第 11 节
作者:中国长城网      更新:2021-02-24 23:05      字数:9322
  Cambaceres; that when the Emperor asked for him; and was told that
  monseigneur was at the theater; he replied; 〃Very well; very well; he is
  taking his siesta; let us not disturb him!〃
  The King of Wurtemburg was large; and so fat that it was said of him God
  had put him in the world to prove how far the skin of a man could be
  stretched。  His stomach was of such dimensions that it was found
  necessary to make a broad; round incision in front of his seat at the
  table; and yet; notwithstanding this precaution; he was obliged to hold
  his plate on a level with his chin to drink his soup。  He was very fond
  of hunting; either on horseback; or in a little Russian carriage drawn by
  four horses; which he often drove himself。  He was fond of horseback
  riding; but it was no easy task to find a mount of size and strength
  sufficient to carry so heavy a burden。  It was necessary that the poor
  animal should be progressively trained; and in order to accomplish this
  the king's equerry fastened round the horse a girth loaded with pieces of
  lead; increasing the weight daily till it equalled that of his Majesty。
  The king was despotic; hard; and even cruel; ever ready to sign the
  sentence of the condemned; and in almost all cases; if what is said at
  Stuttgart be true; increased the penalty inflicted by the judges。  Hard
  to please; and brutal; he often struck the people of his household; and
  it is even said that he did not spare her Majesty the queen; his wife;
  who was a sister of the present King of England。  Notwithstanding all
  this; he was a prince whose knowledge and brilliant mind the Emperor
  esteemed; for they had a mutual affection for each other; and he found
  him faithful to his alliance to the very end。  King Frederic of
  Wurtemburg had a brilliant and numerous court; at which he displayed
  great magnificence。
  The hereditary prince was much beloved; he was less haughty and more
  humane than his father; and was said to be just and liberal。
  Besides those crowned by his hand; the Emperor; while in Bavaria;
  received a great number of the princes of the Confederation; and they
  usually dined with his Majesty。  In this crowd of royal courtiers the
  prince primate was noticeable; who differed in nothing as to manners;
  bearing; and dress from the most fashionable gentlemen of Paris。  The
  Emperor paid him special attention。  I cannot pay the same eulogy to the
  toilet of the princesses; duchesses; and other noble ladies; for most of
  them dressed in exceedingly bad taste; and; displaying neither art nor
  grace; covered their heads with plumes; bits of gold; and silver gauze;
  fastened with a great quantity of diamond…headed pins。
  The equipages the German nobility used were all very large coaches; which
  were a necessity from the enormous hoops still worn by those ladies; and
  this adherence to antiquated fashions was all the more surprising;
  because at that time Germany enjoyed the great advantage of possessing
  two fashion journals。  One was the translation of the magazine published
  by Mesangere; and the other; also edited at Paris; was translated and
  printed at Mannheim。  These ridiculous carriages; which much resembled
  our ancient diligences; were drawn by very inferior horses; harnessed
  with ropes; and placed so far apart that an immense space was needed to
  turn the carriage。
  The Prince of Saxe…Gotha was long and thin。  In spite of his great age;
  he was enough of a dandy to order at Paris; from our hairdresser
  Michalon; some pretty little wigs of youthful blonde; curled like the
  hair of Cupid; but; apart from this; he was an excellent man。  I
  recollect; a propos of the noble German ladies; to have seen at the court
  theater at Fontainebleau a princess of the Confederation who was being
  presented to their Majesties。  The toilet of her Highness announced an
  immense progress in the elegance of civilization beyond the Rhine; for;
  renouncing the Gothic hoops; the princess had adopted the very latest
  fashions; and; though nearly seventy years of age; wore a dress of black
  lace over red satin; and her coiffure consisted of a white muslin veil;
  fastened by a wreath of roses; in the style of the vestals of the opera。
  She had with her a granddaughter; brilliant with the charm of youth; and
  admired by the whole court; although her costume was less stylish than
  that of her grandmother。
  I heard her Majesty; the Empress Josephine; relate one day that she had
  much difficulty in repressing a smile when; among a number of German
  princesses presented to her; one was announced under the name of
  Cunegonde 'Cunegonde was the mistress of Candide in Voltaire's novel of
  Candide。' Her Majesty added that; when she saw the princess take her
  seat; she imagined she saw her lean to one side。  Assuredly the Empress
  had read the adventures of Candide and the daughter of the very noble
  baron of Thunder…Ten…Trunck。
  At Paris; in the spring of 1806; I saw almost as many members of the
  Confederation as I had seen in the capitals of Bavaria and Wurtemburg。
  A French name had the precedence among these names of foreign princes。
  It was that of Prince Murat; who in the month of March was made Grand…
  duke of Berg and Cleves。  After Prince Louis of Bavaria; arrived the
  hereditary prince of Baden; who came to Paris to marry a niece of the
  Empress。
  At the beginning this union was not happy。  The Princess Stephanie (de
  Beauharnais) was a very pretty woman; graceful and witty; and the Emperor
  had wished to make a great lady of her; and had married her without
  consulting her wishes。  Prince Charles…Louis…Frederic was then twenty
  years of age; and though exceedingly good; brave; and generous; and
  possessing many admirable traits; was heavy and phlegmatic; ever
  maintaining an icy gravity; and entirely destitute of the qualities which
  would attract a young princess accustomed to the brilliant elegance of
  the imperial court。
  The marriage took place in April; to the great satisfaction of the
  prince; who that day appeared to do violence to his usual gravity; and
  even allowed a smile to approach his lips。  The day passed off very well;
  but; when the time came for retiring; the princess refused to let him
  share her room; and for eight days was inexorable。
  He was told that the princess did not like the arrangement of his hair;
  and that nothing inspired her with more aversion than a queue; upon which
  the good prince hastened to have his hair cut close; but when she saw him
  thus shorn; she laughed immoderately; and exclaimed that he was more ugly
  a la Titus than he was before。  It was impossible that the intelligence
  and the kind heart of the princess could fail to appreciate the good and
  solid qualities of her husband; she learned to love him as tenderly as
  she was loved; and I am assured that the august couple lived on excellent
  terms。
  Three months after this marriage; the prince left his wife to follow the
  Emperor; first on the campaign in Prussia; and afterwards in Poland。  The
  death of his grandfather; which happened some time after the Austrian
  campaign of 1809; put him in possession of the grand duchy; whereupon he
  resigned the command of his troops to his uncle the Count of Hochberg;
  and returned to his government; never more to leave it。
  I saw him again with the princess at Erfurt; where they told me he had
  become jealous of the Emperor Alexander; who paid assiduous court to his
  wife; at which the prince took alarm and abruptly left Erfurt; carrying
  with him the princess; of whom it must in justice be said that there had
  been on her part not the slightest imprudence to arouse this jealousy;
  which seems very pardonable; however; in the husband of so charming a
  woman。
  The prince's health was always delicate; and from his earliest youth
  alarming symptoms had been noticed in him; and this physical condition
  was no doubt; in a great measure; the main source of the melancholy which
  marked his character。  He died in 1818; after a very long and painful
  illness; during which his wife nursed him with the most affectionate
  care; leaving four children; two sons and two daughters。  The two sons
  died young; and would have left the grand duchy of Baden without heirs;
  if the Counts Hochberg had not been recognized as members of the
  ducal family。  The grand…duchess is to…day devoting her life to the
  education of her daughters; who promise to equal her in graces and
  virtues。  The nuptials of the Prince and Princess of Baden were
  celebrated by brilliant fetes; at Rambouillet took place a great hunting…
  party; in which their Majesties; with many members of their family; and
  all the princes of Baden; Cleves; etc。; traversed on foot the forests of
  Rambouillet。
  I recollect another hunting…party; which took place about the same time
  in the forest of Saint…Germain; to which the Emperor invited the
  ambassador of the Sublime Porte; then just arrived at Paris。  His Turkish
  Excellency followed the chase with ardor; but without moving a muscle of
  his austere countenance。  The animal having been brought to bay; his
  Majesty had a gun handed to the Turkish ambassador; that he might have;
  the honor of firing the first shot; but he refused; not conceiving;
  doubtless; that any pleasure could be f