第 4 节
作者:精灵王      更新:2024-03-30 10:52      字数:9322
  carriage with General Bonaparte。
  This prelate had stood the journey well; and appeared in good health and
  fine spirits。  Talleyrand; who had arrived at Lyons a few days before the
  First Consul; gave a dinner to the Cisalpine deputies and the principal
  notables of the city; at which the Archbishop of Milan sat on his right。
  He had scarcely taken his seat; and was in the act of leaning forward to
  speak to M。 de Talleyrand; when he fell dead in his armchair。
  On the 12th of January the town of Lyons gave; in honor of the First
  Consul and Madame Bonaparte; a magnificent fete; consisting of a concert;
  followed by a ball。  At eight o'clock in the evening; the three mayors;
  accompanied by the superintendents of the fete; called upon their
  illustrious guests in the government palace。  I can imagine that I see
  again spread out before me that immense amphitheater; handsomely
  decorated; and illuminated by innumerable lusters and candles; the seats
  draped with the richest cloths manufactured in the city; and filled with
  thousands of women; some brilliant in youth and beauty; and all
  magnificently attired。  The theater had been chosen as the place of the
  fete; and on the entrance of the First Consul and Madame Bonaparte; who
  advanced leaning on the arm of one of the mayors; there arose a thunder
  of applause and acclamations。  Suddenly the decorations of the theater
  faded from sight; and the Place Bonaparte (the former Place Belcour)
  appeared; as it had been restored by order of the First Consul。  In the
  midst rose a pyramid; surmounted by the statue of the First Consul; who
  was represented as resting upon a lion。  Trophies of arms and bas…reliefs
  represented on one side; the other that of Marengo。
  When the first; transports excited by this spectacle; which recalled at
  once the benefits and the victories of the hero of the fete; had
  subsided; there succeeded a deep silence; and delightful music was heard;
  mingled with songs; dedicated to the glory of the First Consul; to his
  wife; the warriors who surrounded him; and the representatives of the
  Italian republics。  The singers and the musicians were amateurs of Lyons。
  Mademoiselle Longue; Gerbet; the postmaster; and Theodore; the merchant;
  who had each performed their parts in a charming manner; received the
  congratulations of the First Consul; and the most gracious thanks of
  Madame Bonaparte。
  What struck me most forcibly in the couplets which were sung on that
  occasion; and which much resembled all verses written for such occasions;
  was that incense was offered to the First Consul in the very terms which
  all the poets of the Empire have since used in their turn。  All the
  exaggerations of flattery were exhausted during the consulate; and in the
  years which followed; it was necessary for poets often to repeat
  themselves。  Thus; in the couplets of Lyons; the First Consul was the God
  of victory; the conqueror of the Nile and of Neptune; the savior of his
  country; the peacemaker of the world; the arbiter of Europe。  The French
  soldiers were transformed into friends and companions of Alcides; etc。;
  all of which was cutting the ground from under the feet of the singers of
  the future。
  The fete of Lyons ended in a ball which lasted until daylight; at which
  the First Consul remained two hours; which he spent in conversation with
  the magistrates of the city。  While the better class of the inhabitants
  gave these grand entertainments to their guests; the people;
  notwithstanding the cold; abandoned themselves on the public squares to
  pleasure and dancing; and towards midnight there was a fine display of
  fireworks on the Place Bonaparte。
  After fifteen or eighteen days passed at Lyons; we returned to Paris; the
  First Consul and his wife continuing to reside by preference at
  Malmaison。  It was; I think; a short time after the return of the First
  Consul that a poorly dressed man begged an audience; an order was given
  to admit him to the cabinet; and the First Consul inquired his name。
  〃General;〃 replied the petitioner; frightened by his presence; 〃it is I
  who had the honor of giving you writing lessons in the school of
  Brienne。〃〃Fine scholar you have made!〃  interrupted vehemently the
  First Consul; 〃I compliment you on it!〃  Then he began to laugh at his
  own vehemence; and addressed a few kind words to this good man; whose
  timidity such a compliment had not reassured。  A few days after the
  master received; from the least promising; doubtless; of all his pupils
  at Brienne (you know how the Emperor wrote); a pension amply sufficient
  for his needs。
  Another of the old teachers of the First Consul; the Abbe Dupuis; was
  appointed by him to the post of private librarian at Malmaison; and lived
  and died there。  He was a modest man; and had the reputation of being
  well…educated。  The First Consul visited him often in his room; and paid
  him every imaginable attention and respect。
  CHAPTER IX。
  The day on which the First Consul promulgated the law of public worship;
  he rose early; and entered the dressing…room to make his toilet。  While
  he was dressing I saw Joseph Bonaparte enter his room with Cambaceres。
  〃Well;〃 said the First Consul to the latter; 〃we are going to mass。  What
  do they think of that in Paris?〃〃Many persons;〃 replied M。 Cambaceres;
  〃will go to the representation with the intention of hissing the piece;
  if they do not find it amusing。〃
  〃If any one thinks of hissing; I will have him put out…of…doors by the
  grenadiers of the Consular Guard。〃
  〃But if the grenadiers begin to hiss like the others?〃
  〃I have no fear of that。  My old soldiers will go to Notre Dame exactly
  as they went to the mosque at Cairo。  They will watch me; and seeing
  their general remain quiet and reverent; they will do as he does; saying
  to themselves; 〃That is the countersign!〃
  〃I am afraid;〃 said Joseph Bonaparte; 〃that the general officers will not
  be so accommodating。  I have just left Augereau; who was vomiting fire
  and fury against what he calls your capricious proclamations。  He; and。
  a few others; will not be easy to bring back into the pale of our holy
  mother; the church。〃
  〃Bah! that is like Augereau。  He is a bawler; who makes a great noise;
  and yet if he has a little imbecile cousin; he puts him in the priests
  college for me to make a chaplain of him。
  〃That reminds me;〃 continued the First Consul; addressing his colleague;
  〃when is your brother going to take possession of his see of Rouen?  Do
  you know it has the finest archiepiscopal palace in France?  He will be
  cardinal before a year has passed; that matter is already arranged。〃
  The second consul bowed。  From that moment his manner towards the First
  Consul was rather that of a courtier than an equal。
  The plenipotentiaries who had been appointed to examine and sign the
  Concordat were Joseph Bonaparte; Cruet; and the Abbe Bernier。  This
  latter; whom I saw sometimes at the Tuileries; had been a chief of the
  Chouans; 'The Chouans were Royalists in insurrection in Brittany。'
  and took a prominent part in all that occurred。  The First Consul; in
  this same conversation; the opening of which I have just related;
  discussed with his two companions the subject of the conferences on the
  Concordat。  〃The Abby Bernier;〃 said the First Consul; 〃inspired fear in
  the Italian prelates by the vehemence of his logic。  It might have been
  said that he imagined himself living over again the days in which he led
  the Vendeens to the charge against the blues。  Nothing could be more
  striking than the contrast of his rude and quarrelsome manner with the
  polished bearing and honeyed tones of the prelates。  Cardinal Caprara
  came to me two days ago; with a shocked air; to ask if it is true that;
  during the war of the Vendee; the Abbe Bernier made an altar on which to
  celebrate mass out of the corpses of the Republicans。  I replied that I
  knew nothing of it; but that it was possible。  'General; First Consul;'
  cried the frightened cardinal; 'it is not a red hat; but a red cap; which
  that man should have?'
  〃I am much afraid;〃 continued the First Consul; 〃that that kind of cap
  would prevent the Abbe Bernier from getting the red hat。〃
  These gentlemen left the First Consul when his toilet was finished; and
  went to make their own。  The First Consul wore on that day the costume of
  the consuls; which consisted of a scarlet coat without facings; and with
  a broad embroidery of palms; in gold; on all the seams。  His sword; which
  he had worn in Egypt; hung at his side from a belt; which; though not
  very wide; was of beautiful workmanship; and richly embroidered。  He wore
  his black stock; in preference to a lace cravat; and like his colleagues;
  wore knee…breeches and shoes; a French hat; with floating plumes of the
  three colors; completed this rich costume。
  The celebration of this sacrament at Notre Dame was a novel sight to the
  Parisians; and many attended as if it were a theatrical representation。
  Many; also; especially amongst the military; found it rather a matter of
  raillery than of edification; and those who; during the Revolution; had
  contributed all their strength to the overthrow of the worship which the
  First Consul had just re…established; co