第 3 节
作者: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