certain way
of getting rid of him, which he had obscurely
hinted to me in reference to Hoche. I, therefore,
thought it expedient to subdue the bright colour-
ing of the portrait he had traced of Bonaparte,
to whom, nevertheless, I fully conceded other
qualities besides those of an able general.
((
((
'I am quite sensible," added I, of the im-
portance of securing his concurrence. I will
write to him. I will see Lavalette. But will
he not be dissatisfied with the confidence you
have reposed in Augereau ?”
91
(6
Barras then told me that Augereau had
been allotted a part in the movement only be-
cause he had been expressly designated by Bo-
naparte, who, knowing him to be incapable of
governing, did not regard him with that jealousy
which Hoche, Joubert, Championnet, Moreau
and Bernadotte naturally inspired. "Indeed,'
continued Barras, 'Bernadotte is as good as
Bonaparte; he has as much talent. I have
sounded him, and his answer was, that he re-
garded Carnot as the most excellent of men,
and would never consent to aid in his destruc-
tion." But for this answer, I should not have
troubled my head about Bonaparte. Bernadotte
might always be opposed to him with advantage.
About this time, M. Lavalette, an aid-de-
camp of the Conqueror of Italy, arrived in
Paris, and soon became very intimate with the
Beauharnais family. This young man was ex-
ceedingly vain of being the bearer of communi-
cations from Bonaparte, and he made quite a
stir in Paris. To hear him, one would have
supposed that he had been sent on some secret
mission to the government. I advised him to
be more circumspect; but he was young, vain
of his position, and anxious to be thought a
person of great importance. Lavalette was,
moreover, a most incorrigible gossip; he was
shrewd and adroit, and very adequate to sustain
BERNADOTTE.
""
92
COMPLIMENT TO CARNOT.
his part of Patrocles during the absence of
Achilles.
From certain facts that came to my know-
ledge, I was warranted in concluding that the
three Directors, who constituted the majority,
were less averse to the royalists than to Carnot,
whose inflexible integrity cut them off from
all hope. His lofty disinterestedness was а
severe censure on their corrupt proceedings.
So much the worse did it prove for him who is
now present, and who hears me tell this, added
Cambacérès smiling.
As the Prince uttered these last words,
I fixed my eyes on Carnot, and I observed that
he reddened and looked embarrassed by the
compliment pronounced on him. Why did that
noble-minded man think it necessary to consent
to the unjust and tragical death of the best
of Kings? The Prince proceeded :
"Barras left me, and shortly afterwards I saw
Ozun, who informed me of Bonaparte's hesi-
tation. Baron Rebecque also called. He came
to complain, in the name of Madame de Staël,
that I had forsaken her. I immediately went
to see her, and she poured forth a torrent of
complaints against every one. The Directory
did not choose to adopt her plans; M. de
Talleyrand insisted on having his own way;
and Bonaparte would not admit the fitness of
-
a woman to meddle with affairs which demanded
the exercise of masculine energy. I took my
leave of her. All things considered, I had good
reason to congratulate myself that I was not
included in the number of the proscribed of the
18th Fructidor.
CC
THE DIRECTOR BARTHELEMY.
Meanwhile, Generals Pichegru and Villot
were not slumbering. They were not seconded
by their weak and timid colleagues, who were
always prating about the letter of the con-
stitution, and who had none of the prompt
energy requisite for defeating intrigues. I knew
all that was going on; I saw the tardy move-
ments of the royalists. I could not, at the
last moment refrain, as prudence would have
dictated, from warning the director-Barthélemy
(66
of the danger which threatened him. Chance
threw him in my way, for, as I was crossing the
Tuileries, I almost stumbled against him. 'Good
morning,' said he, how do you do?' and was
proceeding on his way, but I detained him.
"Mon Dieu !" said I, honest men are un-
fortunate in these times !"
They are, indeed,' replied he.
May it not be, I resumed, owing to their
own blindness? They will not see the wicked
plots that are brewing around them. For ex-
ample, I would lay a wager that you go to bed
every night in the confident hope of rising in
the morning.
66
93
(
CC
94
"He looked at me with an air of composure,
and said, 'What do you mean?'
Citizen, I advise you to look to your own
personal safety. Danger is at hand."
(6
WARNING OF DANGER.
"What have you heard?'
Nothing at all....But I know enough to
make me pity you. I have no wish to concern
myself with your business, but, were I in your
place, I would adjourn all those plans of reform,
(which ultimately will be accomplished without
effort) and I would seek Barras and Rewbell.
Assure them of your determination to unite
cordially with them, tell them that you see the
mischief in which the royalists would enthral
you, and that you are resolved not to share
the ruin into which they would drag you.
"I thank you, citizen, but I cannot possibly
follow your advice. The three members of the
majority are wretches whom I despise. I would
rather incur the chance of falling, than league
myself with them.'
CC
"But your fall is certain and near at hand."
Impavidum ferient ruina....'
CC C
"That is sublime in Horace; but in Paris in
the 18th century, it is the maxim....I paused.
"Go on,' said Barthélemy.
Well, then, it is the maxim of one who
is willing to be duped."
،، ،
Ah Sir!' replied the director, 'you cannot
(C
THE NOTORIOUS PRINCE DE C
95
conceive the disgust-the contempt with which
I regard those odious intrigues which disgrace
my colleagues. I know that they are plotting and
conspiring. If they seek my life, let them take
it; but they shall never have my acquiescence
in their designs.'
"To-morrow, said I, your life may perhaps
be the forfeit of your honesty."
، ، ،
To-morrow, that is very short notice!....
Then, if there is to be no longer respite, I must
consider my doom as sealed. To escape is
impossible.... God's will be done!'
"With these words, he departed, leaving me
in a state of feeling which I cannot attempt
to describe.
"He had not given me time to inform him
that the Prince de C
an offshoot of the
old régime, having been informed of the con-
spiracy by his father, the principal minister
of Louis XVIII, was about to sell his infor-
mation to the Directory. This wretch intended,
on the following night, to crown by a horrible
act of treason, the many crimes of his life.
Who has not heard of the notorious Prince
de C
?”
"I have seen him several times," observed
M. Vivant-Denon. "On one occasion, I was
standing at the lower end of the Rue Richelieu,
conversing with Count de Roche-d'Al-
< |
96
THE ORDER OF THE MIRE.
when we saw a hired cabriolet driving towards
us with great speed. The horse, dashing his
foot into the gutter, covered my interlocuter
with mud, upon which a voice from the inside
of the vehicle, which we immediately recognized
as that of Prince C
called out:
"Ah, my dear Monsieur de Roche....I
am very sorry for having splashed you. You
are covered with mud. Now, any wag passing
by, might say that you wear the insignia of
the order of the mire, of which they have made
me grand master.'
"Well," we exclaimed, "if you do not em-
bellish the story he certainly designated himself
very correctly."
"I assure you it is literally true," pursued M.
Vivant-Denon. "On another occasion, I was
entering the Tuileries. I heard some one call
me by my name, and, looking round, who should
I behold but the Prince de C
He was
fashionably dressed, and looking uncommonly
well, for he was a handsome fellow. He was
walking, not with a grisette or a female of the
lower class, but with a common street-walker.
looked at him with amazement, and he smiled
at my surprise.
I
(
66 6
'My dear fellow,' said he, this lady is
thirsty and I wish to procure her a glass of
beer. Can you lend me a crown?'.... Anger
C
97
and impatience quite overcame me. I could
not trust myself to give him an answer; so
I walked off and left him."
(C
And this fine gentleman," said Prince Cam-
bacérès, "presumed on the sixteenth or seven-
teenth Fructidor to write a letter to Barras of
which I happen to possess a copy."
The Prince opened a closet, and, after turning
over some papers, took out a letter which he
read to us, and which he afterwards permitted
me to transcribe into my memorandum-book,
where I now find it. It is in the following
terms:
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURES.
CC
Citizen Director,
'
My position is not calculated to inspire you
with confidence. I am an emigrant, not yet
finally erased, and a son of the minister of the
individual who styles himself Louis XVIII, and
King of France. My father, whose services
and integrity have been called in question by
that individual, is in complete disgrace. I have
his cause to avenge, and I wish to save the
Republic. Will you hear me? But it must be
immediately; for there is no time to be lost.
The delay of a single hour may be fatal. I
am so confident of the importance of the dis-
closures which I am about to make that I
VOL. I.
H
98
am willing you should detain me as a hostage
until you satisfy yourself of my sincerity, and
of the accuracy of the documents which I have
to lay before you. I am in the Rue Vaugirard,
under the portico of the Odéon, awaiting your
answer. Reflect well; for the existence of the
present order of things depends on your atten-
tion to this.
..
PLOT OF THE ROYALISTS.
(Signed)
C
""
"Barras, roused by this missive, assembled
Rewbell and La Réveillère, together with Sottin
and Merlin de Douai. Sottin was minister of
the Police, and Merlin de Douai was minister of
Justice. It was determined that Barras and
Sottin should that night have an interview with
the informer. They accordingly sent for Prince
C▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ who, for the promise of a handsome
sum, revealed the whole plot of the royalists,
and with a degree of circumstantiality which
left no doubt of the truth of his statement.
It was soon ascertained how to defeat the con-
spiracy, and where to seize the conspirators.
The coup d'état was hurried on, and it was
accomplished on the night of the 17th Fructidor.
The succeeding events are known to you. M.
Carnot can inform us how he escaped."
"The narrative is in my Memoirs," observed
G
PARTICULARS GIVEN BY CARNOT.
99
Carnot. "However, I may relate some par-
ticulars which I deemed it necessary to withhold
at the time I published my Memoirs, but which
I have now no reason to keep secret.
I was
in fear both of the royalists and the jacobins ;
consequently, I turned a deaf ear to the mul-
tiplied representations of the members of the
right in both councils. My fear was the
return of the Bourbons. Could I have ima-
gined that they, being restored, would leave
me unmolested, whilst the jacobins, when in
the possession of power, employed it to per-
secute me? The world seems to be turned
upside down. Early on the morning of the
17th Fructidor, at a sort of public audience,
to which I allowed any one to be admitted
who wore a uniform, I observed a young officer
about twenty years of age, making his way
through the crowd. He advanced to me and pre-
sented his hand, which I took. He then made
certain signs of the higher orders of free-ma-
sonry, denoting that I ought to treat him with
more respect than that which was merely due to
his uniform of sub-lieutenant. He led me to
the recess of one of the windows, and there,
after cautiously looking round him, he thus
addressed me :
Bor M
www
"Citizen director, the Republic is betrayed
by Barras. I know the fact. The villain has
H 2
100 PROPOSED ASSASSINATION OF BARRAS.
sold us to his vices. Shall we endure this?
Brutus did not hesitate to immolate his sons
for the salvation of Rome. Shall we shrink
from the sacrifice of a tyrant? I am resolved
to rid the Republic of such a traitor.
If you
will only authorize me to attempt a coup d'état,
he shall speedily be no more.'
"To this intemperate address, I coolly re-
plied, that the law alone possessed the right
of shedding the blood of the criminal. You,
I added, render yourself criminal by this avowed
wish to anticipate the law.
"The officer, whose name I did not ascertain,
did not shew himself inclined to yield to my
remonstrance. He alleged that Barras was in
treaty with the Bourbons, that he knew the fact
on the best authority, and that at least it was
necessary to thwart his schemes.
"I employed every argument to convince.
the young man of the atrocity of the proposition
he had suggested. I thought I had succeeded,
and congratulated myself on my victory. The
officer left me. But, in a little time afterwards,
he came again. He was ushered into the draw-
ing-room, where he wrote a note in pencil,
which he requested a servant to deliver to me. I
desired that he might be shewn into my closet,
and as soon as he beheld me he exclaimed :
Well, citizen, you would not believe me.
66 6
101
Every thing is arranged, and the troops have
received orders to enter the constitutional circle.
Hoche is now nothing. The command is trans-
ferred to Augereau, who has orders to arrest
you. But this plot may yet be defeated. Barras
must die, and then the party, bereft of its
leader, will disperse like smoke. Give me your
sanction, and you will speedily see the scene
change.'
MYSTERIOUS BILLET.
"As he spoke, I looked at him with a feeling
of pity, and, when he had ended, I said: Citizen,
in the conversation which I had with you just
now, I regarded you as a man whose mind was
disturbed by unfounded alarm; now, however,
I must consider you a maniac. The plan you
propose would render me odious in the eyes of
all Europe. If you have reason to believe that
one or more members of the Directory are guilty
of treason, accuse them openly, face to face, and
not behind their backs. Denounce them to the
councils who will investigate any charges against
them.
66
I was still closetted with this fanatic, when
my colleague, Barthélemy, was announced, and,
at the same moment, one of my secretaries de-
livered to me a billet containing the following
lines without any signature:-
"Carnot, have a care of yourself. Your des -
truction is resolved on. When the light of day
102
BARTHÉLEMY WARNED BY BARRAS.
shall be succeeded by the shades of night, the
work of your enemies will commence.
A gun
fired at one o'clock in the morning, is to be the
signal for bloodshed. Assassins will enter your
chamber; you will be murdered, and a new
revolution will begin.'
This note, which as you may perceive was
written in a strange affected style, amazed me.
Every thing seemed to come upon me at once.
I desired the young officer, whose name I never
learned, not to attempt anything without ac-
quainting me, and to call on me on the morning
of the 18th. He shook his head, and said in a
desponding tone: To-morrow, it will be too
late!' He left me. Barthélemy seated himself,
and thus addressed me:
(6
"I have just had a visit from Barras. He
affirms that the minority of the Directory is
contending against the majority, and that you
and I are lost;-that our alliance excites dis-
pleasure. He told me, moreover, that the regard
they entertain for me makes them anxious to
save me, and that, to enable them to do so, it is
requisite I should resign this very day. By
offering your resignation,' added he, you will
prove your innocence, and shield yourself from
the impending storm.' My answer was such as
ought to have been given by a man who would
regard as dishonourable a resignation imposed
'
5
CONFIDENCE OF CARNOT.
103
by circumstances. I said, moreover, that my
colleagues might scrutinize my public life, and
that they would find in it nothing reprehensible.
Barras persisted in urging me to resign, which
I firmly refused to do. He departed, giving me
to understand that I should be allowed one
or two weeks for reflexion. I have lost no time
in coming to tell you this,' added Barthélemy,
'that you may be made aware of the perilous
situation in which we both stand.'
<
"My dear colleague, replied I, as soon as
he had ended, I have just received commu-
nications from people more candid than Barras,
and from what they tell me, the danger which
threatens us is much more imminent. Here,
read this note which has just been delivered
to me.
CC
I handed him the epistle, which he read
a second and a third time.
"Surely, said I, you wish to learn it by
heart....Well! tell me what you think of it!
"Heavens' exclaimed Barthélemy, in a
piteous tone of voice, what will become of us?
....To-morrow night, the blow is to be struck!'
'I assured him that I saw no ground for
alarm; and I deeply reproach myself for the
implicit confidence I reposed in the inviolability
of the constitution. The Triumvirs, said I,
(meaning the three Directors,) are as ill at ease as
104
COUNCIL OF THE DIRECTORY.
we are. All these mysterious communications
are only intended to work on our credulity....
These worthies will think twice before they
sever the sacred compact which binds us all
together. Barras is a rogue, but you and myself
are honest men. All he wants is to scare us
away, so that we may leave the field open to his
manikins. Let us stand firm, keep ourselves
clear of the royalists, and we may brave our
enemies.
::
"I was mistrustful of my colleague. I knew
that he was in some way involved in the plans
of Pichegru, and I had doubts of his sincerity,
though those doubts were unfounded. I, how-
ever, succeeded in inspiring him with courage;
and, it being the time appointed for the general
council of the Directory, we both proceeded
thither. Our three opponents held themselves.
in reserve: not an angry word was uttered,
and they heard us speak, if not with pleasure,
at least with patience. The countenance of La
Réveillère would have enabled me to guess that
something extraordinary was in agitation there
was a sort of convulsive movement in his fe-
rocious features, which a shrewd observer might
have construed into the triumph of the traitor
exulting over his fallen victims.
"The sitting rose, and we separated. About
sunset, a multitude of low characters, such as
THE PRÆTORIAN
GUARD.
66
105
the officers of the army of Fleuriot, loungers at
billiard tables and gambling houses, and here
and there a few military officers, who were really
imposed on, were collected in groups in the
garden of the Luxembourg. No one was per-
mitted to go out. I myself saw this raw Præ-
torian guard, worthy of its leaders; and I began
to recover from my blindness. About eleven
o'clock, a female, Mme. de Les.... who was
intimate with Chenier, brought me a letter from
La Réveillière. It was addressed to Monsieur
Chenier, and was in these terms:
"Hold yourself in readiness to lend us your
assistance to-night, which is the time appointed for
the decisive stroke. If our friends second us, all
will go well.'
Allent, my secretary, was with me at the
moment when the veil was drawn from my eyes.
My consternation gave him the first hint of
what had occurred. At that moment, a loud
knocking was heard at my door. It was Ge-
neral Cherin, who, knowing nothing of the
plot, came to inform me that a crowd of sus-
picious persons were collected in the Luxem-
bourg. He asked me for orders, for he had not
been let into the secret. I informed him that,
as I was no longer President, (my time had ex-
pired,) he must address himself to La Réveillière.
He had been in quest of the latter, who had
106
fled in alarm from the Luxembourg, and had
taken refuge in the house of one of his friends;
but, at the moment, only his disappearance, and
not his place of retreat, was ascertained. I saw
that it was no time for hesitation, and, though
divested of power, I directed the commandant
to clear the Luxembourg. The mob, who had
assembled there, immediately obeyed the order,
though its legality was very questionable, and
adjourned to another place of rendez-vous,
where they were again routed after one in the
morning.
"General Cherin had scarcely left me when
Barthélemy arrived. He had been sitting quietly
at his game of tric-trac, when some one came
to announce to him the movements of the hire-
lings of Barras. He asked what was to be done.
Escape, replied I, or you will be murdered.
Those scoundrels will never forgive you.
66
He was standing in my apartment con-
founded, and not knowing what course to take,
when an aid-de-camp of Augereau entered.
He had come, he said, merely to call on me.
"Citizen, said I, be more frank say that
you have come to reconnoitre me.
He stammered and looked confused, and I
dismissed him with the indignation he merited.
As soon as he was gone, Barthélemy returned
to the charge, and implored me to advise him,
เC
A RECONNOITRING VISIT.
66
.،
66
CARNOT'S PLACE OF REFUGE.
can we have time to talk ?
Barthélemy departed,
CC
We have not even time to act, said I; how
107
Victime obéissante,
Tendre au fer de Colchas une tête innocente.
For my part, I retired to rest, without un-
dressing. I lay down, not in my usual bed, but
in one which was concealed behind a panel in my
dining-room. There I remained for a little time,
and then, arming myself with every precaution, I
went out by a secret door, leading into one of
the private gardens surrounding the Luxem-
bourg. I carried with me two pistols. At that
moment, the alarm guns were firing. I wan-
dered about the streets for three hours, exposed
to no little danger, before I could venture to
enter the place of refuge which was prepared
for me and where I was anxiously expected.
Having slipped in, I found myself in safety, and
then, bon soir to my enemies.
"On the signal being given from the battery
of the Pont-Neuf, Barras immediately sum-
moned General Cherin, who had received the
supreme command of our guard. He gave him
secret orders to seize my person, dead or alive;
to break open my doors to get at me. Cherin
hurried off to fulfil his mission, and, in proof of
his zeal, resolved to employ a petard, if I did
108
ARREST OF BARTHÉLEMY.
not surrender at the first summons. Allent,
hearing a noise at my door, went to ascertain
what it was; a party of soldiers rushed upon
him, and, holding their bayonets to his throat,
obliged him to shew them my place of con-
cealment. He conducted them to the secret
bed behind the panel. They found it warm, as
they said in their report; but the object of their
search was gone.
Allent smiled in petto at the disconsolate
air of Cherin, who expected to be charged with
want of zeal. He was not mistaken, for he was
dismissed a few days afterwards. Rewbell, un-
able to controul his rage and disappointment,
shook his clenched fist in Cherin's face, and
Cherin took the affront quietly, for fear of worse.
"Barras was more successful. He had him-
self undertaken the honourable mission of ar-
resting Barthélemy. He seized him in bed. Bar-
thélemy, raising his eyes to Heaven, exclaimed:
O ma patrie! Like a lamb dragged to the
slaughter, he was taken to the Temple, and
from thence transported to Sinamary.
"The infamous triumvirate used their victory,
as you know, with unparalleled barbarity. I
can never pardon the style of their first pro-
clamation. It ran thus:
CC
-
CC (
www
G
Citizens, a vast number of emigrants, con-
sisting of the assassins of Lyons and the brigands
THE DUKE OF ORLEANS.
109
of La Vendée, drawn hither by royalist intrigues,
and the tender interest which has been fear-
lessly and publicly extended to them, have
attacked the posts which surrounded the Execu-
tive Directory; but the vigilance of the govern-
ment and their chiefs of the armed force have
defeated their criminal attempts.'
"In the second edition, the false words have
attacked, were superseded by the words were to
have attacked; and it was announced that any
one attempting to recall the monarchy, or the
constitution of the year I, or of Orleans, would
be shot.
This last observation of Carnot, induced me
to remark that the Duke of Orleans was dead at
the time alluded to.
66 6
'Yes,' said Prince Cambacérès, but he
had left sons behind him. The elder, whom he
had seen maintaining so favourable an attitude
with the Moderates, previously to February
1793, was still labouring to gain a party for
himself, and I saw that he was succeeding.'
(C
Among all the astonishing things one sees
now, observed I, not the least extraordinary is to
see the Duke of Orleans in France. The Bour-
bons are not very quick sighted; if they do not
perceive the constant danger to which they are
exposed by suffering, within two paces of the
throne, a Prince who is qualified to ascend it.
110
LEONIDAS AT THERMOPYLE.
"I was surprised at the coolness with which
my remark was received. No person present
appeared to notice it. There was a short pause,
which David broke, by the following observa-
tion, which he made as naturally as if the
course of the conversation had led to it-
((
The Emperor, without, perhaps, being a
passionate lover of the fine arts, knew their im-
portance in a state. He was anxious that they
should engross a great share of public attention.
I went to pay my respects to him immediately
after the 18th Brumaire. As soon as he saw me,
he saluted me by the title of the French
Apelles, and asked me what subject I was en-
gaged on.'
"I replied, Leonidas at Thermopylæ. He
shrugged his shoulders and said:
"Ah David, you are always painting the
Greeks and Romans, and, what is still worse, the
conquered!
"Yes, Citizen David, pursued he, the con-
quered. Is it conformable with the principles of
reason that three hundred men should face three
millions? If they do so, they are not heroes but
madmen, and fit to be sent to the Petites-Maisons.
All resistance should be rational, and should be
founded on a probability of success; otherwise,
whatever name may be given to it, it is pure
extravagance, and ought not to be recorded
111
in pictures on account of the bad example that
would be conveyed. A small number of men
may cause the failure of a great movement, by
an imprudent and obstinate defence. I ad-
vise you to make choice of some incident in
our own history. Modern times are not wanting
in good subjects.
A SUBJECT FOR A PICTURE.
"I was somewhat astonished by these re-
marks, which were by no means in accordance
with my predilection for the antique. I ap-
proached the First Consul and said in a voice
loud enough to be heard by him alone:
..
Perhaps a coronation might meet with ap-
proval.
((
'Not just yet,' replied Bonaparte, laughing.
Ah! republican, there is a wide difference
between that and Thermopylæ. However, do
what you please; your pencil will confer cele-
brity on any subject you may handle. For every
great historical picture you choose to paint, you
shall be paid a hundred thousand francs.'
CC
6
Subsequently, he was proclaimed Emperor.
The first time he saw me, after this change, he
beckoned me to approach him. I obeyed.
"Have you any designs ready?' inquired
he.
"I understood his hint, and, bowing, replied
It is not designs that are wanting; but where
is the ceremony to be fixed, and in what
costume?'
112
DAVID AND ISABEY.
"We will speak of this matter another
time.'
"Would any one have imagined that, after
this conversation, I should not have been ap-
pointed to execute the programme of the
coronation? Yet, I was passed over, and the
commission was given to Isabey. The details
were all collected from the past, it is true: but
they bore no trace of the glory of the Roman
empire. The Emperor himself directed a great
share of his attention to the regulation of the
costumes and decorations. He arranged the
escutcheon of the empire."
Here Count Fabre de l'Aude observed, that in
his post of Procureur-General of the Conseil du
sceaux des titres he had had the opportunity of
becoming acquainted with some particulars not
generally known, which he would relate to
us.
“
"At first," continued the Count, "the First
Consul was recommended to assume the title
and functions of king. That will not do,' he
replied, royalty was destroyed on the scaffold
of Louis XVI, and it would be requisite to
exhume it from the ruins in which it lies buried.
The title of Emperor would be the thing that
would enable me to leap over an interval of ten
centuries. Then I should be, not the successor
of Henry IV, or of Philip Augustus, but of
Charlemagne, and thus linked with the Roman
(
THE SOVEREIGN TITLE.
empire. This would entitle me to the supre-
macy over other crowned heads, and to the
Protectorate of Germany. With the title of
Emperor, I might style myself supreme ruler of
Italy. I should neither violate nor cause to be
violated any oath and every one would be
satisfied.'
66
Napoleon addressed these words to Count
Regnault, who laughed, and said:" I assure
you I should not be very deeply vexed, if you
should oblige me to commit perjury in such a
case. We have taken so many caths, that it
would be no easy matter to find out which is
the right one. If you wish for the imperial
title, be it so its novelty will please, and the
nation will readily adopt it. The nation dislikes
only the Committee of Public Safety and the
directors. But, before you can take your rank
among the sovereigns of Europe, you must have
a coat of arms. Will you adopt your father's
escutcheon, which is azure, a gold rake in pale,
with three fleur-de-lis, two in chief, one in
point?"
113
66
'My dear Count,' replied Napoleon, you
are quite mistaken. Where did you learn that
that was the Bonaparte escutcheon ? Who-
ever told you so, had not consulted the registers
of the military school, where my brothers and
I were educated, nor the archives of Saint Cyr,
VOL. I.
I
114
where my sister Eliza was brought up.
If they
had, they would have known that our shield is
gules with two bars of gold, accompanied in
chief sinister and in point dexter by a star of
gold. The shield supported by two Gothic
letters B and P, and surmounted by a Count's
coronet. Madame Permon, likewise, made me
a present of the arms of her family, the
Comneni. But I shall not take the one or the
other. It is my wish to be in all things
amalgamated with France.
She is my adopted
mother, and we will both bear the same
shield.'
THE BONAPARTE ESCUTCHEON.
"Then," resumed Regnault,
you would
make choice of the old Gallic cock; and he may
hold in his claws a tri-coloured standard ?"
× t
..
“'The cock,' said Napoleon, ' in spite of his
good qualities, is not a sufficiently dignified
representative of a great nation. We must
have an animal more imposing, more emble-
matic of power: an elephant for example, or
a lion couchant on the map France, with one
paw thrust forward to the boundary of the
Rhine, and the device. Gare à qui me cherche.'
"Ma foi !" exclaimed Regnault, " but why
should we determine limits, which the lion may
show himself inclined to overstep.
Napoleon approved of this hint, and be-
gan to think of something else. Regnault
""
THE NATIONAL FLAG.
suggested the fleur-de-lis. The mere utterance
of the word produced an effect almost electrical.
"Never!' exclaimed Napoleon; those en-
signs of a proscribed family shall never again
be seen among us. I am not the son of Louis
XVI. I commence a new dynasty, or rather,
I found an empire. Let us not revive old re-
collections, but adhere to our young institutions.
My dynasty will not be that of Hugues Capet,
-it will be my own, and will commence with
myself. Names and things are the same: your
fleurs-de-lis and white flags belong to the
Bourbons; I will, therefore, retain the three
colours with which they were driven away.
We
must recognize, by the difference of form and
colour, the banner round which we are to rally,
should the conflict commence again. You seem
not to be aware of the influence of recollections
on mankind; unfurl a white flag, embroidered
with fleur-de-lis, and one half of France will
regard as inevitable the return of Louis XVIII,
an event which no one now dreams of..... I
am Emperor!...... I succeed Charlemagne and
the Cæsars, and I must have their emblems.
The empire and myself will, therefore, adopt
an eagle with spread wings, adorned with a
thunder-bolt. The eagle shall be of gold, on
a field....What colour is considered noblest?
gules, I think.... Well, then, on a field of gules.
(
115
I
1 2
116
THE EAGLE AND THE BEES.
But, stay, the Parisians might think that too
red. It would furnish a subject for jests; and
it would be said that my eagle, instead of hover-
ing in the air, was swimming in blood.'
"Would you have the mantle embroidered
with eagles ?"
"No, that would have a bad effect. I would
have gold stars, or rather gold bees. The
latter would be a national emblem, for bees
were found in the tomb of Chilperic. That
insect is the symbol of industry. The stars
will be for me, and the bees for the people.
These, and the gold eagle, with the thunder-
bolt in his claws, on a field of azure, picturing
the Heaven to which he is soaring:-these are
more than sufficient. Then, for my livery, I
shall have green. I will not have blue, lest that
should revive the memory of the Bourbons.
The tri-coloured flag will lead us to victory;
and the French of the next generation will have
nothing in common with their forefathers. The
lily will be irrevocably abolished. Our national
colours and emblems will all refer to me; and
to our descendants I shall be the founder of all
things.'
When Count Fabre had ceased speaking, we
all with one accord expressed our admiration of
the depth of Napoleon's perceptions.
"I recollect," said Prince Cambacérès,
THE HEREDITARY CONSULATE.
117
"about the beginning of January 1804, having
an interview with the First Consul on some
public business. Having arranged the affair
about which we met, I rose to take leave of
him, but he detained me, saying, 'It is not
late; stay and let us have a little conversation
together. I wish very much, my dear colleague,
to have your opinion respecting my present
position. Foreign powers treat me well, it is
true, but, having no confidence in the stability
of our government, they hesitate to form any
close alliance with me. The hereditary consul-
ate staggers them. They think it strange that
I should be the hereditary chief of the govern-
ment, whilst, on the other hand, I am only the
first magistrate of the republic. This is a
stumbling block in the way of diplomatic re-
lations. What is your opinion? is there no
way of getting out of this difficulty?'
I candidly confess, gentlemen," said Prince
Cambacérès, addressing himself to us
"that
my imagination was every day wandering to a
better order of things. The melancholy trial
we had made of the republic, had sufficiently
proved that that form of government was un-
fitted to a vast state, in which every citizen
cannot keep watch over the universality of the
citizens, and consequently can but imperfectly
guard against the establishment of tyranny.
118
The prosperity which had now succeeded to
terror, famine and depression, the re-establish-
ment of commerce, the flourishing state of
agriculture, the restoration of religion and the
arts-all convinced me of the advantage of a
monarchy, especially with a chief like the First
Consul. Thus I had accustomed myself to
reflect on the subject, and, when Napoleon
broached it, I frankly broke the ice. I stopped
short, for I was walking up and down the room,
and said-
"The only question is to ascertain whether
the pear be ripe; if it be, make haste and gather
it !"
. C ،
Who can inform us of the fact ?'
"The prefects and the electoral colleges. Let
us venture a few hints, and see how they
are taken. For my own part, I am convinced
that there is in the mass of the nation, a com-
plete re-action in favour of monarchy."
"You are of opinion, then, that the resto-
ration of monarchy would not be viewed unfa-
vourably?'
All right minded men wish for it."
But, my dear colleague, it surely would not
do to be re-established in favour of the Bour-
bons ?'
FEELING IN FAVOUR OF MONARCHY.
، ،
،، ،
،،
MA
Certainly not. . As to me, I am quite ready
to lend my co-operation in the great work.”
119
You are wise.. I have reflected on this sub-
ject.. I would not accept the title of king..I
should wish to present myself to France and to
Europe under a new title, more imposing and
more elevated. I would not revive the royalty of
Hugues Capet; I would re-establish the empire
of Charlemagne. This would at once elevate
the newly-created Cæsar above the kings of
Europe, and would enable him, hereafter, to
recover the privileges annexed to the western
empire, and which Germany has wrested from
France.'
"That is a grand idea."
66 '
Besides, we have, it is true, all vowed
hatred to royalty; but we have taken no such
oath against imperial sovereignty. The title of
emperor will not be revolting to any republican
conscience. I am firmly of opinion that, if
they think of changing the present state of
things, it is to an empire only that we must
direct our views.'
IMPERIAL SOVEREIGNTY.
،،
But," said I, "in adopting the forms of the
Roman republic, (of which we already have the
tribunes, the quæstors, and the prefects,) would
you preserve, under the emperor, the two con-
suls, the one having charge of the finances,
and the other of the general administra-
tion ?"
(( C
No,' quickly answered Napoleon,
،
G
the
•
120
title of Consul would naturally disappear as
soon as the post ceases to be annual. The
titles of prince arch-chancellor, and of prince
arch-treasurer, would appropriately supersede
them.'
،،
Then the arch-chancellorship is disposed
of,” said I, feeling confidant that the lion would
set apart that share for me.
Here our first conference ended. Others
afterwards took place, which were attended by
MM. Regnault, Fabre de l'Aude, Maret, de
Fermont, Fourcroy, Fontanes, and Monge;
Marshals Davoust, Perignon, Masséna, Moncey,
Mortier, Ney, Bessières, and Bernadotte. This
last was not very manageable. However, his
brother-in-law, Joseph Bonaparte, by some
adroit contrivance, succeeded in diverting him
from his intention of giving a negative vote to
the creation of the empire. Providence has
rewarded him for this return to rational ideas,
by elevating him to a throne, on which he
reflects glory, and where he enjoys happi-
ness.
(C
CONFERENCES.
CC
It appears to me that, heretofore, the gene-
ral of the republic, the marshal of the empire,
the Prince de Ponte-Corvo, the Prince Royal of
Sweden, in fine, King Charles John Berna-
dotte, has not had justice rendered to him: his
character and conduct have not been duly ap-
<
300
THE KING OF SWEDEN.
121
preciated. Almost all the judgments hitherto
pronounced on that exalted personage have
been dictated by passion. It is my intention
to write a faithful history of his life in
which it shall be my endeavour to paint
him as he really is. In the course of time,
France will be enabled to understand the merits
of the King of Sweden, who is one of the most
illustrious of her sons:-she will perceive, too,
the advantage she enjoys, (after having lost
Spain) in having in the north of Europe a mo-
narch a native of her own territory, and whose
posterity will ever bear in mind that their ances-
tor was the compatriot of Henry IV. The lives
of Charles, John, and Prince Eugene, will soon
employ my pen."
1
1
CHAPTER III.
Secret audience granted by His Majesty Louis XVIII to
Cambacérès-Carnot's Memorial-Gloomy forebodings-
How their fulfilment might be avoided A comic scene
with three serious characters Freemasons and White
Penitents-Anecdote of the Princess Borghese-Madame
Mère-Story of a Vampire related by Fouché, when Minis-
ter of the Police-The Lady of the Forest, a Languedocian
anecdote-Mysterious disappearances-Baron Pasquier, the
Prefect of Police-Parisian thieves and swindlers-The dia-
mond shoe-buckles-The pretended Russian Prince and the
parure of diamonds-The snuff-box and the robber duped—
Robespierre and the English-A proposed marriage between
Robespierre and a Royal Princess-Robespierre's blue coat,
and bouquet of tri-coloured flowers-A story related by
Tallien-A second proposition for a marriage between Robes-
pierre and a Princess-True cause of the death of the
Duke of Orleans.
K
I CALLED on the Prince one evening early.
He had dined alone: I found him in excellent
spirits, and I told him so.
"You will not be surprised at that," said he,
"when you hear what I am going to tell you.
CAMBACÉRÈS AND LOUIS XVIII.
You know how much I am attached to Paris;
in short, that I cannot live any where else.
Nevertheless, it was the wish of the government
that I should quit France; this annoyed me
exceedingly, and I resolved to have the point
decided one way or other. I did not appeal to
the Abbé de Montesquiou, (the minister of the
interior) nor to M. de Talleyrand, (grand
chamberlain and minister for foreign affairs)
nor to M. de Blacas, (the minister of the King's
household and his Majesty's favourite): I very
cavalierly passed over them all, and addressed
myself directly to Louis XVIII. The frank and
decided tone of my letter pleased the King. I
was informed that he would consent to receive
me, but that it must be in the utmost privacy,
and on condition that the opposition papers
should say nothing on the subject. I pledged
myself for the observance of this last condition,
and this morning I saw the King."
"You saw him, Monseigneur ?" I exclaimed.
"And did he receive you graciously?"
"His Majesty was alone in his closet; and I
was admitted by a stair-case appropriated to
persons of the household, and with which I was
very well acquainted in the Emperor's time.
On entering the King's presence, I made my
obeisance with the utmost possible respect, and
His Majesty then said :
123
124
CONVERSATION WITH THE KING.
"Duke de Cambacérès, I am very glad to
see you. I know all that you have done for
my faithful servants. I know, too, that your
vote on the occasion of the fatal trial, was
not for the sentence of death, and that it was
your intention to elude it. I entertain a high
opinion of your judgment; and I have reason
to rejoice that Bonaparte did not listen to your
prudent counsel. I am desirous of conferring
on you some marks of my approval.'
"This kindness overwhelms me, Sire, I
replied. Your Majesty is aware that during
your exile I endeavoured to save you from more
than one danger: at Warsaw, for example-
"Yes, my cousin, but for your information,
the assassin would have taken my life. There
is one here who would fain take to himself
the credit of the disclosure; but I know it is
due to you. What is your wish ?'
"To live in Paris, under the dominion of our
excellent King.
'
and I
"I have resolved to banish no one ;
shall not certainly begin with you. I wish
I were so situated as to have it in my power to
call you to my council; but that is not possible,
yet. Too many persons, too many prejudices,
would oppose such a step. But I trust that
time will subdue these hostile feelings. I shall
bear in mind that Bonaparte, whose judgment
,,
CARNOT'S MEMORIAL.
125
in such matters cannot be called in question,
regarded you as the best head in the empire. I
feel convinced that you would not have com-
mitted the error of which M. Carnot has been
guilty.
-
"Carnot had just then published his famous
Memorial in which he justified the regicide.
:
"I expressed my disapproval of Carnot's ill-
judged step; and I assured His Majesty that,
with the exception of kneeling at the feet of
Carnot, I had done everything in my power to
dissuade him from giving his unfortunate Me-
morial to the world. I pointed out to him the
pain which it would inflict on all the voters,
many of whom were repentant, and that it
would render them the objects of persecution.
He disregarded my remonstrances. At least, said
I, do not expose the Memorial for sale.
C
"It was a most reprehensible proceeding,'
said Louis XVIII. I was urged to punish him;
but I bound my hands, and I am glad I did so.
All the happiness of the restoration would have
been blighted, had I been compelled to shed
blood. Is it not almost inconceivable, Sir, that
such an event should have taken place without
any violent catastrophe ?'
"I assure you, my dear Leon, said Prince
Cambacérès, that I was extremely gratified at
thus being brought to a subject which enabled
126
me without flattery to eulogize the King. Sire,
said I, your return is a miracle, and your con-
duct a sublime example of wisdom. Your
execution of the will of Louis XVI must ever
secure to you the affection and veneration of the
nation. May Your Majesty reign long, very
long, to consolidate the edifice !"
"You are satisfied with the charter ?"
"It is a bridge thrown over an abyss:
the only path by which the gulf may be passed
in perfect safety. It will be the beacon and
polar star of the French people.
“'It appears to me clear and well arranged.'
"It reserves to the throne all the power
necessary for its preservation; and it leaves to
the people all the liberty of which they stand in
need. Your Majesty has triumphantly resolved
a most difficult problem.
THE ROYAL CHARTER.
CC C
I conjure you, my dear Duke, to use your
influence to prevail on the men of the revolution
to rally round us. They will find it their interest
to do so. Our intention is to follow the example
of Bonaparte and to receive every one to
employ men who are capable of being useful, both
in military and civil affairs. In the first instance,
some acts of injustice have been committed;
but, be assured, I will repair them. I bring with
me peace and a prosperity hitherto unknown to
France. I have witnessed in England the ad-
GLOOMY FOREBODINGS.
127
vantages of the protection accorded to trade.
Union and oblivion are the sole objects of my
desire. You are a man of judgment and tact,
and you enjoy a high reputation abroad. It
excites surprise that you are not in my council;
I tell you again that you will have a place there,
and soon. Reside in Paris, or travel: in short,
go and come as you please. If, by chance, the
spirit of intrigue should destroy your quiet, ap-
peal to me.'
"With these words, the King dismissed me,
and I returned home quite transported with my
reception. Now, this circumstance must be
known to very few, and I have made you one of
those few, because I know you to be discreet
and attached to me."
I expressed my acknowledgments for the con-
fidence the Duke reposed in me; but I felt that
I deserved it, by the sincere regard I cherished
for him. I am gratified in having the oppor-
tunity of rendering him justice and recording
his virtues. On that same day, I asked him
what he thought of public affairs. He closed
his eyes, compressed his lips, made a sort of
grimace, which certainly did not improve his
looks, and, after a minute's reflection, said :
"I should wish to predict nothing but pros-
perity, and yet I see the future overclouded
by storms. The Emperor's stay in the Isle of
-
1
128
Elba will only be temporary. They are driving
him to return to France. If he should come
back, all that is done will be undone, and
Europe will be convulsed for more than half a
century. The King is a monarch of the rarest
merit. If he do not fall a victim to some
political tempest, he will die on the throne.
But, after him, unwise counsellors will be listened
to; women will resume their sway; frivolity
will be considered one of the cardinal virtues
among the higher ranks. The army and literary
men, who form an order in the state, will be
dissatisfied, and the whole edifice will totter to
its foundation."
،،
POLITICAL CHANGES.
And how is this catastrophe to be avoided,
Monseigneur ?"
"By following the tact of the Emperor. The
change that has taken place should have been
regarded merely as a question of persons, and
not of principles. The Emperor was dead; we
had only to cry Vive le roi !....The King was
precisely the same as the Emperor. Every
thing was in its place, and every functionary at
his post. Except that the chief of the state
bore the title of King, we were still in the empire.
The tri-coloured flag and the eagle were abo-
lished, it is true, and fleurs de lis were substituted
for bees. These were the only changes, and no
official man was to be removed from his post,
SECRET ASSOCIATIONS.
Had
except by death or voluntary resignation.
this plan been strictly adhered to, all pretext for
discontent and recrimination would have been
removed. Custom had moulded us to obedience;
we could dispense with the liberty of the press,
and even with personal liberty. The severity of
the conscription being mitigated by the establish-
ment of peace, general happiness would have
prevailed. But, instead of this, we are threatened
with complete change, which has the effect of
inspiring fear. All this will end badly. What
do you propose to do?
To keep myself aloof; to look on at pass-
ing events, and await their result."
"Do not become a member of any associa-
tion."
CC
129
Monseigneur, I have resolved neither to
become a free-mason nor a penitent; and, more-
over, I am resolved to keep myself clear of
that host of intriguers, who are divided into two
sections: rogues and dupes."
"What!.. You are a native of Montpellier,
transplanted to Toulouse and Carcassone!..and is
it possible that you have not put on either the
blue gown or the black, the grey or the white ?"
My father-in-law, who is Prior of the
white brotherhood of Carcassone, entered my
name in the association; but that was not
enough it was necessary to have my person,
८८
VOL. I.
К.
1
130
also, and that was not quite so easy. My
father-in-law now found himself in a difficulty.
He knew that a direct refusal was not to be
thought of. Consequently, one day when I was
busily engaged writing in my library, the
door was opened, and the servant announced
some gentlemen from the brotherhood of the
White Penitents of Carcassone. I was con-
founded. I rose from my chair, and beheld
all the dignitaries before me, except the prior,
who, for good reasons, had entrenched himself
behind the door. The spokesman of the party
stepped forward and repeated the names of all my
ancestors who had been penitents, and informed
me that all my relations, now existing, were peni-
tents also; after saying which, he wound up his
speech by the flattering intimation that, at the ex-
press request of M. G
and my father-in-
law, I had been unanimously received a member
of the brotherhood. This was a critical moment.
To decline the honour, appeared next to im-
possible; and might perhaps have been attended,
with danger. Fanaticism is not yet extinct in
the south. I, therefore, bowed, profoundly, and
said: Gentlemen I should feel highly honoured
in being associated with you; but there is
an insurmountable obstacle in the way. I am
a jansenist, and, consequently, cannot become
a white penitent. The solemn tone in which
I uttered this announcement carried conviction
WHITE PENITENTS.
AN HONOUR DECLINED.
131
to the minds of the worthy citizens, who, though
very good men of business, were profoundly
ignorant, (and Heaven grant they may continue
so) of the propositions of the Bishop of Ypres,
and of the formidable dispute to which the Bull
Unigenitus had given rise. What is a jansenist?
thought they....Doubtless a member of some
brotherhood, cherishing feelings of rivalry and
jealousy towards the Whites.
"A few half whispered remarks were inter-
changed, and then one of the deputation said:
"Oh then! if Monsieur is a jansenist, he
of course cannot join us.. But your name..
you can surely let us have your name?'
I trust gentlemen, replied I, that you are too
well aware of the duties of a jansenist to make
such a proposition seriously.
"Exclamations of regret were renewed; and I,
being tolerably well practised in the art of getting
rid of tiresome visitors, provoked a retreat: I
followed the party through the suite of drawing-
rooms and down the staircase, and, being closely
pressed under the entrance vestibule, they were
completely routed. There I abandoned the pur-
suit of the enemy, who, however, rallied for the
purpose of calling the venerable prior, my father-
in-law, to account for the mistake into which he
had led them, whilst I returned to my library,
and prepared myself for a family storm."
K 2
132 ANECDOTE OF PRINCESS BORGHESE.
"Then you are a jansenist ?" said Prince
Cambacérès, who had been not a little amused
at my story.
Ah, Monseigneur ! Heaven forbid ! In
religion, as well as in politics, I am for unity. I
approve and condemn those things, which are
approved and condemned by the Church. I
admire the learning of Port-Royal, but I fear
the institution tends to republicanism
During the revolution, we saw dozens of
jansenists under the jacobin flags."
"Alas! we did, Monseigneur. Submission to
authority is a doctrine which enables a man
to sleep soundly; and he is not a bit the worse
for it."
66
،،
رو
The awkward dilemma in which your father-
in-law placed you, though with very good in-
tention, reminds me of an incident, somewhat
similar, which occurred to myself."
Pray tell it me, Prince, said I; it will be a
valuable contribution to those notes which you
and some of your friends have so kindly enabled
me to collect."
(C
“You shall have it most willingly. In the
anecdotes with which I have furnished you,
there are many piquant traits which I should
be very sorry to lose. I may not be inclined to
insert them in my Memoirs, and, if I do not,
commit them to paper they will be lost. I
therefore consign them to you, with permission
AN AWKWARD RENCONTRE.
133
to make what use of them you please. And
now for my story.
COM
"The Emperor had reached the zenith of his
prosperity. He was making kings with as much
ease as he was making marshals. Murat had
just been transferred from the grand Duchy
of Berg to the throne of Naples, when one
morning a carriage drove into my court-yard
and a lady alighted from it. Ah Miséricorde!
I exclaimed, it is her Imperial Highness the
Princess de Guastalla (Madame Borghese, the
beautiful Pauline Bonaparte). I was hastening
down stairs to receive her with all due ceremony,
when happening to pass a window which looked
out to the garden, I beheld advancing towards
the house....who, but the Emperor himself.
He rang at a back door, usually appropriated
to the servants, and entered. He was I think
accompanied by Berthier.
Here was a ren-
contre!.... It was Scylla and Carybdis! I
might perhaps have feigned not to recognise
the Emperor, but, with a most imperative
gesture, he beckoned me to him. I there-
fore turned to the right about, and, leaving the
Princess to find her way to the drawing-room
unattended, I hurried to the Emperor.
"Prince,' said he, as soon as I was in
his presence, 'I know that my sister wishes
to speak with you. Shew me into an adjoining
134
room, where I may hear her break her thunder-
bolts. Say what you can to appease her, but
do not pledge me for any thing....Go to her
quickly....She will never forgive you for keep-
ing her waiting.'
GERMANICUS AND NERO.
"I thought of the fatal position of Germa-
nicus with Nero in Racine's tragedy, in the
scene in which Junie complains to the former
of the cruelty of the latter. I had prepared
myself for a most violent reception, but all my
expectations fell short of the reality. The Prin-
cess, as soon as she saw me, taxed me with my
want of respect, and complained of not having
found me waiting to receive her at the door of
my hotel. This first ebullition of ill humour,
being exhausted, I said :-
"Madam, if your Imperial Highness had
been pleased to give me notice of your intention
to confer on me this honour, 1 should un-
doubtedly have observed the due etiquette. But,
as I am not endowed with prescience, it was
only a few minutes ago that I learned, from my
servants, that the sister of our august monarch
was in my house."
66 6
His sister, Sir! rather say an unfortu-
nate, a forsaken, a miserable slave !'
"Is it possible, Madam, that, enjoying as you
do, the favour of His Imperial Majesty, you can
have any cause of complaint?"
THREATENED REVENGE.
135
"His favour! What a mockery! Does he
show his favour by degrading me?'
"No, Madam, but by having elevated you to
the dignity of an Imperial Princess, by having
conferred on you the Duchy of Guastalla, and
united you to a Roman Prince!
:
"A brilliant marriage, truly !.... An illus-
trious rank! I have indeed reason to con-
gratulate myself when I see Caroline a Queen,
my sister-in-law a Queen, and then Josephine's
daughter a Queen, or on the point of becoming
one and I suppose there is a kingdom in store
for Jerome's wife !....Eliza, too, will be crowned
by and bye; whilst I am nothing.... Hear me,
Prince Cambacérès.... Go immediately to Bona-
parte, and tell him, that if he does not raise me
to the dignity of Queen, I have a terrible ven
geance in reserve for him.'
"But which your sisterly affection will not
permit you to inflict.”
CC t
My affection!..I hate him.... he is a
monster.'
"Hush! Princess! I exclaimed with some
alarm. Know that in France walls have ears."
"I care not....I defy his police ... and
I would tell him all I have said to his face...,
I will seek refuge in England, or he shall perish
by my hand.'
"I became more and more alarmed, and I
*
136
was about to reply, when the Emperor saved me
the trouble. He opened the door, and presented
himself to the astonished Princess.
"Maniac!' he exclaimed you shall not go to
England, but to Charenton.'
، ، C
PETITION FOR A CROWN.
Ah! so you have followed me,' she
said. 'Then you thought I really intended to
throw myself into the Seine as I threatened !
I have come here to request Prince Cambacérès
to intercede for me.... Now, my dear Napoleon,
I must have a crown....I don't care where it is
.... Make me Queen of Portugal,—or Denmark,
what you will....I would even reign in Switzer-
land or Corfu....no matter where....but a
crown I must have.... Am I to be the only one
of the family who does not wear one?.... Oh,
Napoleon! your unkindness will kill me!'
With these words, she burst into a flood of
tears.... The capricious beauty had changed
her imperious tone to one of supplication, and
tender reproach. The Princess Pauline was cer-
tainly a most fascinating woman; but, at that
moment, she appeared to me more charming
than ever.
I could not wonder at the ascen-
dancy she gained over the Emperor. He was
at first in a violent rage; but his anger was
gradually soothed, and, when Pauline stopped
short in her appeal to him and burst into tears,
he advanced to her, and said affectionately
:
<<
ADROIT SATIRE.
137
CC C
My dear sister, why are you not satisfied?
I am doing all I can for you.... Kingdoms can-
not be created at my will. Besides, your hus-
band is not a Frenchman.'
"Let me have a divorce, then."
"Heaven forbid!"
(6 (
I will be a Queen, or I will go to London.'
"You shall go to Vincennes.'
CC C
I defy you!..I will strangle myself as
I enter.'
"I know not what circumstance was recalled
to Napoleon's mind by this threat; but his
brow lowered, his eyes flashed, and he bit his
lips till he almost drew blood; and then, in a
voice faultering with emotion, he exclaimed:
CC C
So much the better, Madam! You will
rid me of a termagant, whom I find more dif-
ficult to govern than all Europe together!....I
see that you are only to be ruled by a rod
of iron. I therefore command you to go imme-
diately to Madame Mère, and there await the
orders which the Prince Arch-Chancellor shall
deliver to you from me.'
(( '
"Then will you make me a Queen?..-I
must be crowned.'
wt
Really, Pauline, to hear you, one would
imagine that I had wronged you of your right
of succession to the late King our father.'
"I had never before known the Emperor to
!
138
have recourse to this sort of pleasantry, but
I often afterwards heard him employ similar
language. On the occasion which I have first
been describing, this good-humoured touch of
satire, had an excellent effect. Pauline blushed,
and a rapid glance at the past reminded her of her
humble origin, contrasted as it was with the high
rank to which her brother had raised her. A
sudden change was effected in her feelings. She
hung down her head, and was evidently mortified
and ashamed. Napoleon asked her whether
she had come alone. She named one of her
ladies, I do not recollect whom, and said she
was waiting in another apartment.
THE TERMAGANT APPEASED.
"Let her come in,' said the Emperor.
"I rang,—the order was given, and the lady
appeared. The Emperor directed her not to
lose sight of the Princess Borghese, and then
turning to me, he added:
"Let us retire to your cabinet.'
"I am at Your Majesty's disposal, replied I;
but permit me first to observe the ceremony due
to the Princess.
،، 6
Well, well! only be quick!'
“He proceeded to my cabinet, and I escorted
the Princess to her carriage. As soon as I had
got rid of her, I flew to wait on the Emperor.
I found him walking about the room with
hurried steps.
BAPTISM OF THE SWORD.
139
"Well, Prince!' said he, as soon as I entered,
'this is one of the thousand disagreeable scenes
which tyrant, as they say I am, I am compelled
to endure. This morning Pauline came to me,
commenced an altercation, assumed an impe-
rative tone, and ended by threatening to drown
herself. Seeing the excited state she was in,
and knowing her violent temper, I became
alarmed. She left me;
She left me; I followed her, and,
as soon as she stepped into her carriage, I took
possession of the first cabriolet I saw standing
in the court-yard of the Tuileries. She drove
across the bridges; I suspected she was coming
to you, I entered by your back door and you
know the rest.... A crown for a Borghese!....
Such a proposition would excite an insurrection
in the army!.... The Borghesi are of pure blood
royal, I knew; but kings of my creation must
be of my own blood, and must have received
the baptism of the sword. However, I am anxi-
ous to soothe Pauline. Her husband shall be
made Governor of Piedmont. Tell her this from
me; and, moreover, that I will give her a million
francs to clear off her debts and reset her dia-
monds....A million francs !....What a sum!
....How much happiness it would diffuse if
distributed! Ah Prince! What a cross is a
numerous family to a man like me! I have always
envied the happiness of Melchisedech, who
140
MADAME MÈRE.
never knew father, mother, brother, and, above
all, sisters!'
"The Emperor explained to me his intentions
and returned to the Tuileries. I proceeded
to the residence of Madame Mère. That vener-
able and dignified matron was depreciated only
by those who did not know her. I who knew
her well, am enabled to say that there never was
a better mother or a more estimable woman.
The last time I saw her, which was during
the events which terminated in the fall of her
son, she said to me:
"Whatever may be the issue of all this, I
shall not complain, provided Napoleon retires.
without any compromise of honour. To fall is
nothing when we fall nobly; but death is a
thousand times preferable to any mean con-
cession.' As she uttered these words, she
raised her fine classical head, and looked like
the bust of Agrippina.
"She had heard of the misunderstanding be-
tween the Emperor and the Princess. When-
ever any of her children rebelled against Napo-
leon, she always reproved them, saying: 'My
husband transmitted his power to Napoleon.
You must all obey him, for he is your father.'
On this principle, she had already remonstrated
with her beautiful and refractory daughter, Pau-
line. Madame Mère received me with all the
-
MADAME MÈRE.
courtly ceremony which her lady of honour,
the Countess de Fontanges, knew so well how to
maintain. I was received by the ci-devant Duke
de Brissac, then a Count, a senator, and Madame
Letitia's gentlemen in waiting "
"I have spoken to the Princess,' said Madame
Letitia, as soon as I was ushered into her pre-
' I
sence, and she is convinced of her mistake.'
141
repeated the Emperor's words. When Madame
Borghese heard them, she frowned most su-
perbly, and, foreseeing, that some warm words
would probably ensue between the mother and
daughter, I beat a retreat, and hurried back
to the Tuileries to inform the Emperor that
I had obeyed his orders.
"Is she grateful?' he inquired. I told him
candidly how his message had been received.
"Ah!' said the Emperor,' she will not easily
give up her point. I well know her resolute
disposition. She has set her heart on a crown;
but she shall never have one.
There was always some curious anecdote to
be gathered from the conversation of Prince
Cambacérès. In one of my evening visits to
him, he related the following story:
“One day when the Emperor had detained me
longer than usual, the Minister of the Police
(the Duke of Otranto) sent to request an imme-
diate audience.
142
FOUCHÉ AND NAPOLEON.
"What can he want,' said the Emperor.
Stay, Prince Cambacérès, I like to have a wit-
ness when he is with me.' (The Emperor was
then beginning to be distrustful of him.) Fouché
entered, and began to converse about some ge-
neral topics relating to the police, and then
he proceeded as follows:
،
"A very singular circumstance has taken
place at the Hotel Pepin, Rue Saint-Eloi. About
twelve days ago, a man named Rafin took up
his abode there; owing to some suspicious cir-
cumstances which were communicated to the
police, he has been made the object of special
surveillance. He is well dressed, and good
looking, except that there is a certain expres-
sion of fierceness in his countenance. In the
day time, he visits several families in Paris, and,
in the evening, he leaves his hotel at eleven
o'clock precisely; sometimes he goes on foot, at
other times in a fiacre; but he always proceeds
to the same place, namely, the burial ground of
Père-Lachaise, and, as soon as he arrives there,
my agents lose sight of him. At four o'clock
in the morning, he is again seen in the vicinity
of the burial ground. He then resumes his
way to the Hotel Pepin, and gets there before
day light. These circumstances regularly re-
curring night after night, excited the astonish-
ment of my people. Rafin is distinctly kept in
A MYSTERY.
view, and is dogged step by step from the mo-
ment of his leaving the hotel, until he arrives
near Père-Lachaise. There he is always lost
sight of. A party of police agents have been
stationed in the interior of the burial place;
but nothing has been discovered.'
"Duke of Otranto,' exclaimed the Emperor,
'this is a strange phantasmagorical story....Do
you suspect that Rafin is a vampire ?'
С، (
That would be a rarity in France, Sire, in
the nineteenth century.'
،،
143
"What do you think he is, then?'
I cannot guess.'
"Will you have him arrested?'
"He has committed no offence, and therefore
I hesitated.'
"'You are right. It is sufficiently painful to
be compelled to fill our state prisons with ma-
niacs, who take pleasure in running headlong
to their own ruin. I do not approve of pre-
ventive measures. They are always tyrannical.
With such a system, where can one stop....But
this is a very mysterious gentleman. Have his
papers been examined during his absence?'
"Yes, Sire, and nothing suspicious has been
found.'
"Is his passport correct?'
"The description of his person is not pre-
cisely accurate. There is even some appearance
tr
144
of erasure and alteration of the writing in some
parts. We know not what to make of this
man;--but we shall keep a vigilant eye upon
him.'
POLICE VIGILANCE BAFFLED.
"I was much surprised at this curious dis-
closure," continued Prince Cambacérès, "and
some time afterwards, when Fouché happened to
call on me, I thought of Rafin, and I inquired
whether the mystery had ever been cleared up.
"Prince,' said he, 'I could almost be tempted
to believe that we are not in the nineteenth cen-
tury; but in the ninth, the tenth, the eleventh
or even earlier.... There are some extraordinary
impositions practised in this world.'
G
-
What have you discovered?
"I will tell you. My brigade being not a little
mortified by the way in which Rafin constantly
eluded their vigilance, determined to take a
decisive step and, accordingly, one night they
arrested him when within a few yards of Père
Lachaise. At one blow he knocked down two
of the police officers, who alleged that they had
not been struck by a man's arm but by a bar of
iron. The others surrounded and arrested Rafin.
He was perfectly calm, and he showed by the
light of one of the street lamps, the papers
which he carried about with him; these papers
consisted of a map of Paris, a passport, a cer-
tificate of his birth, and, in short, every thing
THE POLICE BAFFLED.
145
that was requisite to entitle him to the privilege
of nocturnal perambulation in our good city. As it
was wished to take him by surprise, the police
agents affected to be satisfied. He gave them
an à boire in payment of the cudgelling he had
inflicted, and all separated amicably. Some of
the police officers, however, turned and followed
Rafin, and, after watching him for some distance,
they lost sight of him, as usual.
(
At four o'clock one of the men, who were
still on the watch, gave a signal to his comrades
that he saw Rafin, and all hastened to his as-
sistance. In order to put him off his guard,
a peace officer was procured, and he arrested
all the persons who happened to be passing by,
(three or four in number) and Rafin among the
rest. They were all searched. In Rafin's pockets
were found the same papers, which he produced
a short time before, and nothing to which sus-
picion could attach. The men who searched Rafin,
declared that they were nearly suffocated by the
horrible odour which issued from every part of his
body.
-
out
"Two days elapsed; and Rafin continued to go
every day. Among the persons he visited,
there was a young girl who followed the business
of a milliner. Inquiries were made about her,
and it was ascertained, that though she had pre-
viously been a fresh, healthy, lively girl, she
had, since Rafin had known her, become pale
L
VOL. I.
146
and sickly. At another of his visiting places,
a widow who had been remarkably stout and
ruddy, suddenly became pale and emaciated. On
the third day, a young man about four and twenty
called at the Hotel Pepin. He inquired for Rafin,
and being informed, by the porter, that he was out,
he appeared much vexed. He sat down and
waited for him, and, in about an hour, Rafin re-
turned home. The young man, as soon as he per-
ceived him, sprang upon him and seized him by
the collar. The prodigious strength of the noc-
turnal adventurer was overpowered by the fury of
his assailant, who called him an assassin and a
monster. Feeling himself unable to maintain the
struggle, and that his strength was failing him,
he drew his knife from his pocket, and stabbed
Rafin in the side. It was
It was distinctly seen that he
gave him only one stab; four witnesses, who were
present, bore testimony to this fact.
66
INEXPLICABLE WOUNDS.
'Rafin groaned, relinquished his hold of his
adversary, and fell dead. The young man fled,
leaving his knife in Rafin's body. No one pur-
sued him, owing to the consternation which the
incident excited. A surgeon was sent for. Rafin
was undressed, and it was discovered that he had
six bleeding wounds, two in the throat, two in
the right side, one in the abdomen, and one in the
thigh. All present were confounded. Their tes-
timony concurred unanimously. The young man
seized Rafin, and, after a struggle with him, drew
-
SUSPECTED VAMPIRE.
147
out his knife. He gave him only one stab, and
left the knife sticking in the wound. But, instead
of one wound, there were six; and, on examina-
tion, the knife was found to correspond with only
one of the wounds,-that in the side; the rest
appeared to have been inflicted by poignards, swords,
stilettos, or some other sharp weapon, in no way
corresponding with the knife, which the surgeon
extracted from the body of Rafin, and examined
in the presence of the witnesses.
(C '
His apartments were searched, but nothing
was found except his clothes, and the papers I have
already mentioned neither money nor property
of any description. The passports described him
as a citizen of Strasburgh, but, beyond this, there
was no clue to discovery. The local authorities
could furnish no information, owing to the re-
moval of the registers of Strasburgh during the
revolution. Search was made for the young man
who had stabbed Rafin. He was speedily found.
The account he gave was as follows:-He was
paying his addresses to a young female, when
Rafin became his rival, and was preferred to him.
The girl soon fell into ill health. She complained
of frightful nightmares, and affirmed that her blood
was nightly sucked by a being of hideous appear-
ance, but who nevertheless bore a resemblance to
Rafin. She made this disclosure to the sister of
her first lover, who became alarmed at the circum-
stance. The young man had that morning seen
:
L 2
148
THE DEAD ALIVE.
the object of his affection breathe her last; and
his feelings being powerfully excited, he flew to
challenge Rafin. The latter seized him by the
throat, and, finding himself nearly choaked, he
drew out his knife, not with the design of killing
him, but of merely disengaging himself from his
grasp.
""The affair was laid before me,' pursued Fouché.
'I was, of course, much astonished, and was puzzling
myself to unravel the mystery, when another inci-
dent occurred more extraordinary than all the rest.
The body of Rafin was deposited in an apartment
on the ground floor of the Hotel Pepin, and was to
be interred early on the following morning. At
the hour appointed for proceeding to the burial-
place, what was the astonishment of the persons
employed to convey the corpse, to discover on
entering the room, that it was gone!-New ru-
mours were afloat. It was by some suspected that
body-snatchers had obtained entrance to the room.
Active investigations were set on foot; but no
discovery was made. About six weeks elapsed;
and you may easily conceive the horror of the
porter of the Hotel Pepin, and of the whole neigh-
bourhood, when one day Rafin presented himself
and coolly asked for the key of his apartment
to procure his clothes. An alarm was raised; he
was secured, and questioned; and he made the
following statement —
'Some young medical students stole his body
(C
C
FOUCHÉ'S EXPERIMENT.
149
for the purpose of dissection. When about to
commence their operation, the supposed corpse
manifested some signs of life. They applied the
proper remedies, and finally succeeded in restoring
existence. But, as they had been guilty of the offence
of abstracting the body, he (Rafin) had taken
an oath not to betray them, and he added, that he
would submit to every possible torture rather than
be ungrateful to those who had rescued him from
the grave.
All this was plausible and possible
enough; and the story was believed by every one,
except myself.
،،
C
I gave orders to have Rafin arrested, and he
was placed in confinement. I paid him a visit.
He was strongly bound, and, in spite of his cries,
supplications and resistance, I resolutely plunged
into his flesh a surgical instrument which, without
producing any injury, would cause an effusion
of blood. When he perceived my object, he
became furiously irritated, and made inconceivable
efforts to attack me. He threatened me with his
future revenge; but, heedless of his violence, I
thrust the instrument into him. No sooner did
the first drop of blood appear, than the six old
wounds opened afresh. All efforts to stop the
bleeding proved fruitless-and Rafin died.
Eleven persons,' continued Fouché, were
present at the scene I have just described. Our
amazement was inconceivable. We are in the
nineteenth century, and we beheld before us a vam-
CC (
'
150
SUSPECTED POLICE TRICK,
0
pire, a blood-sucker. I had expressly summoned
MM. Cuvier, Fourcroy, Cadet and Portal. They
witnessed the fact, and they were astounded !....
I must acknowledge, however, that they after-
wards declared themselves inclined to regard the
affair as a police trick,. . . . a new mode of getting
rid of a dangerous individual. They professed
their faith in poison, but not in witchcraft, and
the silence they have observed, must be attri-
buted less to their promise of secrecy than to the
result of a scene, of which they would fain not
have been spectators. As to myself, I have sifted
the matter deeply, and I am perplexed to the last
degree. I cannot admit the reality of vampires ;
yet it is certain that I witnessed the facts I have
stated. The corpse was rolled in a great number
of cloth wrappers, and put into an iron coffin,
the head, hands and feet being previously cut off.
The whole was then buried. At the expiration
of a year, I ordered the coffin to be taken out
of the grave. The different parts were all found
in an advanced stage of decomposition, but none
were wanting; and Rafin has not returned a
second time to demand the key of his apartment.
I may add, that the widow whom I have already
mentioned, as one of the females to whom Rafin
professed to be paying his addresses, died a few
days after him, almost wasted to a skeleton.'
•
"This story," pursued Prince Cambacérès,
"Fouché himself related to me. I listened to it
MM. CUVIER, FOURCROY AND PORTAL. 151
with as much faith as I should be inclined to attach
to any other wild, incredible tale. It happened
that on the evening of the day on which Fouché
had related the romance, I was visited by MM.
Cuvier, Fourcroy and Portal. I was tempted to
allude to the story of the Vampire, and I asked
their opinion of the case. These gentlemen, as
the Duke of Otranto had informed me, persisted in
regarding Rafin's mysterious death as one of the
thousand artifices to which the police were then
accustomed to resort, in cases of difficulty. Never-
theless, they all acknowledged that the mere effect
of the incision of the lancet, appeared (I underline
the word, on account of the emphasis with which
it was pronounced) to cause the re-opening of
the six other wounds previously closed. As to
the other circumstances of the case, they would
vouch for none, and conjured me not to be the
means of promulgating reports which would be
offensive to them. Two of these distinguished
men are dead, and, as the others have passed
through a revolution, I imagine it matters but
little whether or not their names are mentioned in
connexion with this mystification.'
I could clearly perceive that Prince Cambacérès
himself was by no means inclined to place re-
liance in the sincerity of the Duke of Otranto, and
that he looked upon the presumed Vampire, as
something different from a being subsisting on
human blood.
152
THE GARRIGGIA FAMILY.
Such extraordinary disappearances are, however,
less rare than is generally supposed. I recollect
having heard Baron Caffarelli, the Prefect of Cal-
vados, relate the following story :
"About the close of the reign of Louis XV,
there lived in the little town of Revel, situated at
the foot of the Black Mountain an ancient family
named Garriggia, well known in Toulouse. At the
time I allude to (1760), the family consisted of three
persons: the father, the uncle who was a Knight
of Malta, and the only son, a young gentleman
of the most promising qualities, who held the
rank of Captain at the age of twenty-two, and who
had every prospect of making rapid advancement
in the army. This young man's name was Eugene.
His father and uncle were exceedingly attached to
him, especially the latter; and, anxious to see
an heir to the family, he was endeavouring to
select a suitable wife for his nephew, from among
the noble families of the neighbourhood.
But Eugene had not yet bestowed a thought
on marriage, and, during the intervals in which his
military duties did not engross his time, he devoted
himself exclusively to the pleasures of the chase.
The ladies, with whom his handsome person and
elegant manners, joined to his advantages of birth
and fortune, rendered him an especial favourite,
were astonished at his indifference. The secret
was, that his heart was already engaged. On one
of his hunting excursions in the forest of Caillavel,
CC
C
153
he espied a neat little cottage situated on the bank
of a rivulet. Being overpowered by the effects of
thirst and fatigue, he was induced to knock at the
door. It was opened by a young female of sur-
passing beauty. Her dress was simple, even more so
than that of the village girls of the neighbourhood;
but her language and manners were, on the other
hand, refined and elegant, and far above her appa-
rent station. She immediately spread a table, and
placed before her guest, a true huntsman's repast,
consisting of milk, brown bread, chestnuts and
eggs. As she declined receiving any remune-
ration, Captain Garriggia returned a few days
afterwards and presented to her a little trinket
which he had purchased at Revel. The acquaint-
ance having been thus commenced, Eugene fre-
quently went to hunt in the forest of Cailhavel.
"One evening, his uncle (the Knight as he used
to be styled) said to him: Well Eugene, you
must get married.'
(( (
I will think about it, uncle.'
"I have already thought about it for you.'
"Are you going to select a wife for me?'
I have already found one.'
CC C
"Found a wife for me!'
A ROMANCE OF TOULOUSE.
(
"Yes, for whom else should I seek one?'
"But a wife should please her husband.'
Certainly.'
CC C
"Will the lady you have chosen, please me?'
154
"You must be very hard to please if she does
not. She is one of the Rigaud family.'
"That is very well, but still—’
"'She is seventeen, very handsome and very
accomplished.'
C
My dear uncle, I am not inclined to marry.'
My dear nephew, I say you shall marry the
lady I have fixed upon.'
Whereupon, an argument arose, and Eugene
acquainted the Knight with his passion for the
beauty of the forest.
"But you can never think of marrying her!'
exclaimed the uncle.
"Indeed I do,' replied Eugene.
No.'
"Yes.'
"Another dispute ensued in which the father
maintained a share. The young man resolutely
adhered to his project.
("
"C
..
THE LADY OF THE FOREST.
C
С، .
С،
Inquiries were set on foot respecting the lady
of the forest. No one knew anything of her.
She seemed to have fallen from the clouds. She
had neither rank, name, nor fortune. A fine mar-
riage for Eugene Garriggia! The Knight repaired
to the cottage in the forest of Cailhavel and
explained to its fair occupant the obstacles which
stood in the way of her projected marriage.
"Love will smooth away all obstacles,' she
replied.
•
EUGENE GARRIGGIA.
"But certain qualifications are requisite for
forming an alliance with a noble family.'
"Who informed you that I am not of noble
birth?'
"Where are your proofs ?'
"I will produce them only to Eugene.'
155
"The Knight returned home, not much satis-
fied at the result of his errand. An angry discus-
sion arose between Eugene and his uncle. The
former reproached the latter for his tyranny and
said: 'You will repent of this when I am no
more.'
(C
Having uttered these words, he retired to his
chamber and closed the door. The apartment
was on the first floor, and had only one door,
which communicated with the drawing-room.
About an hour after Eugene had withdrawn,
dinner was announced. The family assembled at
table. Eugene did not appear.
His father went
to the door of his room, and called him, but
received no answer. He opened the door, entered,
and perceiving that his son was not in the room, he
advanced mechanically to the window. I say me-
chanically, because he knew it to be fastened
up with iron rails. He looked under the bed,
in the closets, and in a cabinet which stood in one
corner of the room, and which was in the form of
a feudal tower. He then went down stairs and ac-
quainted his brother with the mysterious disap-
pearance of his son.
156
EXTRAORDINARY DISAPPEARANCE.
"But,' said the Knight, neither you nor I
quitted the drawing-room, and he could not have
left his room without passing through it.'
"The utmost consternation prevailed. The
servants and neighbours assembled; the house was
searched from the garret to the cellar. The wells
and ponds were dragged: there was no river in
the neighbourhood. The Knight, accompanied by
some friends, proceeded to the forest of Cailhavel;
the cottage was abandoned, and the female who
inhabited it, had likewise disappeared.
"From that day, all trace of Captain Garriggia
was lost. No tidings of him were ever after ob-
tained; and his mysterious disappearance could
never be explained in any way consistently with
the principles of reason. At the time of the
Revolution, some collateral relations were prepar-
ing to establish legal proof of the disappearance of
the direct heir of the illustrious family of Gar-
riggia."
The extraordinary disappearance of an English-
man, near Hamburgh, excited a good deal of
attention at the time of its occurrence. This gen-
tleman was travelling in company with a friend.
The horses were harnessed and the postillion had
mounted, when the Englishman observed to his
companion, that he would be with him in a few
moments. He was seen to proceed to the distance
of about eight paces from the spot where the
post-chaise stood, and he turned the angle of a wall
(
157
which was four feet high at most. From that
moment, the Englishman became invisible, and
every effort to discover him proved ineffectual.
Some days after he had disappeared, his waistcoat
was found hanging on a bush, and it was proved,
beyond a doubt, that it must have been placed
there only a few hours before it was found, several
persons having carefully searched the spot within
that interval.
POLICE ANECDOTES.
There are on record many extraordinary stories
of the same kind. A curious collection might
be formed of all the anecdotes which have come to
the knowledge of the Police Ministers and their
agents. We were conversing on this subject one
evening at the Arch-Chancellor's; it was during the
Empire, and M. Pasquier was Prefect of Police at the
time. M. Pasquier observed that, besides street
beggars and other vagabonds, there were in Paris
thirty thousand individuals, male and female, who
rose every morning, without knowing how they
were to live out the day. Among the number, he
classed the chevaliers d'industrie, who speculated on
public credulity in a thousand various ways, and
always successfully employing artifices with which
they duped persons, apparently not less cunning
than themselves. But there is a set of avaricious.
people who are easily duped the allurements of
gain blind them and lull their suspicions.
:
M. Pasquier related the two following anec-
:
1
158
dotes-the one occurred previously to our po-
litical troubles, the other more recently.
66
A rich but niggardly old banker had a pair
of shoe-buckles worth a thousand louis. He fre-
quently paid an economical visit to the pit of
the opera, and, having selected a snug corner,
he would seat himself with his back against the
wall, to enjoy the master pieces of Gluck and
Sacchini. One evening, during the performance
of Edipe à Colonne, an elegantly dressed young
man seated himself next to the banker, and entered
into conversation with him. He suddenly stooped
down, rested his foot on the seat before him,
took the gold buckles from his shoes, and, having
rolled them in a piece of paper, put them into
his pocket. Observing that these movements
excited some manifestation of surprise on the part
of his neighbour, he said :
THE DIAMOND BUCKLES.
"You are no doubt astonished to see me take
out my buckles, Sir, but you would do the same
if you were forced to wear gold ones, in conse-
quence of having been robbed as I have, of a pair
of diamond buckles, worth six thousand livres.'
How Sir! robbed do you say, of a pair of
diamond buckles.. Where ?"
(: C
С،
'Here, Sir, at the opera. Whilst all my senses.
were entranced by the strains of Gluck's celestial
music, some theives came and seated themselves
near me for the purpose of concealing one of their
159
companions, who stooped down and putting his
hand under the seat, dexterously unfastened my
buckles. Did you ever hear of such an artfully con-
trived theft ?'
CL
'Bless me, Sir, you alarm me,.. your buckles
were worth six thousand livres. I would not
give this pair, which I am wearing, for twenty-four
thousand livres. You may therefore easily imagine
that I should be very sorry to lose them. I had bet-
ter take your precaution, and then I shall feel easy.
The worthy banker removed his splendid
buckles from their place of safety, wrapped them
in his handkerchief, and deposited them in his
pocket. In ten minutes after, they again shifted
their places, and the banker's new acquaintance,
whose companions were in possession of the booty,
politely wished him a good evening. The rage
and mortification of the unfortunate dupe may be
easily conceived. He never again set eyes on his
diamond buckles; and his only compensation, for
the loss of them, was a dearly bought lesson of
experience."
The other anecdote related by M. Pasquier, is
as follows.
A jeweller of Paris one day saw a splendid
equipage drive up to his door, and a tall important
looking gentleman alighted from it. He wanted
a lady's set of diamond ornaments, a complete
wedding parure. The price was fixed at two
hundred thousand francs. Several designs were
CC
A PRUDENT PRECAUTION.
(6
P
>
160
:
shewn to him. He made choice of one, said he
could grant but little time for executing the order,
and insisted on leaving with the jeweller a deposit
of four thousand francs in billets de banque. He
also selected a ring, worth a hundred and twenty
francs, and ordered it to be sent home next day
and five days after the whole set of diamonds was
to be completed. Accordingly, on the following
day, a confidential messenger from the jeweller's
repaired to the Hotel D in the Rue de la Paix,
and inquired for Prince Gargarin. He was shewn
into an apartment on the first story. Five or
six lackeys were in the antichamber. The prince
took the ring, paid for it, and gave a present of ten
francs to the messenger, who joyfully returned
home, and congratulated his master on having so
wealthy and liberal a customer.
"The jeweller, with the utmost punctuality,
carried home the diamonds on the day appointed.
The prince was in his study, sitting before his
cylindrical secretaire which was open. The jeweller
handed the casket to him, and his highness mi-
nutely inspected the jewels; suddenly one of the
valets entered the room and announced "Prince
Dolgorouki"-
،
THE WEDDING PRESENT.
(C
Ah! my brother-in-law, exclaimed his high-
ness. I do not wish him to see the present
which I destine for his sister. Request him to
stay in the drawing room, and I will come to him
immediately.' He touched the table, the cylinder
THE STOLEN DIAMONDS.
moved and the secretaire closed; the diamonds
were within it; but on the table there lay an open
box filled with leather bags; and numerous rou-
leaux of louis were huddled together in confusion.
The jeweller had observed all this treasure on his
first arrival: but his attention was particularly
attracted by a large Russia leather portfolio, well
lined with billets de banque, the edges of which were
visible.
،،
161
His highness left the room, saying he would
return very shortly. The jeweller begged he
would not hurry himself. About twenty minutes
elapsed, and a sort of vague apprehension began
to assail the jeweller. At length, the door opened.
Oh! here is his highness thought he. But no, it
was the master of the hotel, who, stepping up to
the jeweller, said:-
Are you waiting for anybody, Sir?"
(6
"I am waiting for the return of Prince Gar-
garin, to whom I have just sold a set of diamonds
for two hundred thousand francs... Are you his
secretary ?'
66
I am his dupe, and so I presume you are!"
"What do you mean? His dupe! impossible!
The jewels are shut up in that secretaire. Besides,
look at all this money.'
"He seized one of the leather bags, and, opening
it, discovered, to his horror, that it was filled with
nails the rouleaux contained nothing, and the port-
:
VOL. I.
M
162 THE PRETENDED PRINCE GARGARIN.
folio, scraps of waste paper. . However, the jeweller
consoled himself- the diamonds were still safe. A
locksmith was sent for; the secretaire was opened,
and oh horror! it was empty. It stood on one side
of the room, against a wall in which a hole had been
made, and, there being a corresponding hole in the
back of the secretaire, the jewels had, with perfect
ease been conveyed into the adjoining apart-
ment.
The despair of the unfortunate jeweller may be
easily conceived. The master of the hotel, too,
who had let his apartments to the pretended Prince
Gargarin, had been extensively swindled. The
servants all belonged to the hotel, with the excep-
tion of the valet de chambre, who was the companion
and confederate of the prince.
"It was ascertained that they had decamped in a
coach from the door of the hotel. Every exertion
was made to trace them out, but several years
elapsed before they were discovered.
"The jeweller, who was nearly ruined by this
robbery, removed to another quarter of Paris, and
established himself under a new name.
One day
a messenger called on him from M. T▬▬▬ a
gentleman holding an official situation who was
very ill and wished to purchase some rings. The
poor jeweller had naturally become suspicious ever
since his fatal adventure with Prince Gargarin ;
and, instead of sending his shopman, he took the
rings himself. He was shewn into a bed chamber
THE JEWELLER'S DISCOVERY.
163
:
which was only partially lighted owing to the
situation of the windows, the room was all in shade,
except that part where the bed stood. What was
the surprise of the jeweller when he discovered in
the invalid M. T - the swindler who had some
years previously defrauded him in the assumed
character of the Russian Prince Gargarin! For a
few moments, he was struck dumb with amazement.
However, he recovered himself, and, deeming it
prudent not to betray the discovery he had made,
he displayed his rings; several were selected, and
their price amounted to about six thousand
francs.
'It is a large sum of money for a poor ruined
man,' said M. T————. I have not ready cash
sufficient to settle the whole amount, and I shall
feel obliged if you will take in payment this
curious old snuff box, which is of great value.'
.،
He asked for his dressing case, and, opening it,
took out an octagon-shaped china snuff box,
ornamented with ten miniatures by Clinchsteil, set
in gold and rubies. It was perfectly unique, and
of inestimable value. On beholding it, the jeweller
well nigh betrayed himself. The snuff-box which
M. T-
presented to him, was one which had
been stolen from him a few days before the robbery
of his diamonds. The box was too remarkable to
admit of the possibility of mistake. Besides, it had
a secret spring by means of which all the minia-
(C
M 2
-
164
tures could be taken out of their settings, and on
the reverses were painted similar subjects, but
treated in the style of indelicacy peculiar to the
age of Louis XV. This circumstance was important
in proof of his claim to the possession of the box.
When M. T - asked him to set a value on it,
he said without hesitation :
'I consider it worth more than fifty thousand
francs.'
(C
CURIOUS SNUFF-BOX.
te •
Fifty thousand francs!' exclaimed M. T
'I thought it valuable..but this far exceeds my es-
timation of it.'
"Sir,' resumed the jeweller, I will not re-
tract what I have said. I am an expert dealer,
and to me it may possibly be worth far more than
the sum I have fixed. I will make this proposition
to you; you shall take the rings you have selected,
and you shall put the box under an envelope
stating it to be my property; and, if it does not
bring more than fifty thousand francs, you shall
have my rings for nothing.'
"M. T
was completely blinded by this
deep laid scheme. He was a good connoisseur of
objects of virtu, and he was not a little gratified to
find his box so much overvalued, and to be ena-
bled to obtain the rings without opening his purse.
The most exaggerated valuation of the snuff-box
would scarcely have exceeded seven or eight thou-
sand francs. He sent for two of his neighbours,
165
one of whom was a notary, and the matter was
arranged conformably with the jeweller's proposi-
tion. This being done, the invalid said :-
"Who will fix the price of the box?'
You, Sir,' coolly replied the jeweller.
"Me? you are jesting.'
CC C
I assure you, Sir, I am quite serious..I would
willingly lay a good wager that you will value
the box at five hundred thousand francs.'
CC C
THE BITER BIT.
"M. T—————— directed at the two witnesses a
lock which seemed to say, the man is mad; but
the jeweller added :—
66
"You will value it at that price, I am certain
you will.
will. But first of all I have to acquaint you
with a circumstance connected with this box,
which will enable you to perceive its real value.'
M. T———— full of curiosity and anxiety,
consented to hear the jeweller's communication in
private. The two neighbours, taking the box with
them, adjourned to the drawing room and M. T—
and the jeweller being left alone, the latter said :-
Sir, it is now about sixteen years ago since
that snuff-box was stolen from me, and a short
time after you robbed me of fifty thousand crowns
worth of diamonds, under the assumed name of
Prince Gargarin. I have now discovered you.
My evidence relative to the robbery is on record.
You have declared the snuff-box to be yours, and
I can prove having purchased it at a public sale.
I know a secret which will place the truth of my
( C
<
166
THE THEFT COMPROMISED.
assertion beyond a doubt. Now, Sir, tell me
whether you are inclined to defend yourself in
the criminal suit which I intend forthwith to insti-
tute against you.'
Every word uttered by the jeweller fell like a
thunderbolt on the ears of M. T-———. Over-
whelmed with the consciousness of his guilt, his
imagination pictured all the horrors of impri-
sonment, trial, sentence, and the scaffold. He
reflected, and the jeweller said :-
"Sir, I give you five minutes to form your
determination.'
t
"At the expiration of that interval, M. T
in a faltering voice directed the jeweller to open a
drawer in which he would find billets de banque for
three hundred thousand francs, and he signed a
bond for two hundred thousand francs, payable at
his banker's that same day. This being done, the
jeweller called in the witnesses.
et :
Gentlemen,' said he, 'I have at length con-
vinced M. T
of the real value of the snuff-
box. You see the price at which he has purchased
it back from me.'
CC C
I have given five hundred thousand francs,'
said M. T-
"Here is your box!' said the jeweller, restoring
it, and I will let you have the rings into the bar-
gain."
"The notary who was no less amazed than the
other witness, said:
| Moton
(C
There is some mystery in all this.'
C
Probably there is,' replied the jeweller, M.
T▬▬▬ may explain it if he pleases; for my
part, I promise him eternal secrecy.'
((
With these words, he took his departure,
leaving the witnesses bewildered in a maze of
conjectures. M. T though immensely rich,
(he was said to possess upwards of three millions)
never recovered from the mortification attendant
on this unexpected discovery. The jeweller faith-
fully adhered to his promise of secrecy; but the
subtle machinery of the police unravelled the
mystery.'
((
(
،
ANECDOTE OF ROBESPIERRE.
""
167
The following story was related to Prince Cam-
bacérès by an old friend of Robespierre. I am
bound, by a promise, not to disclose his name,
but the anecdote will not, for that reason, lose any
of its interest.
ing
-
(
"About eleven o'clock on the 1st of June 1794,
I was surprised at receiving a visit from Robes-
pierre. The lateness of the hour, added to some-
thing mysterious in his manner, naturally led me
to suppose that he had something very important
to communicate.
"This is a late visit,' said he but I assure
you that during the day I have not a moment at
my disposal. Public business scarcely leaves me
time to breathe. It must be allowed, that a man
is very disinterested who devotes himself so perse-
veringly to the welfare of others.'
168
'
"I could easily perceive that there was some-
thing hidden under these words. They seemed to
indicate the intention of opening a path which the
Dictator had heretofore closed against me. I
appeared not to understand him, and made a
vague reply, for the purpose of compelling him,
if he had any secret design, to explain it clearly.
After pacing up and down the room two or three
times, and confining his conversation to common-
place topics, he suddenly stopped and folded his
arms; then, turning and looking me full in the
face, he said :-
"I have something to tell you that will surprise
you.. England has proposed peace to me.'
"To you!" I exclaimed in a tone of astonish-
ment which I could not repress. "Do you mean to
you, or to the Republic?"
"To me first, and to the Republic next,'
said he. The English cabinet gives me credit
for possessing great influence, and hopes that I will
grant advantageous conditions, which I do not
intend. However, we may hear what is proposed
without pledging one's self to anything.'
(C
Certainly," said I. But how do you know
that any such project is in contemplation?"
"Mr. Edward Serton has been instructed to see
me, and to confer with me on the subject of an
arrangement.'
What have you decided on ?"
Nothing, I have not yet seen the envoy. I
،،
(6
ALLEGED OVERTURES FROM
(
(C
169
have merely been informed that he is to arrive
in Paris to-night, and I have given orders that he
shall be conducted to your house, if you please.'
Here? to my house?.. Consider, such a pro-
ceeding will compromise me."
(C
'Am not I here?.. What have you to fear
when I direct the affair ? Do not make yourself
uneasy. Rest assured that I will release you from
all difficulty.'
But why all this mystery? Cannot the En-
glish envoy put up at an hotel?”
"No, I must see him before my colleagues of
the Committee of Public Safety. He comes in the
first instance to me. Afterwards, he may consult
with them.'
Then it would appear that you mistrust
them ?"
66
(C
(C
ENGLAND TO ROBESPIERRE.
66
'They are my bitterest enemies. My influence
mortifies them, and the traitors are plotting against
me. Yes, all of them, the austere Carnot, Barrère,
the Anacreon of the scaffold, the ferocious Billaud-
Varennes, the learned Freron, the impetuous
Tallien,..all my colleagues, whether in the com-
mittees or in the convention, hate me. They
make me the scape-goat of all their iniquities.
They would have it believed that I am the only
advocate of the guillotine; whereas, the wretches
themselves are wading in blood to their very
The fact is, I abhor them. It is my wish
to arrange matters so that the republic will be
ears.
170
ALLEGED OVERTURES FROM
settled on a broad and secure foundation.
foundation. I wish
to restore order, and to enable the machinery of
government to proceed regularly. But how can this
be effected, amidst so many conflicting opinions,
with so many ill-disposed fanatics?..Do you
understand me ?’
"I begin" said I, "to read your thoughts.. you
mean to say, that you are playing a game which
you are not sure of winning.”
،، (
Perhaps I am; however, it is still worth a
risk... But we are wandering from the subject
about which I came to speak to you. To-night..
or between one or two in the morning, Mr. Serton
will be here. You must receive him in such a way
as to lead your servants to suppose that he is a
relation of yours. He speaks French without any
foreign accent; for I requested that some one
might be sent who would not give rise to suspi-
cion. As soon as he arrives, he will retire to rest;
to-morrow morning, he will rise late and will feign
indisposition as a pretext for not going out. I will
be here in the evening it is not necessary that
you should be present at our interview; but do not
let it be supposed that you have withdrawn pur-
posely. We must be careful not to awaken
suspicion. Be cautious. I should not have made
choice of you, had I not felt assured that I could
place implicit confidence in you.'
"With this flattering compliment, he left me,
and I must confess in no very agreeable state of
ENGLAND TO ROBESPIERRE.
171
mind. I did not know whether I had any reason
to congratulate myself, on being admitted into this
important secret. It was evident that Robespierre
had some sinister design in treating with Mr.
Serton without the knowledge of his comrades.
Could he intend to imitate Monck? That was
impossible. Such strokes could be attempted only
at the head of an army, and the examples of
Lafayette and Dumouriez were not very encou-
raging. Did he contemplate a sort of usurpation
to perpetuate his power? That was most probable.
In that case, he would be conspiring against the
Republic, whilst I should be his confidant, and the
accomplice of his ambition. This was not a very
pleasant prospect; but was there now any possi-
bility of retracting? Decidedly not... I was now
in the power of the monster, and he would send
me without hesitation to the guillotine, on the
least suspicion of my treachery. Accordingly,
having duly weighed all circumstances, I came
to the resolution of resigning myself to this new
peril.
"I informed my servants of the expected ar-
rival of my newly-acquired relation; and such
preparations as time would permit, were made for
his reception. About one o'clock, a knock was
heard at the door, and the porter admitted Mr.
Edward Serton and his valet. I received my
guest in the best manner I could; but of course
avoided any allusion to the object of his journey.
172
THE ENGLISH ENVOY.
:
"We embraced, and entered into conversation, as
if we had passed the early part of our lives together.
To shorten the farce, I conducted my cousin to the
chamber which had been prepared for him: and,
having wished him good night, I retired to bed.
However, I did not enjoy much sleep for my
mind was too much disturbed by uneasy thoughts ;
neither did I pass the following day more tran-
quilly. I apprehended a thousand occurrences
which might prove fatal to my liberty, and even to
my life. I stayed at home nearly all day and I
saw nothing of my guest; his breakfast and
dinner being served in his chamber by his valet.
:
"At nine in the evening, Robespierre called.
He requested me to introduce him to my relation,
which I did, and immediately withdrew. At mid-
night, Robespierre went away, without seeing me
before his departure, and I immediately retired to
bed, where the anxiety I had suffered, during the
previous night, made me fall into a profound sleep.
I rose late on the following morning, and my ser-
vant delivered to me a note from my cousin, who,
on taking leave of me, thanked me for my hospi-
tality, and informed me that I should find in one
of the drawers of a secretaire in his chamber a little
token of remembrance from his father, my uncle.
This token proved to be a watch, set round with
diamonds, and worth about ten thousand francs.
I was mortified that my English guest should value,
at so high a price, the asylum I had afforded him
173
for the space of four and twenty hours. His
abrupt departure, too, surprised me.
"In the evening, Robespierre sent to imform me
that he wished me to meet him in the gardens of
the Tuileries. I joined him there. He ordered
his coachman to drive along the Boulevards as far
as the Place de la Bastille. I mentioned to
Robespierre the strange conduct of our English
visitor, and added that I could not help feeling
hurt at it.
TOKEN OF REMEMBRANCE.
'Is
"Pooh! you are a novice,' replied he.
it not right to get all we can from the enemies
of France? Besides, presents are indispensable
in diplomatic negociators. You may, if you please,
send back the watch to your uncle George III;
but, I would not advise you to do so.
Such a
step may be attended by unpleasant consequences.'
"I understood his hint, and took it as a warn-
ing; but, having found an opportunity of dis-
posing of the watch, I distributed its value among
the hospitals of the capital. Robespierre then
began to converse on another subject:
CC <
C
Really,' said he, the English must be
mad... They have made me such extravagant pro-
positions, that their cabinet must either be crazy,
or must suppose me to be devoid of reason. The
proposition that has been made to me is so flatter-
ing that it is almost incredible.'
С،
I presume, then, that you doubt its sin
cerity ?"
174
(6
By no means! The fact is, they have pro-
posed, as a first condition, that I should recall the
Bourbons,....that I should acknowledge as King
the boy Louis XVII, and that I should be Regent.'
Strange enough! And what would they gain
by their King Louis XVII ?"
"Not much! He is no favourite with them.
They have not much confidence in him, which
leads me to suspect he has more merit than is
usually attributed to him. The English cabi-
net will not acknowledge him in his regency.
You know that Austria refused to give him the
title of King as long as Marie-Antoinette lived.
Only imagine me Regent, under the pretended
supremacy of a puppet, and in the face of the
Jacobins and aristocrats? I should not retain
(C
PROPOSED MARRIAGE
C
the post for a single day.'
How could they presume to make such a
proposition?.. What security did they offer you?
for certainly you required some."
..
"Oh! as to that, handsome offers were not
wanting. They proposed to attach me to the
young King by such ties as would render his
defence a family duty on my part.'
"Infamous !" I exclaimed, roused by an irre-
pressible feeling of indignation. "Do they not
know that the thing is impossible?"
"Not physically,' replied Robespierre, in a
tone of marked dissatisfaction.
Perhaps not physically," I resumed, "but cer-
BETWEEN ROBESPIERRE AND A PRINCESS. 175
tainly morally. You would never consent to such
a thing?"
"You have not,' said he, a very brilliant
imagination. You are not disposed to build cas-
tles in the air.'
"Rather say, castles in the regions below....
castles in Pandemonium.... Robespierre, hear me!
Be assured that a wall of iron separates you....
You understand ?"
"I do !....And the devil take that horde of
villains who have made me appear to be a par-
ticipator in their crimes, though I am really inno-
cent.... But, I view the matter as you do....
The impossibility staggers me !....It is a Gordian
knot....Yet, it would have been a most desirable
arrangement.'
"Without appearing to observe this last re-
mark, I said :
"And is this all that was proposed to you?"
'When they found that I refused, on the
ground of the irrevocable hatred which I had
vowed to Royalty, the envoy declared himself
authorised to propose a hereditary Presidency,
with the same marriage....This I also rejected.
Mr. Serton then suggested something more practic-
able: viz. twenty years of elective Presidency. This
appeared to be honourable and unobjectionable.
One might preside temporarily without usurping
absolute power. A period of twenty years is not
quite three times the duration of the Presidency of
،،
176
the American government. It would afford the
opportunity of effecting a great deal of good.'
Did you come to any decision?"
"Not yet.... Such matters cannot be settled
hastily. They must be considered and examined,
under every point of view....I probably appear
to you very powerful at this moment; and so
I am.... My power hangs on public opinion,-on a
delusion of terror, on a revolutionary fanaticism
which will support me as long as I advance from
one extravagance to another. But, I want private
supports. I scarcely know a man on whom I
can confidently rely. I stand alone. My strength
is in myself. It depends on no one."
"Not on Fleuriot ?"
"He !....a fool !....a drunkard !'
"Saint-Just, then ?"
، ،
(C
MILITARY DESPOTISM.
'A senseless libertine !'
"Well, then, your brother ?"
'
"Oh he is a timid creature, and devoid
of judgment and everything, except merely our
internal affairs....I do not hold a military com-
mission. The want of that trammels all my efforts.
A man can never effect a revolution unless he
commands bayonets. The instinct of the people
is decidedly for liberty. The military are infected
with despotism. Those generals will devour us
all sooner or later. Look at the Roman Empire.
For two or three Emperors elected by the Senate,
you may count a hundred imposed by the army.'
.'
177
Then, I presume, you know not what course
ROBESPIERRE AND THE ROYALISTS.
to adopt."
" "I am embarrassed.'
''
And, in sending back the English envoy, you
have broken with the London Cabinet."
"I may answer both yes and no.
to make an attempt.
of compromising myself. All eyes are fixed upon
me. My actions are watched and my gestures
interpreted. It is most painful to endure this
inquisition. Yet, I will make an effort to strike
a great blow. I will shew myself to the public in
such a way as to command attention. I am well
aware, that if I do not show myself, I shall never be
able to do anything that will tend to restore
to France her repose and happiness.'
"He next asked me, whether I thought the
royalists would be inclined to accommodate them-
selves to a reasonable government.
that they will
"I am of opinion," replied I,
take whatever is offered to them. In the absence
of a King, you will see them rally round any
one who grasps authority with a firm hand."
"Robespierre broke off the conversation, and or-
dered the coachman to the Rue Saint-Honoré. We
soon separated. After I had taken leave of him, I
could not help reflecting, with horror, on the mar-
riage which had been proposed. To unite the
daughter of the immolated victims to their exe-
VOL. I.
N
It is difficult.
It is difficult.
--
I am urged
I am afraid
CC
178
RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL.
cutioner! The very thought
The very thought made my blood
curdle !
"On the 18th of June, was celebrated the festival
in honour of the Supreme Being. On the pre-
vious day, Robespierre sent me a note, requesting
that I would attend the ceremony. David, the
painter, had designed all the decorations. The
festival was held in the garden of the Tuileries. In
front of the façade, on an elevated socle, stood
the figure of Fanaticism, crowned with the papal
tiara, and holding in one hand a torch, and in
the other a poignard. Face to face with this
figure stood Atheism, which was represented by
a blind female, occupied in tearing the book of the
law. A mass of combustible matter surrounded
the group. Near it was a car of vast magnitude
filled with singers and musicians, parading the gar-
dens and chaunting hymns, the poetry of which
was in the style of Chenier.
"An immense crowd thronged the approaches
to the amphitheatre, where the members of the
Convention were to take their places. They ar-
rived, headed by Robespierre, who wore a blue
coat, with a bouquet of tri-coloured flowers. It
was remarked that his colleagues did not follow
him closely, but at some distance, apparently
acknowledging him as sovereign. When I ob-
served this circumstance, I doubted not that
Robespierre had prepared everything for striking
179
the grand blow; that he would avail himself of
that opportunity to proclaim a full amnesty, and
annihilate the reign of terror; and that the people
would, in return, raise him to the highest rank
in the state.
RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL.
"But, I was mistaken. Robespierre had the
ambition to do all this; but not the genius. He
delivered a poor speech, which he closed by a
most atrocious phrase. This being ended, he ap-
plied a match to a train of gunpowder, and the
figures of Fanaticism and Atheism were imme-
diately blown up. They were to have been suc-
ceeded by the statue of eternal Wisdom, but, owing
to some blunder of the mechanists, this statue
was blown up along with the other two. This
circumstance was regarded as a bad omen, and
it gave rise to a good deal of remark.
"Two days after this, Robespierre called on me.
"Well,' said he, " you see I kept my word,
and that I know how to show myself! What
did you think of the manner in which I presided
at the festival? Did I not put myself forward
most conspicuously? The members of the Con-
vention seemed to be merely my escort.'
“I should rather say that they acted the part
of your body guard. But, seriously, I expected
something more of you."
'What did you expect?'
<<
G
"A solemn protestation against past crimes :
N 2
180
ROBESPIERRE'S ALARMS.
a speech which would have held out the con-
solation of a happier future."
"You are very wise, truly!
But I can tell
you that, had I done as you suggest, I should
have been assassinated on the spot. I could read
in the looks of the multitude what I had to expect.
Therefore, I made my oration somewhat different
from what I intended.'
"I understand. You were afraid;
and your
own fear caused you to inspire us with fear. This
is not the way to succeed."
(6
'I am aware it is not. But what can I do?
I tell you once more, I stand alone and who
knows whether the English are deluding me?
Perhaps their only object is to urge me to an
act of imprudence which would compromise me.
My destruction would, doubtless, be gratifying to
them.'
C6
Therefore, your new plans are--"
"To take revenge on the traitors!' he ex-
claimed in a voice of fury; To annihilate them
all. They surround, they besiege me... ..I behold
them during the day, -I dream of them during
the night. What daggers are pointed against me!
....what doses of poison prepared !....Do you
know I begin to suspect my most intimate asso-
ciates. That girl Duplay, for example ;....I fear
she has been bribed. My life is at her mercy. I
might--'
، ،
PROJECTED MARRIAGE.
"Here he stopped short.
"Your position is not an enviable one," said I.
'No, indeed!' he replied. May Satan
avenge me on him who first drew me into the
path which I am now treading! However, I have
returned him ill for ill. But for him....but for
him-'
،،
181
(
He said no more. I regarded him as a man
marked by the finger of God. I never saw him
again ;—the 9th Thermidor speedily followed.
*
*
When I returned to Prince Cambacérès, the
above historical fragment, of which, by his per-
mission, I kept a copy, he made the following
observations :
“There is no fact in our fatal history, more
positively certain, than the allurement held out to
Robespierre of his marriage with an august and
unfortunate Princess, who was totally ignorant of
the infamous traffic in which her name was in-
volved. Robespierre went so far as to visit the
illustrious captive in her prison. He represented
himself as a municipal officer, and assumed the
pretence of making an official visit. He declared
himself quite enchanted with the Princess, though
he had not presumed to speak to her, so com-
pletely was he overawed by the dignity of her
looks and manners. But, she was not the only
Princess of the blood-royal of France whom Ro-
bespierre contemplated the possibility of marrying.
182
THE DUKE OF ORLEANS.
I will relate to you a story which I heard from
the mouth of Tallien himself, who, I have no
doubt, would repeat it to you, unless he might
think it dangerous to do so, in the present po-
sition of affairs. The story is this:
، ،
Robespierre, at the very outset, even on the
first creation of the Constituent Assembly, di-
rected his attention to the Duke of Orleans, and
sought to make him King. But, in proportion
as the revolution was consolidated, the Duke lost
the advantages of his position. He had not the
energy requisite for seizing the chances which
presented themselves, and turning them to the
best account. He, therefore, was thrust back
and lost in the crowd, whilst Robespierre daily
gained ground in the public opinion. The conse-
quence was what was naturally to be expected ;
namely: the importance of the Duke declined, and
he was no longer regarded as the leader of a
party.
"The King's trial did a great deal of injury
to the Duke; whilst, on the contrary, Robespierre
gained, at that time, a vast accession of popularity,
which he shared with Marat. To make the Prince
a King, a president, or a chief of any kind, in
France, was a thing no longer thought of. Never-
theless, many continued attached to him, and, as
it was possible that his name might yet be ser-
viceable, his co-operation was not to be despised.
It was even probable that the Robespierrists, if
ROBESPIERRE'S ULTIMATUM.
183
united with the Orleanists, would acquire the
greater ascendancy, inasmuch as all the distin-
guished generals of that period were inclined to
side with the Duke.
"After shrewdly considering the circumstances
which I have explained, Robespierre conceived
his plan. A constitution was to be given to
France, and two presidents were to be established;
one for the war department or for foreign affairs,
the other for the civil or home department. The
first of these two posts, was to be assigned to
the man who should be chosen by the majority
of the people; and the second, to be filled by
Robespierre. But, with the view of consolidating
this arrangement, and of blending the interests
of these two chiefs imposed on the Republic,
Robespierre, by virtue of a pretension equally
insane and arrogant, demanded as a pledge, the
hand of the Princess, the sister of the Duke of
Chartres. This was his ultimatum.
"This proposition was broached by Couthon.
The Duke of Orleans required a few days to reflect
upon it. He immediately dispatched a confi-
dential person to his eldest son with the cir-
cumstance. There is every reason to believe
that the Duke de Chartres returned a negative
answer.
"Dumouriez, who was of course consulted,
had also formed his plan, which this proposition
was calculated to thwart. He hoped to conduct
his aid-de-camp to the throne of Louis XVI by
184
THE DUKE OF ORLEANS.
another path. On the day appointed, the Duke
of Orleans sent for Couthon, and. told him, with
affected chagrin, that his daughter's inclinations
were opposed to the marriage, and that, moreover,
it would be dangerous to think of it before the
execution of the plan in which he was so deeply
interested. The Prince concluded by observing,
that the constitution must first be proposed, then
accepted, and that every thing else would become
easy.
"This was a refusal; and Robespierre was
furiously offended. However, as he saw that his
fortune was secure, if connected with that of the
Orleans branch of royalty, he made a new effort.
He knew that I was on a footing of intimacy
with the Prince, and he sent for me. He al-
leged that the Prince himself had been the first
to express a wish for the alliance; and he com-
missioned me to point out to him the advan-
tageous results of a consent, and the danger of
a refusal. I was to commence with promises, and
to end with threats.
"I acquitted myself of this unpleasant errand;
though not to the satisfaction of Robespierre.
The Duke of Orleans did not take much pains
to conceal from me his unconquerable repugnance
to his proposed son-in-law. On this occasion,
he behaved as became a Prince of the blood.
He turned a deaf ear to all considerations, ad-
vantageous or otherwise, which I submitted to
him. When I informed Robespierre of the result
185
of my mission, he became furiously enraged, and
vowed to avenge the affront by the destruction
of all the royal family—an object to which he
thenceforth devoted himself. It is known how
he constrained Dumouriez to raise the mask, and
how he forced the Duke de Chartres to seek refuge
in the ranks of the enemy, whilst measures were
taken at home to arrest his father.
EXECUTION OF THE DUKE.
"After the Duke of Orleans was conducted to
Marseilles, Robespierre signified to him that his
fate might yet be arrested if he would retract his
refusal to the proposed marriage. The Prince's reply
was again in the negative. Then, the vengeance
of Robespierre knew no bounds, and he resolved
to hurry the death of the man whom he wished
to make his father-in-law. When the Duke of
Orleans was conducted to Paris to undergo the
sentence of execution, I was commissioned to
convey to him a final proposal; and I solemnly
protest, before God and man, that if, at the moment
when the charrette which conveyed him to the
scaffold halted on the Place du Palais-Royal, the
Prince had manifested any inclination to yield
his consent, the execution would not have taken
place. The fact is, that every arrangement had
been made for a temporary insurrection, to afford
the means of saving him. This was the cause
of the mysterious delay of nearly an hour, in
the advancement of the fatal charrette. But his
Royal Highness, who manifested so much firm-
186
ness throughout his trial, gave no sign of acquies-
cence, and Robespierre suffered him to mount the
scaffold.
""
Such," pursued Cambacérès, "is the story
which I have heard related by Tallien. I believe
it to be strictly true, with the exception, perhaps,
of that which relates to the scheme for rescuing
the Prince. That would have exposed Robespierre
to great peril; and he was too much of a poltroon
to hazard his safety so far."
TALLIEN.
To the above observations of Prince Camba-
cérès, I may add, that a few days after he had
related the story to me, I spoke of it to Tallien.
The latter positively declared it to be true, and
his declaration was made in the presence of wit-
nesses.
CHAPTER IV.
The Duke of Otranto-Police disclosures-A lady of quality in the
pay of the police-Snare laid to entrap the Polignacs-A gang
of thieves betrayed-Love and Police-A mysterious billet-
Fouché's rendez-vous-The discreet porter-Discovery of mur-
ders committed by the Countess Polvère-Poison and somnam-
bulism—The double lady, an optical phenomenon―The General
and the Pilgrim-The brigands and the crucifix-Singular vi-
sion of Louis-Sebastian Mercier-Apparition seen by Napoleon
and Josephine.
maga
I met the Duke of Otranto only twice or thrice du-
ring my visits to Prince Cambacérès in 1814. He
was gay, and satirical, and he ridiculed, with unspar-
ing severity the conduct of the public men of the
time. But, on this latter subject, all his friends ex-
pressed themselves with equal freedom. I was fre-
quently astonished to hear these men of the Empire re-
late, without reserve, the secret and even dangerous
anecdotes of the era they had just closed. I should
have expected they would have been more guarded.
188
One might almost have imagined the restoration
had been separated by the lapse of a century from
the Empire and the Republic, and that all the
actors and witnesses of their anecdotes were no
more; whilst, on the contrary, they were all living
and on terms of intimacy with them.
The Duke of Otranto, however, who did not
consider his career at an end, was somewhat
more reserved than the others: but even he related
many facts which, had I been in his place, I should
have kept to myself. Among this number is the
following. I give it in Fouché's own words, mere-
ly suppressing the names, which the narrator did
not think it necessary to conceal.
"In the exercise of my official duties, I gave
audiences of various kinds: I had even several
places out of my hotel, where I received those
timid persons, who were alarmed at the name of
the police, though they had no objection to accept
its pay. At these places, I often had interviews
with persons, male and female, of different ages
and conditions. Some came on foot, others in
their carriages; some disguised, and others in
their own characters. On one occasion, when I
was at my little political establishment, in the Rue
Saint-Louis, then called the Rue de Turenne, a
lady was announced.
POLICE ANECDOTES
"A young and pretty female presented herself. I
received her with all possible politeness. She
gave me her name; and I then recollected that I
189
RELATED BY FOUCHÉ.
knew something,-I may say a good deal-of her.
Her mother, (or as she was styled her aunt) a
lady of quality, had been a pensioner of mine since
a very remote period. She had been well known
in the government offices since the time of M. de
M......, but at that period she performed other
functions besides supplying information to the
police.
(C
Her pretty niece, now deputed to me, com-
menced by narrating her history. Young as she
was, she had suffered numerous misfortunes, for
you know that all the spies of our police, are the
most unfortunate set of people in the world: in
short, the young lady had her sorrows, and her
wants, and no fortune. Her aunt had assured her
that I would treat her with all the kindness of a father;
and, in return, she promised that I should know all
her secrets, and be made acquainted with all her
friends. She received numerous visitors, among
whom were imprudent young men, and elderly
gentlemen, wanting in reserve. She mentioned to
me five or six houses of the old and new régimes,
into which I had never yet been able to introduce
one of my agents; and to which she promised to
open for me a channel of access.
-
Our bargain was speedily concluded:- -five
hundred francs per month, and a thousand francs
at the expiration of a certain number of years, when
my young beauty should have acquired sufficient
credit and experience.
190
POLICE ANECDOTES
"Her first enterprise was directed against M.M.
de Polignac. She found means to introduce her-
self into the maison de santé in which they were
confined. However, she was not very successful.
The two captives received her coolly, and endea-
voured to get rid of her; but she was not easily
discouraged she continued to hover about them,
and made such a parade of royalism, that she
managed to get possession of an important letter,
which supplied me with some valuable information.
This letter described a journey in the south, un-
dertaken by a royalist emissary, who named the
leaders of the party, their respective capabilities,
their position in society, characters, etc. It was
quite a treasure.
"At one of our monthly interviews, my fair
emissary thus addressed me :-
CC C
Monseigneur, my zeal in your service carries
me so far that, for the sake of obliging you, I
sometimes condescend to mingle in very bad
company: I have now made a valuable disco-
very.
"
"What is it ?"
"A gang of thieves are ravaging, by their de-
predations, Paris and its environs. If
If you wish
to know their ringleaders and their haunts, here is
a note which will help you to find them out.'
"I took the paper which she presented to me,
and, to my inexpressible surprise, I found that it
contained a quantity of information, such as could
191
RELATED BY FOUCHÉ.
only have been obtained by the foulest treachery.
My rule was never to question my agents, or, as
they were called, my mouches. I received their
disclosures, and that was all. To torment them
by wishing to know everything, is only the way
to lead them into falsehood. They will not always
name their informants; I never deviated from my
rule. When I had some particular reason for
knowing every circumstance, then I erected coun-
ter-batteries, which I did on the occasion to which
I am now referring.
"I was anxious to know the devices by which my
sylph had been enabled to make these discoveries.
I sent for the officer who had the surveillance of the
thieves of Paris, and I stated the case to him.
Five days afterwards, I learned that, among the
numerous lovers of my lady mouche, was one of the
most celebrated of our Parisian thieves. This
fellow spent one half of his life in the jails, and the
other half in the most splendid hotels: he was
quite a hero in the annals of crime, endowed with
address, courage, and talent; but so utterly de-
praved that I could never prevail on myself to
employ him.
"This man, however, being outwitted in some of
his dishonest operations by another rogue of his
acquaintance, avenged himself by denouncing to me
his rival and his comrades. It is gratifying to see
wolves reciprocally devouring each other; and I
availed myself of the information received from
192
F.... until I should have the opportunity of seiz-
ing him in his turn.
POLICE ANECDOTES
tr
About this time, there arrived in Paris a hand-
some young man of three and twenty years of
age, the son of an émigré of rank. This young
gentleman was known by the assumed name of M.
Le Noble. The ostensible object of his visit to
Paris was to obtain for his family, who were still
absent, the restoration of some unsold estates:-
but, in fact, he was a secret agent of Louis XVIII,
who had intrusted him with an important mis-
sion.
"His evil star led him to visit a certain Vis-
countess, of whom I shall say nothing, as it would
be difficult to say any thing bad enough. Her
house was the resort of a great deal of gay company,
among whom were jumbled together honest men
and swindlers, ladies of respectability, and females
of doubtful reputation in short, all that mixed
society which abounds in every great city, and
which persons, who are not very cautious or very
fastidious, may easily fall into.
"At the parties of this Viscountess, M. Le No-
ble met my fair mouche, and was soon captivated
by her attractions. She, at the very first introduc-
tion, suspected that he was something better than
he seemed to be. She plied him with declarations
of the most enthusiastic royalism. Love is credu-
lous and Le Noble's passion formed no exception
to the rule. He was confiding, and let fall some
S
RELATED BY FOUCHÉ.
193
hints respecting the real object of his visit to Paris.
This disclosure came like a ray of light upon his
innamorata. After a regular series of sighs and
glances, letters were interchanged. These were,
in their turn, followed by assignations. The
intimacy at length attracted notice, and in-
curred the well-feigned displeasure of the lady's
aunt.
"One morning, whilst the rain was pouring
in torrents, Le Noble was surprised to hear a
knock at the door of his apartment; but, how
much greater was his surprise, when, on opening the
door, he beheld the mouche breathless with agitation,
and almost dissolved in tears!-Exclamations and
questions rapidly succeeded each other.
(C
<
How!.... Is it possible?... Can it be
you ?'
"It is....I am lost.... undone !.... And I
know no one to whom I can fly for protection but
you.'
"What means this?.... What has hap-
pened?'
-
CC
"Alas! my aunt has broken open my desk
and discovered your letters... I feared to en-
counter her anger.... and I have fled from home!'
Mon Dieu, Mademoiselle! what is to be
done? You know I have not deceived you. From
the first moment of our acquaintance, I told you,
candidly, that I was not my own master-that
I should compromise the interests of august in-
VOL. I.
O
194
POLICE ANECDOTES
dividuals were I to attach myself to France by
a marriage which, under other circumstances,
would constitute my utmost happiness, and con-
centrate all my affections.'
(C (
I
I know it, dear Le Noble, the fault is all
my own; and I will not require you to do any
thing which may compromise your honour.
only conjure you to call on the Commander de
Châteauneuf, who is my aunt's particular friend;
ask him to go to her and appease her anger.
From thence, I should wish you to go to the
Vicomtesse, and implore her to receive me, in
case my aunt should prove inexorable. You can
stay with the Vicomtesse until you hear the result
of the Commander's intercession, and then you
can all three come here and tell me my fate.'
"Poor Le Noble, distracted between love and
despair, and generously reproaching himself for
all the mischief, flew to execute the orders of the
distressed damsel. You all know the Commander
de Châteauneuf. To make himself of importance,
is the grand object of his existence; and he was
I had
very anxious to do anything to serve me.
sent one of my agents to give him a hint of the
part he was to play. He entered into a long
conversation with Le Noble on the subject of his
unfortunate attachment; expressed regret, evinced
indecision, and, at length, took up his hat and
went out. He accompanied Le Noble as far as
the house of the Vicomtesse, where he left him,
-
195
RELATED BY FOUCHÉ.
and proceeded on his embassy to the young lady's
aunt.
"Le Noble, though seated in conversation
with the Vicomtesse, counted the inoments of the
Commander's absence. The clock struck twelve.
The lady endeavoured to amuse her visitor; but,
his heart and his thoughts were at home. Half
past twelve arrived, and the Commander appeared.
The aunt was appeased. She had listened to
reason; and now all that remained was, to an-
nounce the grateful tidings to the lovely niece.
The Vicomtesse retired to get her hat and shawl.
This occasioned some little additional delay, and,
at two o'clock, Le Noble returned to his lodgings,
distressed to think of the anxiety which his fair
visitor must have suffered during his absence.
"Little did he suspect, that he had no sooner
left his house, than a host of searchers, lock-
smiths, cabinet makers, decypherers of hand-
writing, etc. had been admitted to his apartments:
that his desk, his drawers, even the bed, the cur-
tains and every article of furniture had undergone
a rigorous examination. Full powers, credentials,
diplomatic notes, and directions indicating where
other important papers were to be found, all fell
into the hands of my agents, either in copies or
extracts; and it was known where to find the
originals, if necessary.
"It was to accomplish this object, that the
G
o 2
196
POLICE ANECDOTES.
scheme had been devised for getting Le Noble
out of the way. By this means, we avoided the
odium which would have attended a forcible
seizure of the papers; and nothing occurred to
excite the least attention or curiosity on the part
of the other inmates of the hotel. My agents,
who had taken the precaution of stationing in the
street numerous scouts, departed at least half an
hour before Le Noble returned. He found the
young lady, as he had left her, bathed in tears;
but the assurance of her aunt's forgiveness con-
soled her, and she departed, with many protes-
tations of eternal fidelity. Next day, the police
paid a formal visit to Le Noble. He was arrested.
The evidence of his guilt was undeniable. He
was tried on the two-fold charge of being a spy,
and of being engaged in a plot for assassinating
the Emperor. He was found guilty of both
crimes, condemned and executed.”
On hearing this terrible dénouement, we all
uttered an exclamation of horror.
((
Surely, gentlemen," said the Duke of Otranto,
"it is a very false kind of sympathy which urges
you to feel a deeper interest for the assassin, than
for his victim. The young man whose story I
have just narrated, was a Ravaillac, an Anker-
stroem, and he well deserved his fate."
"Yet," observed I, "the means employed to
obtain his conviction were base and treacherous."
A MYSTERIOUS NOTE.
..
How would you rather see the crime per-
petrated, than take measures to prevent it by
revealing the design of the criminal."
"But, Monseigneur, your pretty mouche was a
downright monster."
"Oh! as to her, I am quite willing to consign
her to your tender mercy. She is now a furious
royalist. She goes to the Tuileries, has interviews
with Count de Blacas, cajoles the Duke de
Richelieu and denounces me .... But I see,"
pursued the ex-minister, that my story has
saddened you.
I will tell you another, which
though, perhaps, not more cheering, is certainly
more extraordinary.
66
One day, I received a letter from a lady..the
perfume and the manner in which it was folded,
assured me that it was a lady's letter. The
writer implored me not, indeed, to go in person,
(that was a thing not to be expected,) but to
send some trustworthy person, who possessed my
entire confidence. An affair of the utmost im-
portance was to be communicated to me, but the
writer distinctly added that it was nothing of a
political nature.
"I confess that this note excited my curiosity;
and, though at the risk of compromising the
gravity of my official character, I felt inclined to
enter upon the adventure, especially as a very
trustworthy and confidential person was required.
I determined to go, and in such a garb as would
197
، ،
FOUCHÉ IN DISGUISE.
preclude the chance of my being recognised :—I
have oftener than once disguised myself so as to
defy the recognition of even my intimate ac-
quaintance.
The place of rendez-vous was a house in the
humble Rue de la Montagne-Saint-Genevieve. I
dressed myself in a violet-coloured coat, a dark
blue velvet waistcoat, small clothes of black
kerseymere, and black silk stockings, shoes with
silver buckles, a three-cornered cocked hat, and
a frisure à l'ancien régime. I stepped into a fiacre,
from which I alighted at the top of the Rue des
Fosses-Saint-Victor, and, having cautiously posted
my vedettes, I hurried on to the place of my
destination. The house had a porte-cochère, a
small court-yard, a vestibule and a large stair-
case. It was evidently the old residence of a
person of opulence. ... probably a member of the
ancienne robe. . . . indeed, the signature of the letter,
was a name which had been associated with the
parliament of Paris.
"I inquired for Madame de Polvere.
66
The young lady, or the dowager?' said the
198
servant.
This question embarrassed me, and I hesitated
for a moment; but, immediately recollecting the
little perfumed billet, I answered promptly and
confidently-the young lady.
Step up stairs to the first floor, and knock
، ،
66
(
at the great door facing the staircase.'
199
"And where does the dowager reside?" in-
quired I, anxious to gain all the information I
could.
"On the ground floor, in the apartments
looking to the garden; that is to say, when she is
in Paris, but she is now at her country seat.'
“Oh !....yes... it is....near.
"Near Beauvais....perhaps you have been
at the château, Sir?'
No. ..but I know the place well. I main-
tained this colloquy with an old man, who looked
as if he united in himself the three-fold dignities
of porter, butler and gardener. "And how is
monsieur ?" said I pursuing my interrogatories.
"Do you mean the Baron, or monsieur his
father?'
66
THE DISCREET PORTER.
"Oh both!...... both !"
(C C
The Count is with madame at....and the
young Baron has not yet returned from his jour-
ney."
((
""
"And are all the rest well ?"
Alas, Sir! we lost, about six months ago,
the old demoiselle Desrivières, the Count's sister,
a most pious lady, who was so very good herself,
that she was scandalized at our wickedness, and
was always telling us that we were doomed to
eternal punishment. It was a great relief to all the
house, when it pleased Heaven to take her.. . . As
to the Commander, he enjoys a green old age, at
eighty. Monsieur Jules, the Baron's brother, is
(
200
with the army, and their sister, Madame de Mel-
mire, is separated from her husband.'
"Bah! is it possible !"
'Bless me, Sir, don't you know it.... From
the way in which you questioned me, I supposed
you were quite intimate with the family.'
t
FAMILY PORTRAITS.
(C
I have just returned from India."
(
· Sainte Vierge! that is a great way off... .
Well, monsieur, then, since you don't know it I
will tell you, that the Countess has done a great
deal of mischief... the young couple have quar-
relled and parted.... One morning, Madame de
Melmire came down stairs with her cheek swollen
and her mouth bleeding.... a soufflet !' The rest
of the secret was whispered in my ear.
CC
(6
Perfectly satisfied with the information I had
gleaned, I wished the discreet porter good morn-
ing, and made my way to the door to which I had
been directed. The staircase was hung with por-
traits of parliamentary presidents; and the anti-
chamber was graced with a few dusty portraits of
some of the venerable ancestors of the family. A
young and blooming soubrette inquired my name.
I gave her some name or other, no matter what,
and added that I had brought an answer to the
letter written by the Baroness to the lady on the
Quai Malaquais.
، ،
Tag
Five minutes afterwards, I was ushered into
the drawing-room, the furniture of which seemed
to take its date from the year 1750. In this old-
fashioned apartment, I beheld a beautiful female,
about five and twenty years of age; graceful, sim-
ple, modest and timid. As I advanced to make
my bow to her, I observed that she was agitated
and trembling.
،،
Madam," said I presenting her note, "I am
sent by his excellency the minister of...."
"A supplicating look closed my mouth, and
I stopped short.
THE COUNTESS DE POLVERE.
"Sir,' said the lady, 'nothing but the most
urgent reasons could have induced me....how
much I am obliged to his excellency....I will
endeavour to prove my gratitude.... Indeed I am
very unfortunate !'
"Madam, I enjoy the full confidence of the
minister. He will decide according to my report.
As far as I can judge at present, it is likely to be
favourable.
06
201
(( <
I feel the importance of the step I have
taken. Perhaps, after all, I have taken it too
precipitately....but I confess I had not sufficient
heroism to brave the commission of another crime.'
A crime !”
، ،
(
(C
I shall never have courage to proceed.'
Alas, Sir, your surprise overwhelms me....
Compose yourself, Madam, I entreat and tell
me all. It is your duty. . . . and, after what I have
heard, it is my duty to urge you to make a full and
candid disclosure."
"I will do so,' replied the lady raising her pale
202
THE PROMISE OF SECRECY.
face.... but it must be on condition that what I
am about to communicate shall be enveloped in
profound secrecy.... will you promise this?'
((
I pledged myself to receive the disclosure on
the condition of secrecy. In cases of emergency, I
often found it indispensable to make these pro-
mises, in order to stimulate confidence. In so
doing, I conceived that I was promoting the ends
of justice. The integrity of a police minister must
be general, and not particular. He is justifiable in
breaking his promise to an individual for the sake
of the public good. I never should have hesitated
to have made a promise of secrecy, for the sake of
obtaining a disclosure of an intended robbery or
murder; but, I should not have considered myself
bound to keep my promise to the robber or the
murderer, to the prejudice of his victim: that
would have been a strange perversion of the point
of honour. Guided, therefore, by what I conceived
to be the just principle of my duty, I gave the lady
my promise of secrecy.
"
"I am satisfied,' said the Baroness de Polvere.
'Now you shall hear the story which I have to
reveal....My husband is the representative of an
ancient and noble family, several members of
which have, at various times, discharged high
judicial functions. The distinction which the fa-
mily has long enjoyed has imbued my mother-in-
law with so high an idea of importance, that the
fear of seeing it without an heir, has thrice urged
THE WANT OF AN HEIR.
666
203
This
her to the commission of a horrible crime.
lady is not our countrywoman. She is a native of
the Greek islands, where her husband married her
during one of his voyages: he was an officer in
the navy, having thrown aside the judicial robe
of his ancestors, to fight the battles of his
country. My mother-in-law, as I have already
observed, has conceived such an extravagant vene-
ration for the house of Polvere, that its perpetuity
is the sole object which engrosses her thoughts.
She has two sons, of whom my husband is the
elder. The younger, who is a captain of artillery,
was married five years ago. His wife, at the expi-
ration of the fourth year of her marriage, died
and you shall hear in what way.
My husband, before he attained his majority,
married his first cousin, to whom he was ardently
attached. Four years elapsed. Their union was
still unblessed by progeny; and the unfortunate
lady suddenly died. The Baron de Polvere, whilst
still overwhelmed with affliction, suffered himself
to be dragged to the altar a second time, in com-
pliance with his mother's urgent entreaties. His
second wife, my intimate friend, was a beautiful
and amiable woman. She also proved childless,
and, like the first wife, died suddenly about four
years after her marriage. Nearly at the same
time, I lost my husband. He left me with two
lovely children, a boy and girl who are now the
sole sources of my happiness.
"Some time after I had become a widow, the
-
204
THE GREEK SLAVE.
t C
Countess proposed a union between me and her
son. To me she urged her proposition with un-
remitting perseverance, and dwelt with unbounded
eulogy on the many amiable qualities of the Baron.
Our mutual bereavements led to a mutual sym-
pathy, and we gradually became persuaded that
life would be more agreeable if passed in one
another's society. We were married about four
years ago, and the two little angels, the fruit
of my first marriage, are still my only children.
My mother-in-law's affection for me rapidly
chilled, in proportion as she relinquished her hope
of my presenting an heir to the family. Her
ill-humour not only rendered me miserable, but
was intolerable to every one of the family. She
has caused a separation between her younger son
and his wife, and, by representing that my brother-
in-law was shewing improper attentions to me,
she has raised a barrier of dissension between her
two sons. But even this conduct, odious as it is,
is innocent in comparison with the crimes of which
she is guilty.
ઃ ' <
When she quitted Greece, to come to France,
she brought with her, a female servant, or rather a
slave, who was present at her birth. This woman,
whose name is Panchiera, and who is no less
malignant and ill-tempered than her mistress, fell
ill about six months ago. Her disorder was of
so infectious a nature that no one could approach
her without danger. Every one fled from her,
even the Countess, whose imprudence in thus
205
(
abandoning her can only be accounted for by the
apparent certainty of Panchiera's approaching end.
"I alone,' continued the lady, blushing to
tell of her own goodness, I alone obeyed the
precept set down in the Holy Gospel. I dis-
charged, day and night, at the bed-side of the
miserable invalid, the duties which religion im-
poses on us.
us. The gratitude she manifested for
my attentions, roused the jealousy of her imperious
mistress, who vented upon her all the bitterness of
her displeasure. Panchiera became convalescent,
to the surprise of every one, even of the doctors
who were prescribing for her; and the circum-
stance was attributed wholly to my attentions.
However, after the lapse of a day or two, an
unaccountable change took place. Panchiera's
disorder manifested the most fatal symptoms ;-
her death was pronounced to be inevitable.
"Worn out with watching, and assured that
all further attendance on the patient must be un-
availing, I retired to bed. It happened to be
my mother-in-law's fete day, and she went to
hear mass at Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. On leaving
home, she gave strict orders that no one should
enter the chamber of Panchiera, whom she sup-
posed to be in the agonies of death. But no
sooner had the Countess crossed the threshold
of the door, than Panchiera sent to me Pauline,
(the girl who shewed you in just now) to entreat
that I would go to her immediately, as the pre-
HUMANITY OF THE COUNTESS.
CON
206
A DEATH-BED DISCLOSURE.
servation of my life depended on her speaking
to me before she breathed her last.
(C C
Pauline, in breathless haste, delivered to me
the message, and I immediately rose and hurried
to the chamber of the dying woman. The Greek
then related to me some extraordinary particulars
which I will briefly communicate to you.
(6 C
My mother-in-law, who has been from her
childhood acquainted with the secret of preparing
deadly poison, has availed herself of this art to ter-
minate the existence of two of her son's wives, who
had proved childless. I too am to pay the forfeit
of my life if, in the course of the present year,
I do not present my husband with an heir. Pan-
chiera wound up this horrible disclosure by adding
that, in spite of her gratitude for my attentions.
she could never have determined to warn me of
my danger, but that her mistress, fearing her
indiscretion, had administered to her a poisonous
draught, of the effects of which, she was then
dying.
"I die' said the Greek, not of my disorder,
but by her malice. This is the recompence of
my faithful services. Alas! mutual crimes are
never a security between two criminals.'
"The wretched woman furnished me with abun-
dance of information in corroboration of her state-
ment. She described to me the seals which closed
the bottles containing the fatal powders and liquors,
and she, moreover, gave me the receipt of an
(
207
infallible antidote against poison. She then bade
me farewell, and entreated that I would leave her,
lest I should excite the suspicion of my mother-in-
law. I returned to my own apartment, and I
had not finished my prayers, when the Countess
returned from mass. She immediately flew to
the chamber of the old Greek. She found her
in the agonies of death, with the rattles in her
throat. A confessor was sent for; but, before
he arrived, the soul of Panchiera had fled from
its mortal abode, and was arraigned at that tri-
bunal at which we must all sooner or later render
our account.
SECRET PRISONS.
..
My mother-in-law was but little grieved at a
loss which she might have been expected to feel
deeply. Every one in the house was astonished
at her indifference, except Pauline and myself. A
week elapsed, and, at the expiration of that time, I
had sufficiently recovered my self-command to
brave the scrutinizing gaze of the Countess. Ne-
vertheless, I feared her, and was constantly in
dread of some attempt on my life. As a first
precaution, I thought it advisable to feign preg-
nancy, and, at the same time, I sent a note to one
of the first apothecaries in Paris, requesting him to
make up the antidote of which I furnished the
receipt.
(( (
One morning, about a fortnight ago, the
Countess came to my chamber. I observed that
she was pale and agitated. She had in her hand a
208
little box, carefully wrapped up in a piece of green
paper.... You see, Sir, I am acquainting you with
the most minute particulars.'
، ، ،
"You are right, Madam, replied I, for my
curiosity was highly excited by her story, which
every moment became more and more interesting.
By this sort of precision, long and fruitless legal
details are frequently avoided. But pray proceed.
Well Sir,' resumed the Baroness, ' as soon
as I observed the form of the box, and the peculiar
way in which the envelope was put round it,
I was seized with alarm and inquietude. But
I summoned sufficient presence of mind to repress
my feelings, and I waited calmly to hear what my
mother-in-law wished to say to me.
My dear child,' she said, in the kindest
tone of voice she could assume, I am almost
disposed to be angry with you. Is it possible that
the respect you owe me, the reciprocal affection
existing between us, the title of daughter which I
felt such happiness in conferring on you-have
not rendered you proof against the insinuations
of that creature, Panchiera. That vile woman
cherished a guilty attachment for my poor hus-
band, for the space of forty years. She was the
cause of great unhappiness to me, and she prac
tised upon me a thousand odious deceptions. You
knew nothing of this; but, nevertheless, you have
been much too credulous. Why not have dis-
closed the whole to me immediately? My candid
(6
(
J
THE ANTIDOTE.
209
explanation would have banished all distrust from
your mind.'
"I listened with profound attention. Every
word which fell from my mother-in-law, served to
guide me in the course I was to pursue. I could
not but wonder at the artful scheme she had
planned for her defence; plausibly accusing Pan-
chiera, whom she suspected of having accused
her; and then the well-feigned kindness of her
manner was calculated to banish every doubt of
her sincerity. At length, she paused, and I saw that
a prompt reply would be more satisfactory than
silence.
Really, Madam," said I, with a forced smile,
your imagination appears to have taken a strange
flight. I know nothing of any secrets that may
have existed between Panchiera and you....I
know no
<<
CC
AN ARTFUL DEFENCE.
""
،، <
Stay, child, you may spare yourself a vio-
lation of truth. This box, which was brought
here by an apothecary's lad, was delivered to
me by mistake, under the supposition that I was
the person who had ordered it. It contains an
infallible antidote against the effects of poison.
The secret of compounding it was heretofore known
in France to two persons only. One is now no
more. God rest her soul, deeply as she has
injured me! The other person is myself. The
secret is now divulged to the world.'
VOL. I.
P
210
"And where is the harm, Madam, if the dis-
closure be beneficial to mankind ?”
THE FAMILY SECRET.
(C <
It was a family treasure. In the event
of any reverse of fortune, this secret would have
been a sure source of wealth to us. I certainly
have reason to complain of being thus robbed
of that which was my rightful property.'
"Could I have imagined
?
'You ought to have reposed confidence in
your second mother; instead of which, you have
given credit to odious allegations and calumnies.'
"I retained my presence of mind, and cau-
tiously concealed my secret. In vain did my
mother-in-law try every stratagem to put me off
I continued mute. The Countess
my guard.
complained bitterly, and, finding that she could
extort nothing from me, she went in quest of
my waiting maid, Pauline. The poor girl, being
taken by surprise, and closely pressed by the
artful interrogatories of the Countess, confessed
that Panchiera, shortly before her death, had re-
quested to see me, and that I had had an interview
with her; but that she (Pauline) knew nothing
of what had passed between us.
Thus, by a mixture of truth and falsehood,
Pauline mitigated the sort of moral torture under
which my mother-in-law was suffering, whilst, at
the same time, it did not diminish her anxiety.
Pauline came to me afterwards to beg pardon
66
(C
for her imprudence. I was very sorry for what
she had said; and I felt it the more necessary
to hold myself on the defensive.
..
My husband, his brother, their father and
their uncle are all absent in the country. About
six days ago, my mother-in-law paid me a visit.
She had not spoken to me since the scene of
which I have just related to you the particulars,
except perhaps when we were seated at our meals,
and just for the sake of keeping up appearances to
the servants. On entering my apartment, she
CC
said to me :
"My dear daughter, is it possible that you
can still believe me to be guilty of the crime
of murder ?'
"I declared that such a supposition was the
most distant from my mind.
(C
'Come, come,' said she, confess the truth
...I know all. Pauline evinces the candour
which you ought to observe ; whilst you maintain
that silence which would be justifiable only in her.'
Piqued by this comparison, I said: Madam,
you have laboured so hard to excite suspicion, that
I presume Pauline conceived she was obliging
you.
A TROUBLED CONSCIENCE.
، ، 6
211
CC
Confess all you know; then perhaps --
What?
'You do not know me. I am not like you,
a frivolous Frenchwoman. The perpetuation of
my family is the object dearest to my heart.
CC
'
P 2
212
There is nothing which I would not sacrifice to
it....We may arrange this matter.... A childless
marriage may be dissolved.'
THE SLEEP-WALKER.
..
Ah, Madam! I exclaimed, what a confession
has escaped you!
And you, also, it would appear have been
thrown off your guard; for, since you attach this
double meaning to my words, I can easily guess
to what you wish to make them apply.'
"I saw my mistake, and remained silent. My
mother-in-law left me. She was evidently much
irritated. That same evening, I went to pay a
visit to a lady of my acquaintance. I returned
home about midnight. Pauline sat up for me
in the porter's room. She was preparing to light
me up stairs when, on passing my mother-in-law's
apartment, which was on the ground floor, we saw
the door opened. To our infinite astonishment,
my mother-in-law came out of the room in her
night dress, and holding a lighted candle in her
hand. She advanced towards us, and I became
alarmed, expecting some violent scene. But what
was our amazement to see her glide past us gently
and ascend the staircase?
، ، (
"Is she walking in her sleep? I mentally
ejaculated. She is, ...there can be no doubt
of it. Where can she be going? We followed
her. She ascended to the first story, and, without
stopping, proceeded to the story above. There
is then a wider stair case leading to the attics,
213
which she ascended, we still following her. She
passed through the corridor communicating with
the chamber of the deceased Panchiera. She had
the key of this room, which we had not previously
perceived. Having unlocked the door, she entered,
and advanced to the further end of the room,
where we saw her draw aside the tapestry. Be-
hind the tapestry there was a panel, which opened
like a door, forming a sort of closet, and we
saw within it several bottles and earthern vases
containing liquids. My mother-in-law took one
of the bottles in her hand, examined it closely,
holding it between her and the candle, and, with
a malignant smile, she said:
"She will not survive this!"
THE MYSTERIOUS PANEL.
CC <
She then closed the panel and drew the
tapestry together. We stepped softly
softly into
a corner of the corridor. Having carefully
locked the door, she proceeded down stairs
with a firm step. I followed her as far as my
own apartment, into which I flew to conceal
myself. I was almost bewildered at what I had
witnessed. Pauline remained with me all night.
This morning, my mother-in-law has departed
for her country seat. She set off early without
seeing me; but she left a kind and urgent invi-
tation for me to follow her. Ah! by so doing,
I should consign myself to a certain and horrible
death.
"This affair almost deprives me of reason. I
214
RIGID EXAMINATION.
know not what course to pursue. I cannot prevail
on myself to compromise my husband's family ;
and yet I know not by what other means I can
secure my own safety. In this dilemma, I thought
of appealing to the aid of our Minister of Police.
The time is approaching when I must either join
my mother-in-law, or come to an open rupture
with her, by explaining the grounds of my refusal.
I, therefore, determined to address myself to the
Duke of Otranto, and I wrote that letter, which
you have brought with you.'
You may easily conceive, gentlemen," pur-
sued Fouché, "that I listened with deep interest
to this extraordinary statement. The lady, whose
name I have not mentioned, (that by which I have
designated her, being fictitious,) related the story in
so artless and simple a manner, that every word bore
the impress of truth. I endeavoured to console her,
and to banish her alarm by the assurance that
the Duke of Otranto would do every thing re-
quisite to ensure her safety. I subjected the
waiting maid to a rigid examination; and the
result was, that every word of her evidence con-
firmed the statement of her mistress. I made a
visit to the chamber which had been occupied by
the deceased Greek servant, and I examined the
tapestry and the panel. The latter opened by a
secret spring, which, however, was easily dis-
covered, and I then saw the bottles and jars
filled with the deleterious substances. Having
CC
S
THE CRIMINAL PUNISHED.
explored as far as I thought requisite, I took my
leave of the lady, promising that in less than eight
and forty hours, the affair should be settled.
215
"I went straight to the Emperor, and related
the whole to him.
"Let that wicked old woman be immediately
arrested and brought to trial,' said he.
CC
Sire, that would bring disgrace on an ho-
nourable family.
(( 6
Would you leave such atrocious crimes
unpunished?'
Certainly not; but this is a case in which
one of the measures of the old régime might be
revived with good effect. Let the old Countess
be imprisoned for life. I unfolded the plan to
Napoleon, and he approved it. Next day, the
criminal was conveyed to a state prison, on a
charge of conspiracy. Her husband
Her husband and her
children came to me to intercede in her behalf.
I told them the truth, and produced my evidence.
They said no more; proof is an orator which no
power can resist. The Countess was not deceived
as to the cause of her arrest, and, shortly after her
imprisonment, she procured a dose of poison, and
died blaspheming Providence. I congratulated
myself on having averted the scandal of this affair,
whilst at the same time justice was satisfied."
We all expressed our amazement at this strange
story; and even ventured to manifest some doubt.
.،
216
of the possibility of such an atrocious character as
the Countess.
THE DOUBLE LADY.
"I could relate," said the Duke of Otranto,
"a hundred incidents no less extraordinary, which
have come within my knowledge. What would
you think of a beautiful young female appearing
double ?"
(C
Double, Monseigneur! double in character
you mean?”
"No, double in body!....Two beings precisely
similar, were seen at the same time in different
parts of her father's house, and in other places.
The fact rests on the evidence of thirty individuals
of unquestionable veracity, whose signatures are
affixed to the inexplicable procès-verbal of the case.
The Emperor, after holding a long conference
with Corvisart on the subject, desired that the
phenomenon should be enveloped in the utmost
possible secrecy. He presented, from his own
privy purse, a sum of money to the young lady,
accompanied by the request that she would retire
to an obscure convent. In that convent, she died
on the 1st of January, 1813. The optical illusion
of which she was the subject, existed for more
than ten years.
At this, we all laughed, declaring that the Duke
was taxing our credulity too far.
6 C
Well," resumed Fouché, perhaps you will
be less sceptical respecting the adventures of
""
(<
217
robbers. I will relate to you a history which, at
least, has the merit of novelty, for I have never
yet communicated it to any one.
6
At the period to which my story refers, the
Reign of Terror was just at its close. About
midway between Berry and Sologne, there was
an old château, the owners of which had suffered
severely in the revolution. Having saved, from
the wreck, scarcely anything but their lives, they
were endeavouring, by economical retirement, to
recover from the difficulties in which they had been
involved, by the ravages committed upon their
property. The château was consequently visited
by little company, and it never was the scene of
those entertainments which too often serve only
to allure a crowd of greedy parasites. On the
other hand, hospitality was liberally dispensed to a
few chosen friends; the family table was plentifully
supplied; and, what was wanting in ceremony, was
made up in abundance.
66 One evening, on the approach of winter, a
noise was heard at the outer gate of the castle.
It was a general of the Republic, accompanied by
his two aides-de-camp. He had been appointed
to a command at Châteauroux, and night had
overtaken him in the dreary plains of Sologne.
He requested to be provided with a supper and a
night's lodging.
THE SECLUDED CHATEAU.
"Shew them in,' said the master of the châ-
teau, they shall be made welcome.'
(
218
TERRIFIC VISITORS.
"The three travellers alighted: their horses
were led to the stable, and they were ushered to
the salon. Their manners and conversation denoted
them to be persons of very low breeding; but this
was not thought very extraordinary, considering
the want of refinement which characterized Ros-
signol, Ronsin, Santerre, Henriot and other officers
of high rank in the revolutionary party. The
mother of the master of the château, a venerable
and pious matron, far advanced in years, conceived
such a strong prejudice against them, that she
immediately retired to her oratory, and fervently
prayed that Heaven would not forsake a family
which had always been distinguished for religious
devotion and attachment to the King.
"Prayer," pursued Fouché, "administers ease
to certain minds. The lady returned to the drawing-
room, more calm, and with a less degree of aversion
towards the new guests. She scrutinized their slo-
venly dress, their ferocious countenances; and, when
she heard their conversation, which was perfectly
in harmony with their appearance, she thought it
prudent to consign to their use the best chambers
in the manor, lest they should imagine they were
not treated with all the respect that was due to
them. The visitors withdrew, and they had no
sooner left the rcom, than all the family agreed
that their looks alone would afford evidence suf-
ficient for hanging them.
"The family in the château consisted of the
THE SUPPER.
219
grandmother, the father, the mother, a son about
eighteen, two daughters, the one fourteen, and the
other sixteen, an aunt, two maid-servants, and two
lackeys in all, eleven individuals; but they were
ill-armed, and incapable of any effectual resistance.
:-
"The officers were informed that supper was
ready. They came and seated themselves at table.
They maintained an arrogant tone of conversation,
and were evidently seeking to pick a quarrel. The
prudence of the father checked the impetuosity of
the son, who, on one occasion, well nigh suffered
his irritation to get the better of him.... During
supper, a ringing was heard at the gate. The
general and his aides-de-camp smiled, and ex-
changed significant looks, which were observed
by some of the family. The master of the house
ordered that no one should be admitted.
(C
'Very likely,' observed the general, 'it may be
two orderly officers, who I expect will be sent with
a message to me. Possibly, they may have found
out where we are.'
To this, no answer could be made; but the
suspicion of the family was aroused. The two men
servants were sent to open the gate. They ushered
in, not the two orderly officers who were expected,
but a man of tall stature and dignified deportment,
and whose countenance expressed a singular de-
gree of mildness and benevolence. He was appa-
rently about forty years of age, and his costume
was that worn by the pilgrims of Saint-Jacques :
I
220
he had the rocket and the staff, the gourds, the
cockle shells, and the large oil skin hat; in short,
nothing was wanting. As soon as he entered
the threshold of the room door, he stopped short,
crossed himself, and said in a firm and grave tone
of voice :-
THE PILGRIM.
"The grace of God be with you, and preserve
you from the nocturnal ambush of the wicked!'
"The solemnity of these words, and the singu-
larity of a garb, which, at that time, could not be
worn in France without considerable risk and
peril, amazed the inmates of the chateau. The
good old lady, delighted at the pious salutation,
cordially welcomed the pilgrim, whilst the officers
sneered at him, called him an impostor and a
hypocrite, and said: 'Remember the habit does not
make the monk.'
(C
'True,' replied the pilgrim, nor does the uni-
form make the officer.'
(
66 C
"At these words, the aides-de-camp rose angrily
and were about to strike the pilgrim; but the
others held them back, and he thus continued:
Surely, gentlemen, it would be better if you
would employ yourselves in scouring the country
of the brigands who infest it, than for two of
you to attack a poor wandering sinner. He
who threatens with the sword, will perish by
the sword. Heaven is weary of crimes that are
committed, and will speedily take vengeance on
the offenders.'
"The remarkable expression, with which he
THE PILGRIM.
221
uttered these words, whilst it imparted confidence to
the inhabitants of the château, seemed to intimidate
the officers. The General said, in a more subdued
tone than he had hitherto maintained :
.. (
My friend, that term gentleman, which you
make use of, and which is so obnoxious to us,
together with those emblems of superstition in
which you have arrayed yourself....all augur ill.
To-morrow it is very probable you may be called
upon to account for your conduct before the mu-
nicipality of this district.'
(C '
It is certain,' said the pilgrim, ' that to-
morrow you will have to answer for yourself.'
"' Villain !' exclaimed the General.
run you my sword through your body!'
'I will
"The family succeeded in appeasing this angry
ebullition, and supper proceeded. The pilgrim
eat only a crust of bread and a dried fig, and
quenched his thirst with a glass of water. His
conversation, which was serious and full of the
most sublime sentiments, overawed the officers.
They observed a gloomy silence, and retired when
they saw the family preparing for prayers. They
proceeded to their chamber, swearing, singing and
jesting.
"The pilgrim uttered the pious exhortation
to heaven. His improvised prayer was sublime.
All the family expressed their admiration and gra-
titude, and the son obliged the holy man to
accept his bed, instead of that which had been
prepared for him in the servants' room.
222
"The inhabitants of the château were all sound
asleep, when, about one o'clock in the morning,
the grandmother was awakened by the glare of
a brilliant light, which dazzled her. She looked
around, and, on recovering from her surprise, she
beheld, standing at the foot of her bed, the pilgrim,
who by signs directed her to rise, dress herself and
follow him. The good old lady, feeling herself, as
she afterwards declared, urged by a supernatural
power, immediately obeyed. At the same moment,
and in the same manner, the pilgrim awoke
the son of the master of the château, and con-
ducted him to the corridor, where he was met
by his grandmother. For a moment, the pilgrim
appeared to them to assume a twofold form, but
the effect was so instantaneous that they were
unable to give any accurate account of it. The
stranger, then, without uttering a word, conducted
them to the chamber where the officers were repos-
ing. He touched the door lightly with his staff; it
flew open; he entered, and the old lady and her
grandson followed him. On the tables and chairs
were lying rope ladders, poignards, pistols, keys,
files, iron bars, and other things commonly used
by robbers. The three pretended officers appeared
to be in a profound sleep.
They will sleep till to-morrow," said the pil-
grim, "thanks to Heaven and to the piety of this
excellent family."
Having uttered these words, he vanished..the
CC
A MYSTERIOUS VISION.
( t
THE BRIGANDS DISCOVERED.
223
light fled with him.... the lady and her grandson
found themselves enveloped in darkness, and in their
respective apartments, instead of being, as they
supposed, in the chamber allotted to their guests.
The impression left on
on their minds was SO
vivid that they could not imagine it to be the
mere effect of a dream. Being unable to fall
asleep again, they were the first to rise in the
morning. When they met, they related to each
other their supposed dream or vision, and were
mutually struck with the coincidence. The gal-
loping of horses was heard approaching the gate
of the château. A party of gendarmerie were in
pursuit of three leaders of a formidable troop of
brigands. A description of their persons was sent
to the young gentleman, and, on perusing it, he
observed that it precisely corresponded with that of
the three individuals who, on the previous evening,
had solicited his father's hospitality. Having
stated this circumstance, and mentioned the name.
which the pretended General assumed, the gen-
darmes felt assured that they were the men of
whom they were in pursuit. Besides, the gen-
darmes had ascertained that, during the night, the
château had been surrounded by a party of robbers,
apparently watching for a signal, which was not
given.
Me
"The gendarmes proceeded straight to the cham-
ber occupied by the suspicious visitors.
They
224
CONVENT CHRONICLES.
found the door open, though, on the preceding
evening, it was known to have been bolted, and the
old lady and her grandson, to their great horror,
beheld the rope ladder, pistols, and every thing
just as it had been pictured in their dream. The
three banditti being roused from a lethargic sleep,
offered no resistance. They confessed all, and
declared themselves unable to account for the
heavy sleep which had overpowered them and
prevented them from carrying their plan into exe-
cution.
"The family, surprised at not seeing the pilgrim,
proceeded to his chamber....He was gone, and
no trace of him was ever discovered. On the bed,
on which he had evidently not reposed, was
found an ivory crucifix of vast size and exquisite
workmanship."
"Ah Monseigneur!" we all exclaimed, when
the Duke of Otranto had ended this strange story,
"it is one of the results of the restoration that old
convent chronicles are regaining credit."
"Gentlemen," replied Fouché coolly,
"I have
had submitted to my perusal, the confession of the
three robbers, the evidence of the whole family
corroborated by the attestations of the gen-
darmerie, and of the local and departmental
authorities. It is certainly more easy to deny
than to believe; but, if we are to withhold credit
from facts supported on good evidence, it may as
225
well be alleged that Tarquin drove Publicola from
Rome, and that Cæsar killed Brutus in the
Capitol."
MIRACLES.
Observing that the Duke of Otranto was piqued,
we made no further show of our incredulity.
There are acts of apparent concession which polite-
ness imperatively demands.
Prince Cambacérès seeing our dilemma, said,-
People are inclined to regard as mere fiction all
that does not appear in accordance with the
natural order of things; and yet I wager there is
not one of us here present, who cannot relate some
extraordinary fact, partaking of the marvellous,
which has come within his observation."
(6
t
"That is not my case, I assure you, Mon-
seigneur," observed I: "I have never yet witnessed
any occurrence which all the world would not admit
to be possible. Nevertheless, I will vouch on my
honour for the veracity of the person from whom
I heard a very marvellous story, which with your
permission, I will relate.
"In 1807 I was on terms of intimacy with an
individual who enjoyed a considerable share of lite-
rary reputation in France, and whose fame is not
unknown, even in foreign countries. I allude to Louis
Sebastian Mercier. He was a very eccentric man,
singular in every thing, a hater (for I must be a
neologist like himself in attempting to pourtray
his character)-he was a hater of Racine, Homer,
Boileau, and Newton. His ideas were full of
VOL. I.
S
226
originality, and his conversation was exceedingly
entertaining.
"Mercier had been a member of the National
Convention, but he had not, like many others,
withdrawn, leaving his honor behind him. One
day, I was in company with him in the green room
of the Comédie Française. There were present,
besides myself, M. de Cailhava, an enthusiastic
admirer of Molière, and Pellettier-Volmerange, the
author of some successful melodramas. We were
all engaged in animated conversation, and Mercier
said:
CONVERSATION WITH LOUIS XVI
CC (
Gentlemen, I am the person who can give
you the latest news of Louis XVI.'
"You, Mercier," we exclaimed, were you
so fortunate as to obtain permission to see him
in the Temple ?"
"I have had the pain of seeing him face
to face, as I now see you; and that since his
death.'
"Since the King's death?"
(C 'Yes.'
(C
Impossible."
"To you it probably appears so; for you
for you doubt
all things, save such as are witnessed by your
own eyes but, nevertheless,' pursued he so-
lemnly,' I saw Louis XVI revisit this world after
his death.'
66
((
"Where? and at what time?" we inquired.
'On the night of the 21st of January 1794, I
227
was hurrying through the streets to call on a sick
friend, when, as I was crossing the boulevard, I
beheld an immense multitude of people thronging
towards an object which apparently excited curiosity.
It was a carriage, surrounded by guards, together
with several pieces of artillery and cannoniers
with their matches ready lighted. In the carriage
there was seated a man, whom I immediately
recognized to be Louis XVI. Having approached
near to me, the carriage stopped, and the King
beckoned me to advance, I did so, and he said to
AFTER HIS DEATH.
me:
(C 'You did not vote for my death. For that
you may be thankful for the sake of your own
peace of mind. I was sacrificed; and France will
dearly pay for shedding the blood, which I should
not regret, had it been spilt for her happiness and
glory. Most of my assassins will die on the scaf-
fold, or in exile: all will be victims to soul torturing
remorse. The government will pass from the
hands of one set of tyrants to those of another,
until, at length, my family will re-ascend the
throne, and close the abyss of revolutions.'
(C
Louis XVI, having uttered these words, drew
his head within the carriage, which then drove on,
leaving me astounded and transfixed to the spot.
Gradually, the crowd dispersed, and, having reco-
vered from the stupor into which this incident had
thrown me, I proceeded onward to my friend's
house."
Q 2
228
(C
Or rather," said I to Mercier, you
awoke."
ર
"I was not asleep' he replied. The circum-
stance occurred when I was as perfectly awake
as I am at this moment. I swear this on the
faith of an honest man, and I never yet swore
falsely.'
VISION SEEN BY
((
'
(C
-
ર
"This story, gentlemen," added I, "I declare
on my honor I heard from the lips of Mercier; and I
heard it not only once, but several times. On
one occasion, I remember it made a particular
impression on me. It was when I breakfasted
with him at the Ecu de France, Rue d'Enfer, in
company with the Abbé d'Allez, two ladies, the
Chevalier Cubières, and Count d'Escherny."
Well," said Prince Cambacérès, "I have
heard the Emperor relate a circumstance of a
very similar nature, which, he affirmed, occurred
within his own observation. It was this:-One
night, during the height of summer, the heat was
excessive, and Napoleon and Josephine were seated
in conversation at an open window of the Tuileries.
It was late-near midnight. Suddenly, they were
startled by the appearance of a red light which
illumined the horizon. The imperial couple be-
held in the reflection of this red light, a multitude
of persons assembled in the parterres of the gar-
dens. They were seized with consternation, and
were about to give an alarm; but the extraordinary
silence of the multitude awed and astonished them,
and no one ventured to approach the palace.
In the midst of the crowd, a scaffold was raised,
covered with red cloth. An executioner and
two of his assistants mounted it they were fol-
lowed by the person who was about to suffer,
and who had his hands tied behind him. The
crowd hissed and hooted him; but he ascended
with a firm step, and turned to address the po-
pulace. What was the amazement of the Emperor
and Empress on beholding his features, to recog-
nize those of Napoleon!.... Josephine shrieked,
and fainted, and, in a moment, the vision va-
nished. Both the Emperor and Empress con-
curred precisely in every particular in describing
what they had seen, and each related to me
the story separately. They were not asleep,
and certainly you will not accuse Napoleon of want
of firmness."
NAPOLEON AND JOSEPHINE.
This anecdote naturally surprised us; and the
serious and emphatic manner in which the Prince
related it, prevented us from expressing any
doubts of its reality. We took it as it was offered
to us, and at its conclusion I said to the
Prince :-
CC
229
Monseigneur, may I venture to ask whether
you have ever been witness to any thing apparently
supernatural ?”
As yet, I cannot say that I have," replied
"But wait a little, and, if Heaven should
(C
he.
1
230
A PROMISED STORY.
spare me till another year, then ask me the same
question."
a
I did so, and the Prince granted me his confi-
dence. What he communicated to me, the reader
shall learn at the proper time and place.
I
CHAPTER V.
The Marquis de Maniban-Remarks on the old French Magis-
tracy-Emoluments and duties of a Parliament Counsellor-
The Doyen's mule, a Toulousian anecdote-Opinions respecting
the guilt of the Calas family-Victims sacrificed by the Jaco-
bins to revenge Calas-Napoleon's intention of restoring the
old Parliaments-His conversation with Cambacérès on that
subject-Remarks of the Duke d'Augoulême relative to the old
Parliaments-Scheme for a gallant intrigue at the Court of the
Tuileries-Base speculations on Napoleon's gallantry-Beau-
tiful reply of the Emperor to a petition of the Empress Jo-
sephine-Military anecdotes-Secret mission to England in
1811-Plan for inducing the Bourbons to renounce their claim
to the throne of France-Prince Talleyrand's loss of memory-
Madame de N....-Unpublished letter of Fouché-Madame
de N... .'s visit to Hartwell-Her letter to Prince Cambacérès
-The Count de La Châtre-The Duke of Orleans-The Count
de Blacas-Description of His Majesty Louis XVIII-Père
Elysée-The Duchess d'Angoulême-Her charitable disposition
-The Duke de Berry-His morganatic marriage-His two
daughters-Napoleon's reception of the Royal message-A
celebrated remark of Napoleon-Explanation of the occasion
on which it was inade.
Sp
ONE evening, when Prince Cambacérès had a
small party of friends, the Marquis de Mani-
232
THE OLD FRENCH MAGISTRACY.
ban was present. The Marquis had formerly
been a President in the Parliament of Toulouse.
He was a man of good family and was distin-
guished for his intellectual acquirements. The
conversation turned on the subject of the old
magistracy, its preponderance, the respect in which
it was held, and its influence in the scale of
the government.
Some one present asked what had been gained
by the abolition of the sale of offices.
Nothing," replied the Prince,
except that
intriguing ignorance is enabled the more easily
to supersede learning. The venality, as it is termed,
was a wise and prudent system. An office was a
good inheritance which might be transmitted from
father to son, and it was guarded by a heavy
pecuniary security. The result of the system was,
that a young man from his boyhood devoted him-
self to the study of our laws and parliamentary
forms. Impressed with the dignified station which
his father filled in society, he was naturally anxious
to maintain it in his own person. He conse-
quently became grave and erudite. He was proof
against pecuniary corruption, for he possessed rank,
fortune, and supremacy. Such families were the
glory of a province; their names were main-
tained with pride; and they were a nucleus, round
which a most respectable body could always be
assembled. How great is the difference now!
The Magistrate issues from the shop or manu-
66
CC
-
PARLIAMENTARY FAMILIES.
233
factory. He has an eager thirst for money, is
determined to amass a great fortune, and is not
very nice as to the means of obtaining it. He
finds himself an insulated being in the midst of
his family, no one member of which stimulates
him by example. In our old parliamentary fami-
lies, on the contrary, the grandfather, father, sons-
in-law, uncles, nephews and cousins all wore the
robe; their whole lives were devoted to the courts.
They might of themselves have formed a tribunal,
or at least a chamber. What a fund of infor-
mation they possessed, and what a power of
applying it to practical use! If an observation
was omitted by one, it was sure to be made by
another. If a case had passed through the lower
courts, and came to be judged in the last instance
by the grand Chamber of the Parliaments of Paris
or Toulouse, the decision was as much respected
as if it had emanated from heaven. The judgment
of those magistrates was so unquestionable, that it
was appealed to from all parts of Europe. These
extraordinary men rose at four in the morning,
and put on their robes of office which they wore
until they retired to rest at night. Before seven
o'clock, they were assembled in court, where they
dispatched an immense quantity of business. From
dinner time till evening, they held conferences, (this
was called sabatine) and, by way of recreation, they
examined the law cases on which they had to
234 PARLIAMENTS OF TOULOUSE AND PARIS.
make reports. This austere and solemn existence,
together with the restraint imposed by the magis-
terial costume, formed a sort of priesthood, whose
laborious duties, though not rewarded by large
emoluments, were amply paid in honour and con-
sideration. Compare these venal magistrates with
those of the present day, whose appointments are
gratuitous, and let us see where is the balance of
utility and respectability."
(C
Every counsellor in the Parliament of Tou-
louse," observed the Marquis de Maniban, pur-
chased his post in the reigns of Louis XIII, and
Louis XIV. The amount paid was between seventy
and eighty thousand francs. In Paris, the sum was
more considerable; it amounted to fifty thousand
crowns. In the reign of Louis XVI, it was re-
quisite to give for these same offices, in the
provinces, as much as thirty, forty, or fifty thousand
crowns of effective security. The interest was
two and a half per cent per annum. What trades-
man would strike such a bargain? The salaries
of counsellors amounted in our court, to about one
hundred and twenty livres per month--"
(C
There is another circumstance worthy of re-
mark," said I, begging the President's pardon
for the interruption, M. de Malcor, who was
the colleague of the Marquis and of my father,
has assured me that these five louis, which the
magistrate was to receive as the reward of de-
(6
66
EMOLUMENTS OF COUNSELLORS.
235
voting his whole life to his duties, were scarcely in
any instance paid. So much for the expenses
which the Parliaments entailed on France."
"A very laborious counsellor," resumed the
Marquis de Maniban, might, thanks to the
stipends allotted to the subalterns, realize an in-
come of about eighteen hundred or two thousand
livres per annum. But, to enable him to do this,
two conditions were indispensable; the first was
that his occupation should be colossal; and the
second, that other magistrates should be less active;
for, if all had been equally anxious to augment
their scanty pittance, the two thousand crowns
must have dwindled down to one thousand or
twelve hundred at most. This sum was not de-
rived from the state, but emanated from the pleaders.
The Doyen of the Parliament of Toulouse alone
enjoyed a considerable emolument derived from
the letting of houses and shops, situated within
the precincts of the court. These habitations were
much in request, because, the persons occupying
them enjoyed certain privileges; for
for example,
they might carry on any trade or business without
being subject to visits of inspection from the officers
of government or the local authorities.
(C
"You see, gentlemen, how slender was the
pecuniary advantage attendant on these functions.
I doubt much whether the Procureur-General of
the Parliament of Paris obtained in money the
interest of the eighteen thousand livres, which were
236
PARLIAMENTARY PRESIDENTS.
paid to Fouquet for the purchase of the post. The
appointment of what was termed a president à
mortier, cost from five to six hundred thousand
livres ; the purchase money was from two hundred;
and seventy thousand livres. But then a chief
president was looked upon as a demi-god. Even
a president à mortier was greater than a prince.
The counsellors enjoyed a degree of importance
of which it would now be difficult to form an idea.
Whenever any of them sojourned in a parish,
the local authorities proceeded to pay their res-
pects to them, and delivered to them an address,
accompanied by a present of wine and fruit. A
privileged place was reserved for them wherever
they went.
ઃઃ
"M. de Cambolas, the head of an old Par-
liamentary family of Toulouse, which had long
been distinguished for learning, integrity and free-
dom from party spirit, resided about as far from
our Palais de Justice, as the Porte Saint-Denis is
distant from the Carrousel. M. de Cambolas who,
being the senior president of the Parliament, was
called the Doyen, proceeded regularly every morn-
ing at six o'clock to the Palais de Justice, mounted
on his mule, which was a fine animal of the limoi-
sin breed. This important personage, before whom
the inhabitants of Toulouse bowed their heads and
trembled, trotted to and from his house to the
Palais, unaccompanied by a valet or attendant
of any kind. The respect inspired by Monsieur
-
THE DOYEN'S MULE.
237
le Doyen was not unmingled with fear, for he was
a severe judge, inflexible to vice, and merciless
to the infringers of the law. On arriving at the
inner gate of the Palais, M. de Cambolas was
met by the usher, who placed a stool for him
to step on and helped him to alight. The mule
then, at the signal of a gentle tap of the usher's
wand, turned round, and set off at a trot to the
stable adjoining his master's hotel, where his pro-
vender was in readiness for him. At precisely ten
minutes before twelve, the mule again started from
his resting place, and trotted back alone to the
Palais, in the court-yard of which he never failed
to arrive, just as the clock struck twelve. The
venerable Doyen then bestrided his faithful limoisin
and returned home to the mule the business
of the day was then over; though only half
ended to his worthy master.
:
"This routine had been kept up for the space
of thirty years uninterrupted by any accident.
The mule passed and repassed every day twice
with the Doyen and twice without him, and with
such undeviating punctuality with regard to time,
that clocks and watches were regulated by his appear-
ance and many a rendez-vous was fixed with
the following formula: - Rely on me: I will be as
punctual as the mule of M. de Cambolas.' The
mule was known to all the inhabitants of Toulouse
young and old. He shared no small portion of
the veneration which was rendered to his master;
238
and none of the boys of Toulouse, though cer-
tainly not less mischievous than those of Paris,
would have ventured to tease or annoy the pri-
vileged mule. It happened that there was a
Dutchman whose evil star led him to Toulouse. He
was a cutler by trade, and he came in quest of em-
ployment, which, being a good workman, he easily
obtained. He was a quarrelsome, disorderly fellow,
always getting into broils, and he committed
some offence for which he incurred punishment.
The genius of mischief prompted him to seek
revenge for this punishment, not, indeed, on the
venerable Doyen, but on his scarcely less revered
mule.
THE MISCHIEVOUS DUTCHMAN.
"One day, within a few minutes of noon, the
faithful animal was trotting along the Rue de
Canteliers on his way to the Palais de Justice to
fetch his master home, when his legs got entangled
in a cord, which had been purposely placed in
the way. The mule became frightened, but he
succeeded in extricating himself from the trap
that had been set for him, and, turning out of his
direct course, ran through several narrow lanes.
The people in the street who witnessed this oc-
currence, and trembled for its consequences, ran
after the mule, and, having succeeded in over-
taking him, conducted him in triumph to the
residence of M. de Cambolas.
"The clock struck twelve, and the worthy Doyen
rose from his seat, and prepared to leave the
239
Palais de Justice; but who can picture his sur-
prise, when, on reaching the gate, he discovered
that the mule was not in attendance, and that
there was no servant or messenger from his house
to explain the mysterious circumstance! Could
any one have stolen the animal?.... Impossible!
.. To steal the mule of the Doyen of Toulouse,
was about as likely as that any thief in Rome
should attempt to lay sacrilegious hands on the
Pope's tiara. The whole Palais was a scene of
consternation. The young counsellors, (prompted
by veneration for their respected colleague,) the
clerks, ushers, serjeants, registrars, tip-staves,
all were hurrying to and fro and making inquiries.
No tidings of the mule! M. de Bertier, one of
the presidents, offered M. Cambolas a seat in his
carriage and drove him home, where the Doyen's
anxiety was relieved by the discovery that the
mule had arrived before him.
THE LOST MULE.
"The court took cognizance of this affair.
It was judged in a solemn audience, and the
Dutchman was declared to have committed a
crime of very serious magnitude. By attacking
the Doyen's mule, he was guilty of insulting the
whole sovereign court of the parliament. He
must, it was alleged, have committed this of
fence, for the purpose of bringing ridicule upon
the august magisterial body. He was, conse-
quently, sentenced to be imprisoned, whipped,
THE DUTCHMAN'S PUNISHMENT.
branded, and sent to the galleys for five years.
He, however, escaped; arrangements having been
made to enable him to do so, for our ancestors
were equally humane and severe. But, the pri-
soner was nevertheless condemned in contumacy,
and executed in effigy for the sake of example.
The example was certainly effectual for years
afterwards mothers were heard to say to their
refractory children by way of reprimand:
"You rogue, you deserve to be punished like
the Dutchman.'"
:
This anecdote, which was told with infinitely
more point and humour than I can throw into it,
amused us exceedingly. Some one of the com-
pany observed, that the sentence of the parliament
was ridiculously severe but others admired the
union of rigour and mercy displayed in the sen-
tence. The person on whom the example was
made, was a foreigner, and his punishment was,
in reality, only banishment from Toulouse. His
offence was, it is true, unimportant, and ludicrous,
rather than serious, but its punishment was cal-
culated to add to the respect due to the sovereign
magistracy. Any act, detrimental to that respect,
partook of the nature of sacrilege. But then, on
the other hand, by what fatigue, toil, and un-
remitting service did the judges purchase this
respect! They were like slaves, bound to per-
petual labour on the soil; it was but just that
240
THE CALAS FAMILY.
241
the chains which they wove, for the interest of
all, should be doubly gilded.
Allusion was made to other judgments pro-
nounced by the parliament of Toulouse, and some
of the company disapproved the sentence on the
family of Calas.
..
Softly, gentlemen," said the Marquis de
Maniban, "softly, if you please....Do you admit the
proposition that fanaticism exists, that it pervades
all mankind? ... then,
then, coming to the applica-
tion, do you mean to advance that catholics
alone are capable of murdering their children?
This, I am sorry to say, would be lamentably
unjust, and yet, such is the inference you would
deduce. All religious creeds, all political opinions
have their enthusiasts, who shrink not from the
commission of murder. Take, for example, the
Jews who massacred those who worshipped other
gods than theirs.... the pagans, who, after the
preaching of the gospel, wished to drown the
christians in blood. Look at the assassination
of the Duke de Guise, by a protestant.... the
numberless cruelties inflicted by the Mussulmans
on the Greeks... and the attempt to poison Ma-
homet! Would you attribute all these crimes to
catholics? Admit, then,
Admit, then, the possibility of a
father, not a catholic, sacrificing his son to his
faith, and do not heap all these black crimes on
the followers of the religion in which you were
VOL. I.
R
242
born, which some of you profess, and to which
you will all, one day or other, return."
This vigorous philippic roused the philosophers
of the company.
THE CALAS FAMILY.
"What!" they exclaimed, "do you mean to
affirm that the family of Calas murdered their
their brother, and brother-in-law ?"
>
<<
"that
-
Yes, gentlemen," replied the Marquis,
is my opinion, and it is supported by the sentence
of two tribunals, one of which is the Chambre de
Tournelle, of the parliament of Toulouse: this
is saying not a little. However, we do not
pretend to infallibility; we may be wrong; but,
to convince us of our mistake, you must prove,
by evidence as clear as daylight, that every par-
ricide, every fillicide has been committed by ca-
tholics, and, that no other religion whatsoever,
presents any example of such a crime. Do you
hope to obliterate the remembrance of Brutus,
of Manlius Tarquatus, of Timolean, of Cresus, of
Atræus, of Sapor, and hundreds of other fathers,
who have murdered their sons, and sons who have
murdered their fathers, without the pale of chris-
tianity? Calvin had Servet roasted at a slow fire
for debating questions of speculative theology: do
you imagine that he would have spared his own
blood? Do not, then, allege that the protestants are
free from religious hatred, and, above all, fanaticism!
I am well aware that the descendants of the Calas
would be indignant if they heard me argue thus:
TRISTAN D'ESCALONNE.
243
that would be very natural. Let them try to
refute me; it is their duty to do so. My grand-
father maintained the innocence of the family,
as may be seen in the writings of Voltaire; but
his wife, whose judgment was not less sound than
his, was of the opposite opinion. People may
differ on a historical point; especially, when good
evidence may be adduced in support of both sides
of a great question.
"However, the partizans of Calas have fully
avenged him. The grandson of the Capitoul,
David d'Escalonne, (who was chief judge on the
trial of Calas,) was executed at Toulouse, in 1794:
there was no shadow of ground for the condem-
nation of the young and unfortunate Tristan
d'Escalonne, except revenge for the condemnation
of Calas. Madame de Cambon was sacrificed for
the same motive, as were likewise two or three
other members of the family. The Calvinists of
Toulouse shewed themselves implacable. Who
has forgotten the revolutionary fanaticism of the
minister, Jullien, who was chosen a member of the
National Convention, where he voted for the
death of the King without appeal or postpone-
ment ? Let us not be told of the tolerance of
the Calvinists: there is as much fanaticism among
them as among the catholics."
The discussion threatened to become warm;
and Prince Cambacérès brought it to a conclusion
by observing:
R 2
244
NAPOLEON'S OPINION OF
"I have been accused of being a parliamen-
tarian; I do not deny the charge: I am so, for I
exercise my reason. But Napoleon was even more
favourable to the old parliaments than I. In 1812,
when the Emperor was about to depart for the
campaign of Russia, I was engaged with him
in arranging some judicial appointments. He
was consulting private notes, and he grew impa-
tient, for he did not meet with any description
which precisely corresponded with the persons
he wished; for he was desirous of being very
select in his choice. Suddenly he exclaimed:
"Do you know that you have made me take
a very wrong step?'
"I, Sire! When?"
"Bah! these imperial courts ....
.. they are
mere half measures.... mere trickery, tending to
no good end. I want something better. Here!
cast your eye over these notes ;-even those which
have been furnished by men of the revolution.
You will see that, in all cases, the members of the
old parliaments, or the descendants, are ranked
among the most respectable men in the provinces.
Do you know, Monsieur Archi.... (he frequently
used this abbreviation when addressing me fami-
liarly,) do you know that to have resisted a
revolution such as ours, there must have existed,
in these families, virtues and talents of the highest
order? I do not allude to fortune-by no means
.I know there are many rogues worth a
...
THE OLD PARLIAMENTS.
245
hundred thousand francs per annum, who have
neither honesty nor consistency. These families
must have possessed something better than wealth
-hereditary honour! Yes, that raised the man
to a level with the office; now, on the contrary,
the office must be made suitable to the man who
is to fill it. The consequence is, a miserably in-
competent set of magistrates and other public
functionaries. Monsieur, in 1811, it would have
been wise to have restored the old parliaments.'
(C
Well, Sire, did I not propose that measure ?”
“Oh!... yes.... certainly you proposed it ;
I gave a negative answer, and there the matter
ended. But, if you thought the measure a good
one, you should have pointed out to me its be-
neficial results, and have pressed its adoption :
I then should have yielded, for I have no preju-
dice; I am anxious only for the good of the
country. When I am convinced that a thing is
bad, I give it up. I can have no interest in
wishing to deceive myself. The great advantage,
which a nation derives from a king, is that a king
is the father of his people, and the owner of
the soil. It is natural to be attached to one's
children and one's property; we desire that the
former should love us, and that the latter should
be productive. To be productive, it must be
well cultivated, and the sovereign is a fool, who
does not seek to accomplish that object by every
means in his power.'
246
NAPOLEON'S OPINION OF
"I admired the lofty views of Napoleon. He
soared like an eagle over the point under con-
sideration.
The restoration of the parliaments, said I,
is a question of the utmost importance. It is
connected, too, with several other questions of a
difficult nature, for example: hereditary succes-
sion, venality, etc. But, Sire, I added, you are
all-powerful, and, were I in your place, I would
attempt the great enterprise. It would impart
irresistible stability to your institutions."
'
"But,' replied he, the old parliaments were
perpetually in rebellion against the royal authority.
They made representations, and refused to re-
gister edicts. By restoring them, we should
plunge ourselves into all the dissensions of the
old régime, to avert which, I have condemned
the Legislative Body to silence. I will never suffer
any public assembly to impede the measures of
government.'
Sire, observed I, every thing, however good,
has its bad side. Certainly, the resistance of the
parliaments, sometimes perplexed the govern-
ment; but, observe, Sire, that these embarrass-
ments occurred only in fiscal cases.
It is true,
they opposed lettres de cachet, which nobody in
France approved, except those who signed them.
With these exceptions, when did the parliaments
meddle in the affairs of government?
Did they
ever dictate a cabinet for the King? No, Sire,
..
-
THE OLD PARLIAMENTS.
247
be assured that their independent resistance, gave
to the throne more power than they took from
it. This resistance was passive and not hostile;
it was, perhaps, a little troublesome, but never
injurious.
"Monsieur, every assembly which opposes
the sovereign, wins the favour of the people. The
one gains in power all that the other loses. We live
in an age in which the opposition of public as-
semblies is dangerous. Every thing that has risen
from the revolution must command absolute
respect. Order can be maintained only on that
condition.'
،،
"Your Majesty," said I,
forgets with what
facility those parliaments, so dear to the people
on account of their resistance, fell, and how their
defenders forsook them. The monarch is the
only real source of power. The power of public
bodies and assemblies is fictitious. The jealousy
which they inspire will always deprive them of
their power at the sovereign's will."
CC <
This is a subject to be considered. (When
the Emperor used this phrase, it meant that he
concurred in the opinion of the person with whom
he had been arguing.) The hereditary succession,'
he continued, has great weight with me. Heredi-
tary parliamentary families would be interested in
upholding my house. The more ancient, the greater
would be their influence. An alliance between them
and me would operate greatly to my advantage. It
248
INTENTION OF RESTORING
would be necessary to diminish the number of the
Cours Royales, in the south especially. Bour-
deaux, Toulouse, Aix, Grenoble, Lyons, Besançon,
Douai, Paris, Strasbourg, Nancy, Amiens or Troyes,
Poitiers, Orleans or Bourges; these would suffice
for all France. There must be fifty counsellors at
least, and a hundred at most; and twelve or twenty-
four auditors. The security must be from sixty to a
hundred thousand francs; from one hundred and
twenty thousand to two hundred thousand for presi-
dents à mortier; the same sum for the imperial pro-
cureur-général; for advocates-general, and counsel-
lors, the sum should be fixed, in proportion to their
local importance. The chief president should not be
required to give any security--the post would,
consequently, be disposable. The sovereign should
have the power of changing the first president at
pleasure. Nevertheless, I am fully aware of the
necessity of independence in the members of the
court; without it, they could command no consi-
deration. See how our lawyers are regarded now:
they are said to be my valets; but this is a mistake.
As to salaries, they should be considerable, or
null:— that is a question to be discussed. Would
it be right to make fortune indispensable? Should
we not accept merit, though allied with poverty?
These questions need create no embarrassment.
Wealth is ever anxious to acquire respect. Rich
men will always be eager to marry their daughters to
poor nobles, or men of respectability invested with
1
THE OLD PARLIAMENTS.
249
high functions. Besides, if a man of distinguished
talent be poor, it is the duty of his sovereign to enrich
him. The members of these Parliaments should wear
a dignified costume, a general decoration, and they
should gain advancing rank, in proportion to their
merit or years of service, and this without solicit-
ing persons near the throne. The magistracy
should be a cul-de-sac, from which the magistrates
should never be suffered to withdraw themselves.
It should, above all, be raised beyond the reach of
seduction, even on the part of the government.
In short, the magistracy ought to form a sort of
priesthood, which would never suffer any of its
members to dissent from the worship of a jealous
god."
When the Arch-Chancellor repeated these words
of Napoleon, we could not refrain from expressing
our admiration of his ideas, which appeared to us
at once profound and exalted. Prince Cambacérès
smiled, and thus concluded:
CC
Yes, gentlemen, such is the man, who, for
some months past, his stupid enemies have been
assailing with abuse, and describing as devoid of
virtue, perspicuity or genius. His superior talents
gave him immense power over all who came in
contact with him. He was always peculiarly
happy in making a reply. He entered upon every
question with a fund of new ideas and views.
There was as marked a difference as between night
and day, in the sittings of the Council of State,
250
INTENTION OF RESTORING
C
k
during his absence, and when he presided at the
deliberations. His presence seemed to impart
additional energy to our mental powers. The
Emperor concluded his conversation with me on
the subject of the Parliaments, by informing me
that he was about to depart for the army, that the
war would probably last two years, and that on
his return I was to present to him a plan of law,
containing clauses calculated to keep the new
magistracy in subjection. He suggested that their
duties ought to include the superintendence of
the laws relating to provisions and public health;
so that the government, being relieved from these
duties, would not be the object of reproach in
times of scarcity. Besides,' said he, I have
observed that the people always respect those
whose business it is to superintend cleanliness,
tranquillity, and the plentiful supply of provisions
in towns and cities. This branch of the duties of
the old Parliaments tended to increase the influ-
ence and the respect in which they were held.'
"This, gentlemen, was another admirable
proof of the Emperor's perspicacity. The accu-
racy of his judgment cannot be doubted. Every
thing relating to food, to the safety and clean-
liness of the streets, to measures of police,
to the price of meat, bread, and other neces-
saries of life, fixes public attention; and those
whose business it is to superintend those re-
Fate
gulations rank high in popular respect.
C
THE OLD PARLIAMENTS.
251
ordained that Napoleon should not eternally con-
solidate France. Our country was destined to
continue in a state of revolution, as the disasters
of the two last years have sufficiently proved.
We shall now have no Parliaments. The Bour-
bons will not re-establish them. They are not
wise enough to perceive that the security and
stability of the throne depend on their re-
vival."
This last observation of His Serene Highness
brought to my recollection a circumstance which I
related to the company as follows:-
"In April last," said I, "when the Duke
d'Angoulême returned to France, he thus addressed
M. de Boyer, the grand vicaire of the diocese of
Alby
re
،
You and your friends are favourable to the
old Parliaments; but we are not. You would
advocate the establishment of provincial states,
which do not meet our approval. The Parliaments
and the States were turbulent bodies, the former
in particular. They instigated the revolution.
Bonaparte did not restore them; and he had a
keen perception of what would be best for himself.
We shall follow his example. The King my uncle
(Louis XVIII) never approved the Parliaments.
He opposed their restoration in 1814. There is
reason to believe that he will change his
opinion.'*
no
* Louis XVIII, however, did change his opinion; and before
252
NAPOLEON'S GALLANTries.
"You see, gentlemen," resumed Prince Cam-
bacérès, "this anecdote proves the correctness of
my prediction. The Emperor, it is true, did not
restore the old magistracy; but he repented that
error, and he intended to repair it.
It is my
anxious wish to justify the character of Napoleon
in every way. What false and scandalous stories
have been got up respecting him and certain
actresses! Not one of them is true, with the
exception of one rather dramatic adventure, which
occurred at the house of Mlle. Georges. There is,
however, one of Napoleon's gallant adventures,
for the reality of which I can vouch.
(C
Josephine had just been divorced, and the
Austrian Arch-Duchess had been chosen her suc-
cessor, when one of the imperial chamberlains,
whom I will not mention by name, requested
permission to present his daughter-in-law at court.
The young lady was pretty, and, though distin-
guished by a captivating air of simplicity, she was
in reality as artful as Circe. She made her appear-
ance at the Tuileries, at Saint-Cloud, at Fontaine-
bleau, at the theatres, and joined the imperial
hunting parties; in short, she went wherever she
could hope to throw herself in the way of the
Emperor. On these occasions, she could see no
his death he signified his wish to restore the Parliaments. But
he could not venture to take that step. The revolutionary party
held him in terror. The Bourbons have made innumerable sacri-
fices to that party; but they have been ill rewarded.
COURT INTRIGUES.
253
object but Napoleon; she sighed, blushed, and
affected bashfulness, whilst, at the same time, she
was always placed where she must necessarily
attract his notice. At other times, the lady would
stand gazing and sighing before the portraits of
His Majesty.
"Her family, or at least some members of it,
assumed the appearance of being displeased at
her conduct. The imperial chamberlain com-
plained to his friends of his daughter-in-law's
unfortunate passion, and the young lady's mother-
in-law took up the matter in the interest of her
son. As to the husband himself, he evinced
the most philosophic indifference. At length, the
affair became the subject of court gossip; the
Princesses of the blood manifested their disap-
proval of the lady's conduct. But, after all, how
could it be made a subject of complaint that a lady
loved the Emperor? Who could be so uncour-
tierlike as to blame her? At first, the affair was
merely a subject for joking and quizzing; but
when at length the Emperor seemed really to direct
attention to the lady, she and her family were
overwhelmed with homage and respect.
"One day, I attended a sitting of the Council
of State at which the Emperor presided. At the
close of the sitting, I went to receive his com-
mands, and, having taken leave of him, I stepped
into my carriage and drove homeward. I had
not got further than about the middle of the Rue du
-
254
Bac, when I was overtaken by one of the imperial
pages, who informed me that His Majesty wished.
to speak with me immediately. Of course, I or-
dered my coachman to turn and proceed to the
Tuileries. As I drove along, I puzzled myself in
trying to guess what I could be wanted for. I
found the Emperor closeted with the minister of
the police; then I was more mystified than before;
I thought that some formidable conspiracy had
been discovered ; that some grand coup d'état
was to be attempted. Nothing of the kind. The
Emperor left the Duke de Rovigo, and, con-
ducting me to the recess of one of the windows, he
said:
COURT INTRIGUES.
( c
is rendering herself
quite intolerable to me; and the conduct of her
relations is still more odious. Her father-in-law
is a scoundrel, her husband a mean spirited block-
head, and her mother is a vile intriguing woman,
by whose art, however, I am not to be duped.
As to Madame de
herself, her conduct has
disgusted me. The abandoned female who unre-
servedly puts her virtue up to sale, is preferable to
the hypocrite, who, for motives equally mercenary,
affects a sentimental attachment. Now, what I
want you to do is to call on my chamberlain,
who is your friend (I disclaimed the honour, and
the Emperor laughed), and tell him that I dispense
with his service for the space of a year. Inform
his wife that I forbid her appearance at court
G
· Madame de
'
COURT INTRIGUES.
255
for six years; and make known to the affectionate
married couple, that to afford them an oppor-
tunity of duly appreciating each other's excellent
qualities, I give them leave to spend six months
in Naples, six months in Vienna, and six months
in any other part of Germany.'
-
I fulfilled my mission. A great outcry was
raised in certain quarters against the tyranny of the
despot, and deep sympathy was expressed for an in-
teresting family, who, it was alleged, were ill reward-
ed for their devoted loyalty. On another occasion of
a similar kind, I saw the Emperor in a most
violent rage. A lieutenant-colonel had sent him
a letter, soliciting promotion, and adding that,
should he obtain it, he had two daughters who
would be too happy to throw themselves at the
feet of their good Emperor, and thank him for
the benefit conferred on their father....The good
Emperor was furiously indignant, and he said to
me : 'I don't know what withholds me from
having this infamous letter inserted in the order of
the day of the writer's regiment.'
"He made some inquiries respecting this
officer, and he learned that he had been a septem-
briseur and a friend of Robespierre and Fleuriot ;
and that, moreover, he had attained the age which
would qualify him for retirement. The Emperor,
therefore, immediately granted him his retiring
pension. He extended his generosity to the two
daughters, who were amiable young females, and
-
256
totally unconscious of the infamous project en-
tertained by their father. The Emperor settled
a small pension on each of them, on condition
of their leaving Paris and retiring to their native
city. This fact reflects the highest credit on Na-
poleon. His estimable qualities are not sufficiently
known. The sovereigns of Europe were bent on
his destruction; but they will live to deplore his
downfal. With him fell the key stone of the
monarchical arch. The present race of kings have
not power to stem the revolutionary torrent; which
sooner or later will certainly sweep them from the
face of the earth.
THE JEALOUS HUSBAND.
"In Napoleon's disposition, severity and gen-
tleness were singularly and beautifully blended
together. M. de L
a gentleman of about
thirty, married a young lady of sixteen. It was a
mercenary marriage arranged by the lady's friends,
who dragged her to the altar, without consulting
her feelings. She cherished no affection for her
husband; he became jealous of her, and, though
unable to fix upon her the slightest proof of cri-
minality, he murdered her. He was brought to trial,
found guilty, and condemned. He petitioned for
pardon, and his friends appealed to the Empress
Josephine and to me, imploring us to intercede
in his behalf. We did so, and the following was
Napoleon's answer.
"Why should I pardon this man? He availed
himself of fortune for a vile purpose of bribing the
(C
affections of a girl. He did not succeed in winning
them, and he became jealous. His jealousy was
not the result of love, but of vanity. He has
committed the crime of murder. What urged him
to it? Not his honour-for his wife had not injured
it. No, he was instigated by brutality, vanity,
and self-love.... He has no claim to mercy. The
rich are too prone to think themselves elevated
above the reach of the law they imagine that
wealth is a sacred shield to them. This man has
committed a crime for which there is no extenuating
circumstance. He must suffer the punishment
to which he has been justly doomed. If I were to
pardon him, that act of misplaced indulgence,
and art. 324 of the Penal Code, would place in
jeopardy the life of every married woman. In-
asmuch as the law positively protects the outraged
husband, so it must protect the wife against the
consequences of dislike, interest, caprice, or a new
passion, which may impel a husband to obtain a
divorce by a more prompt and less expensive course
than a legal process."
Josephine was urgent in her intercession for
M. de L—, in consequence of the interest she
felt for some of his friends.
CC (
NAPOLEON'S JUSTICE.
This,' she said, addressing the Emperor,
is the first favour I have asked of you since you
have been Emperor. Surely you will grant it.'
'I refuse it.'
CC
VOL. I.
257
S
258
66
Why?'
"The Emperor stated his reasons in the way I
have just related; and then he added :
"When it is known that your persuasion could
not induce me to commit an act of injustice,
no one else will henceforth dare to petition me
for such a purpose.'
He was inexorable.
66
NAPOLEON'S SIMPLE TASTE.
،
"Certainly," pursued Cambacérès, "no one will
accuse Napoleon of being an indulger in the plea-
sures of the table. At the Tuileries, his breakfast was
laid on a little guéridon of mahogany inlaid with
mother o’pearl, on which a napkin was spread by way
of a table-cloth. His morning meal consisted of eggs,
and a haricot salad, after which, he would eat a bit
of parmesan cheese and two olives. He took a little
of his favourite wine, chambertin, very much di-
luted with water; and he crowned the whole by a
cup of coffee. He took no liquor, but sometimes,
though very rarely, he took a glass of wine. He
usually despatched his breakfast in seven or eight
minutes. When he eat longer than twenty minutes,
at dinner, he considered it quite an orgie.
"He was simple in all his tastes. In dress,
he never displayed any trace of vanity. Many
of his generals, however, followed the example
of Murat, King of Naples, and paid the most.
studied attention to dress and personal decoration.
One of those most distinguished in this way, was
HIS SIMPLE STYLE OF DRESS.
the brave and handsome General Count d'Orsenne,
who was a hero on the field of battle, and a type
of elegance at court and in society.
"Count d'Orsenne one day accompanied the
Emperor on a reconnoitring excursion. The Em-
peror had been complaining of thirst, and some
one seeing a vivandière, or suttler-woman, at a little
distance, called to her. The woman did not know
Napoleon, or any of his escort. She gave the
Emperor a glass of spring water mixed with a
little brandy, and then curtsied for payment.
"There, my good woman,' said Napoleon,
pointing to Count d'Orsenne, there is the Em-
peror, ask him for the money. He pays for us
all.'
259
"The vivandière blushed, and looked embar-
rassed; then, turning to the Count, she scanned
his splendid uniform with the eye of a connoisseur,
and said :
(C
'He! pooh nonsense! Do you think I am
fool enough to believe that. The Emperor is not
such a coxcomb. You, Sir, look much more like
him yourself.'
"C
“The Emperor was much amused at this remark,
and he gave the woman a double louis."
Count Daru, who was one of the party on the
evening when Prince Cambacérès related the above
anecdote, said:
Your amusing story, Monseigneur, reminds
s 2
260
me of another also relating to one of those camp-
following nymphs, called vivandières. You know
how carefully the Emperor preserved his incognito
when he was with the army. It was well that he did
so; for he frequently ventured into places where,
had he been known, he would have incurred the
greatest risks. During one of the campaigns in
Germany, the Emperor, wrapped in his celebrated
grey great coat, was riding about in the environs
of Munich, attended only by two orderly officers.
He met on the road a very pretty looking female,
who, by her dress, was evidently a vivandière. She
was weeping and was leading, by the hand, a little
boy, about five years of age. Struck by the
beauty of the woman and her distress, the Emperor
pulled up his horse by the road side, and said:
What is the matter with you, my dear?'
“The woman, not knowing the individual by
whom she was addressed, and being much discom-
posed by her grief, made no reply. The little boy,
however, was more communicative, and he frankly
answered:
66
THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON
CC ،
My mother is crying, Sir, because my father
has beat her.'
(( (
Where is your father?'
"Close by here. He is one of the sentinels on
duty with the baggage.
"The Emperor again addressed himself to the
woman and inquired the name of her husband;
but she refused to tell, being fearful lest the Cap--
AND THE VIVANDIÈRE.
tain, as she supposed the Emperor to be, would
cause her husband to be punished. Napoleon,
I am sorry to say, had but little confidence in the
fair sex.
On this occasion, his habitual suspicions
occurred to his mind, and he said:
CC C
261
Malpeste! your husband has been beating
you; you are weeping, and yet you are so afraid
of getting him into trouble that you will not even
tell me his name. This is very inconsistent! May
it not be that you are a little in fault yourself?'
"Alas, Captain! he has a thousand good qua-
lities, though he has one very bad one.... He is
jealous....terribly jealous; and, when he gets into
a passion, he cannot restrain his violence.'
"But that is rather serious; in one of his fits
of jealousy, he may inflict on you some severe in-
jury...perhaps kill you.'
And, even if he did, I should not wish any
harm to come to him; for I am sure he would not
do it wilfully. He loves me too well for that.'
С. “
-
"And, if I guess rightly, you love him.'
"That is very natural, Captain; he is my lawful
husband and the father of my dear boy !'
"So saying, she fondly kissed her child, who, by
the way in which he returned her caresses, proved
his affection for his mother. Napoleon was moved
by this touching picture, in spite of the heart of
iron, of marble, or of adamant, which has so often
been allotted to him.
"Well,' said he, again turning to the woman,
262
THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON
whether you and your husband love each other or
not, I do not chose that he should beat you....I
am....I am one of the Emperor's aides-de-camp,
and I will mention the affair to His Majesty....
Tell me your husband's name !'
..
""" If
tr C
If you were the Emperor himself, I would not
tell it you; for I know he would be punished.'
Silly woman! All I want is to teach him to
behave well to you, and to treat you with the res-
pect you deserve.'
"That would make me very happy, Captain;
but, though he ill treats, me I will not get him
punished.'
"The Emperor shrugged his shoulders, made
some remark upon female obstinacy, and galloped
off.
CC
When he was out of the woman's hearing, he
said to the officers who accompanied him:
"Well, gentlemen! what do you think of that
affectionate creature? There are not many such
women at the Tuileries. A wife like that is a
treasure to her husband.'
"In the course of a few minutes, the baggage, of
which the boy had spoken, came up. It was es-
corted by a company of the 52nd. Napoleon des-
patched one of the officers, who was riding with
him, to desire the commander of the escort to
come to him.
"Have you a vivandière in your company
"Yes, Sire,' replied the Captain.
of.'
'Has she a child?'
"Yes, little Gentil, whom we are all so fond
AND THE VIVANDIÈRE.
263
"Has not the woman been beaten by her hus-
band?'
"I was not aware of the circumstance, till
some time after its occurrence. I have reprimanded
the man.'
"Is he generally well conducted?"
،، ،
He is the best behaved man in the company.
He is very jealous of his wife, but without reason.
The woman's conduct is irreproachable.'
“Does he know me by sight?'
"I cannot say, Sire....but, as he has just ar-
rived from Spain, I think it is probable he does
not.'
CC C
Try and ascertain whether he has ever seen
me, and, if he has not, bring him hither. Say
you wish to conduct him before the General of the
division.'
CC C
"On inquiry, it appeared that Napoleon had
never been seen by the grenadier, who was a very
fine looking man, about five and twenty. When he
was conducted to Napoleon, the latter said in a
familiar tone :
"What is the reason, my lad, that you beat
your wife? She is a young and pretty woman;
and is a better wife than you are a husband. Such
conduct is disgraceful in a French grenadier.'
Bah, General! if women are to be believed,
X
264
they are never in the wrong. I have forbidden my
wife to talk to any man whatever; and yet, in
spite of my commands, I find her constantly
gossiping with one or other of my comrades.'
65 6
Now, there is your mistake. You want to
prevent a woman from talking.... you might as
well try to turn the course of the Danube. Take
my advice; do not be jealous. Let your wife
gossip and be merry. If she were doing wrong,
it is likely she would be sad instead of gay. Your
comrades are not absolutely capuchins; but I am
much mistaken if they will not respect another
man's wife. I desire that you do not strike your
wife again; and, if my order be not obeyed, the
Emperor shall hear of it. Suppose His Majesty
were to give you a reprimand, what would you say
then ?'
THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON
"Ma foi! General, my wife is mine, and I
may beat her if I choose. I should say to the
Emperor Sire, look you to the enemy, and leave
me to manage my wife.'
(C
Napoleon laughed, and said : My good
fellow, you are now speaking to the Emperor.'
σε
The word produced its usual magical effect.
The grenadier looked confused, held down his
head, lowered his voice, and said :
"Oh, Sire! that quite alters the case. Since
your Majesty commands, I of course obey.'
"That's right. I hear an excellent character
of your wife. Every body speaks well of her.
265
AND THE VIVANDIÈRE.
She braved my displeasure, rather than expose
you to punishment. Reward her by kind treat-
ment. I promote you to the rank of sergeant, and,
when you arrive at Munich, apply to the Grand
Maréchal du Palais, and he shall present you with
four hundred francs. With that you may buy
a suttler's caravan, which will enable your wife
to carry on a profitable business. Your son is
a fine boy, and, at some future time he shall be
provided for. But, mind, never let me hear of
your beating your wife again. If I do, you shall
find that I can deal hard blows as well as you.'
"Ah, Sire! I can never be sufficiently grateful
for your kindness.'
"Two or three years after this circumstance,
the Emperor was with the army in another cam-
paign. Napoleon, you know, has a wonderful
power of recollecting the countenances of persons
whom he has once seen. On one of his marches,
he met and recognised the vivandière and her son.
He immediately rode up to her, saying:
"Well, my good woman, how do you do?
Has your husband kept the promise he made me?'
The poor woman burst into tears, and threw
herself at the Emperor's feet.
(C 6
-
Oh, Sire! Oh, Sire! Since my good star
led me into the gracious presence of your Majesty,
I have been the happiest of women.'
"Then reward me by being the most virtuous
of wives.'
266
THE IMPERIAL GUARD.
"A few pieces of gold were presented with
these words; and, as Napoleon rode off, the cries
of vive l'Empereur! uttered amidst tears and sobs
by the mother and her son, were enthusiastically
repeated by the whole battalion."
I am a faithful historian, and I am bound to
state that this anecdote, which was related in a
very interesting way by Count Daru, deeply
moved the feelings of all who heard it. In truth,
had we not been restrained by fear of the police,
I think we should have followed the example of
the grenadier's comrades, and have shouted vive
l'Empereur! But, in 1814, it would not have
been very prudent to have yielded to such an
ebullition of enthusiasm. Armies led by such a
man as Napoleon, could not fail to be victorious.
Their triumphs were always certain, until they were
required to achieve impossibilities. Even then,
they did not shrink from the bold attempt; and
on fifty fields of battle these sublime words have
been verified: la garde meurt et ne se rend pas.
The noble traits in Napoleon's character, are
an inexhaustible theme: to record them would
be a never-ending chapter. His vigour of in-
tellect, too, was truly great. There seemed no
object which did not come within the range of
his perception. He was most anxious to rally
round himself the different parties by which
France was divided. I heard Prince Cambacérès
relate," that one summer's evening, when he was
267
walking with the Emperor in the gardens of Fon-
tainebleau, Napoleon suddenly stopped, and, gazing
attentively at the château, said:
tr
"I am not surprised, Prince Cambacérès, that
the members of the house of Bourbon should
regret the past... So many fine palaces, and the
government of such a country! I pity them.
Their mourning must now be eternal. My dy-
nasty is now firmly rooted. Unto us a son is
born!' The use of this scriptural expression,
struck me as remarkable.
66 6
NAPOLEON AND THE BOURBONS.
1
are
My brothers,' continued Napoleon,
reigning in other kingdoms, (this was in 1811.)
I am allied by blood to Austria. To dethrone me,
is impossible; therefore, farewell to the Bourbons.
Why can they not see the fact as it really is? Why
do they still cling to the broken fragments of a
crown which can never again be repaired? This
irritates me; and my anger is to be feared as I
have already shown them. The lesson has not
availed.' This was clearly an allusion to the death
of the Duke d'Enghien.
"The Emperor," continued Prince Cambacérès,
"resumed his walk, and I accompanied him in
silence. After we had proceeded a little distance,
he said:
"If I were in the situation of those people,
I would submit to my fate: and, instead of con-
stantly turning my thoughts to the past, I would
endeavour to improve my present condition.
268
There are two islands in which they might es-
tablish themselves without difficulty; I allude
to Cyprus and Candia: one or the other, or even
both. I and the other powers of Europe might
enter into an arrangement with the Ottoman Porte.
I would even undertake the expense of establish-
ing them in the outset. I would send troops, if
required, and maintain an army there for a con-
siderable time. In short,' here he lowered his
voice, I cannot tell why, 'I would give a
hundred, or a hundred and fifty millions by way
of indemnity, on condition of an alliance between
the two families-a marriage between the Duke de
Berri and my niece, Zenaïde, but without the
crown of Spain, which shall be subject to the
Salic law.* What do you think of this plan of
settling all differences?'
"The ball being thus thrown at me, I could
not do otherwise than take it up. I was not a
little astonished at what I had heard, and I re-
plied :
"Sire, this is a most serious and important
question. It is certain that all reasonable hope
ought to be extinct in the hearts of the Bourbons.
But still it is scarcely to be expected that those
SUGGESTED ARRANGEMENT WITH
❤
* The Princess Zenaïde was the eldest daughter of the King of
Spain, (Joseph Bonaparte.) Her hand was solicited by Ferdi-
nand VII, but Napoleon would not consent to the marriage.
The Princess married her cousin, Charles Lucien Bonaparte,
Prince of Mussignano, a son of Prince Lucien.
269
who have once been seated on the throne of
France, should willingly forego all thought of
returning to that illustrious station. Besides, do
not their friends constantly nurse them in the
hope of a restoration?
C
"Their friends are fools, blockheads, base
flatterers! Such conduct deserves the severest
punishment. Nurse them in the hope of a resto-
ration!' exclaimed Napoleon, striking his foot on
the ground. How can the Bourbons return to
France? By taking my life. What then? my
son, my brothers, my generals, my function-
aries, the purchasers of national property, the
jacobins and the regicides would still be here.
They know that the Bourbons would wage impla-
cable war against them; that they would pursue
them to extermination. Besides, Austria will not
prefer distant relatives to the daughter of her own
Emperor. My cause is now hers
If they
spare my life, how many years must elapse before
they will dare attempt to invade France, and,
above all, to dictate laws to us? Can you answer
that question, Prince?'
"I shook my head negatively. Alas! in 1811
who could have foreseen the disasters of 1812, of
1813, and the inconceivable catastrophe of the
present year? Certainly no one. I saw and
thought as the Emperor did. I forgot the seeming
distance which, in 1789, separated Louis XVI from
that scaffold which he mounted four years after-
THE BOURBON FAMILY.
•
270
SUGGESTED ARRANGEMENT WITH
wards. The decrees of Providence are far beyond
the calculations of human foresight!
"Napoleon, still absorbed in his idea, thus
continued:
tr C
Well, since you agree with me in thinking
that to dethrone me and my son would be an
impossibility, endeavour to seek out a clever man,
unconnected with any party..one who can manage
a negociation ably. Direct him to go to England
and to see the Count de Lille, whom they style
Louis XVIII. He is a man of sense, and will
see the matter in its right point of view, more
readily than the rest of the family. If I could
gain him over to my project, it might soon be
accomplished. You will be cautious not to allow
any hint of this to reach the Cabinet of London.
It would throw obstacles in the way. Its interest
is to prevent me getting rid of embarrassing, though
not dangerous, enemies. This is a delicate and
important mission, and it shall make a Prince
of him who executes it well and faithfully....Yes,
I will make him a Prince. But he who undertakes
it must possess address, eloquence, courage, and,
above all, perseverance.'
► (6
The Emperor then proceeded to trace out
the course to be pursued. He had previously
reflected on the subject; but he did not see the
invincible obstacle; that which must necessarily
overthrow the whole plan, and render it impossible
that either the exiled Bourbons or those of Sicily
THE BOURBON FAMILY.
66
271
would ever consent to his proposition. The islands
which he offered were almost depopulated. Their
only inhabitants were Mussulmans or schismatic
Greeks, but no Roman Catholics. The sovereign
who accepted such a crown, must have reigned in a
desert, or have had barbarians for his subjects. Be-
sides, neither England nor Turkey would ever con-
sent to the establishment of the proposed new state,
especially if France supplied it with an army.
"These considerations induced me to say to
the Emperor-
Why will your Majesty not offer Naples,
or Tuscany, the Ionian Islands with Ragusa, or
even Venice ?
<
"No, no,' he replied resolutely, all those
places are too near France. A sea is not a suffi-
cient barrier. I should be at ease if they were in
China; but, in the places you have mentioned, a
journey of a day or two would bring them here.
That must not be.'
C
"I remained silent, and here our conversation
ended. When I was alone, I began to consider
where I should find a man capable of undertaking
the difficult mission which the Emperor had traced
out. The result was, that I fixed upon a woman.
You smile, gentlemen; but there was reason to
believe that a female minister would be the best.
The lady was introduced to me by the Duke de
Rovigo, who assured me she was trust-worthy,
whilst, at the same, he extolled her talents and
272
THE AMBASSADRESS.
address, and added that she had been intimately
connected with the old court. The Duke further
observed, that such an agent would be easily dis-
avowed in case of necessity; and that she was
altogether calculated to manage the business better
than even a skilful diplomatist.
"The Duke de Rovigo accordingly introduced
me to Madame de N——, who appeared to me to
be very well qualified for the mission, and we
arranged the plan to be pursued. She spoke of the
Court of Hartwell, as if perfectly well acquainted
with it, and appeared quite confident of the
success of her undertaking. I, however, was not
so sanguine. Anxious to learn some further par-
ticulars respecting Madame de N-, I addressed
myself to M. de Talleyrand, and asked him whether
he had ever known her.
"I might possibly have had some slight ac-
quaintance with her,' said he, but I cannot
remember. Some years ago, I was a man of gal-
lantry; but I have grown old and steady, now.'
"I don't doubt it. But, Prince, I wish to know
whether you can give me any information res-
pecting this Madame N-- ?
(C
C
'You have no idea,' he replied, how much
my memory fails me.'
C
"I could plainly perceive that some artful de-
sign was concealed under this pretended loss of
memory. I asked Prince Talleyrand no more
questions on the subject of Madame N--, but
273
the bare mention of her name had let him into
some idea of the intrigue. The consequence was,
that a hint of it was by some means or other
conveyed to Louis XVIII; for, when my am-
bassadress presented herself at Hartwell, she found
that her arrival was expected.
In pursuance of my inquiries respecting Ma-
dame de N——, I wrote to the Duke of Otranto.
He immediately answered me by the following
letter:
..
THE AMBASSADRESS.
(C ८
The lady you mention was one of my pen-
sioners, together with Mesdames H
V
Vi———————, F————————, L—————— B——————— and several others.
F.
She is not wanting in talent and judgment. The
degree of confidence to be reposed in her depends
entirely on the reward she is to receive. If she
can gain anything by deceiving you, she will not
hesitate to do So. I should think it likely
she will pursue her old course, which made me
quarrel with her. My successor, who is a very
simple man, has suffered himself to be cajoled
by her.
She makes him admire the stars at noon-
day; take care that she shews them to you only
in the darkness of night.'
"This description of Madame de N▬▬ amused
me; but, at the same time, it created in my mind
doubt and suspicion. I called on the lady, and
informed her of what the Duke of Otranto had
said of her. She laughed.
VOL. I.
T
"
ה
274
THE AMBASSADRESS.
"Fouché,' she observed, never forgives any
one who outwits him. He thinks he is entitled to
reserve to himself the monopoly of cunning. He
laid a snare to entrap me, and I made him fall into
it. Inde ira.'
CC
'
"You understand latin, Madam ?" said I.
"Yes, Monseigneur, I also speak English,
German and Italian. You may trust to me, and I
can render myself very useful to you.'
Not knowing any one better suited to the
purpose, I closed my arrangements with Madam
N-. Talleyrand, as I have already mentioned,
had given notice of her intended arrival. By
some indirect and underhand means, he kept up a
regular correspondence with the English cabinet.
On reaching Hartwell, therefore, the lady did not
meet with the reception she expected. It was
at first proposed to send her away without letting
her see the Pretender, if I may use the term then
generally applied in France to Louis XVIII. But
his most christian Majesty expressed a wish to
see Madame N-. She wrote me a letter after
her arrival in England, which I will read to you.
The Prince went to his secrétaire and procured the
letter, which he read as follows :*
* In 1819, Prince Cambacérès gave me the autograph copy of
this letter, of which I retained possession until, by the events
of July and August 1830, I was deprived of my autographs and
pictures.
A VISIT TO HARTWELL.
<<
Monseigneur,
"It is not without difficulty that I have suc-
ceeded in fulfilling the intentions of Your Serene
Highness. No sooner had I set foot in the classic
land of liberty, than I was assailed, on the one
hand by spies, and on the other by the agents
of a meddling and despotic police. The latter
threatened to place me under the operation of the
alien act. But I remonstrated; I addressed a
letter to the Count de Lille,* acquainting him with
the motives which had brought me to England.
He then expressed an earnest desire to see me,
and, in compliance with his wish, I was invited to
Hartwell. During my stay in London, I had
already seen the amiable and noble minded Count
de la Châtre. I cannot speak too highly of him.
He assured me that England would never come
to an agreement with the present government of
France. He loves his country, and regrets his
separation from it. I assured him, that the obsta-
cles which opposed his return to it might be easily
removed. He replied that, being a royalist in
heart, he had worshipped misfortune as a sort of
religion, of which the King was the God, and
that consequently he should consider himself guilty
275
* We had agreed that Madame N
should address Louis
XVIII by the title of Count de Lille. This arrangement enabled
us to maintain negotiation on a footing of incognito, and
smoothed the difficulties which vanity or the feeling of importance
might have created.
T 2
276
THE ROYAL FAMILY.
of apostacy were he to return. 1 could not but
admire these generous and honourable sentiments.
"The Count de la Châtre spoke in terms of
veneration of the Duchess d'Angoulême, whom he
described as a most noble minded and generous
woman. He said very little of the Duke d'Angou-
lême. I was aware that the Duke de Berry
had contracted a left handed marriage, the only
fruits of which were two daughters. Thus, then,
the elder branch of the old Royal House, tombe en
quenouille, according to the terms of the salic law;
and, therefore, all future pretensions must be at
an end. The marriage of Madame Royale being
without issue, there are persons here who would
advise the Count de Lille and his brother the
Count d'Artois to marry again. These are unwise
counsellors.
(C
I inquired what the Duke of Orleans had been
doing since his expedition to Cadiz. I am informed
that he is endeavouring to make his fortune at
Palermo. It appears to be his intention to settle
there. His family, since the time of the Regent,
who profited by the operations of Law, have
property in the banks of England, Holland, and
the Hans Towns, in addition to the immense
revenues they possess in France. You may men-
tion these circumstances to the Emperor, for I have
them on accurate authority.
"The Prince has, by his marriage, a son, born
in October last year, (1810). He bears the title
V
THE COUNT DE BLACAS.
277
cess.
of the Duke de Chartres. The Duchess of Orleans
has, I am informed, just been delivered of a Prin-
The Duke has come to a reconciliation with
the Bourbons of the elder branch. They have
pardoned his father's conduct, as well as the
errors of his own youth. He has conducted him-
self very well in England, on all the occasions on
which he has visited this country. I am told that
he is artful, and so reserved, that it is not easy to
discover his sentiments or opinions. Let not the
Emperor be deceived :-the Duke of Orleans is the
only individual to be feared, in the event of a
struggle.
"On my arrival at Hartwell, a lady's maid was
appointed to attend on me, and a man servant to
accompany me in my walks: these were two spies.
The Count de Blacas paid me a visit. He is a good
looking man, and that is all. He has but little intel-
ligence, and still less knowledge of the world. He has
created for himself a little universe, the two bound-
aries of which are London and Edinburgh; and, in
his simplicity, he believes the whole world to be
included in that space. He pictures France as
being in the last stage of misery and destitution:-
the people dying of hunger, the prisons full,
women yoked to the ploughs, the men all with the
army, except the lame and the blind; in short, the
terror of 93 unabated. As to the Imperial Court, the
Count's notion of it is, that the men composing it
are a set of vulgar, ignorant, profligates, and the
M
278
LOUIS XVIII.
women vivandières or marchandes de modes. He
verily believes that Napoleon daily honours you
and his ministers with kicks and cuffs, and horse-
whips his chamberlains-that he is hated by the
people-execrated by the army;-that he is ugly
and diseased;-that he is guilty of incest and
every revolting crime-in short, that he is worse
than any ogre in a fairy tale.
66
I
Nothing can be more diverting than to hear
the Count de Blacas express his firm belief in all
these monstrosities, every one of which is, to him,
an article of faith. He was very anxious that I
should make him my confidant, and friend.
told him, with a very grave air, that I thought that
might perhaps be attended with danger, both for
my heart and my head: that I might lose the
former, and compromise the latter. This excuse
appeared to him perfectly reasonable; and the con-
sequence was, he consented, though reluctantly,
to usher me to the presence of his master.
"The sufferings which the Count de Lille has
undergone, have not impaired his looks. He is a
handsome man, with quite the Bourbon cast of
features. His fine blue eyes are mild, dignified,
and intelligent, and his mouth has a humourous
perhaps a somewhat satirical expression. His
infirmities have spoiled his figure, and it is easy to
perceive that his legs will die before any other part
of his body. He has a beautiful hand; and, alto-
gether, a truly royal and imposing appearance.
LOUIS XVIII.
(C
279
"His dress is very simple: usually consisting
of a blue frock or redingote, a waistcoat of wadded
satin, and small-clothes of dark crimson velvet.
He rarely wears a sword. When he goes out, he
wears a three cornered cocked hat, and always the
cordon and decoration of the Holy Ghost, the rib-
bon of St. Michael, and the cross of St. Louis :-I
have also seen him wear the Swedish orders, out
of respect to the dethroned King. A cane assists
him in walking; his pace is slow, tottering, and
apparently impeded by pain. He is tortured by
the gout. He cannot mount a horse, and certainly
a kingdom was never conquered in a carriage.*
However, bodily pain does not, in the least
degree, diminish the vivacity of his mind. His
conversation is brilliant, and characterized by ex-
tensive and varied information. His gallantry,
too, charmed me. He has read a great deal, and
has a retentive memory and his natural judgment
is matured by experience. In short, he is a man
of distinguished talent. Before I saw him, I had
prepared myself to be amused by his absurdities;
but I took my leave of him, full of admiration of
his magnanimous feelings, and truly royal qualifi-
cations. He thoroughly comprehends France, her
happiness, her power, and her wants; he knows
what she requires, and only regrets that he cannot
give it to her.
-
:
* In 1815, Napoleon made an exception to the strategic maxim
here laid down by Madame de N
BorM
280
LOUIS XVIII.
:
"He chatted with me very agreeably, and laughed
at the propositions I was instructed to make to him.
'I am not ambitious,' said he, ' I am not eager to
reign and, therefore, I prefer exile, to a throne
which would not be my own. Let Bonaparte' (for so
he named His Majesty the Emperor and King)-let
Bonaparte descend from the throne of France: and
then let him choose for himself any one of all the
kingdoms he has conquered, except Naples, Spain
and Parma, and I will present it to him. But, to
renounce the inheritance bequeathed to me by my
ancestors, to sanction the crimes of the revolution,
to legitimize the murder of my brother and my
nephew, to recognize the destructive principle of
the sovereignty of the people, those are acts of
which I never will be guilty.'
"I saw that my mission was at an end; I named
the offers I was authorized to make. He laughed
at the sovereignty and the millions, and, above all,
at the proposal of the French army.
66 6
That,' said he, would merely be a prison
within sight; and I suppose that my guards, would
some fine day receive orders to carry me and my
family to some other place. Such lures may en-
tice children. It is like telling a boy he may
catch sparrows by putting a grain of salt on
their tails.' These were the words he made use
of.
"When I left the Count de Lille, I found M. de
Blacas in waiting for me. He put some stupid
THE DUCHESS D'ANGOULÊME.
questions to me with the view of finding out what
had been the nature of my conversation with the
King. I related it to him almost word for word.
My candour completely mystified him, and he
did not believe a word that I said. What would
have been the use of taking any trouble to deceive
such a fool!
281
"There is among the emigrants at Hartwell,
a man of distinguished talent. I allude to Père
Elysée, who officiates as surgeon to the Count de
Lille. He is a man of energy and spirit, and
devotedly attached to the Prince. He has every
temporal merit without any priestly faults. He
is an extremely agreeable man, very lively in con-
versation, and an excellent teller of a story. He,
too, regrets his absence from France; but he would
not return without the King.
"I have seen Madame Royale, but she would
not receive me. Nevertheless, I will do her
justice. She is adored by the whole household;
for she is an excellent mistress: she is cold to
strangers, but she treats the persons in her service
as though they were her children. In spite of her
poverty, she dispenses a great deal of charity.
The poor people in the neighbourhood revere her
highly, and they say that God never suffers her
purse to be empty of alms, for that if she gives
away all its contents at night, it is full again
next morning and it is among schismatics that
this fable has gained credit. It is she who in-
:
܀
282 THE DUKES D'ANGOULÊME AND DE BERRY.
spires the family with fortitude and resignation.
If she could ascend the throne, she would be a
great Queen.
"Her husband is one of the best of men. He
is brave, and full of noble feeling; but he is too
distrustful of himself. His timidity and passive
obedience will always be prejudicial to him. Re-
specting his brother, the Duke de Berry,* opi-
nions differ; some pronounce him to be the hope
of the family, others regard him as a Prince of
very mediocre merit. I did not see him, and
therefore can say nothing of him from my own
knowledge. His morganatic marriage† is an event
deeply deplored by the emigrants. I have not
seen either the venerable Prince de Condé, or the
Duke de Bourbon. They are much respected here.
Such, Monseigneur, is the result of my
journey. Of course, it cannot answer your ex-
pectation. The little I was authorized to offer,
، ،
* He was assassinated by Louvel on the 13th of February,
1820.
† In Germany, morganatic, or left-handed marriages, are
those by a sovereign with a female inferior in rank to a Princess ;
or between a Princess, and a private gentleman. They are merely
conscientious unions, and the children born of them can inherit
only personal property, and not landed estates, or sovereignties.
A marriage of this nature was concluded by his Royal Highness
the Duke de Berry. A veil of respect must be drawn over this
passage in the life of the unfortunate Prince. Two daughters,
distinguished for their virtues and graces, were the issue of this
marriage. Both are married to noblemen of illustrious birth;
one to the Prince de L-, and the other to Count de C—.
FAITHFUL PORTRAITS.
283
could not tempt a Prince who is not ambitious,
who can live on a little, who is without children,
and who, above all, has right on his side. Had
the offer consisted of the crown of Italy, Milan,
Venice, Genoa, Lucca, or Tuscany, it possibly
might have been listened to; but, even then, I
would not have answered for its being accepted.
Now, Sir, how am I to be rewarded for my
trouble? I shall proceed to Hamburgh, and there
await your answer."
When Prince Cambacérès had finished reading
this letter, we all assured him that it had very
much amused us. The portraits sketched by
the writer were striking likenesses. M. de Blacas
was hit off to the life, and we could not but
admire the accuracy of the pencil which, in 1811,
had pourtrayed him precisely as he appeared to
us in 1814. Louis XVIII and the Duchess d'An-
goulême were likenesses very faithfully described.
As to the Dukes d'Angoulême and de Berry, the
former had, by his very gallant conduct in the
south, acquired the esteem of all Frenchmen, and
the latter had been so foully calumniated, that a
strong prejudice existed against him. The Duke
of Orleans was the object of unanimous eulogy in
1814, which led us all to concur in remarking,
that the lady had scarcely rendered him justice.
However, we were all much interested and amused
by the letter.
284
MADAME N
(C
-'s LETTER.
Well," observed the Prince, "I can assure
you that I was not so well pleased with the letter
as you are, at the time I received it. The change
of opinion wrought in my ambassadress by the
mere effect of the royal audience; the title of
King which she so repeatedly applied to the person
whom we looked upon as a pretender, put me
not a little out of humour. I did not venture
to show it to the Emperor. I sent for the
Duke de Rovigo, wishing to screen my responsi-
bility, and, as Madame N was his protégée,
I presented the missive to him. He was, at first,
somewhat embarrassed; but, on a second perusal
of the epistle, he began to discover in it as many
charms as its fair writer herself possessed in his eyes.
He extolled its natural and graceful style, and
added, in a tone of comical enthusiasm, at which I
could not forbear smiling—
"It is quite as good as the over-praised writing
of Madame de Staël. Indeed, her talent will not
bear comparison with that of Madame N-—————.”
CC
Perhaps not, said I, yet I fear it would be
useless to present this letter to the Emperor. I
think it is probable he would not share your ro-
mantic admiration of our female diplomatist.
"An instinct of common sense inclined the
Minister of Police to my opinion. We then agreed
to say nothing to the Emperor on the subject,
until Madame N's return. The Duke pre-
sented her with a hundred thousand francs out
of the funds arising from the sale of gaming-house
licenses, as a token of acknowledgment for her
unsuccessful mission. She returned to Paris quite
in good spirits. We then broached the subject
to the Emperor. By way of gilding the pill, we
informed him that Cyprus and Candia had been
positively rejected at Hartwell; but that if the
negotiations were again renewed with the offer
of the whole of Upper Italy, Illyria, Dalmatia,
the Ionian Islands, Tuscany and Lucca, it might
be accepted, with the addition of two thousand
millions of francs, payable in twenty years.
"On hearing this, Napoleon started with as-
tonishment, and exclaimed :
cr
"Are they mad? Why do they not ask for
France? And I suppose Genoa and Piedmont are
to be included in the bargain?'
Yes, Sire.
Well, then, we will remain as we are. We
will not disturb the statu-quo. I shall be the
gainer. All Italy!.... Two thousand millions of
francs!.... To have them touching my frontiers !
Why we should hear news of them every
(C
PROPOSITION REJECTED.
day.'
285
(C (
Sire,' said Savary,' you forget the resource
of conquest.'
"Oh! if they are to be driven away from the
place I assign to them, it would be better to
spare the expense of a war, and the outlay of two
or three millions which I should have to make be-
286
fore commencing it, and which would serve only to
give me a few new difficulties to smoothe. Besides,
it is necessary that the compact should be made
in good faith, lest the question should hereafter
become a matter of dispute. My dear Prince, you
are not fortunate in your negotiations. Whom
did you entrust with this affair.'
"A lady," replied I, not without some degree
of embarrassment.
FEMALE DIPLOMATISTS.
"A lady....and pray who selected her.'
"I Sire !"
"I compliment you. This
This was a trait of
address on your part. You did well to send
them a female ambassador. It was returning
upon them, though somewhat late, the ridiculous
mission which they addressed to me through the
medium of the Duchess de Guise. Diplomatists
of that sort are suited to the taste of the Bour-
bons.'
((
But, Sire, said I, Poland still remembers the
brilliant political embassy of Madame de Gue-
briant."
+
"True! But the exception proves the rule.
And what says your ambassadress of the people at
Hartwell?'
(C
Savary now thought it was his turn to speak.
He informed the Emperor that Madame N.
had described the Pretender as being an affable
old gentleman in his dotage; that his brother was
completely forgotten, being, in consequence of his
Y
A WELL-KNOWN REMARK.
287
debts, unable to stir out of a royal palace in Edin-
burgh, which had been allotted to him as his place
of residence; that the sons of the Count d'Ar-
tois and the Duke de Bourbon, were not objects
of any personal consideration. The only person
of whom he said Madame de N had given a
favourable report, was the Duchess d' Angoulême.
It was in reply to this string of falsehoods, that
the Emperor made the remark, which has since
been often repeated, and which was suggested solely
by the misrepresentations of the Minister of
the Police. The Emperor, hearing so poor an
account of the Princes of the house of Bourbon,
and so much praise bestowed on Madame Royale,
exclaimed:
"That woman is the only man in the family!""
-
CHAPTER VI.
Louis Sebastien Mercier-Details hitherto unpublished, relating
to the assassination of Marat-Trial and execution of Charlotte
Corday-The source of her fanaticism explained-Napoleon's
belief in fatality-His courage and disregard of personal danger
-The Imperial Chamberlains-Example of courtly meanness—
The gilded weathercock-An ungrateful chamberlain on the
20th of March-An anecdote for the edification of honest men
-Wise maxims of Cambacérès-Adventures of a courtier from
1787 to 1830-Amusing letter from a provincial lady to a
friend in Paris-Missive from an ambitious poet-Literary
discussion-The classic school and the romantic school-Cause
of literary failures and disappointments-Prevalence of suicide.
-Literary opinions of Cambacérès-Rétif de la Bretonne-
Chenier and his Epistle to Voltaire-Napoleon's displeasure,
and Chenier's punishment.
AMONG the distinguished men whose friendship
I have had the good fortune to enjoy, and whose
memory is indelibly engraven in my heart, I place,
in the foremost rank, Louis Sebastien Mercier.
He was a man of eminent talent ;-eccentric no
doubt; I may say, even absurd in his endeavours
to depreciate Homer, Newton, Boileau and Racine;
but his animated pictures of Paris are radiant
with wit and fancy. His writings are charac-
LOUIS-SEBASTIEN MERCIER.
289
terized by a philosophic, humane and tolerant
spirit. His detractors have said that he merely
noted down on the posts the reflections which
occurred to his mind in the streets. But this
observation is equally satirical and unjust. He
was certainly far superior to his antagonists La-
harpe, Marmontel and Dorat. Mercier was a man
of genius; they were mere arrangers of words.
I have already stated that he was a member
of the National Convention, and that he was
one of those who did not vote for the King's
death. I have in my possession some of his
autograph manuscripts, containing some unpub-
lished particulars relating to the assassination of
Marat by Charlotte Corday. I subjoin them,
doubting not that the reader will peruse them
with interest.
"On the 15th of July 1793, I was dining
at a restaurateur's in the Rue Saint-Honoré, which
I was in the habit of frequenting on account of its
proximity to my place of residence. My attention
was suddenly roused by an extraordinary noise
in the street, and I saw a crowd of people rushing
towards the house of a man named Duplay, where
the Robespierres lodged. At that time, no dis-
turbance in the streets could be regarded as a
matter of indifference, and I hurried to the door.
Addressing myself to a man, in the garb of a
mechanic, I inquired what was the matter? He
replied in breathless hurry and excitement :
VOL. I.
U
290
ASSASSINATION OF MARAT.
"Marat is dead. The aristocrats have mur-
dered him.... They have got young Capet out
of the Temple, and are bearing him in triumph
along the Boulevards. They mean to take him to
the Tuileries."
'
All this appeared to me too absurd to deserve
a moment's credit. I concluded that the riot
was caused by some project for exciting the sec-
tions, and to get up another 31st of May. I,
therefore, proposed going to the Hall in which
we held the sittings of the Convention, where I
knew I should obtain accurate information. As
I passed along the streets, the report of the death
of Marat gathered confirmation; but I heard
nothing more about the liberation of the unfer-
tunate Louis XVII. I heard, likewise, that the
assassination had been committed by a female;
but as to who or what she was I could learn
nothing.
"The first deputy I met was Augustin Robes-
pierre. His countenance sufficiently denoted the
agitation of his mind. He repeated to me all
that he had heard, and the intelligence was very
soon communicated to us officially. I have col-
lected together all the particulars of this extra-
ordinary event. It was a case in which virtue
was driven to the perpretation of crime, by behold-
ing a great criminal screened from the punishment
of human laws.
"Marie-Anne-Charlotte de Corday d'Armans
-
291
was born at Saint-Saturnin, in the province of
Normandy on the 23rd of January 1768. She
was of noble origin, well educated, beautiful,
amiable, and endowed with extraordinary energy
of mind. She entered into the political excite-
ment of the time; but, instead of professing roy-
alist opinions, like the rest of her family, she
was an approver of the downfal of the old régime,
and the establishment of republican power. Still
she was too virtuous to descend to the extreme
of jacobinism. Marat and his incendiary writings
had excited her indignation; and she conceived
the project of ridding France of one whom she
regarded as a monster in human form. Calumny
has alleged that a liaison of a tender kind existed
between her and Barbaroux, the Apollo of the
Revolution; but this is untrue. Charlotte Corday
was a woman of honour. It was patriotism only
that armed her with the dagger of the assassin.
"The deputies, who had been proscribed after
the 31st of May, took refuge in Calvados, where
Charlotte Corday resided. She became acquainted
with them, and their complaints afforded increased
excitement to her ardent imagination. Being
attached to their cause, she was naturally in-
dignant at the treatment they had endured, and, as
she could not help them to redress their injuries,
she resolved at last to revenge them on one of
their implacable enemies. Without communicat-
W
CHARLOTTE CORDAY.
U 2
292
ing her design to any one, she quitted Normandy
and came to Paris.
(6
Fauchet, one of our party, who was ac-
quainted with her, procured her admittance to one
of the tribunes of the Convention. This act of
courtesy, which was rendered as a matter of
course to any one by whom it was solicited, cost
poor Fauchet his life. Charlotte Corday listened
attentively to our speeches, and expressed her
surprise at the fury and violence manifested by
some of the members of the Convention. She
did not see Marat, who was confined at home
by illness. He was the victim of a dreadful and
incurable disorder, to which the most active
medical remedies could afford only temporary
relief.
CHARLOTTE CORDAY.
"Charlotte Corday, having resolved on speedily
terminating the career of Marat, inquired for the
abode of the friend of the people. She was
directed to the Rue de l'Ecole de Médecine, No.
44; but, as she was informed that none but his
intimate acquaintance were admitted to see him,
she sent him the following note :-
، ،
Citizen,
"I have just arrived from Caen. The interest
you feel for the welfare of the country, doubtless
renders you anxious to be made acquainted with
the events which have taken place in that part of
HER NOTES TO MARAT.
the Republic. I will call on you about one o'clock.
Have the goodness to receive me.'
،،
293
Marat sent no answer to this note, either
because he supposed it to have been written by some
idle adventurer, or, because his bodily suffering
had for a time extinguished his revolutionary
fanaticism. But, Charlotte Corday was not daunted.
She sent a second note, more urgent than the
first, but which received no more attention. At
length, on the 15th of July, she wrote for the
third time. In this
In this last letter, she alluded to
misfortunes which had gathered over her head,
and conjured Marat to receive her, on account
of the important secrets which she had to reveal to
him, touching the safety of the Republic.
(C
The messenger who delivered this note, had
no sooner left Marat's house, than Charlotte
Corday, who had followed him closely, entered
the anti-chamber. She was there accosted by
two females, who told her that she could not
see Marat, because he was at that moment taking
a bath.
..
She insisted, and some altercation ensued.
Marat, whose chamber adjoined the anti-room,
hearing loud voices, rang to inquire what was
the matter. On being informed that a lady wished
to see him, and that she was the same person
who had written to him several times, he felt
a fatal curiosity to see her. He accordingly rose
294
LAST WORDS OF MARAT.
from the bath, and, when he was ready to receive
her, Charlotte Corday was introduced. Her beauty
and prepossessing manners inspired Marat with
so much confidence that he dismissed his atten-
dants, and remained alone with the woman, who,
in a few moments, was to deprive him of life. The
conversation commenced on the affairs of Cal-
vados. Charlotte Corday, though pre-occupied by
the terrible object of her visit, maintained her
share of the conversation with great calmness,
and furnished the information which Marat sought.
She gave him the names of the public function-
aries and deputies, who were in open rebellion
against the National Assembly, and Marat de-
clared that, within a fortnight, they should all be
brought to the scaffold.
(6
These words were his sentence of death.
Charlotte Corday drew from her bosom a sharp
knife and plunged it into the breast of Marat.
He had no power, either to defend himself or to
evade the mortal blow. He
He merely exclaimed:
(
A moi, ma chère amie!' and, in a few moments,
breathed his last.
"The outcry brought his pretended wife, and
the infamous woman Théroigne into the room.
They beheld Marat weltering in his blood, and
the heroine standing beside with the knife in her
hand. She was pale and motionless, and made
no attempt to escape, as has been erroneously
stated. The women, however, placed chairs and
F
CHARLOTTE CORDAY ARRESTED.
tables against the door to prevent her going out,
and then, throwing open the window, they called
for help.
66
295
"A man who was employed in folding some
hand-bills in another room, was the first to enter.
On seeing what had happened, and being informed
who was the perpetrator of the deed, he seized
a chair, and, striking at Charlotte Corday, felled
her to the ground. But she raised herself up,
and, with that fortitude which rendered her su-
perior to any fate that might await her, she stood
in silence, expecting the storm of popular fury
to break over her head. It is indeed difficult
to conceive what could have shielded her from
the first movement of jacobinical indignation."
"I will here quote some passages from a report
of the tragical event, drawn up by Chabot, by
order of the Committee of Public Safety. This
report, with all its falsehoods, is a higher eu-
logium on Charlotte Corday than anything I
could say.”
When she was conducted to the Abbaye, the
immense crowd, who were uttering yells of grief
and indignation, dispersed at the desire of the
commissioners who accompanied her. She fainted;
but, in a few moments, recovered, and she said to
the deputies:-
CC
'I thought they were going to tear me in
pieces. Is it possible that these people, who have
been described to me as so many cannibals,
A
296
CHARLOTTE CORDAY'S COURAGE.
obey with such docility the commands of their
magistrates?'
"Such," continues Chabot, "is the confidence
of this woman in the speedy success of the pro-
jects of the counter-revolution, with which the
insurgents have filled her head, that when her
death is alluded to, she treats the matter with
inconceivable contempt and indifference, though
she had not sufficient courage to take her own
life."
"What Chabot pronounces to be want of cou-
rage, was in fact the strongest proof of sublime
courage and virtue. Charlotte Corday was too
magnanimous to commit suicide. Chabot adds
(and this is another falsehood) that, from informa-
tion obtained by the Committee of Inspection
relative to the plot, it was evident that the signal
for attempting its execution was to be the assas-
sination of the most energetic patriots;-that it
was hoped, by this means, to excite a violent move-
ment in Paris, to arm the citizens against each
other,—that, amidst these dissensions Wimpfen,
Puysaie, and the departmental troops were to
proclaim Louis XVII, to appoint as his council
the fugitive deputies, and to dissolve the Con-
vention.
1000
(C
Chabot's report was listened to, in mournful
silence, though, in their hearts, the Jacobins did
not regret being rid of their ferocious leader. A
deputation from the section of the Social Contract,
DAVID THE PAINTER.
297
requested to be admitted to the bar; and Gerault,
who headed the deputation, thus addressed the
Assembly
(C
"Representatives!.... Marat is no more!....
People! you have lost your best friend!.... We
have come to pay homage to the noble actions
of his life.. David, where art thou?....Thou hast
transmitted to posterity the image of Le Pelletier
dying for his country..Thou hast now a subject
for another picture.'
David, who was seated among us, now rose,
and, with his sinister expression of countenance,
and sharp piercing voice, said:-
"I will endeavour to render justice to that
subject.'
،،
Having uttered these words, he resumed his
seat amidst general applause. Gerault then con-
tinued, as follows:-
(( (
Legislators we implore you to make a law,
applicable to present circumstances. The mode of
execution at present in use, is not sufficiently
appalling to avenge the atrocious assassination
which has just been committed. Let us annihilate
for ever the criminal and the crime. Show the
French people the value you attach to human life;
and, instead of permitting it to be thus snapped
like a thread, let the terror of torture disarm the
parricidal hands which threaten the safety of the
representatives of the People.'
298 DAVID'S ADDRESS TO THE ASSEMBLY.
A warm discussion ensued. On the motion of
Chabot, which was supported by Julien de Tou-
louse, Denoncourt, Fauchet,* and Duperret,† were
accused. This accusation was the same thing as
being sentenced to the guillotine, to which they
were shortly afterwards brought. Marat was a
deity, at whose altar none but human victims could
be sacrificed.
เC
'In the course of the discussion, David addressed
the Assembly as follows:-
"On the day preceding the assassination of
Marat, Maure and I were sent as deputies from the
Jacobinical Club, to inquire after his health. We
found him in the bath, at the side of which a piece
of wood was fixed in such a manner as to serve
him for a writing desk. Upon it was placed ink
and paper, and Marat with his hand raised out of
the bath, was noting down his last thoughts, for
the welfare of the people. Yesterday, the surgeon
who embalmed his body, sent to me to inquire
in what manner we wished to expose it to the
public in the church of the Cordeliers. He was
wasted almost to a skeleton by the disease (the
leprosy) with which he was afflicted. I think it
* I have already mentioned Fauchet's crime :—it was having
gained Charlotte Corday admittance to one of the tribunes of the
National Convention.
†The charge against Duperret, was, having received a letter
brought by Charlotte Corday from Barbaroux.
299
would be extremely interesting to present him as
I saw him noting down his ideas for the welfare of
the people.'
"Chabot moved that the members of the Con-
vention should all attend the funeral of Marat;
and Bentabole proposed that the nation should pay
the debts of the friend of the people.
"The impulse being now given, the most ex-
travagant honours were paid to the memory of
Marat. His friends were so reluctant to consign
his remains to the grave, that, before they could
resolve on the interment, the body was actually in
a state of decomposition. It was laid in state,
wrapt in a winding sheet, which afforded the spec-
tators a distinct view of the form of the body.
Poems were dedicated to his memory by our
colleague Andouin, and by Cubières-Palmessaux.*
His bust was executed by Beauvalet,† who pre-
sented it to the Convention, and it decorated the
hall of our sittings. The same honour was as-
signed to David's picture. An altar was raised
+
MARAT LAID IN STATE.
* The Chevalier Cubières was a protégé of the Queen, who
brought him up and educated him. He became a Jacobin, and a
disciple of Marat and Robespierre. The celebrated Madame Ro-
land surnamed him l'Apollon de l'échafaud. He died after the res-
toration.
↑ Beauvalet was a sculptor of considerable talent. He was an
enthusiastic Republican.
This portrait, which is a perfect chef-d'œuvre, is in the pos-
session of David's family. It has been twice offered for sale, and
on both occasions, the high price demanded for it, (a hundred
"
300
to the heart of Marat, in the hall of the Cordeliers
Club, and hymns, addressed to the heart, were sung
alternately with hymns addressed to the Saviour:
this sacrilege is perfectly characteristic of the im-
piety of the time. The Rue des Cordeliers
changed its name to that of Marat, the Council
General of the Commune ordered a festival in his
honour, and he superseded Mirabeau in the Pan-
theon. Such are the vicissitudes of popular favour.
The mob is ever ready to pull down its old gods,
and to set up new ones in their stead.
"Whilst the ceremonies of the Roman canon-
ization were being renewed for the apotheosis of
Marat, his friends were anxiously seeking those
measures of revenge for which his death afforded
them an excuse. The revolutionary tribunal went
through the preliminaries of the trial of Charlotte
Corday. The examinations commenced on the
19th of July, and the accused being conducted
into court, underwent an interrogatory of which
the following are the principal points.
"Who directed you to Duparret ?'
"Barbaroux.'
"It appears, then, that you learned from
HONOURS RENDERED TO MARAT.
thousand francs) prevented it finding a purchaser. Madame de
Morfontaine gave a hundred thousand francs for the purchase
of her father's portrait, (likewise painted by David). It was hung
in the Hall of the National Convention, along with that of
Marat
TRIAL OF CHARLOTTE CORDAY.
the public journals that Marat was an anar-
chist ?'
301
I
"Yes, I knew that he would ruin France.
have taken the life of one man, to save a hundred
thousand....I was a republican before the revo-
lution broke out."
(C (
Did you not try whether or not you could
strike a deadly blow before you committed this
murder ?"
C.C
'I am not an assassin.'
"What have you to say in reply to these
charges?'
ઃઃઃ
Nothing, except that I have succeeded.'
"Who are the persons, by whose instigation
you committed this murder?'
"The counsel of others could never have
influenced me to commit the act. I alone con-
ceived the project, and I alone have executed it.
It is only in Paris that people are misled by a
mistaken opinion of Marat: in the departments
he was universally execrated."
"The examination being concluded, Fouquier-
Tinville, the public prosecutor, spoke in support
of the charge. The advocate, Chauveau-Lagarde,*
* Chauveau-Lagarde was the advocate who defended Charlotte
Corday, Queen Marie-Antoinette, Madame Elizabeth, the Abbé
Brottier, and M. de la Villeheurnois on their respective trials.
The cross of the Legion of Honour, the cordon of Saint-Michael,
and letters of nobility, (which certainly he needed not, being
sufficiently noble without them,) were deemed adequate rewards
302
DEFENCE OF CHARLOTTE CORDAY.
a citizen distinguished for his virtues and his
generous independence of character, defended the
accused. The following is a portion of his
speech :
CC C
The accused candidly avows herself guilty
of the horrible crime with which she stands
charged. She confesses that she committed it
after long premeditation; she acknowledges many
dreadful circumstances connected with the murder
...in short, she avows every thing, and does
not seek to justify herself. This, citizens of the
jury, is her defence. The imperturbable calm-
ness of the accused, her total abnegation of self,
her freedom from remorse, (though she stands, as
I may say at the foot of the scaffold,) her sublime
fortitude... all appear to be beyond nature, and
can be explained only by that excitement of po-
litical fanaticism, which armed her with the
poignard. It is for you, citizens of the jury, to
weigh this consideration in the scale of justice.
I leave the question to your judgment.'
(C
Chauveau-Lagarde having concluded his
address, the jury retired to deliberate on their
verdict. Whilst they were absent, Charlotte Cor-
day turned to her advocate, and said:
"You have defended me delicately and ge-
nerously; precisely in the manner I wished.
thank you, and I wish to give you a proof of my
I
for him after the restoration. However, the respect of all Europe
recompenses him for this ingratitude.
SENTENCE AND EXECUTION.
303
esteem. I have been informed that my property
will be confiscated. I owe something to my
prison, and I appoint you to pay my debt.'
"This was like the celebrated will of Eudami-
das. The jury returned, and pronounced the
sentence of death and confiscation. Charlotte
Corday heard it unmoved. On her return to
prison, she wrote her last letter, in which she
renewed her expressions of gratitude to Chauveau-
Lagarde. A constitutional priest was sent to
assist her in her religious duties. She said to him
mildly :
"Thank those who sent you for their atten-
tions to me; but I do not require your aid.'
"As she proceeded to the place of execution,
a placid smile played on her lips, notwithstanding
the insults with which the populace overwhelmed
her. It is recorded in the Moniteur that, when
she mounted the scaffold, her countenance re-
tained its natural freshness of colour, and her
whole appearance denoted a mind undisturbed.
When the guillotine had performed its horrid task,
a man named Legros, seized the head of the
culprit to exhibit it to the people, and, in doing
so, struck it several blows. This revolting out-
rage excited the murmurs of the spectators, and
Legros was punished by the Tribunal of Police."
The above are the curious details given by
Mercier on this interesting subject.
One evening, at the Arch-Chancellor's, the
-
304
THE GIRL, RENAUD.
conversation happened to turn on Charlotte Cor-
day, and his Excellency informed us that, having
a strong wish to see that extraordinary woman,
he attended the Revolutionary Tribunal during her
trial. He was struck with her beauty, her energy,
and her resignation. She heard with contemp-
tuous indifference the reproaches which Fouquier-
Tinville heaped upon her. She stood in a simple
and unaffected attitude, with her head cast down.
After her condemnation, her mind was entirely
withdrawn from worldly subjects;—yet, she shewed
no visible observance of religion.
Prince Cambacérès was of opinion that Char-
lotte Corday's mind had been deranged by reading
the writings of Voltaire and the encyclopedists.
She was a philosopher and a republican. She dis-
dained the observance of the religious worship, in
which she had been brought up. Some have
described her as a royalist. That is a mistake.
Her political opinions were well known at the
time of her death.
As to the girl, Renaud, of whom Robespierre,
by way of a speculation, attempted to make a
second Charlotte Corday, she was anything but
a heroine. But her death was necessary to en-
hance Robespierre's value in the eyes of the Ja-
cobins, and, therefore, the incorruptible patriot
scrupled not to immolate her and all her family on
the scaffold. It was an atrocious affair, and it roused
the indignation of every honest man in France.
THE MAN OF FATE.
I asked Prince Cambacérès whether the Emperor
adopted any particular precautions to defend him-
self against assassination.
305
"I assure you," replied the Prince, "he never
bestowed a thought on such a thing. You, your-
self know with what facility any one might enter
the Tuileries."
"I know," replied I, "that neither on my
first, nor on my last visit, did any one inquire my
name, my rank, nor even question my right to ap-
pear there. Any well-dressed person arriving in a
carriage, might have gained access to the salle des
maréchaux, or even to the salon bleu.
There any
one might, with perfect ease, have assassinated
the Emperor, by making the sacrifice of his own
life; and such fanatics are not wanting.'
""
"The Emperor," observed the Prince, was
alike unguarded in Paris, in the country, or
when with the army. He never felt the least
apprehension for himself, whatever others might
feel for him. He would mount his horse, and ride
here and there, with little, or even no escort. He
trusted to his star; firmly persuaded that he was
a man of Fate, and that Fate would protect him
as far as might be necessary for the fulfilment of
her decrees. Napoleon was essentially a fatalist.
On this subject, his faith was almost childish.
Fatality, in his belief, ruled the world. Thus, he
was never very fearful of conspiracies. He used
to say he was not fated to be their victim. This
VOL. I.
X
،،
306
feeling rendered him venturous beyond all parallel,
and inspired him with courage almost superhuman.
When I now hear him accused of cowardice, I
am more inclined to laugh than to be angry. . . .
It is ever thus! Mankind will never confess that
they have adored the idol after having broken it;
whilst, before its destruction, they could not offer
sufficient incense to it."
This subject led us into a lengthened conver-
sation. Prince Cambacérès and I adverted to the
conduct of some of the imperial chamberlains,
who had been so humble, so willing to bow their
necks to the yoke of Napoleon, and who had the
baseness to revile him in the royalist fever that
had seized them since his downfal. There was
one in particular, who the Prince told me, had
once paid the most assiduous court to him, (Cam-
bacérès.) He had not seen him since the return
of the King, because this gentilhomme of the old
régime had contrived to work himself into the
household of a Prince of the Bourbon family.
Prince Cambacérès had occasion to write to this
person, upon some business of no very weighty
importance, and he addressed to him a friendly
note, couched in the familiar style in which they
had been in the habit of corresponding. To this
note, he received the following answer:
THE IMPERIAL CHAMBERLAINS.
"The
Cambacérès.
presents his compliments to M.
His opinions preclude him from
307
visiting any but persons who are devoted to the
government, and to the amiable family of the
Sovereign. He was not aware of being so well
acquainted with M. de Cambacérès, that the latter
should feel warranted in addressing him in those
friendly terms which are appropriate only between
persons possessing congenial opinons. He, there-
fore, regrets that he can neither call on M. de
Cambacérès, nor promise to serve him in the way
he requests. Perhaps, at some future time, when
M. de Cambacérès shall have given pledges of his
fidelity to the royal family, the obstacles, now
existing, may be removed. Till then, it will be
prudent to suspend a correspondence, which, to
say the least of it, is indiscreet."
(Signed,) The
A CURIOUS LETTER.
CC
Paris, August 8th, 1814."
""
"Monseigneur," I exclaimed, when I perused
this letter, "will you not inflict on this man the
just punishment of stigmatizing him by the re-
collection of the past? Why not have this letter
framed and hung up in your drawing-room, so
that every body may see this flagrant turpitude ?”
"Bah!" replied the Prince, "I have already
seen many and shall probably see many more.
examples of this kind. Such trifles do not annoy
The man is a contemptible blockhead, un-
worthy of notice, and I know very well that when-
me.
x 2
I
308
ever the wind changes he will again cringe at my
feet."
AN ANECDOTE FOR
((
Impossible, Monseigneur! after having written
that letter."
"Oh! he will forget it, if it be his interest
to do so. He will even deny it, if need be."
I shook my head doubtfully; for I was unable
to conceive the possibility of such a combination
of effrontery and meanness. However, the events
of 1815 made me a little wiser. I cannot refrain
from acquainting the reader with the sequel of the
story relative to the chamberlain.
The 20th of March arrived. Louis XVIII and
the royal family quitted France. Prince Camba-
cérès was urged to leave his retirement by the
express wish of Napoleon; he found himself com-
pelled to resume his title of Arch-Chancellor, and
to accept provisionally the portfolio of the Minis-
ter of Justice. A week had scarcely elapsed after
these changes, when one morning I went to pay
my respects to the Prince. After a little conver-
sation, he smiled and said to me :
(6
Léon, I know that you are curious in auto-
graphs. Take this to enrich your collection."
He presented to me a letter under an envelope.
On the seal was a coat of arms. I unfolded the
letter, and was astonished on reading the following
lines :
THE UNINITIATED.
(C
Monseigneur,
"Never was my heart animated by joy more
sincere than that excited by your happy return
of fortune. Nothing but the infatuation which
took possession of me, could have made me doubt,
for a moment, that His Majesty the Emperor and
King, would resume the sceptre which he has
endowed with so much glory. Your serene High-
ness is now restored to that high post which
affords you the opportunity of doing so much
good. I feel most proud of the many acts of
kindness Monseigneur has conferred on me ; and
I will speedily lay at his feet the homage of my
most respectful devotedness and of the unalterable
esteem with which, Monseigneur, I have the honour
to be, Your Serene Highness's most humble
servant."
309
Then followed the signature, which I scarcely
need mention was that of the chamberlain who, in
1814, had so impertinently answered the request of
a friendly act of service.
66
“Did I not tell you how it would be ?" said
Prince Cambacérès.
Alas, Monseigneur! I am confounded, both
at the fact itself and its possibility....But, thank
heaven! men are not all of this stamp....And
how does your Highness mean to treat this fellow?"
"I will wait till he comes; for I know he will
come.
I will receive him coldly. He will bear it.
310
He will come twice a week, then four times, then
seven times; until at length, by dint of seeing
him often, I shall forget the past, and perhaps
some day or other prefer him to the men who are
most faithfully devoted to me. Ainsi va le monde !
We are all the creatures of habit, and three-fourths
of that which we are apt to call friendship, is
nothing but the reiterated contact of two hetero-
geneous bodies. But, though the spark may kindle
in both at once and with equal power, yet they
will never thoroughly unite, and be animated by
the same sentiments."
WISE MAXIMS.
I could not help assuring the Prince that, were I in
his place, I should banish from my presence the man
who could be guilty of such grovelling meanness.
، ،
"That would only be adding one more to the
number of my enemies," replied he ; and where
would be the use of that? By treating him with
civility, I shall render him harmless. Believe
me, it is best to tack about, and not to steer
too adventurously in the face of the wind. He
who does that may be driven on the rock on
which he will break. Besides, who can answer
for the soundness of our vessel? The prudent
man always distrusts his own strength and power,
and will never risk them unnecessarily.
I feel pleasure in noting down these maxims,
the precious fruits of the experience of Prince Cam-
bacérès. There are few situations in life on which
he had not meditated, and on which he could
""
D
A PLIANT COURTIER.
311
not give excellent advice. As to the chamberlain,
he made his appearance, fluttered for a while
round the Prince; then, being endowed with a
keen scent, he kept himself aloof; and, after the
battle of Waterloo, he was seen no more. Since
1830, he has become one of the most assiduous
courtiers at the Tuileries.
There is another gentleman, of the same class,
whose adventures I may briefly recount. He was
originally known in Paris as a servant of Louis
XVI. After the 6th of October, he became one
of the adherents of the Duke of Orleans, whom
he speedily deserted to convince Robespierre that,
like David, he would taste the hemlock with him.
The 9th Thermidor took him rather by surprise,
but, as he was the relative of Barras, he went
with his cousin to rejoice at the victory over
the Jacobins, and to pay his devoirs at the Lux-
embourg. Being shrewd enough to foresee Bona
parte's elevated fortune, he paid his court to him
on the 18th Brumaire, and, as a matter of course,
was afterwards received at the Tuileries. There
he found himself in his element, and there he
continued swimming in smooth water, until Jose-
phine's divorce was determined on. After this,
he solicited the favour of being permitted to join
the escort which was to conduct Maria-Louisa
to France. All now went on well; and he was
devoted to the service of the imperial family.
But Providence again decreed a change. Napoleon
}
312
THE GIL BLAS
sustained reverses in the north; our courtier fore-
saw the Restoration, and hazarded a letter to Louis
XVIII, who, in 1814, conceded to him the pri-
vilege of styling himself an ancien royaliste.
During the Hundred Days, he was confined by the
gout but he sent his eldest son to Ghent, and
the younger one to meet Napoleon. The Emperor
fell a second time, and our ancien royaliste again
threw himself at the feet of the King with a
certificate from Doctor Recamier. The Capetian
dynasty being consolidated, he sued for the pardon
of his unworthy son. Afterwards, he deserted M.
de Blacas, to join the party of M. de Decazes;
and he left the latter for M. de Villèle, on whom
he also turned his back, during the brief interval of
the Vicomte de Martignac's power. He had already
begun his genuflections before Prince Polignac,
when the three days arrived. Who can describe
the fatigue he underwent in hurrying to General
Dubourg, who was doing everything, then to the
Duke de Choiseul who was doing nothing, then to
Lafayette, Laffitte, Guizot, and others who gave the
work its finishing touch? At length, he lighted
on the staircase of the Palais-Royal, where he has
since taken root. M. de Talleyrand, who knows
him well, said :- For the last forty years, we
have never lost sight of M. P—— .
I feel sure
of seeing him at my back whenever I turn round.
He is like my shadow."
(C
The Memoirs of M. P
•
would form a
OF THE REVOLUTION.
romance, worthy to be a pendant to that of Le Sage.
He might justly be surnamed the Gil Blas of
the Revolutions.
< C
313
Society is overrun by these political weather-
cocks, who turn with every change of wind. They
furnish useful materials for reflection. But a truce
to the subject. Whilst I write, I frequently re-
peat to myself, by way of admonition, this well
known line :-
L'ennui naquit un jour de l'uniformité !”
The letters which I have quoted above, and
which are so perfectly characteristic of the mean-
ness of the writer, bring to my recollection
some others which I will likewise submit to the
reader's perusal. The first is penned by a lady,
a relative of the Comtesse de C-——.
She was
descended from a parliamentary family, who had
received titles of nobility about the year 1709.
Her husband was a country gentleman of small
fortune, who, previously to the first revolution,
had held some trivial appointment....I cannot
furnish any further details. When the letter was
first communicated to me, I pledged myself not to
disclose the names of any of the parties concerned.
I do not consider myself released from this pledge.
The epistle, which is addressed to Count C-~-
and dated 1806, is as follows—
314
LETTER FROM
(6
My dear nephew,
"Ernest torments me to let him go to Paris.
He is eager to see the world and to push his
fortune. I cannot thwart his inclination; and
he will set out in a few days, carrying with him
this letter. Ernest is twenty-two years of age,
and in the enjoyment of perfect health; con-
sequently, I have had not a little trouble to obtain
for him leave to quit the army on the plea of
a pulmonary affection. He is a prodigious fa-
vourite with the ladies, married as well as single.
He is a good dancer and a good fencer; he plays
the violin and paints flowers admirably. I feel
assured that Bonaparte would consider himself
happy in giving an appointment to a young gen-
tleman so accomplished and so highly connected.
He would be satisfied by being made a Prefect.
Poor fellow his modesty is amusing. I hope
that, in the first instance, he will be made a coun-
sellor of state; for he cannot seek a military
commission. By dint of proper application, it
would be easy to obtain something from people
who should really consider themselves too happy
to be associated with us. Ernest's great-grand-
father was on the point of purchasing the appoint-
ment of président à mortier in the Parliament of
I have in my possession all the cor-
respondence which took place on this subject.
His father would like to see him a chamberlain
A PROVINCIAL COUNTESS.
315
or an ambassador, and his uncle, the grand-vicaire,
thinks we should do well to make him study
the law, so that he might be fitted for some judi-
dicial appointment. The good old man does not
reflect that the post of avocat-général would be
beneath the talents of Ernest; and that, perhaps,
if he wished to be procureur-général, it might
be objected that he has not been regularly in-
scribed. Such an obstacle, absurd as it is, ought
to be removed.
CC
Though Ernest is very young, I should wish
to see him married, if an advantageous match
should present itself. See whether there is not
some relative of Bonaparte, who might bring him,
as a dowry, one of those Duchies which will
soon be distributed, and afterwards the grand
cordon of the legion of honour; for, as to the mere
ribbon, I have forbidden his acceptance of it.
Napoleon cannot fail to offer it to him as soon
as he shall know that he is a friend of the Marquis
de X-▬▬▬. I should be sorry to see him, by
the acceptance of that paltry decoration, make
himself the equal of those low born soldiers, who, I
understand, have now become great men. I must
likewise acquaint you that I am exerting influence
abroad with Monseigneur the Bishop of Arras,*
* De Couzie, Bishop of Arras, died an emigrant in London.
He was a confidential friend of the Count d'Artois, afterwards
Charles X.
316
LETTER FROM
to obtain for my son the cross of Saint-Louis
from his legitimate King.
"This circumstance, together with the annoy-
ances to which we should be subjected here in our
country residence, through an alliance with the
Bonapartes, render it advisable that the said mar-
riage should be secret. Napoleon has too much
good sense to disapprove of this; besides, the
honour of the alliance will induce him to overlook
this little difficulty. The marriage in Paris will
not be the less valid, because it has not been made
public in this part of the country.
"I entreat that you will use your interest
in behalf of my dear boy. Accompany him when
he calls on M. Cambacérès with the letter I have
given him. M. Cambacérès will, I am assured,
seize every opportunity of evincing his gratitude to
my family. M. Gras- used to invite him to
dinner twice a year, from 1783 to 1797. He once
travelled from Beziers to Castelmaudary in the
bateau de poste, and my mother-in-law was on the
point of going with him. He did not know her, it
is true; but still there are recollections which
can never be effaced.
-
"Adieu, my dear nephew. All the family are
in excellent health. My husband saw his son
depart with regret. He would like to go with
him; but then he must have a motive; and,
to speak candidly, I do not really know what
he could ask for. A man who filled the post
A PROVINCIAL COUNTESS.
of Avocat du Roi for three years, under the old
régime, has a right to be fastidious. His brother,
who retired from the military service in 1776,
and who distinguished himself in so brilliant a way
last year in the drawing of the militia, has told
Ernest that he will accept the command of a
regiment. Ernest will talk to M. Cambacérès
on the subject. It will be a good opportunity
for raising the dignity of the present army by
the introduction of an old officer of noble family.
With regard to myself, I should not feel quite
satisfied in superseding Madame de la Roche-
foucauld, as lady of honour to the Empress Jose-
phine; and, as she is not likely to resign her
post, I shall stay where I am. I am not ambitious,
as you may perceive, from my humble wishes con-
cerning Ernest.
I remain, my dear nephew, &c.
"C
317
Comtesse de Ger--.
"P.S.-I forgot to mention that the brother
of Manon,* wishes to obtain a situation at court:
it must be something good, for we all respect
him here. I should like, on New Year's Day,
to have a surprise in readiness for that excellent
man, the Abbé Lumer——, if Bonaparte would
but let him have the neighbouring bishoprick,
* The lady's femme de chambre.
318
which will soon be vacant. Try whether you
cannot obtain some indemnity for our nephew
D- --; though we cannot say he lost any
thing by the revolution. Yet the indemnity would
produce a good effect, and attach many friends
to the government. If Bonaparte and M. Cam-
bacérès should wish to see my letter, you may
shew it to them. They like frankness, and I
express my feelings honestly."
SIMPLICITY OF
I will now present to the reader an epistle
which I received from a near relative of my own,
a grave old gentleman, who had filled a magis-
terial post for the space of forty years.
"It is reported here that a plan for a new
judicial organization is being prepared in profound
secrecy; and that every precaution is taken to
prevent the public knowing any thing of the
matter. All persons connected with the magis-
tracy are on the tip-toe of curiosity, and would
pay any price for the least information on the
subject. From what I hear of the obstacles raised
against public curiosity, there is little hope of
hearing any thing. Yet, my dear
may readily conceive how grateful I should be,
if I could give our gentlemen here any intelligence
of that which is a sealed letter to us at present.
Could you not procure me some information at
the Chancellor's office?....perhaps, from the
you
319
keeper of the seals, or even from one of the clerks.
The pleasure of obliging so devoted a magistrate
as myself, might possibly unbind His Excellency's
tongue. The information shall be kept profoundly
secret from all except the gentlemen to whom I
have alluded."
I confess I read this letter twice before I could
believe the evidence of my eyes. It is certainly a
curious specimen of provincial simplicity. I am
tempted to transcribe one more letter of the same
description. It is written by a candidate for ad-
mission to the French Academy, and one who has
since obtained the honour of wearing the green
costume. The letter was addressed to me at a
time when I thought I could count seven sincere
friends among the forty. It is as follows:
A GRAVE MAGISTRATE.
""
‹‹ Sir,
"
"Since you will not be my competitor for the
redoubtable chair in the French Academy-since
your amiable modesty acknowledges the superiority
of my talent, I am induced to request that you
will infuse into the minds of your numerous
friends, some portion of the kind admiration with
which you regard me. Will you be my patron?
To act such a part, must be both gratifying and
honourable to you; to quote a line of Corneille
applicable to the occasion, I may say:
De pareils candidats n'ont de chefs qu'en idée."
320
A CANDIDATE FOR
(C
Without affecting a vanity, which is far from
my heart, but merely for the sake of that truth
to which you and I ought to render homage, I
may tell you that Europe is surprised, or I should
rather say indignant, at seeing me so long kept
at the gate of the sanctuary. The fair sex, in
particular, are amazed at the severity of the aca-
demicians. I am fully aware that it would not
be very agreeable to those gentlemen to see me
all at once the Prince of the Senate; though I must
inevitably attain that honour by the merit of
my works. They have already been translated
into every living language. The Turks recite
them whilst they sip their coffee. At Venice, the
lays of Tasso and Ariosto are no longer heard:
my poems have superseded them. I feel pained
that I should be compelled to tell you this.
"I have not ventured to give the slightest
hint to M. de Lormion, and I will tell you why
I have refrained. Having, on a recent occasion,
when we were alone together, addressed to him
one of those elegant compliments which poets
sometimes hazard towards each other, he ex-
claimed, seizing me by the collar: Monsieur, if
to-morrow you insert this in one of the journals
and attach your name to it, I promise you that
on the day after to-morrow, my vote shall be
yours.' This proposition was embarrassing, I
am unwilling to offend M. de Lormion, and, on
the other hand, I attach too high a value to public
6
ACADEMIC HONOURS..
321
esteem to allow it to be supposed that I have one
or several superiors. Will you, Sir, advocate my
cause to this academician ? Assure him of my
admiration; and tell him that I consider him to
have surpassed the two poets he has translated,
(Tasso and Ossian.) But abstain from all com-
parison between him and me. By this means,
you will avoid sinning against sincerity; for, if
you consider me superior to yourself who possess
so much talent, you cannot possibly rank M.
Lormion above me.
"Tell M. Guirard, that I have read his tra-
gedy; this will gratify him. If I were to see it
performed, I regret to say, that the opposition ex-
pressed by the audience would prevent me from
applauding so as to encourage him by a suffrage,
which I know he would highly prize.
"M.M. Jouy and Parceval are exceedingly
friendly to me. They are not my rivals. There-
fore, they are devoid of envy. As to M.
whose mosaic literature belongs to the whole
world, he irritated me so much the other day,
that I apprehend his negative vote. His mania
of eulogizing all Parnassus annoys me. Speak
to him; soothe his jealous feeling. Point out to
him that he may still hold a high rank, though
far beneath me.
"Thiers may make M. V
his suffrage in my favour would
thousand leagues in the rear of him.
VOL. I.
believe that
throw me a
This would
Y
322
A CANDIDATE FOR
be a master-stroke. But I am informed that, since
the day of his reception, he has wished to close the
Academy, and that, consequently, he will put a
black ball into the urn. He will not retract this
determination. No matter ;-do all you can, and
go as far as possible without compromising me.
I am aware, too, that in speaking of me, he made
this remark: I am watching him; and, if I see a
good opportunity, I will trample on, and crush him.'
"Your two other friends will listen to reason.
They see the altitude to which I am soaring; and
they are not inclined to encounter a contest. In
return for this, I promise them the immortality
which my verses will confer on them. You, too,
deserve the like reward, and I will take an early
opportunity of addressing an epistle to you. Will
you challenge me by an ode? I will furnish you
with a few hints of what you ought to say. I am
quite of the opinion of our friend M.
who
says: every man ought to attend to his own affairs.'
He said without ceremony the other day to a
poet who promised to write something compli-
Send your effusion to me,
เ
mentary upon him :
and I will correct it. Who can appreciate so
well as myself the eulogies I deserve?' Now, Sir,
it appears to me that there is a very laudable
degree of candour in these words. Is it so ex-
traordinary that we should be able to appreciate
ourselves? I assure you, I was not convinced of
my own worthiness to stand at the head of our
-
ACADEMIC HONOURS.
literature, until after I had maturely reflected,
and compared myself with others. If the Vicomte
de Châteaubriand had written in verse, I should
have ranged myself by his side. But poetry dis-
dains prose. If I gain admittance to the Academy,
I shall be satisfied: if I should owe my reception
to you, that favour will add another link to our
friendship.
323
"Receive every assurance of my regard; it is im-
perishable, like the poetic crown which encircles
my brow.
((
(Signed,)
I have often regretted that I did not receive this
missive in the life-time of Prince Cambacérès : it
would have greatly amused him, and we should
have enjoyed a hearty laugh at it together. The
Prince detested that literary vanity, of which the
above letter affords so curious a specimen. He
had a poor opinion of those bombastic writers
whom he used to compare to finely decorated bal-
loons, inflated with air. His pure taste led him
to admire simplicity; and he held in aversion
every thing like extravagance and affectation. He
reprobated the romantic style, which was gaining
ground so rapidly. His taste had been formed on
the finest literary models, and he had an intimate
knowledge of the best Greek and Latin authors.
At the evening réunions of Prince Cambacérès,
discussions frequently arose on the comparative
در
-
Y 2
324
VICTOR HUGO.
,
merits of the writers of the old and new schools.
Among the literary characters assembled one even-
ing, there was a M. de C
a very caustic
personage, and a most bitter and severe critic.
Just as I entered, Prince Cambacérès was saying:
pray who is this Victor
Hugo who is making so much noise just now ?"
"He is a mere youth, Monseigneur."
"Monsieur C-
"But he writes poetry; and he has a host of
enthusiastic admirers."
С،
Well, then, he is a sublime youth if you will.
But I fear he will lose himself in the extravagant
flights he is taking to gratify his ill-judging ad-
mirers. He undoubtedly possesses talent; but
he is utterly destitute of invention. He turns
round and round upon the same idea. He wishes
to be a literary legislator; but he will continually
vary his poetic code, for he wants the stability of
genius."
"He appears to be quite a neologist," said
Prince Cambacérès, (this remark was made in
1818.)
"Yes, Monseigneur, he mistakes eccentricity
for imagination. But, in spite of his faults, he
will be the founder of a sect. However, M. Hugo
is not the first who opened the tract upon which
he has entered, and into which he is enticing
others to follow him. In the last century, you
and I recollect Retif de la Bretonne and Mercier,
who adopted the romantic style; and they had
325
Saint-Amand for their leader, and Voltaire for
their precursor;- for Voltaire was the first who
turned to the use of art that which was out of
nature. He was ambitious, not only to touch the
heart, but also to divert the eye. He sowed the seeds
of the melodrama in Zaïre, Sémiramis, Olympie
and Tancrède; but his exquisite taste kept him
within bounds. Then there was the bombastic
Diderot, who, because he had an indefatigable
pen and tongue, fancied himself a man of genius-
a mistake which was likewise shared by his con-
temporaries. Diderot wished to subvert the rules;
he wrote against them, and, according to per-
petual custom, he made his theory apply to his
own effusions.
THE ROMANTICISTS.
(C
Romanticism, as I have said, is not newly
born. M. Nepomucene Lemercier had his turn
in this class of writing, before Victor Hugo was
heard of. He wrote a play, the first act of which
was in Italy, the second in Spain, and the third
on the sea. His innovation was hissed. Do you
know why? At that period, men at our time
of life had not fallen into an absurdity similar to
that committed by our fathers, who set up the
philosophers in lieu of a King. Since 1814, an
attempt has been made to establish a still more
ridiculous domination; I mean the domination
of blanc-becs....of school-boys. The Constitu-
tionnel and all the journals of that cast, are every
day lauding to the skies these beardless poets and
326
THE ROMANTICISTS.
patriots. They are so eulogized for their works,
that they blush to
blush to pursue their studies. A
finished education is no longer thought of. At
present, all this is merely ridiculous, but, by and
bye, it will be a serious misfortune.
"These youths, who are continually told they are
men of genius, really think themselves such; for
how can they doubt the sincerity of praise which
comes from men whose understandings they res-
pect, and whom they believe too honest to deceive
them. They entertain a thorough conviction of
their own superiority; and, when they find their
first productions attract no notice, they blame, not
their own want of talent, but the indifference or
unfairness of the public. Mental dejectment
succeeds to disappointment. They expected fame,
fortune and happiness; and they find their hopes
are vain illusions. To awake from these illusions,
would be too painful they prefer eternal sleep;
and thus they are driven by their own vanity, and
the adulation of others, to the crime of suicide.
This mode of ending existence is becoming daily
more frequent, and bids fair to become quite an
epidemic. Ah, Monseigneur! how criminal are the
flatterers of youthful talent! What will they have
to answer for when the tree they have planted shall
bear its fruit?.... But, to return to M. Hugo.
He certainly possesses talent, though he wants
the greatest of all talent-invention. I fear he
will not be able to create for himself; though I
}
327
believe he is not the man to avail himself wholly
of the labour of others, and I have no doubt he is
fully imbued with the truth of the precept: Help
thyself, and God will help thee." "
"Ah, Monsieur!" said I to M. C, when
at length there came a pause,
"how severe you
are upon this poor world! You would close the
path against innovation."
M. C, instead of replying, shrugged
his shoulders, took up his hat, bowed, and went
away.
“You have raised up an enemy to yourself,
observed the Prince.
“How could that simple observation have given
offence ?"
"He supposes you to be imbued with the prin-
ciples of the new school, and he rejects them with
the same fanaticism which others evince in re-
ligion and politics. He is one of that class of
persons whose maxim is: Hors des règles, point
de salut." "
C
CC
THE ROMANTICISTS.
Well, if he had stayed a little while, I should
have raised that conservative cry along with
him."
CC
<
""
Then you are not an admirer of the new school
of literature ?"
(6
No, and for this reason. It has laid down
rules, before it has furnished models. In all things,
except reading a book, the right way is to begin at
the beginning. Let us see romanticists produce
328
RETIF DE LA BRETONNE.
master-pieces which will dim the glory of our
old divinities, then we shall be their sectarians
by compulsion. And one day or other a Horace,
a Vida, or a Boileau will step in to bridle ex-
travagance, and to teach genius to hover within
the confines of reason and taste.'
-
""
در
"It is certain," observed the Prince," that
romanticism is not a creation of the present day."
By no means," said I. "Our contemporary
writers are merely disfiguring all that is good
in it. They run into all sorts of extravagancies
and hope that their faults will be mistaken for
beauties. I doubt whether this style will outlive
a quarter of a century. If it survive for half
a century, and I live till then, I may apply to it
the line which Racine puts into the mouth of
Mithridates :—
"Et mes dermiers regards ont vu fuir les Romains."
The Prince smiled and said :
"I saw the birth of this mongrel literature.
Diderot approved it, and Retif and Mercier pro-
fessed it. They were both men of genius and
vanity; they were incapable of bridling their
unfortunate facility, and they totally disregarded
study. Retif always appeared to me a maniac.
By what other term can one designate the man,
who, under pretence of observing mankind, min-
gles with the lowest classes of society, and who,
not content with this, compelled his wife and
RETIF DE LA BRETONNE.
329
daughters to participate in his degrading asso-
ciations? There is no name by which one can
characterize an extravagance of this kind. And
this was not an error committed once in a moment
of thoughtlessness. His works comprise two hun-
dred volumes, and they present pictures of human
turpitude calculated to inspire disgust, not only
against the works but their author.
66
I knew Retif very well. He was a handsome
man, but always very dirty and ill-dressed. When-
ever I saw him, I used to be tempted to make the
remark which Aristippes made to Diogenes
I see vanity through the holes of your cloak. His
vanity prompted him to be jealous even of the
eminent writers, who lived before he was born.
He could not endure any praise which was not
addressed to himself. It was strange that, though
he himself would readily praise Mercier, yet he
would not pardon any one else for expressing
admiration of that writer. When he heard Mer-
cier depreciated, then he would take up his defence
with pleasure. He loved to be thought generous,
and to deal to every one their share of praise; but
then he wished others to award praise to him
exclusively. If Homer, Racine, or Milton were
quoted in his presence, his brow contracted, and
he darted angry glances at the fool, the patriot,
(these were his usual terms of reproach) who had
rendered the tribute of admiration due to those
great men. I have seen him act in this way
G
330
fifty times. The success of his Paysan and his
Paysanne completely turned his head. The Con-
temporaines is a very clever collection, and his
Nuits de Paris are the offspring of a brilliant
imagination. All these works, though blemished
by gross faults, nevertheless bear traces of singular
talent, and are well worth reading."
I had read the writings of Retif, and my opinion
of them perfectly coincided with that of Prince
Cambacérès. Respecting his personal appearance,
I can say nothing; for I never saw him. He died
just before I arrived in Paris.
،،
MARIE-JOSEPH CHENIER.
:
Among the writers who took up the defence
of good taste, there is one very celebrated, of
whom I shall say a few words. I allude to Marie-
Joseph Chenier it is necessary to mention his
christian names to distinguish him from his poetic
brother André, of whom I shall by and bye speak.
Marie-Joseph was not very fond of speaking of
his adulatory tragedy entitled: Le Couronnement
de Cyrus, which he wrote in compliment to Na-
poleon. On this subject, I shall presently relate
an amusing anecdote. I am now about to mention
another of his works, and the storm it conjured
over his head.
Chenier soon felt that the path of flattery was ill
suited to him and to the nature of his genius, which
was essentially republican. He hastened to recover
his independence, and he proclaimed his return to
his old principles by the publication of his Epitre
2
331
à Voltaire, a masterpiece of taste, energy, fancy,
courage, malice and impiety. The devout ana-
thematized it, and the indifferent (who form by
far the greatest number) read it with avidity. I
was made acquainted with this production before
it was presented to the public. Chenier had read
it to me. I listened to it with profound attention,
and when he arrived at its close, I asked him
whether he really intended to publish it.
Certainly I do," he replied, " and it will
CC
HIS EPISTLE TO VOLTAIRE.
""
appear to-morrow."
t
Well, when you rise, the day after to-morrow,
you may put your night-cap in your pocket;
for rest assured that, you will sleep in the
Temple that night."
"What! without a trial ?"
"I tell you, you will sleep in the Temple.
Napoleon will never pardon such independence."
"that
"I am of opinion," observed Chenier,
Napoleon is too young for this ancient sort of
tyranny. At his age, the part of Tiberius would
be inappropriate. He must postpone that till
a future time. Besides, I have to expiate the
eulogies which I addressed to him. This epistle is
an act of political and literary contrition."
In spite of its good object, the publication
seemed to be a very hazardous step. Madame
de Fars, Madame de Lesparda and myself, en-
deavoured to prevail on him to change his re-
solution. But Chenier was an obstinate repub-
332
lican, and, moreover, a poet : he would have his
own way.
On the publication of the Epistle, the Emperor
expressed a wish to see it. Its commencement
displeased him exceedingly.
NAPOLEON AND CHENIER.
"These lines," said he, to Count Regnauld,
who had presented the publication to him, in
the hope of mitigating the first ebullition of the
imperial anger, "these lines are out of place.
Why make this bitter attack upon me, at the
very moment when I am seeking to establish
public morals, and to consolidate religion, which
is their basis? It would appear, that our poets
are anxious to perpetuate the ill opinion enter-
tained of the French people in Europe. Must
we be charged with impiety because it has pleased
Parny, Chenier and Ginguené to insult the re-
ligion which we ought to revere ?"
"Sire," observed Regnauld, "the works of
the writers you have just mentioned are merely
effusions of wit and humour, and afford no ground
of alarm.’
"That is a mistake. I look on them as ex-
tremely dangerous. They accustom the rising
generation, by whom they are read, to regard with
ridicule all that is most respectable."
..
But, Sire, according to the constitution of
the state, freedom of religious worship, and con-
sequently freedom of religious discussion, are per-
mitted in France.'
""
""
•
333
"This indefinite freedom of discussion leads
to atheism. Besides, I reign by the grace of God:
if there be no God, on what does my sovereign
title rest? There is a close and mysterious al-
liance between the throne and religion. If the
latter be attacked, the other will soon be in danger.
I should never have been seated on my throne,
had I not commenced by raising up the altar.
Chenier is very culpable, he fills a post in the
Imperial University; and he exercises a direct
influence over the youth who are educated there.
Certainly, their parents must be dissatisfied with
the principles he promulgates."
NAPOLEON AND CHENIER.
Count Regnauld knew not what answer to make
to this. The Emperor continued reading the
Epistle, sometimes praising the energy and ori-
ginality of the ideas, and sometimes making ges-
tures of disapproval.... When he arrived at the
following lines, he uttered them with a marked
alteration of voice :-
Tout passe, tout s'éteint, les conquérans périssent,
Sur le front des héros les lauriers se flétrissent;
*
*
*
*
Le pouvoir absolu s'efforcerait en vain
D'anéantir l'esprit né d'un souffle divin.
*
*
*
*
*
*
Tacite en traits de flamme accuse nos Séjans,
Et son nom prononcé fait pâlir les tyraus.
"Monsieur Regnauld," exclaimed his Majesty,
334
..
your friend is resolved to make me his enemy!
Have I reason to fear Tacitus ? Are my ministers
to be compared to Sejanus? Do not suppose
that I will tolerate such insolence: four good
walls shall keep the jacobin under restraint. Send
for the minister of police immediately."
"Sire, why employ the minister of the police in
this affair? Your severity will only confer im-
portance on a work which has none of its own.
Take no notice of it, and it will soon be for-
gotten."
(6
NAPOLEON AND CHENIER.
No, Sir, lines like those which I have just
read, are long remembered. Besides, they are
from the pen of a popular poet. Chenier is a
powerful sovereign declaring war against me."
((
Spare, at least, the imprisonment. May I
venture to observe, Sire, that posterity, which will
see so much to admire in you, will never approve
the persecution of talent."
Count Regnauld always spoke frankly and ho-
nestly, and the Emperor, who knew his devotedess,
was never offended at his bluntness of manner.
"It would seem, from the earnestness of your
intercession," said Napoleon, " that you, too, stand
in awe of the poet."
"Pardon me, Sire, I appreciate Chenier as
his talents deserve; it is your Majesty who fears
him.
،،
To punish him is not to fear him. I would
punish him because he attacks God and his sove-
NAPOLEON AND CHENIER.
335
reign. And then the lines against Prince Talley-
rand, what do you think of them? ....
・・・・ What
insults! what personalities! .... And the affec-
tation of always repeating the name of the Re-
public. The Republic is no more. A royalist
who conspires now-a-days is less culpable than a
Republican."
The conversation was maintained in this way
until the arrival of Fouché. As soon as he entered,
the Emperor began to reproach him for not having
prohibited the publication of the Epistle to Vol-
taire.
(C
-
"What are you thinking about? What are
your police agents doing ?"-were the concluding
words of his philippic.
((
Sire," replied Fouché, without hesitation,
we are intent on defeating the hostile schemes
which England is directing against your person.
I do not consider crazy poets worthy of such
serious attention, and, as you are not a Tibe-
rius, I do not see why I should consider myself a
Sejanus."
Who informed you that I would not punish
such insolence despotically..A prison shall be my
answer."
"All Paris would be thrown into excitement to
effect his liberation. He is not a popular favorite
now; but in prison he would become an object of
commiseration. Believe me, it is dangerous to
render one's enemies interesting."
336
NAPOLEON AND CHENIER.
In spite of his ill humour, Napoleon could not
refrain from smiling.
“I should be very loth to render Chenier
interesting," said he...." Well, let him be de-
prived of his post at the University. .The man who
outrages religion is unfit to preside over the educa-
tion of youth."
There was no possibility of obtaining a remission
of this sentence. Chenier lost his situation. He
was not rich; but he spent what he had like a
prince. His reverse of fortune could not tempt
him to be guilty of any meanness. When I saw
him after the loss of his place, he said :
J
Do you know, I narrowly escaped sleeping
where you told me I should? But I have only
been deprived of my means of subsistence :—
this is a strange way to force me to approve of
bigots and tyrants.”
CHAPTER VII.·
Count Regnauld de Saint-Jean d'Angely-His portrait and cha-
racter-Special value set upon him by Napoleon-Sharp and
unpublished sayings of the Emperor-Count Regnauld in 1814
-The five assassinations-Romantic chapter in the life of a
counsellor of state-Poison and chocolate, an anecdote of the
days of the Empire-Baron de Puymaurin-M. de C......
Story of an imperial spy, related by M. de Puymaurin-In-
credible and disinterested language of M. Benoit, an ex-mi-
nister of state-Conversation with Cambacérès on the probable
return of Napoleon-Unpublished letter of the latter written at
the close of 1814-Tribulations of an ex-grand dignitary-The
female chapter, an anecdote of the restoration-The dearly paid
bride's clothes of a maiden espoused without a portion-Per-
sons going a-begging-The actress and the window-A beggar
who has lost his memory; stories of the present day-The Em-
peror and a grognard-Unpublished and anecdotical letters of
Napoleon to Josephine concerning the battle of Austerlitz-The
black leg and the joke, a fantastic anecdote.
"ON this day," said Count de Saint-Jean
d'Angely, as he was walking with me after dining
VOL. I.
Z
338 COUNT DE SAINT-JEAN D'ANGELY.
with Prince Cambacérès, who still resided at his
hotel in the Rue Saint-Dominique, "on this day,
many years ago, a singular adventure occurred to
me. A partiality for the fair sex, has ever been laid
to my charge. But, on what objects can we more
appropriately bestow our affections? I consider
them the master piece of nature; and, assuredly,
when I contemplate a woman in all the splendour
of her beauty, I cannot see in her the work of
chance, but must fain confess the hand of a God
who can alone have created her..You smile, mis-
chievous Sir."
"I only admire, Monseigneur, how, from the
love of the creature, you are brought to admit
the existence of the Creator. Your Excellency
is in the right road to salvation, and I rejoice
at it."
A truce to jesting, for I am serious; I am
neither a bigot, nor a jansenist; but, when I re-
flect....my friend, either the impressions of youth
possess an overwhelming power, or something
develops itself within us, when the passions are
blunted, and forcibly recalls us to those altars
which we had pulled down through sheer giddiness
in bygone days of prosperity and folly.”
This language was too pleasing to me not to
claim all my approbation. Count Regnauld is
one of the men of the Revolution whose merits
have been least estimated at their true value; by
his enemies only has his biography been formed:
COUNT DE SAINT-JEAN D'ANGELY.
339
if we except what has been inserted in the work
entitled Biography of Contemporaries,* he has
* Count Michel-Louis Etienne Regnauld de Saint-Jean d'An-
gely, was born in 1760, of a noble family, and held, pre-
viously to 1789, the rank of lieutenant of the provostship of
the navy, at Rochefort; he was indebted to his talents for being
appointed to the states-general by the tiers-état. He always held
monarchical, prudent and honourable opinions. Proscribed on the
10th of August, he escaped the axe of the executioner.
He was
arrested after the 31st of August 1795; his life was saved by the
event of the 9th Thermidor. Bound to Napoleon by ties of friend-
ship as early as 1796, he followed him to Italy and Malta, where
he remained, with the power of a viceroy, under the modest title
of commissary of the French Republic. He laboured to promote
the revolution of the 18th Brumaire. Napoleon heaped honors
upon him and loaded him with employment. He proved a true and
a devoted friend; few have thus requited him.
A candidate to the conservative senate, a counsellor of state, a
president of section, a minister of state, chief attorney-general to
the supreme imperial court, secretary of the imperial family's civil
establishment, chief of a legion in the National Guard, a dignitary
of the legion of honor, grand cross of the order of the golden eagle
of Wurtemberg, member of the French Academy, he was despoiled,
by the Restoration of all his honors, and calumniated; he could feel
no attachment for it. In 1815, he was appointed to the chamber of
representatives, and made heroic efforts to uphold Napoleon.
Included in the proscription of 26th July 1815, he quitted France
met with annoyance in Europe, crossed over to America, returned,
or rather, was brought back to Europe. This soul of so superior
a stamp, bereft of every other light but that of reason, was beset
with sorrow; then it was that persecution relaxed in its attacks
against so much merit, let me add such genuine virtue. The
gates of his native land were re-opened to him, but it only proved.
a shelter to his remains. He died on reaching the sacred soil.
z 2
340 COUNT DE SAINT-JEAN D'ANGELY.
been cruelly calumniated. He was gifted with a
frank, lively, generous, and impassioned heart, as
irresistibly inclined to pleasure as to business, relax-
ing in a decent revel from the fatigue of thirty
hours' writing or of harassing thoughts; lively, full
of wit, as vain as a peacock, but of that vanity
which children are wont to display. His countenance
beamed with joy whilst contemplating his decora-
tions, his coats of arms, his numerous costumes; he
acted the count, no doubt; but how many services
had he rendered in return, how many tears dried up,
how many bold struggles attempted against the will
•
· of his Emperor, of him who was the fanatic object
of his attachment, in whom he delighted far more
than the fair sex!
Blinded by the wonderful deeds of the great
man, he believed in his infallibility; every act
directed against Napoleon was a sacrilege in
his sight; and, at
at the Emperor's voice, he
gathered fresh strength, recommenced with ease
a painful task, encouraged by the hope of pleasing,
and rewarded by the mere expression, I am satis-
fied.' He grew angry at our lukewarmness, though
<
Arrived in Paris on the 9th of March, at eight o'clock at night,
he expired at one in the morning of the 10th of March 1819.
The hatred which had pursued him in life was transferred to his
ashes. Enlightened in his best moments by a supernatural bright-
ness, he was enabled to recognize his family and friends, and to
forgive his persecutors. Heaven has great treasures of indulgence
in store for those who close their days in this manner.
5
THE EGYPTIAN OBELISK.
341
we were burning with zeal. Setting this fault, if
it be one, aside, methinks I still behold him stately,
gallant, merry, a delightful narrator, a profound
diplomatist, a first rate financier, a skilful adminis-
trator, a splendid orator, a man of exquisite taste, a
literary character of the highest order, a good father,
a better friend, a kind hearted though wayward
creature; but I will not disguise his angry mo-
ments, his stormy temper, his passionate threats.
He has been falsely charged with being a spe-
culator; as he exceeded all others in liberality, he
was perhaps too willing to accept of presents
which he returned a hundred fold; he gave away
so bountifully, that he felt himself entitled to some
compensation. I recollect, in reference to this
subject that, in 1814, after the period of his down-
fall, I offered him an Egyptian obelisk four feet in
height, which I had purchased in Italy and which
was on its way by sea. He accepted the present
with delight, and repeatedly reminded me of it.
The events of 1815 occurred, and I left Paris.
His own correspondence and that of Madame
A……………. R…………. our common friend, attest the
perseverance, the anxiety with which, in the
midst of such laboriousduties, he kept in view
the remittance of this curiosity which, being
transferred from one vessel to another, and from
hand to hand, was lost to us both....Though
we had, for the second time, been overwhelmed
after the battle of Waterloo, he never ceased to
342
NAPOLEON'S HIGH ESTIMATION
apply in his letters for his promised obelisk. This
assuredly evinced no spirit of cupidity; the article
was in itself of no value; but it was an object of art.
I had offered, and he insisted upon receiving it.
Well, then, it is upon such grounds as these that
wretches who owed him a debt of gratitude for
services rendered, have represented him as plun-
dering and speculating right and left; for the rest,
the net amount of property, which remained at his
death, abundantly proves that he never treasured
up any thing.
It will not be denied that Napoleon was well
skilled in the knowledge of men; he distinguished
Count Regnauld from the crowd, and set the highest
value and reliance upon him. The following ex-
pressions of Bonaparte were related to me by the
second Consul:
Ca
"If I confided to you the management of public
affairs, with Regnauld to assist in carrying your
decisions into effect, I should fearlessly go to the
furthest extremity of the world, especially could I
have Duroc, Berthier, Savary, and Marmont for
my companions."
Napoleon, as I have said, employed Count
Regnauld upon every species of business, whether
relating to the interior or to the external affairs,-
both indiscriminately. He had appointed him
attorney-general of the imperial family's civil
establishment, a great officer of the legion of
honour; nothing was wanting to him; he was a
OF COUNT REGNAULD.
64
343
member of the French Academy, and his talents
entitled him to a distinction which was envied
by men of no pretensions. A royalist in 1789,
whilst a member of the states-general; perse-
cuted by the Jacobins ; clear of the excesses of
the revolution, and a victim to them, he replied,
in 1813, by a respectful refusal, to the offers made
to him by order of Louis XVIII. He never
boasted of this circumstance. The Emperor was
informed of it by the minister of police, the Duke
of Rovigo, and, when he reverted to the subject,
Regnauld answered :—
Why, Sire, in my place, you would have done
the same. Where is the merit in being true
to our mistress, when we
are enraptured with
her ?"
The Emperor, highly delighted, grasped and
pressed his hand.
(C
Well, then, Count Regnauld, it behoves me
to requite you; you may rely upon me."
The arch-chancellor entered soon after this
pleasing scene. The Emperor, who was still
under the emotion of it, related it to him in all
its details, and the same evening, the Prince
repeated it in his box at the Opera. Messieurs
Bonnet and de Fesquet* heard him as well as I
* M. de Fesquet, ex-counsellor of the cours des aides of Mont-
pellier, an old friend of Cambacérès, was one of the group who
344
did. The favour enjoyed by Count Regnauld was
notorious; it threw into despair, and was specially
irksome to, the Duke of Bassano, the Duke of
Rovigo, Messieurs de Fermont, Fouché, Thibeau-
deau and others; he laughed at it, was more
considerate in his demeanour towards them, but
flung at them the most biting epigrams.
The Bourbons received, in 1814, thousands of
accusations against Count Regnauld. It was a
masterly stroke on his part to preside at the French
Academy on the day of M. Campenron's reception ;
he availed himself of the occurrence to justify his
conduct, and effected it with so much skill, bril-
liancy and success, that public opinion again
rallied round him. This proved to him a signal
triumph; it was never forgiven him.
He was
proscribed in 1815, relentlessly persecuted, driven
out of Europe. At length, he returned, fully justified
from every accusation; but he did so to yield up
his life. Having reached Paris at night, we were
called upon the next morning to pay the last
duties to his remains. We were inconsolable at his
THE FRENCH ACADEMY.
constantly accompanied the Prince Arch-chancellor in his visits
to the Opera, the Variétés, the Passage des Panoramas, and
the Palais-Royal. He was a gentleman of great wit, extremely
obliging and serviceable. His son-in-law, M. Bonnet, had the
misfortune to be enticed into voting for the death of Louis XVI;
he was afterwards director of the Opera. His wife has been
held up as a model of grace, beauty and French wit.
THE FRENCH ACADEMY.
345
untimely end, for he still numbered many friends.
The French Academy, shunning a proscribed mem-
ber, sent not the customary deputation to the
funeral procession. The timidity of the officers
of that body sheltered itself beneath an unlawful
ordinance.
Having in the Courrier Français,* to render an
account of this mournful ceremony, I asserted, on
the contrary, and I acknowledge my having done
so through a mischievous motive, that magnani-
mous and grateful towards a colleague who had,
in the days of his power, procured imperial gifts
for the academicians, the French Academy had
sent a deputation, and I praised them for this act
of courage.
On the following day, a letter corrected my
error, and Europe was informed that, if some
individuals of the party did not make their appear-
ance, through shame, at the house of the deceased,
in church, or at the burial ground, in a black
dress, and consequently mixed up with, or lost as
it were in the mourning crowd, one member only,
yes, only one member of the company, M. de
Jouy, had had the fearless and proud courage of
putting on the grand costume of the Institute,
* This is the only article I ever had inserted in that journal,
to which I was not personally the bearer of it. M. de J......
procured its admission. The prudence and moderation of the
Courrier, and its sound literary opinions, have always procured for
it a commanding influence over its readers.
346
dark green, lined with light green, and had be-
stowed a tribute of friendship and of just praise
upon the remains of the illustrious departed. It is
possible that many academicians may, at the
present day, complain of the solitude in which I
allow the hermit of the Chaussée d'Antin to lan-
guish; but why were they silent in 1819? I shall
ever affirm, for my part, that the academician
I have named, and whose whole conduct has been
consistent in acts of this nature, was the only
one whom we saw dressed in his costume of
office.
*
M. JOUY.
Consistently with our natural propensity to de-
viate from the beaten track, I have here enacted the
part of those who, with a bandage over their eyes,
descend, in a straight line, the green plat of Ver-
sailles; they wander here and there, and never
reach the end of their walk. But as it is my
wish to arrive at the goal, I resume the narrative
I had commenced at the beginning of this
chapter.
I was, then, in the ex-chancellor's garden, and
* M. de Jouy has never shrunk from an act of civil courage;
his life is replete with traits which redound to his honor. The
ungrateful youth whose power he was the means of raising in the
scale of society, were insensible to his success and his merits; a
day will come when justice will be done to him. This opinion,
grounded upon a close study of his works, will attest my impar-
tiality; the wrongs I have to complain of, at the hands of his
party, have never led me to speak any other language.
347
Count Regnauld began relating to me one of the
numerous anecdotes of his life; he pursued, as
follows, the digression which had raised a smile in
my countenance.
"I resided in my handsome hotel of the Rue de
Provence; and was wandering in that elysium,
which I no longer enter but with regret, so painful
are the recollections which now crowd around and
beset me.
On a sudden, I heard a noise at the
outer door, for my Cerberus was not sparing of the
harsh watch-word no admission! He addressed, on
this occasion, a female whose features escaped
my observation; but the harmony of flowers, of
stuffs, of the shawl, of the shape of her garment,
denote youth, freshness, a slender figure; it is
assuredly impossible that a dress of such taste
should cover ill-favoured features. I feel inclined
to stop the jaws of this boor, more snappish
than Cerberus himself, who was loath to detain
Eurydice from her spouse; I hastened to the ani-
mated group:
“What is it?” I inquired.
Why, I am affirming to this lady that
Monseigneur is absent, and she will not take my
word for it.'
The scoundrel fixed his eyes upon me at
this moment with all the boldness of a lying
keeper.
tr
(C
COUNT REGNAULD'S CERBERUS.
'
Well, you have done your duty; but, in
the Count's absence, I, who represent him, shall
348
THE PRETENDED
enter into conversation with Madame, if she will
honour me with her confidence.
On hearing these words, she turns round,
and looks at me....What a face! what features!
what symmetry! she is perfection itself; I fell
deeply in love with her; she follows me to the
garden; the weather was beautiful and warm;
the flowers emitted a delicious perfume; the at-
mosphere around us had a ravishing sweetness.
I led to a green bower the fair incognita, whose
voice is as yet unknown to me; I offer her a seat
which she accepts; I occupy mine in such a
manner as rather to appear on my knees before
a new divinity than seated near one of our prettiest
women.
"The conversation opened; I desire to know
how I can be of service to you, Madam ?
"The lady now names herself; she is the
Countess de Wontorden, an Austrian, as she pre-
tends; but an accent she would in vain disguise,
strikes my practised ear, and reveals the deception.
I have not to deal with a haughty German, but
with a delicate cunning English woman who no
doubt affects simplicity as she will presently assume
the garb of virtue. She was assuredly a novice on
the political stage. Thus forewarned, I was on
my guard against every danger, except that of
fine eyes and of the seduction which reluctantly
attracts us to this amiable, open-hearted, but per-
fidious sex.
349
"It is now my turn to be questioned as to who
I am.
"The Count's intimate friend."
'What! you possess all his confidence ?"
"He has not a thought with which I am not
intrusted.
"A pause ensued; but as I also remained
silent :
""
'I bless my happy star which has led me
to the presence of a gentleman....'
She stops and hesitates, when I take up
the subject:
Well, Madam !"
،،
..
.CO
'Whose manners encourage me in manifest-
ing sincerity towards him.'
Ah snake, thought I, begotten of Eve's serpent,
thy sincerity will prove to be a clever but gross
imposture which then will fashion into a falsehood
for the greater glory of God.
"I bowed.
'And you inhabit this hotel in the capacity
of....'
"Of a relative, in the nearest degree, and of
private secretary.'
re
"Ah! His Excellency's brother?'
No, Madam."
'His cousin-german?'
(C
С،
AUSTRIAN COUNTESS.
(C
(C
>>
"A second bow of assent on my part.
'I am brought to France, Sir, by parties
of the highest interest; I desire to do good,
350
THE BRIBE REJECTED.
to render a service to the prisoners of Verdun.*
I am wealthy, and commissioned to act on the
part of those who are wealthier still; they desire
to rescue at all cost their relatives who languish
in captivity, and would not hesitate as to the
price that might be demanded in token of ac-
knowledgment.'
((
،
Madam,' I coldly replied, this no longer con-
cerns me ; and, from the moment you have held up
gold to my view, I am bound to be silent.
66
Hereupon, she becomes lavish of assurances;
she excuses herself through her ignorance of the
language; she converses on general subjects, ram-
bles from one to another, and thrusts forward
an abundance of words of double meaning. Count
Regnauld can pretend to greater elevation than
his present rank; I should myself become a high
personage.... I pretend to give way; and renew
offers of service, which are accepted. I solicit
permission to pay my respects; it is granted;
I take down the address; the lady rises and de-
parts, leaving me dazzled with her beauty and
* Napoleon, on the occasion of the rupture of the peace
of Amiens, and in reprisals for the capture of French vessels by
British corsairs, previously to the declaration of war, caused all
the English to be arrested who were travelling in France and
Italy, and sent them to reside as prisoners at Verdun. This
measure, which appeared to me to be dictated by prudence and
sound policy, was much censured. How could he, otherwise,
have punished the bad faith evinced by his enemy?
THE LADY'S STIPULATION.
351
gracefulness, but wholly mistrustful of her in-
tentions.
"She is no sooner gone than I fly to the
Tuileries, and relate all to Napoleon; such was
my custom, and by this sincerity much mischief
has been prevented.
"I would lay a wager,' says the Emperor
to me, that Rovigo is ignorant of the existence
of this damsel; utter not a word to him on the
subject; carry on the intrigue; I leave you at
full liberty to act; but, beware not to be duped.'
"Our acquaintance improves; I repair to the
Countess of Wontorden under my real name ; the
only supposition is as to person; I feign to be
in love,—she gives me an indulgent but cold recep-
tion. I complain; she smiles; I grow angry;
she then says:
'What proof would you afford
of your love?'
(C
Any proof you may require."
(
Well, if you can, by means of your re-
lations, let me know what are Napoleon's real
intentions with respect to Germany, whether he
still meditates a descent upon England, and es-
pecially if I obtain a list of the names, and the
address of those Englishmen, traitors to their
country, who are in the service of your sovereign,
if you add to it those of German and of French
emigrants who are dispersed over the continent
to enact the same part; then, at so signal a
C
СС
352
THE VEIL WITHDRAWN.
proof of attachment, I shall avow the partiality of
my heart."
"(
She had not made such advances without
long matured preparations; nevertheless, the sub-
ject was opened by degrees; the adventuress
fancied herself safe in her avowal, imagining that
she held over my affections a despotic sway;
she had, on the contrary, just extinguished them
by tearing away the veil; I now only beheld
a pretty intriguer whom it behoved me to unmask.
I checked myself, feigned alarm, but did not give
a negative answer.
"You have,' she continued, many more.
matters to listen to. Contrive to procure me an
interview with your cousin ; I am entrusted with a
special message for him.'
"I promised to comply with her wishes; she
was acquainted with Count Regnauld's handwriting,
my notes were accordingly copied by one of my
secretaries, a trustworthy fellow, full of wit, a
poet, of gentle birth, and polished education,
whom you will no doubt have met with in society:
Lebrun des Charmettes.* I wrote to her, on my
*Born at Bordeaux in 1783, M. Lebrun des Charmettes was
secretary to Count Regnauld, sub-prefect of St. Calais, and
of I know not what other place. Literature, which he success-
fully cultivated, is indebted to him for an epic poem, L'Orbanide,
the heroine of which is Joan of Arc; it evinces great talent and
poetic rapture. He has published the history of Joan of Arc
in four volumes octavo with plates. It is the most complete of any,
353
return home, that with reference to the wish she
signified to my cousin of having an interview
with me, I had to express my regret at the impos-
sibility of granting her request, having made it
a rule never to hold intercourse with mysterious
strangers. My delicacy, on the other hand, was
a sure pledge to her of my secrecy; nevertheless,
I added, my cousin will listen to whatever you
may be pleased to impart to him, and will repeat
to me the conversation which I shall weigh with
all the prudence called for by the occasion.
"I could easily have put a counterpart of
myself forward, but was unwilling to extend my
confidence, and adhered to my first silence. I
am thus become the bearer of my own note;
I perceive that it thwarts the stranger who yet
resolves to speak out. Louis XVIII has set
down Count Regnauld amongst the statesmen
of the revolution with whom it would be most
agreeable to him to come to terms. That
Prince desires the happiness of France. France
cannot be happy without him, for he alone can
restore peace, commerce and plenty; with him,
agriculture, the fine arts, industry will revive ;
THE PRETENDED COUSIN.
is the result of deep research, written in a good style and
feeling, and full of merit. He has translated many English
romances, as well as Lady Morgan's France. He was chief
editor of the Abeille newspaper. His father perished on the
revolutionary scaffold; the son is a distinguished administrator,
and numbers many friends, to whose regard he is justly entitled.
2 A
VOL. I.
354
THE PROPOSAL ANSWERED.
animosities within, discord without, will at once
come to an end. He praises liberty on a large
scale; a paternal government, moderation, eco-
nomy, two independent chambers, responsible
ministers, the vote of taxes by the nation, the
press free from all shackles, individual liberty
guaranteed, the empire of the laws, the charter
in short, such as it has been lately promulgated.
All this was reasonable, and even dazzling;
I acknowledge that I was unable to listen to
the details of such a plan without feeling the
deepest emotion; I was forced to admit, not-
withstanding my attachment for the Emperor, that
the man who spoke thus was a fit model for
monarchs. I was, therefore, so much affected that,
altering my style of language and assuming a
grave countenance, I replied:
"When I speak to you, Madam, rest assured
that you are listening to the sentiments that Count
Regnauld himself would utter; be pleased to convey
them to M. le Comte de Lille. M. Regnauld would
fain have it in his power to receive his commands
without being guilty of a crime, without violating
any promise, without breaking any oaths, without
a betrayal of friendship. He would fulfil them
with the most ardent zeal; but he is bound by the
ties of affection to the sovereign whom he serves,
If
and will never separate himself from him.
Napoleon, in consequence of events which none
can foresee, and which there is every reason to
((
THE DECEPTION DETECTED.
355
believe of impossible occurrence, should himself
release M. Regnauld from his engagements, he
would then serve the family of the Bourbons by
every means in his power. Until such a chance
should come to pass, the Count must rest satisfied
with anxiously praying for their happiness. His
good wishes go no further, and would cease as
soon as the members of that house should think
themselves warranted in emerging from their pre-
sent state of quiet, and again attempting to disturb
the condition of Europe.
"I know not what expression my countenance
assumed on uttering these words, which, in short,
conveyed a flash of light to her mind which had
not hitherto struck her; certain it is that she
started, kindled into animation, and, falling back
a step, said to me with deep anguish :
"Oh! you have shamefully deceived me ;
you are Count Regnauld himself, and not his
cousin.'
"This was uttered with such inward conviction,
that coloring up myself, and taken by surprise,
sensible, besides, that no success could attend
any attempt to maintain the deception, I began to
smile.
'
"It would ill become me to deny it; but
is this so guilty an act, and have I changed my
heart for having taken another name? assuredly
not; for you do not exercise sway over the heart
of my relation but over mine."
2A2
356
(( (
Nevertheless,' she resumed, you deny me
what I ask; you sacrifice me to your God, or
rather to your demon.'
"Oh! Madam,be sparing of your reproaches;
let two verses of our celebrated fable writer be your
rule of conduct. They have been the guide of
my whole life:
ATTEMPTS TO ASSASSINATE
CC
<
"The Countess was silent-she was dissatisfied
—and I regretted it. Then it was, that by a quick
inward reflection, I shuddered at perceiving how
great was the ascendancy which I had allowed
her to acquire over my heart. I gently chid
this extreme waywardness, which subjected me
to a worse reception at the very moment when
I acquired greater importance in her sight.
"Alas!' she promptly replied, 'I then in-
dulged the hope of bringing you round to my
wish; whereas, I now feel that there is no hope of
success.'
(C
(c
On ne peut trop louer trois sortes de personnes,
Son Dieu, sa maîtresse, et son Roi."
Rejoice at this result, and renounce a game
so beset with dangers; you may be happy by
dismissing diplomatic pursuits from your mind..
Eight days afterwards, a servant and one
of my secretaries warned me that an attempt
had been made to tamper with them.
returning one night alone and on foot, two men
I was
*
COUNT REGNAULD.
attacked me as I came out of the Rue de Hanovre ;
they would have murdered me but for the ap-
proach of the patrol. On another occasion, whilst
quitting the opera amongst the crowd, I was struck
with a dagger which was stopped by my morocco
pocket-book full of papers.
CC
I was silent respecting these attempts at my
life, in order not to disturb the peace of my family,
but I requested the police to watch over my safety.
I was immeasurably removed from a correct sur-
mise on the subject, when the Duke of Rovigo
called upon me one morning in breathless haste.
I felt surprised at his presence.
357
"Are you acquainted, Count, with a Countess
Wontorden?'
"I occasionally see her."
.. (
Would you feel much annoyed if I were
to have her arrested?'
.. (
"Have you then a crow to pluck with each
other ?"
..
The case is not mine; but your own.'
For my part, I replied with a smile, I bear
her no ill-will; and, as for her, I do not think her
my enemy."
"In this, you are mistaken; you have lodged
information of two murderous attempts upon your
life. Five have been made; another is preparing
for to-morrow. It depends upon yourself that
it should be the last; the question is whether
358
you will persist in a blind confidence, or be pleased
to follow my advice?'
POLICE REPORTS.
"I was amazed with this language. Could my
dear, my beautiful Countess whom I had con-
verted to my opinion, attempt to betray me, and
even deprive me of my life? My astonishment
excited the Duke's risible faculties to my very
great annoyance; he then took up
he then took up various papers,
the appearance of which revealed them to be what
are called police reports. He read four of them in
the following order:
No. 1.-In the Rue des....Hotel de....
resides for the last two months and a half Countess
Albertine de Wontorden, a lady of quality in
the circle of upper Austria. She came to Paris
to enjoy the pleasures of the capital and consult
medical men; however, she has not seen any;
she has much intercourse with Count Regnauld de
Saint-Jean d'Angely, and transmits business as
they call it; she is a suitor, money in hand,
and obtains...
?
66 (
A
"I started up, waxed warm, and, with a volley
of oaths told the minister of police that his spy
was an impostor, a calumniator, who alone de-
served punishment, and not the Countess, who was
innocent of such guilty manoeuvres, since she
never had spoken to me, (this was the truth,) of
any French intriguers. The Duke allowed my
rage its free scope, and thus continued:
359
And obtains favors which she turns to good
account; but this is not all; this pretended Ger-
man Countess is an English woman by birth,
the daughter of a minister of the name of P……….
She came to the continent and to France with a mis-
sion to watch public functionaries, and win them
over to the cause of the Bourbons; this has
been discovered by means of an intercepted cor-
respondence in cyphers.'
"No. 2.-Count Regnauld's life is not safe.
Last night, in the Rue de Hanovre, an Italian
and an Englishman, in the pay of the said Won-
tordon, have attempted to murder him. A patrol
disconcerted the wretches. The Italian went to
bed, the Englishman repaired to his mistress,
where he got intoxicated; and this creature, who
is in the pay of the police, exerted herself to make
him disclose what he knew; he related the miscar-
ried assault. Being asked why this adventuress
sought the life of H. E. Monseigneur Regnauld,
he replied that he was ignorant of it.'
"No. 3.-H. E. Monseigneur the Count
Regnauld was entering the court-yard of the Prince
Arch-Chancellor on Tuesday last, an air-gun was
fired from the doorway into his carriage. The
ball passed through, and, as the windows were
down, no report was heard. This attempt was
made by Marco the Italian, a native of Venice: ;
the Englishman and two cut-throats were in his
company, and formed a group. This account was
(C (
POLICE REPORTS,
360
also derived from the Englishman Hill's commu-
nication to his mistress.'
POLICE REPORTS.
"No. 4.-An attempt has been made to
tamper with the man servant who cleans the floors of
Count Regnauld's apartments, and to induce him
to throw a powder, to be given for the purpose,
into water decanters and jars, from whence the
said Count might draw the water which he daily
drinks. Two persons came to make a similar de-
claration to the police, and have furnished a des-
cription of those who made the aforesaid proposals
to them.'
"No. 5.-Marco affirms that Count Regnauld
is shielded by Satan; for he attempted the other
night to stab him with a glass dagger, as he
was leaving the opera; the murderous instrument
broke against Count Regnauld's breast.'
"No. 6.-Yesterday, at seven precisely, Count
Regnauld went, according to custom, to visit
Madame Augustine.... Rue de la Michodière....
Marco followed, ascended the staircase after him,
and, availing himself of the absence of mind of the
Count, who had left the door open, he entered
after him, concealed himself in a dark closet,
and was preparing to take advantage of the oppor-
tunity, which in all appearance would prove favor-
able to his design, when the Count with his usual
absence mechanically gave a double turn to the
key belonging to the door of the cabinet, and shut
in Marco, so as to prevent his coming out without
361
making a noise. Marco, foaming with rage, had to
wait until the Count retired; the young woman
also left. Marco then began to work with his
dagger, burst a couple of doors open, and came
with imprecations to tell the Englishman, then
in the company of his mistress, the misfortune
which had just befallen him. This mistress, by
name Emilie Lisbin, was so indignant at the per-
verseness of these monsters, that she instantly
came to make her report.
"Well Count," said the minister of general
police, "think you that we are so indifferently
informed ?”
"In truth, Monsieur le Ministre, I will frankly
own to your Excellency, how great was my sur-
prise that such villains should be allowed to be at
large.”
POISON AND CHOCOLATE.
"You would be quite right, if the closest watch
were not set upon them; they walk abroad, but
do not stir a step which is not known. They shall
be pounced upon the very moment I so order it.
I was first anxious to see you. You are invited to
breakfast to-morrow at the Countess' house.
"Yes."
"An active poison is spoken of, which is to be
thrown into the cup of chocolate to be presented
to you.
Will you go and exchange cups with the
lady? The men in that case will not be arrested
until the report is over; in the contrary case, I
362
shall have all the wretches taken up within twenty
minutes from this time."
A PLAN OF ESCAPE.
"I own to you," said Count Regnauld, "that
I hesitated a moment as to what I should do; I do
not boast of more courage than I really possess.
I am a man for the cabinet, and not for action,
and felt little inclined to expose myself to such
palpable danger; for it was possible that the
unfeeling Countess, in her apprehension of non-
success, might dispatch me to the next world.
Nevertheless, the fear of Savary's bantering jests,
added to the moral courage we feel in the moment.
we cowardly civilians are called upon to display it,
made me determine to run all risks of the adven-
ture.
W
"The Duke, moreover, allayed my fears; every
possible measure of prudence had been taken to
save me from a wilful murder. I was fully re-
solved, besides, to feign illness, and to eat nothing
but fresh eggs.
I also felt anxious to unmask this
worthless adventuress. I thanked the Duke, who
returned to his functions; on my part,
Honteux comme un renard qu'une poule aurait pris,
Baissant la queue, et portant bas l'oreille.
Oh! my
I went, by way of self-punishment, to entertain
the Emperor with this novel occurrence.
friend, how could I be otherwise than devoted to
THE EMPEROR'S ANGER.
363
the excellent Prince? could you have seen his
rage, his horror, his indignation, during the re-
cital made to him; he was like a roaring lion. He
forbade my repairing to the breakfast, caused the
house to be instantly surrounded, and the English-
man and his nefarious accomplices to be arrested.
He bounded with rage. I had great difficulty in
pacifying him, and inducing him to alter his mind ;
and he made me promise, that after my visit
to this second Circé, I should come in person
to give him an account of what had taken place.
I could but feebly convey to you his affec-
tionate emotion. He was no longer the mighty
monarch indifferent to private details, but an ardent
friend inwardly suffering at the thought of the danger
about to be incurred by his second self. Had
I indeed ten lives, I would sacrifice them all for
his sake.
،،
My sleep was restless, and disturbed by fright-
ful dreams. I could not resist settling various
affairs on the following morning. My secret was
repeatedly on the point of escaping my lips. I left
home, however, without revealing it. The Coun-
tess received me with her usual warmth; she had
brought several strangers together; all were unknown
me. Along the stair case, in the ante-room,
the restaurateurs, and ice shops' assistants were em-
ployed in bringing dishes and ices. There were also
many servants of the persons invited, besides other
attendants. Every thing exhibited indications of
the mysterious stamp of the police, and thus
to me.
te
364
THE CUPS EXCHANGED.
satisfied me that I had not been exposed alone to
the mercy of my enemies.
"I was sad, in spite of my endeavours to appear
cheerful; the Countess chid me for it. I spoke
of the bad night I had passed; breakfast was
announced. I held the place of honor near the
lady of the house; she urged ine to eat: I had no
appetite, for anxiety had in fact deprived me of
all inclination to partake of any thing. I eat two
soft eggs; of dainties I selected at hazard, and a
little fruit; I drank nothing.
I drank nothing. At last, the an-
nounced chocolate makes its appearance; we were
brought together to decide upon its merits; a cup
is placed before each guest, mine is filled before
every other I raised no objection, but exclaimed
on a sudden :-
"Oh Madam, can I allow myself to be served
before you? no, no, I am too anxious an assertor
of French gallantry, not to insist upon your taking
what you so kindly intended for myself.
(C
I had hastened, ere I spoke, to place, by a
rapid movement, my full cup before the Countess,
and to take possession of the empty one which had
been reserved for her.
"How shall I express the indescribable look
she cast upon me whilst this exchange was going
on? shall I say that it unsettled my heart, or
rather that it threw a new light upon it? A crowd
of ideas rushed upon my mind: every thing in the
house became suspicious in my sight; my eyes
sparkled with fire, my ears tingled with a sharp
MYSTERIOUS CONDUCT.
murmur, I hardly heard what was said. I assuredly
saw nothing that was passing before me.
"The lady, who was no less agitated, turned
pale and red by turns, complained of my excessive
politeness, and urged me to take back my cup. I
opposed it. She made a sign to the servant who
was pouring out the chocolate; he left off serving
round the table, came to me, poured out the whole-
some and frothy mixture, whilst his mistress fixed
her eye upon me; oh! this was no longer a doubt-
ful look.
CC (
"I am too ill, I said; it would be quite
out of my power to drink this chocolate."
"It has been prepared expressly for you,' she
replied with a reproachful tone.
،،
I know it, Madam; I had been before hand
apprized of it."
1
So I perceive; and it only remains for me
to prove to you how much you have been deceived.
Pusillanimous men, who are frightened at a mere
jest!'
"A sardonic look of contempt overspread her
lips. All this had been spoken in so subdued a
tone as not to be overheard.
'Look,' she continued in the same tone, and
blush at your cowardice!'
"She then takes the cup which I considered
to be the poisoned one, brings it to her mouth,
closes her eyes, and drinks the contents to the very
last drop.
"(
365
(
366
THE PLOT FRUSTRATED.
،
"Well,' she said, are you not ashamed, and
will you not pledge me in return?'
"I hesitated: my confusion was at its height;
nevertheless, her matchless glance was still present
to my mind. I laid hold of the cup, the Countess
brightened up; I laid it down, she turned pale;
her whole frame was agitated with a convulsive
movement.... I could no longer doubt, and
suddenly rising from my seat, I said to this guilty
woman :
:
"You are ill, I perceive in the name of Hea-
ven, Madam, retire to your apartment. Let a
doctor be sent for."
،، 6
No,' she replied, 'I am quite well, just as I
could wish to be.'
"At this moment, one of the police agents who
was present, waiting for a sign from me, laid hold
of my cup still full of chocolate, as if to remove it
from me. The Countess uttered, at this sight, not
a cry, but a frightful yell. She rose, attempted to
seize the porcelain ; I interposed, she fell fainting
into her arm-chair. This accident threw the guests
into confusion; I assumed an authoritative tone,
and invited them to withdraw, in order to leave the
people of the house at liberty to attend upon their
mistress, who was labouring, I said, under a violent
nervous attack.
All hastened to take my ad-
vice.
"The apartment was filled, in a moment, with a
swarm of public functionaries and police officers,
CORNEILLE'S CLEOPATRA.
each coming to draw up warrants or offer assist-
ance. At the very commencement of breakfast,
the police had arrested Marco, the Italian, and the
Englishman, Hill. Both cups had been prepared
beforehand; for it had been foreseen that I should
act the courteous man; it was hoped, in that case
that, if I handed my cup to the adventuress, I
should have no suspicion of her own. She was
to invent a pretext for not drinking; so that I was
in every event doomed to perish. I had defeated
this plan; and borne away by her hatred, by her
thirst for revenge, she hesitated not to repeat the
act of Corneille's Cleopatra, in hopes that when I
saw her swallow the portion intended for me, I
would have no hesitation in swallowing her own.
It needed greater command over herself to succeed
in her object for her intentions had too visibly
manifested themselves in her physiognomy. For
the rest, you will ask why so much bitterness
against me? Hear, then, my candid answer, though
silent I must be on that point, which I never can
clear up-I must acknowledge I had wrongs to
atone for as regarded her.
367
"The medical man I had sent for, and who
had been kept in constant attendance near the spot
where this tragical scene was enacting, in order to
be prepared in any event, arrived whilst the guests
were leaving the house. They were closely fol-
lowed by spies and several were arrested. They
368
had come with evil designs against my person, but,
on seeing the turn matters had taken, abstained
from any attempt. Various punishments were
meted out to them.
66
Removed to her bed-room, the Countess had
fallen from one convulsion into another. This was
imagined to be the effect of the poison; but she
dispelled the impression, for, having asked to
speak with me, she said in presence of the doctor,
the judge, and the police commissary
"The efforts that will be made to save my life
are all in vain. The poison which I have taken
baffles the attempts of the faculty to remove it; it
will act imperceptibly, without leaving any traces;
and unless its effects be accelerated, I shall live till
the eightieth or hundredth day from the present
time. You have been fortunate,' said she, to me
We have each our wrongs.
I am an Englishwoman, I hate France; I hoped
،
with composure.
to serve it an ill turn. As for you....'
She darted at me a look of so much expression
that I bent down my head.
I could not even
remain any longer near her; my poor heart was
breaking. I assure you, that if I had really be-
lieved the cup to contain poison ere she drank
it off, I was completely deceived by her determi-
nation to do so, and only resumed my former mis-
trust as my eye caught her significant countenance,
whilst I hesitated what to do with my own cup.
DEATH-BED OF
CC
THE COUNTESS WONTORDEN.
369
What became of her? I asked the Count.
"I opposed her being arrested. The Emperor,
in the most obliging manner, granted my request.
She was removed to a private mad-house; the
most skilful attentions were lavished upon her.
Our first rate doctors vied with each other in
endeavours to counteract the effect of the poison,
but all in vain; she expired eighty-nine days after-
wards. Ask me no question respecting her last
moments; they were frightful, and plunged me
into despair. Be assured, my friend, that the best
thing we can do, when young, is to obtain the
affection of women, without showing it in return;
and when of riper years, to follow the Marquis de
Carraccioli's example."
A tragic tale was thus cheerfully closed with
a witty saying; it had, however, fixed itself upon my
mind, and created a painful impression. When we
returned to the gardens, the Prince perceived the
gloom upon my countenance. He was easily
annoyed. He knew that I saw much society; I was
related to many persons about the court, to the
Duke Abbé de Montesquieu amongst others, and
he fancied that such exalted personages conde-
scended perhaps to notice a bashful young man
when lost in a crowd; such was not the case;
alike unknown and indifferent to them.
I was
Convinced, therefore, that under the new ré-
gime, and during the triumph of my peers, I was
welcomed with that obliging kindness I had always
2 B
VOL. I.
370
met with from the men of the Empire, the Prince
noticed me in the midst of his circle; for, in
1814, he had still kept up a species of court.
After 1815, on the contrary, our numbers were
much reduced when he was allowed to return;
the Prince, then, drew me aside, and said to me:
"What have you heard, Leon, what has come
to your knowledge? is there some illegal measure
in contemplaton? Ca threw out some hint
of it yesterday in this place, and he is generally
well informed.'
BARON DE PUYMAURIN.
I shook my head.
<<
'What ails you? open your mind; I believe
in your attachment.'
"Monseigneur would be wrong to doubt it;
but I advise you, and I do so with great reluctance,
to beware of Ca-, and by degrees to shake
him off altogether. No later than yesterday, I
was dining with my relative and friend, Baron
de Puymaurin, a member of the chamber of de-
puties;* Ca- had paid him a visit that very
* Jean Casimir Pierre de Marcasus, Baron de Puymaurin,
Commander of the Legion of Honour, perpetual member, from
1800 to 1830, of the Chamber of Deputies, Ex-Director of the
medal branch of the Mint, was born at Toulouse, of a family
of distinction, and, which is quite as good, revered for the eminent
services it had rendered his country. On the 5th December 1767.
his father was principal Syndic of the province of Languedoc, an
office of the highest importance, which was only conferred upon
men of honor, merit and virtue: times have greatly altered. A
371
morning; and gave me the following account of
his visit :
AN IMPERIAL MOUCHE.
CC “
C
Fouché was still at the head of the police
when, having called to pay him a visit, he sud-
denly said, in the language of friendship: Be
very sparing of words whenever Ca- may come
to prowl about you.' Reflecting upon these words,
and determined to watch the movements of the
dissembler, I saw him constantly gliding into the
chamber of deputies, at one time into the library,
at another into the hall of conferences, without any
apparent object, and he remained fixed to the spot.
I felt annoyed at it. Wearied at seeing him wan-
dering about each group of deputies, I at last
used him roughly on one occasion, told him that.
model of ancient fidelity, a skilful chemist, a theorist and a prac-
tical man, his cutting language hits home. His comparison of
calumny is well remembered: it resembles coal which is sure to
blacken if it does not burn. He had introduced into France, as
early as 1787, the art of engraving upon glass by means of fluoric
acid. He perfected, in 1812, the art of extracting indigo from
wood, so as to challenge comparison with the best indigo of
Bengal or Guatimala. A sincere, trusty, and warm friend, a
learned man of the first order, a distinguished literary character, he
is not known to have a single enemy; he has belied the old
proverb, for he has even been a prophet in his own country. He
enjoys public consideration; but he has not been playing a
comedy during the fifteen years. His son who resigned, in 1830,
his post of Director of the medal branch of the Mint, which our
Kings had bestowed upon him, nobly treads in his father's
footsteps.
2 B2
372
THE IMPERIAL MOUCHE.
he had no business there, that his constant at-
tendance gave rise to suspicions, and that he
would do well to check the frequency of his visits.
So saying, in the hearing of a dozen people, I left
him, proceeded to the tribune, and thought no more
of the man. He was at my house before seven the
next morning; I thought he came to propose a
walk to the Bois de Boulogne, and the old Tolousan
blood was already boiling in my veins; but nothing
was farther from his mind! My man came to
shed tears, to sigh, to swear by his hope of heaven,
that he had never, directly or indirectly, belonged
to the police; that he was greatly calumniated
by such a charge, adding, that if he knew the
original author of it, he would pluck out his heart.
'I must then make him known to you,'
replied Baron de Puymaurin, he is neither more
nor less than the Duke of Otranto; he it was who
affirmed to me that you belonged to his establish-
ment; I will assert it to his face. It is for you
now to consider what you have to do.'
،،
<
((
Annihilated by this blow, Ca
withdrew,
pocketing the affront, and relieved me of his infec-
tious presence; for he is as offensive as a dead
rat. Ever since this explanation, I had long ceased
to see him either at the chamber of deputies or at
my own house. One evening, however, he re-
appeared, and said to me in a piteous tone of voice:
“What think you, my friend, of such base
ingratitude; my best services have, for the last
THE IMPERIAL MOUCHE.
fifteen years, been devoted to the government.
I hold certificates from Regnier, from Fouché,
from Savary, who have all attested my zeal and
attachment. I have continued making reports ever
since the first of April, and may still be found
of the greatest use from my intercourse with the
men of Bonaparte. Well, then! instead of re-
warding me, of gladly availing themselves of the
services of a man of birth (this was a falsehood)
they are on the point of dismissing me. They
should at least give me, by way of compensation
on my retirement, a situation of inspector of
gaming houses.
You are serviceable, humane,
in short-my friend!
CC
(
373
"Moi, votre ami! rayez cela de vos papiers."
"I exclaimed.
You are very witty; the quotation from the
Misanthrope is delightful. But still do take my
papers in hand, a note of my campaigns (such
was his expression); see d'Andre, see the chan-
cellor, (M. d'Aubray), the minister of the interior
(the Abbé, since de Montesquiou), and exert your-
self to have me retained in the service, or credi-
tably transferred to the lease of the gaming houses
of Paris.'
"How is this? said I to him; do you re-
collect, last year, your virtuous indignation on
374
the occasion of my apostrophizing you in the
hall of conferences?
"What could I do? you stormed; and such
truths are only acknowledged in the last extremity.
Come,then, let me rely upon your support, and
I am sure of my place.'
CC
Such, Monseigneur, I added, is yesterday's
narration, word for word, as I received it from
a man who is incapable of calumniating another,
and whose assertions possess, in my mind, all the
force of truth.
((
I saw the Prince bite his lip.
(C β
Oh! the wretch!' he exclaimed. No later
than yesterday, he will have it in his power to
pick up a large stock from what he heard at
my house
house; but he shall never more be admitted.'
Your Serene Highness will do well to exclude
"(
him.'
THE IMPERIAL MOUCHE.
""
66 <
Yes; but you are sad. What have you
heard from M. de Puymaurin, the Abbé de Mon-
tesquiou, or the Duke de Duras ?'
(C
Nothing the first, because he knows nothing
of what concerns you; the other two, because
I am never in their company; the last is even
ignorant of my name; the second is, no doubt,
acquainted with me, but, judging from his cold
reception, I perceive he does not deem me worthy
of his confidence.
"I have, therefore, nothing to apprehend?'
((
Why, Monseigneur, perceive you not the
brightness of the Restoration? We may all sing
in chorus with Ali of the Beauty and the Beast,
slightly altering Marmontel's verses:
A POSSIBLE EVENT.
<<
،، (
375
Ces Bourbons dont on nous fait peur
Sont les meilleurs gens du monde."
Very true; they put no bounds to their
clemency; I could accordingly wish every one
remained quiet; whereas all, on the contrary, are
in motion, restless, caballing! Do you belong to
any association ?'
t
"No more than to that of free-masonry, or
of the white penitents. The part of a conspirator
is only adapted to dupes or ambitious men. I will
not be the one; thank heaven, I am not the other.
I am attached to the Emperor. My blood, my
life, my all-is at his disposal; but I will not evince
my attachment to him by contributing to disturb
the repose of France. I believe that his return is
possible; should it take place,-should he come
back as conqueror, I shall resume my costume;
until then, I shall attend the existing representation
as a mere spectator."
CC
You are not in quest of employment?'
"I have offered myself to the new government,
as every other functionary has done, but from
a distance, by letters, and without protection. I
was forgotten on my first arrival in Paris ; I
376
went in August to visit the Abbé de Montesquiou,
and recalled to his mind our family connection;
he spoke to me of my father, his college friend,
of their boxing matches, of their intimacy; he
then referred me to M. B who held to me
this remarkable language :
Sir, you are at the door of a theatre; you
have a ticket, and cannot obtain admittance: it is
only by means of an addition to the price that you
can enter before others.'
.، (
(6
Did he tell you so ?' exclaimed the Prince.
Yes, Monseigneur, without the slighest hesi-
tation, and in the presence of my wife, who can
bear witness to it. I was unwilling to give the
additional price; and, with my mind full of Napo-
leon, and convinced of his return, I repeated to
M. B the celebrated expression of the Abbé
de Bernis to the Bishop of Mirepoix: Monseigneur,
I shall wait !'* save and except that I did not give
THE ABBÉ DE BERNIS.
(C
<
C
* The Abbé de Bernis, a gentleman of excellent family though
a poor man, at one time the lover of Madame Henriette de France,
daughter of Louis XV, and afterwards of Madame de Pompadour.
He became Archbishop of Alby, minister for foreign affairs, Cardi-
nal, Ambassador to the Holy See; he was an academician, a poet, a
man of the world, and ended by becoming a pious and charitable
He started from Cythera on his way to Heaven, where his
virtues have no doubt procured him admission. He had the
mortification to witness the revolution, his death having only
occurred in 1796. When young, he was a suitor for a benefice
at the hands of the active Boyer, Bishop of Mirepoix; this
man.
377
the title of Monseigneur to my grasping hypo-
crite.
((
'To reveal himself in such a manner!'
"It is unaccountable, I acknowledge; but I
heard him utter the words; my wife, I repeat it, as
distinctly heard him; this is the occasion for
saying with Boileau :
NAPOLEON AND THE ALLIES.
Le vrai peut quelquefois n'être pas vraisemblable;
which, nevertheless, does not alter the fact."
"Are you, then, persuaded that Napoleon will
return ?'
"It cannot be otherwise."
k
I....1 fear so.'
،، C
"Your Serene Highness fears it ?"
(C (
Yes, Sir, he will hurl us both into fresh
convulsions; Europe is still in arms. The sovereigns
have testified their hatred of him; they are aware
that, admonished by their conduct towards him, he
would not forgive them, if he again acquire the
worthy prelate, feeling little delighted at the ruins and gallantries
of the Abbé de Bernis, replied: A benefice for you? you shall
never have one so long as I am a minister.—I shall wait, Mon-
seigneur. This happy expression proved a prelude to the fortune
of the man thus out of favour. M. Boyer used to sign himself
l'Anc de Mirepoix, (an abbreviation for l'Ancien); and Voltaire
pretended to read, by way of erratum, L'dne de Mirepoix; this
was jocose. Priests were murdered at a later period, which was
worse; but from raillery to crime the step is easy; impiety leads
to every crime.
378
LETTER FROM NAPOLEON
ascendancy; and, in the first hostile demonstration
on his part, they will all march in concert against
him; he will find France unprovided with soldiers,
or ammunition.... ; he has written to me.'
"Ah! how happy you must be!"
،، (
I can shew you his letter; you will see
what are his sentiments.'
2
"I rather think I shall only see what he has
written to you.
"The Prince took me into his study, where
I read the following letter, which I hastily copied
off in pencil:-
(6
'Prince,
"I am in good health; I hope my letter may
also find you in the enjoyment of it.
I am
informed you lead a quiet life; are you contented?
I imagined they would employ you....they are
fortunate in having found men superior to you....
I grow visibly stouter, though I am never at rest ;
this is a small island, a handful of earth, or rather,
a mass of rock.
"What is there going on in Paris? Is novelty
still new? They say the court make but little
show. The counties are poor; they will grow
richer....are you freed from our friends? Their
visit costs dear; it is fortunately well known where
one may take back what they carry away; there is
no difficulty in treading over a beaten road....
I see but little of my family; the Empress mother
TO PRINCE CAMBACÉRÈS.
is admirable in her endearments. Poor Pauline
would afford me consolation, if I stood in need
of it; her's is a heroic attachment....So much
harm is said of me, that my name is not likely
to be so soon forgotten....Bestow some thought
upon your Emperor, or your colleague, as you
please; he does not forget you....What are my
gallant soldiers doing? how are they treated?
on what footing are they at the Château ? are
they rewarded for having deserted me? I forgive
them. They stood in need of trying a Bourbon, in
order the better to appreciate their Bonaparte.
Whereupon, Sir, my cousin, may God have
you in his holy keeping.
(C (
"Your affectionate friend,
(Signed)
I.
te
(( <
(C
379
Without a date. I kissed that sacred hand-
writing, nor can I resist doing so as often as
the Emperor's signature comes within my reach ;
let this be forgiven me. As a monarch, he is
my first love; my second love is for H. M. Louis
XVIII. I only reveal my sentiments when their
object is already in the grave-in this I prove a
bad courtier; accordingly I am not of that régime.
The Prince returned, and said jokingly :
'I smell a copied letter.'
Yes, Monseigneur, but copied in pencil, and
Napoleon.'
380
REGNAULD AND CARNOT.
with so many abbreviations that my heart alone
can decipher it; my eyes would fail in the attempt.
"You see in it the proof of his persevering to
remain where he is."
"Yes, until the day when, surfeited with
novelty, the nation will desire to return to the old
system."
"This will not be so soon."
Monseigneur, we are treading the beaten track,
only to tread it over, again."
(6
Yes, this is the knot, I have understood
it as you do; what a man! he is wealthy, en-
joys every consideration, is no longer young. In
his place...
I was silent; I might have replied by the old
adage; I abstained on this occasion. The Prince
continued:-
(6
رو
"Attend to what I am going to say: you
visit Count Regnauld and Carnot: well! assure
them that, contented with my position, I have no
desire to change it; I should refuse all co-opera-
tion in acts which might afford the highest promise
of success. I will neither take part in them
personally nor by procuring aid. Repeat it,
proclaim it on the house-tops. There are men devoid.
of all reserve or discretion. A certain Colonel
S......, came to propose that I should place
myself at the head of a plot, of which he is the
main-spring. Nothing was wanting except a sum
of a thousand crowns: I shewed him the door.
THE VICOUNTESS DE F..
General E......, General V......, and other
madmen of the same stamp, have made me like
proposals. I am neither a disinterested nor a
factious man; I complain of nobody; why then
should I give others more concern for me than I
take for myself?”
The Prince was roused: I took good care that
not a gesture, a look, a motion of my lips, should
interrupt him. On such occasions, I had always
something to learn.
"Last week," he continued, "the Viscountess
de F...... was announced to me, a madwoman I
had long lost sight of; I was courteous to her, and
she thus addressed me :-
"My dear M. Cambacérès, you have held too
conspicuous a rank for the last twenty-five years,
and that amongst the enemies of our sainted
family, not readily to understand the necessity of
affording to the Bourbons, and to those who
worship them, a pledge of your return to better
sentiments....
''
381
CC C
در
Madam...
Sir, I am your friend; I grieve at the position
in which you stand, and dream of extricating you
from it; I think I have discovered the thread that
will lead you out of the labyrinth. It has occurred
to me that a signal act of munificence, on your part,
would be productive of an effect highly advan-
tageous to you, and such as you would feel
beholden to me for having pointed out. Hun-
>>
382
#
A BENEVOLENT SCHEME.
dreds of persons have been crushed by the Revolu-
tion; and, as you were amongst the revolutionists,
you must take your share of blame for their
misfortunes. Now, then, select twenty-five widows.
of quality, all of them without children; they are
the most entitled to protection; establish them in
a house which I undertake to have erected into a
royal chapter; endow each of them with an income
of six thousand francs; place a superior at their
head, with an income of twenty thousand francs ;
and you will not forget,' she added with a prim,
affected, manner, the eternal old woman.' She
then continued, assuming with the aid of her fan a
decayed gracefulness,' On your nominating for the
first time this superior who has inspired you with
the happy idea of the foundation. Such an act of
munificence will delight the clergy, enchant the
Duchess of Angoulême, her august husband, our
charming Monsieur; the first families in the king-
dom will manifest their gratitude to you; and I
think I may affirm that, this matter once settled,
you will be invited to the morning receptions
at the Château, and to the Sunday receptions after
C
mass.'
"I could not feel angry at the extravagant sug-
gestion. How thankful I am to you, I replied,
for having so correctly penetrated my sentiments!
I have thought of something of the kind...."
"Oh! you are a most amiable man, ever intent
upon doing good.'
ANNOYING APPLICANTS.
383
"The only difference is, that I design to be of
service to decayed magistrates.
"The disappointed lady rose from her seat
like a fury, called me every bad name, and de-
parted. I knew her to have said, at the evening par-
ties of bouillotte, that my intention was to establish
and richly endow a house of refuge for the con-
querors of the Bastile, the murderers of September
and the Jacobins ruined by the Restoration, who
would, by my assistance, have the means of club-
bing together to assail it.”
Does such folly cause Monseigneur any un-
easiness?
"It rather annoys me; I am the butt of every
attack. To-day, comes an old priest, a martyr
to his faith; he is succeeded by a constitutional
priest, whose supplies are cut off by the new
bishops. To-morrow, I shall receive the petition of
an emigrant forgotten by his king; the next day
will appear a general on half pay, and dying with
hunger. A colonel marries his daughter without a
portion; this will not do; he wishes me to present
her with costly bride's clothes. The dauber who
has made a wretched painting of Napoleon insists
that I ought to purchase his work which is not
admitted to the public exhibition. His colleague
will give me a certificate of royalist opinions if I
will disgrace my saloon by hanging there, (after
paying a heavy price for the purchase,) his portrait
of Louis XVI welcomed by Henry IV to the
Elysian fields. I can affirm having heard an
"
384
ANNOYING APPLICANTS.
author, who, after dedicating to me the first edition
of his works, proposed that I should subscribe to
the second edition dedicated to M. de Fontanes,
in the preface of which he adverts to the homage
which bashful merit had been formerly compelled
to pay to the usurping powers. All such taxes
upon my purse are insupportable to me. I give, and
assuredly not with a sparing hand; but I desire to
do so as I best think proper, with judgment, to
those who are actually in want, to persons who are
really in indigent circumstances."
I thought his complaints were well founded;
what bounds are there to the grasping dispositions
of those perfect pickpockets who clip your purse
by means of fine phrases and of impudent false-
hoods ?
I can instance two cases of the kind which are
wholly unparalleled.
I was writing in my study, when a lady was
announced to me. I rise; the lady walks in. My
first glance at her reveals to me that she is a
a female of loose character or an actress. I should
rather have said she was both. She has some
remains of beauty, but she smells of vice at an
immeasurable distance, notwithstanding her per-
fume of amber. She has had misfortunes, as if
misfortunes were ever wanting to strolling ac-
tresses, and she applied to me to repair them.
Thanks, alas! to the last revolution, I was no
richer than she was; I frankly told her so, when
she replied:
A BOLD BEGGAR.
385
t t
"I am not come here to give you alms, but
to receive alms from you; I am in want of five
francs; if you refuse them, I open the window,
and throw myself out into the street.'
(6 And the violent creature seemed about to suit
the action to the threat. I was seized with fright ;
I never could have forgiven myself her death;
what a sight, moreover, for the neighbours was this
contest with a woman at an open window! I
handed her the five francs thus extorted from me.
by violence, when she departed, saying:-
"You have done well: for, had you refused
me, I should, one way or another, have been the
ruin of you.'
"I was afterwards blamed for not having placed
her in the hands of the police; but I am of M. de
Puymaurin's opinion, (see a previous note of this
chapter). An uproar of this kind always proves
injurious, the more so, I repeat it, as the woman
had yet some remains of beauty.
"On another occasion, I was visited by a tall,
thin, pale gentleman, with his hand across his
breast; he wore a fine hat and white linen; he
came to beg for two families, and called my atten-
tion to the contrast between them. The members
of No. 1 are ruined royalists of the old nobility
those of No. 2 are a father, a mother, and ten
children, all workmen and republicans; but
christian charity is inexhaustible; he is him-
20
VOL. I.
386
self, besides, an ex-clerk in the finance depart-
ment.
"In that case, you had better go to my neigh-
bour."
"I have just come from there, Sir; what a
heart of iron !'
"He! why he is a most serviceable man.'
"Sir, he is a man of letters, an impious man,
a democrat; his abominable work, History of the
Inquisition of France, conceals a venom which you
would have noticed as I have done.'
AN AMUSING MISTAKE.
(6
'By these words, I perceived that the petitioner,
who had drawn his information from the Almanack
of the twenty-five thousand addresses, had mis-
taken one story of the house for another; he
fancied himself in presence of a superior officer
of the finance department, whereas he was in my
own apartment. I enjoyed the mistake, and did not
undeceive him.
"C
"You are, then, acquainted with M. de Langon?"
"I am so, to my sorrow; he caused me to
be removed in 1830 from the place which I
held, and which he had turned over to himself.
Oh! Sir, you are thought very differently of in
this place.'
But have you seen him ?"
Upwards of fifty times; I have even told
(( ،
him...
""
66
Assuredly not what he is going himself to
tell you; which is, that you are a miserable wretch,
387
an imposter, a cheat; for I am the man of letters
whose misfortune it is to be exposed to the ra-
pacity of a scoundrel such as you, because my
name happens to be inserted in almanacks; you
are not with M. M.- but with M. de Langon
whom you are so well acquainted with, who is an
impious man, a democrat, and in high favor with
the party of 1830.
"I might have preached for an hour; the
scoundrel, caught in his own snare, knew not
what countenance to assume; at last, he took
up his hat: I followed, apprehensive of some theft,
until he reached the staircase door; when he got
outside, he cried out :
"I will be revenged.'
THE ROGUE ENTRAPPED.
He did take his revenge, accordingly."
Nothing can exceed the audacity of this sort
of beggars; they are among the plagues of Paris
which the police do not pursue with all the means
at their command. This signal abuse is kept up,
as well as the shameful traffic of goods deposited at
houses, and giving rise to quarrels and even law-
suits, by the aid of those almanacks in which
are presented, to all who wish to turn them to
profitable account, the names and residences of
a multitude of citizens who are, in a manner, the
property of the public. Thieves, tradesmen in em-
barrassed circumstances, agents of the political
police, abandoned females, all vicious characters
or imposters take advantage of them, make these
2 c 2
388
NAPOLEON AND
almanacks their daily study, and, assisted by such
slender information, enter your house, the retire-
ment of which cannot elude their search. I in-
variably inquire of all those who come to me under
some vague pretence, by whom they are sent;
and they are forced to acknowledge that such
indiscreet dictionaries are their patrons and my
intimate friends.
But I have dwelt long enough upon these
sharpers of both sexes. Napoleon who, as a pri-
vate individual, had suffered much from their false
stories, held them in abhorrence; and they kept
aloof during the whole course of his reign. Em-
boldened by the Restoration, they have become
an intolerable nuisance. Napoleon delighted in
treating his soldiers with kindness, in conversing
with, and even in gently provoking them; they
knew and took advantage of it with remarkable
reserve and moderation. The French nation are
distinguished by an exquisite sense of delicacy, and
unparalleled judgment. No other nation, not ex-
cepting the Italians, is gifted with such superior
tact.
I recollect, amongst other instances, that at
a review at which I was present, an old grognard,
as he called them, who strictly conformed, for the
rest, to the species of ceremony observed amongst
military men, and which was part of the camp
etiquette, an old grognard stepped out of the
ranks, presented arms, held up his hand to his
—
389
shako, and stood as still and motionless as the
statue of one of the guards of Pharoah. The
Emperor, whose eye was glancing at this ma-
nœuvre, walked two or three steps forward, as it
were at random; then, suddenly wheeling round,
and finding himself face to face with the grognard,
thus opened the colloquy with his hollow voice:
"What is it you want?"
"Tell me, Sire: how much longer shall I have
to run after the cross of honour ?”
"Oh! you desire to have it ?"
"I deserve it.”
THE GROGNARD.
((
"You say so?"
My services prove it; my comrades will
attest so by ... . !”
""
"Don't swear.'
<
"Zounds! Is it not mortifying to think that I
should have followed you to Italy where we thrashed
Wurmser at Mantua, and Melas at Marengo, after-
wards when we beat the Austrians at Austerlitz,
where the other Emperors, the pair of whom were
no match for you, were so courteously treated;
—at Jena, where we gave it to the Prussians to
their heart's content; and yet, after all, to be
no further advanced than a novice who still sobs
after his mother's pap?"
، ،
CC
I have, in fact, seen you every where."
Well then, Sire, contrive so that I may see a
piece of red ribbon at my button hole."
1
390
"Have you been wounded?" inquired Napo-
leon.
"Nine times.”
"This is worth a pension and a cross. You
shall have both."
LETTER FROM
The Emperor walked on; the veteran followed
him.
66
Sire, one word more. They have been so
often promised me that I fear you will forget me
like those wheedlers have done.”
66
Oh! you mistrust me? this shows no great
respect for me; but, since you will not rely on my
word, here are pledges."
66
The Emperor unfastened his cross, for he
always wore a silver one, like a mere knight of
the order, gave it to the soldier, and with it a
handful of gold.
It was during that campaign of Austerlitz, which
the soldier was recalling to mind, that Napoleon
wrote with his own hand, to Josephine, two days.
after the famous battle, the following letter; its
insertion here will no doubt gratify the reader.
6 C
My dear Josephine,
"My star still guides me on my way; the
battle I have just won, and which the soldiers
insist upon calling the battle of the three Em-
perors, will perhaps shine, in aftertimes, with
391
greater brilliancy than that of Marengo, its eldest
sister. I am all happiness! Heaven grant that it
may continue. Wonder how great is my good
fortune; I conquered, the day before yesterday, the
anniversary of our coronation. All my officers have
performed prodigies of valour in this campaign;
my soldiers are heroes. With them, one might
proceed to the extremity of the world, and I
have a great mind to undertake the journey. The
Austrians have behaved like children; there is,
amongst their military men, no such honour as
we in France understand by the word; they feel no
shame in their defeat. They are surrounded,
yield up their swords and go to dine with a good
appetite. The ignorance of those officers quite
sickens one. With twenty grenadiers of my guard,
I would undertake to beat, with the flat of our
swords, four hundred officers of that nation, ranged
in order of battle.
NAPOLEON TO JOSEPHINE.
"These people, so full of boasting on the very
eve of the battle, are now perfectly abject before
me; how can so much pride and servility be
found combined! My brother, the Emperor Francis,
came to visit me in my bivouac; I was, and am
still, in a wood and straw hut, which my aides-de-
camp had ornamented with the standards taken
from the enemy. When I learnt that His Majesty
was approaching, I ordered those hangings to be
removed, which I shall send off to the Invalides.
"The Emperor Francis came in a carriage
392
LETTER FROM
drawn by six horses, with no other suite than
the two Princes of Lichtenstein and General Prince
Schwartzemberg. He appeared like a perplexed
old dotard; this was in rule. I received him as well
as I could, did him the honors of my hut, and
said to him I receive you in the only palace
I have inhabited for upwards of two months. He
lisped out, with a smile, the following reply: 'You
turn this habitation to such good account, that
you must feel a liking for it.' We spoke of
business in a summary manner.
Our plenipo-
tentiaries will supply the rest; he shall learn
the cost of a short war against me. He has
had the generosity to intercede with me in behalf
of the King of Naples. That King, I answered,
has ceased to reign. He is my brother-in-law. He
is the slave of his wife. I then added with a
graver tone: He came to treat with, and forthwith
betrays me; he welcomes the English and the
Russians; he shall disappear from the kingdom
of Naples. My brother changed the conversation,
and presented to me the three Princes who came in
the Emperor's suite. I received them well. They
are men of distinguished merit. I have avoided
paying a visit to the Empress, in order to spare
her the pain of an embarrassing position with
respect to her family.
"Count Haugwitz arrived on the eve of the
battle; was very mysterious, spoke little, and
almost in threatening language. I suspected that
393
:
English gold had worked in that quarter. I said
to Caulaincourt, whom I commissioned to treat
with him Induce Haugwitz to start for Vienna;
he will await the results. In virtue of those results,
my dear Josephine, Prussia remains my faithful ally.
The Count returned, for the express purpose of con-
gratulating me. His Sovereign is delighted at my
success; he was so lavish in my praise, that
I could not help saying to Murat: This is a com-
pliment, of which fortune has altered the address.
This letter is of immoderate length, such
as I have not written for a long time. I renew
to you the assurances of my unbounded love.
Your son performs wonders; embrace your daugh-
ter, the children, my brothers, my mother whom
I should have named first, all my friends, in short.
There will soon be another crown in the family.
Adieu.
(C
NAPOLEON TO JOSEPHINE.
"NAPOLEON.”
·
This man was colossal in every thing!
The above letter recalls others to my mind,
one in particular, which is not without its merit.
Savary wrote it to a lady with whom he lived upon
terms of close intimacy. He very correctly de-
scribed in it the confusion of Alexander after the
battle of Austerlitz, which was so much at va-
riance with his boasting previously to that cele-
brated action. Nevertheless, I prefer making my
readers acquainted with another which was written
394
A GOSSIPING LETTER.
to me by a friend who was in the service of
Josephine; it will afford a pause to the reader's
imagination.
"Are you fond of gossip, my dear friend?
Say you are, for what else can I send you from
Malmaison? It is an absolute bear-garden, such
idle talk, such prattle, such petty quarrels and
nocturnal adventures. The latter may be reckoned
by dozens. I select one, which will enable you
to fill up the remainder.
(C
Josephine is, as you know, the very best
amongst the best of women; she never was back-
ward in promoting the happiness of any one who
asked a service at her hands; she has solicited so
much, and so unreservedly from our ministers, that
her credit with them has altogether ceased. The
fact is so notorious that petitioners, a peculiar
race whom Providence has created to annoy the
remainder of the children of Adam, have insen-
sibly withdrawn themselves from her; they are
a keen scented race, and have found out her
disfavour. None but stupid, daring provincialists.
now apply to the Empress, just as they would
to any of her footmen; they at least come to us
petition in hand, and speak of veneration, love and
gratitude; their grievances are scarcely listened
to.
W
"But what her Majesty the Empress is un-
able to effect in public affairs, she does in her
-
395
own audience; and, though she has often had
reason to complain of ingratitude, we nevertheless
occasionally see a young and pretty creature, very
foolish or very witty, which is the same thing,
admitted as an inmate of her apartments, be-
come the butt of mischief-loving ladies, and an
object of attraction for a swarm of pages, equer-
ries, young chamberlains, and of others of still
lower degree. This lasts until the damsel dis-
appears. She is lost in a cloud, or she runs
away with some giddy fellow; or, which is of
more frequent occurrence, owing to well merited
disgrace, she is sent back by the diligence to her
own family or to her convent.
(C
A perfect wonder made her appearance
amongst us some months ago; a nymph-like shape,
a Venus in figure, the presence of a Diana, Absa-
lom's hair, (this letter was dated in the days of the
Empire), gentleness, simplicity, innocence, no wit,
little common sense, but a fascinating countenance,
and beauty enough to spare to any one else who
might stand in need of it; add to this, a brilliant
complexion, eyes that would drive one to despair
by their provoking expression; in short, a very
apple of discord amongst us.
"A week had not elapsed when the verses of
La Fontaine
SCANDAL AT MALMAISON.
Deux coqs vivaient en paix : une poule survient,
Et voilà la guerre allumée.
396
might with propriety have been
maison. The first whisper was:
favorite of Mademoiselle de
THE BLACK LEG.
(C
applied to Mal-
Peter is the
No, Paul is
the man-perhaps both at once? These rumours
fly about; conjectures follow. We were under
the sway of angry and tyrannical feelings. This
state of things would have long continued, had not
the Empress calling to me one evening, said :-
· M. de
I request you will tell me
what is this black-leg of which so many stories are
related.'
(C
C
C
"A black-leg?" I unconsciously repeated, as it
happens when any thing is mentioned which we
are unprepared to hear.
Yes, Sir, that unlucky spectre which un-
der the guise of a colossal leg, covered over with
black crape, wanders about in the garden when
all discreet persons at least have retired to
rest.'
(6
I respectfully answered that such as these had
not been confided to me, for it was well known I
would instantly put a stop to them.
،، (
Well, Sir, I request you will take measures,
accordingly. I am fond of the days of chivalry as
represented in romance, or at the theatre Feydeau;
but, after sun-set, and in this place, such scenes
are highly blameable.'
"It was now my turn to be angry; I knew and
was assured, that the apparitions of the enormous
black-leg were no invention. This hideous spectre
397
had shewn himself, for the last fifteen days, or
rather nights, to speak more correctly. The ser-
vants of the household, the very companies of
the guard, were already a prey to the terrors of
superstition. Husbands returned to the company
of their wives at an earlier hour; female friends
slept together; and, with the exception perhaps
of Her Majesty, the ladies no longer disguised
their fears.
THE BLACK LEG.
''
"I had for a servant a phlegmatic German, as
strong as a Turk, as brave as Cæsar; he attends
me at my summons. I give him my instructions:
a bottle of wine, a pie, some bread, and ten francs,
promising him double the sum if he consents to
explore the park in the night time. He engages to do
So. My mind being now at ease, I retire to rest.
On awaking the next morning, I behold Momer be-
fore me; he was a perfect phantom; he is no longer
the same lively, quiet man I had hitherto found him:
he is harrassed, taciturn, and half intoxicated.”
"What have you ascertained?"
'I beseech you, Sir, give me my discharge.'
"Your discharge? what for? you are dream-
ing!"
(6
(C
'I beg, Sir, you will pardon my ingratitude :
but I have no longer the courage to expose
myself willingly to a certain and sudden death.
I wish to quit France and return to Germany.'
CC
I am amazed; what has occurred, what have
you seen? answer me.'
""
"If you desire it, I will tell you the truth.'
398
THE BLACK LEG.
"What a simpletor you are! was it to conceal
from me what you might discover that I sent you
last night to run about the fields and keep watch.
in the park?"
"In that case, I will tell you that I have seen
the black-leg; it spoke to me, and I must instantly
quit your service under pain of an early death and
eternal punishment.'
"I was waxing angry, but checked myself, rose
up, and, unable to get from this silly fellow any
thing more than incoherent words, I granted him
his request; he was
he was to remain eight days
longer in my service, and then take his de-
parture.
"In the course of the morning, two soldiers of
the battalion of the old guard, which was stationed
on duty at the Château, came up to speak with
me. My German servant had told them of his
mishap; they turned him into ridicule, and proposed
to replace him, provided I could obtain their officer's
permission to sleep out. I applauded their zeal, gave
them some drink, settled the question of discipline
with the commander, who consented to part for
twenty-four hours with his two men, both excel-
lent troopers, with huge mustachios, who with
pointed bayonets have already caused so much
terror to the living that I assuredly calculated on
their giving some alarm to the dead. Now,
we cannot fail to have accounts of this black-
leg.
"I watched the dawn of day with almost super-
399
stitious impatience; I am informed, at the hour of
seven, that one of the grognards desires to speak
with me: he enters my room.
<<
Where is your comrade?"
(
In the hospital, Sir.'
"Has he been wounded?"
،،
tr
May Heaven forgive you, Sir; it is unfair
thus to bring christians into the presence of
Satan.'
66
What! have you seen it?"
"No doubt, I have; if I am on my legs, I am
hardly the better for it. Nichole is nearly dead
with fright the poor fellow never can recover from
it.'
(C
"But what is it, after all?"
"The black-leg; you know all about it.
I need not say more. Oh! the wretch, how
hideous!'
(C
THE BLACK LEG.
:
hands.'
(C
(C
Has it appeared to you?"
'Indeed, it has, soul and body, head, feet and
A leg! you talk nonsense.'
<
One might do so with far less cause for
it. I am going in quest of Monsieur le Curé, to
confess my sins to him....Joking apart, it is a
grand sight.'
"I gave him his fee, and bit my lips. The
alarm increases. On the approach of night, no
one dares to stir a single step; we only hear of
marvellous stories. The phantom has been every
>>
400
PLAN FOR DISCOVERING
where; he has been seen in the gallery leading
to the apartment of Mademoiselle M... ... : the
poor girl is beside herself with fright.
"The lapse of a few days only added to the
general terror. I was advised to apply to the
police; but was reluctant to adopt this course,
knowing how much the Empress was averse to any
intercourse with them. Nevertheless, Her Majesty
still complained, and the mischievous imp persisted
in his pranks. Stung to the quick, I wrote to the
prefect and explained the matter to him. The
magistrate replied that he would cause a more active
watch to be kept round the Château, and sent me,
at the same time, a young fellow not more than
twenty years old, whom he extolled as an idle
vagabond, a cunning lad, a shrewd prowling gipsy,
fit for any thing, caring for nothing in the world,
but capable of laying hold of Satan himself, though
belonging to his gang, provided any one should
be disposed to pay him handsomely for his
trouble.
"In consequence of M. Dubois' letter, I sent
for and questioned this sagacious agent. He related
to me numberless affairs from which he had cleverly
extricated himself. The present must be the case
of a robber, he fears none: or of a lover, well then,
he will lay hands on him. I advise him to walk
along the galleries, and I gave orders accordingly.
It was agreed that, if the phantom inhabited the
Château, he would follow him to his den, and whistle
THE PHANTOM.
401
by way of signal; if, on the contrary, the leg
effected its retreat through the park, he would, on
quitting the house, hasten to the garden, when in
order to give warning to the several sentries, he
would fire a pistol. On hearing the report, the sen-
tries thus put upon their guard, wereto set them-
selves in motion, in order to cut off the retreat of
the intruding visitor.
"This plan being arranged, I went to inform
Her Majesty of it; she gave her approbation, was
prepared for an alarm, and, thus admonished
beforehand, would not be disturbed by it. She
promised, besides, the strictest secrecy; for the
more I investigated the matter, the more was I
led to think that the hollow leg might possibly
be
*
*
*
"I was now satisfied that the mystery would
be cleared up; I evinced on the evening in ques-
tion more cheerfulness than usual.
I saw my
cunning agent for the last time at eleven o'clock,
and promised him a five hundred franc note if he
succeeded in taking the delinquent. All retired to
rest at midnight. I refrained from going to bed.
I read, I wrote, but with distracted thoughts. A
single idea predominated in my mind. I heard
the report of a pistol in the garden, not far from
the window of my apartment. . . . . . I started, a
second report was soon afterwards heard, then a
third, and eleven in succession; it was a perfect
2 D
VOL. I.
402
MYSTERIOUS PISTOL SHOTS.
skirmish. Lost in conjectures, I descend the stair-
case, and hasten to the garden; all the inhabitants
of the château, suddenly awake from their slum-
bers; the sentries, the officers, all clear their
way. I proceed to the spot where I expect to find
my valet..no trace whatever of Ernest; but, at
the appointed spot, a large pool of blood recently
spilt, and no human trace, nothing to complete the
proof that a murder had been committed. I em-
ployed the remainder of the night in inspecting
the park and the château, and making a minute
search in every corner. I order the unfortunate
young man to be hailed; I hail him myself: he has
disappeared. From that moment, every trace of
him was completely lost. The prefect of police
himself could procure no account of him; this is
what he apprized me of; but those eleven reports
of pistol shots which the whole of Malmaison had
heard as well as myself; who could have fired them?
"Nothing could exceed my confusion. I acknow-
ledged my defeat to Her Majesty, who said to
me :
..
-
All that is left for us to do is to give way to
the phantom, and go to Paris; it will not follow
us thither. I doubt of its returning here, when
Napoleon comes back.
"Her Majesty, accordingly, took her departure
with all the ladies. I remained, but from that
moment I no longer had a crow to pluck with the
black-leg, which discontinued its pranks. Three
A SINGULAR PRESENT.
*
months afterwards, Mademoiselle M.... married a
general officer who made her a Countess; at the
same time, a carrier left on his way with the porter
of Malmaison, a huge case, directed to me, carriage
free. I was absent on business connected with my
duty, but I returned three days afterwards. I ima-
gined that some contractors of Paris had sent me
various articles I had applied for; I had the case
opened in my presence. There was removed from
beneath a quantity of linen and hay an immense
pasteboard leg, covered over with black crape
and a false nose twelves inches long, hanging to it.
END OF VOL. I.
LONDON:
403
SCHULZE AND CO. 13, POLAND STREET,
-
|
J
859 APRO
1
DO NOT CIRCULATE
F

SUMMARYNGEAL
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
3 9015 06724 5863
"
E
1
}
I