第 3 节
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上网找工作 更新:2021-03-16 00:37 字数:9322
be proposed by the Chamber of Representatives。 Ministers to be
responsible。 Judges to be irremovable。 Juries to be established。 Right
of petition; freedom of worship; inviolability of property; were
recognised。 Liberty of the press was given under legal responsibility;
and press offences were to be judged with a jury。 No place or part of
the territory could be placed in a state of siege except in case of
foreign invasion or civil troubles。 Finally; the French people declared
that in the delegation it thus made of its powers it was not to be taken
as giving the right to propose the re…establishment of the Bourbons; or
of any Prince of that family on the throne; even in case of the
extinction of the imperial dynasty。 Any such proposal was formally
interdicted to the Chambers or to the citizens; as well as any of the
following measures;。viz。 the re…establishment of the former; feudal
nobility; of the feudal and seignorial rights; of tithes; of any
privileged and dominant religion; as well as of the power of making any
attack on the irrevocability of the sale of the national goods。
Shortly after the return of Napoleon from Elba; believing it to be
impossible to make the Emperor of Austria consent to his wife's rejoining
him (and Maria Louisa had no inclination to a renewal of conjugal
intercourse); Napoleon had not been many days in Paris when he concocted
a plan for carrying off from Vienna both his wife and his son: In this
project force was no less necessary than stratagem。 A number of French
of both sexes much devoted to the Emperor; who; had given them rank and
fortune; had accompanied Maria Louisa in 1814 from Paris to Blois and
thence to Vienna。 A correspondence was opened with these persons; who
embarked heart and soul in the plot; they forged passports; procured…
relays; of horses; and altogether arranged matters so well that but a for
a single individualone who revealed the whole project a few days
previously to that fixed upon for carrying it into effectthere is
little room to doubt that the plan would have succeeded; and that the
daughter of Austria and the titular King of home would have given such;
prestige as their presence could give at the Tuileries and he Champs…de…
Mai。 No sooner had the Emperor of Austria discovered this plot; which;
had it been successful; would have placed him in a very awkward
predicament; than he dismissed all the French people about his daughter;
compelled her to lay aside the armorial bearings and liveries of
Napoleon; and even to relinquish the title of Empress of the French: No
force; no art; no police could conceal these things from the people of
Paris; who; moreover; and at nearly the same time; were made very uneasy
by the failure of Murat's attempt in Italy; which greatly increased the
power and political influence of Austria。 Murat being disposed of; the
Emperor Francis was enabled to concentrate all his forces in Italy; and
to hold them in readiness for the re…invasion of France。
〃Napoleon;〃 says Lavallette; 〃had undoubtedly expected that the Empress
and his son would be restored to him; he had published his wishes as a
certainty; and to prevent it was; in fact; the worst injury the Emperor
of Austria could have done; him。 His hope was; however; soon destroyed。
〃One evening I was summoned to the palace。 I found the Emperor in a
dimly…lighted closet; warming himself in a corner of the fireplace; and
appearing to suffer already from the complaint which never afterwards
left him。 'Here is a letter;' he said; 'which the courier from Vienna
says is meant for youread it。' On first casting my eyes on the letter
I thought I knew the handwriting; but as it was long I read it slowly;
and came at last to the principal object。 The writer said that we ought
not to reckon upon the Empress; as she did not even attempt to conceal
her dislike of the Emperor; and was disposed to approve all the measures
that could be taken against him; that her return was not to be thought
of; as she herself would raise the greatest obstacles in the way of it;
in case it should be proposed; finally; that it was not possible for him
to dissemble his indignation that the Empress; wholly enamoured of ;
did not even take pains to hide her ridiculous partiality for him。 The
handwriting of the letter was disguised; yet not so much but that I was
able to discover whose it was。 I found; however; in the manner in which
the secret was expressed a warmth of zeal and a picturesque style that
did not belong to the author of the letter。 While reading it; I all of a
sudden suspected it was a counterfeit; and intended to mislead the
Emperor。 I communicated ms idea to him; and the danger I perceived in
this fraud。 As I grew more and more animated I found plausible reasons
enough to throw the Emperor himself into some uncertainty。 'How is it
possible;' I said; 'that … should have been imprudent enough to write
such things to me; who am not his friend; and who have had so little
connection with him? How can one suppose that the Empress should forget
herself; in such circumstances; so far as to manifest aversion to you;
and; still more; to cast herself away upon a man who undoubtedly still
possesses some power to please; but who is no longer young; whose face is
disfigured; and whose person; altogether; has nothing agreeable in it?'
'But;' answered the Emperor; … is attached to me; and though he is
not your friend; the postscript sufficiently explains the motive of the
confidence he places in you。' The following words were; in fact; written
at the bottom of the letter: 'I do not think you ought to mention the
truth to the Emperor; but make whatever use of it you think proper。'
I persisted; however; in maintaining that the letter was a counterfeit;
and the Emperor then said to me; 'Go to Caulaincourt。 He possesses a
great many others in the same handwriting。 Let the comparison decide
between your opinion and mine。'
〃I went to Caulaincourt; who said eagerly to me; 'I am sure the letter is
from …; and I have not the least doubt of the truth of the
particulars it contains。 The best thing the Emperor can do is to be
comforted; there is no help to be expected from that side。'
〃So sad a discovery was very painful to the Emperor; for he was sincerely
attached to the Empress; and still hoped again to see his son; whom he
loved most tenderly。'
〃Fouche had been far from wishing the return of the Emperor。 He was long
tired of obeying; and had; besides; undertaken another plan; which
Napoleon's arrival had broken off。 The Emperor; however; put him again
at the head of the police; because Savary was worn out in that
employment; and a skillful man was wanted there。 Fouche accepted the
office; but without giving up his plan of deposing the Emperor; to put in
his place either his son or a Republic under a President。 He had never
ceased to correspond with Prince Metternich; and; if he is to be
believed; he tried to persuade the Emperor to abdicate in favour of his
son。 That was also my opinion; but; coming from such a quarter; the
advice was not without danger for the person to whom it was given。
Besides; that advice having been rejected; it: was the duty of the
Minister either to think no more of his plan or to resign his office。
Fouche; however; remained in the Cabinet; and continued his
correspondence。 The Emperor; who placed but little confidence in him;
kept a careful eye upon him。 One evening the Emperor: had a great deal
of company at the Elysee; he told me not to go home; because he wished to
speak to me。 When everybody was gone the Emperor stopped with Fouche in
the apartment next to the one I was in。 The door remained half open。
They walked up and down together talking very calmly。 I was therefore
greatly astonished when; after a quarter of; an hour; I heard the Emperor
say to him' gravely; 'You are a traitor! Why do you remain Minister of
the Police if you wish to betray me? It rests with me to have you
hanged; and everybody would rejoice at your death!' I did not hear
Fouche's reply; but the conversation lasted above half an hour longer;
the parties all the time walking up and down。 When Fouche went away he
bade me cheerfully; good…night; and said that the Emperor had gone back
to his apartments。
〃The next day the Emperor spoke to me of the previous night's
conversation。 'I suspected;' he said; 'that the wretch was in
correspondence with Vienna。 I have had a banker's clerk arrested on his
return from that city。 He has acknowledged that he brought a letter for
Fouche from Metternich; and that the answer was to be sent at a fixed
time to Bale; where a man was to wait for the bearer on the bridge: I
sent for Fouche a few days ago; and kept him three hours long in my
garden; hoping that in the course of a friendly conversation he would
mention that letter to me; but he said nothing。 At last; yesterday
evening; I myself opened the subject。' (Here the Emperor repeated to me
the words I had heard the night before; 'You are a traitor;' etc。) He
acknowledged; in fact; continued the Emperor; 'that he had received such
a letter; but that it was not signed and that he had