第 1 节
作者:开了      更新:2021-04-30 17:20      字数:9322
  Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte; V8
  by Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne
  His Private Secretary
  Edited by R。 W。 Phipps
  Colonel; Late Royal Artillery
  1891
  CONTENTS:
  CHAPTER XXVII。  to   CHAPTER XXXIV。   1804…1805
  CHAPTER XXVII。
  1804。
  Clavier and HemartSingular Proposal of Corvisart…M。 Desmaisons
  Project of influencing the judgesVisit to the TuileriesRapp in
  attendanceLong conversation with the EmperorHis opinion on the
  trial of MoreauEnglish assassins and Mr。 FoxComplaints against
  the English GovernmentBonaparte and LacueeAffectionate
  behaviourArrest of PichegruMethod employed by the First Consul
  to discover his presence in ParisCharacter of MoreauMeasures of
  Bonaparte regarding himLauriston sent to the TempleSilence
  respecting the Duc d'EnghienNapoleon's opinion of Moreau and
  GeorgesAdmiration of GeorgesOffers of employment and dismissal
  Recital of former vexationsAudience of the EmpressMe1ancboly
  forebodingsWhat Bonaparte said concerning himselfMarks of
  kindness。
  The judges composing the Tribunal which condemned Moreau were not all
  like Thuriot and Hemart。  History has recorded an honourable contrast to
  the general meanness of the period in the reply given by M。 Clavier; when
  urged by Hemart to vote for the condemnation of Moreau。  〃Ah; Monsieur;
  if we condemn him; how shall we be able to acquit ourselves?〃  I have;
  besides; the best reason for asserting that the judges were tampered
  with; from; a circumstance which occurred to myself。
  Bonaparte knew that I was intimately connected with M。 Desmaisons; one of
  the members of the Tribunal; and brother in…law to Corvisart; he also
  knew that Desmaisons was inclined to believe in Moreau's innocence; and
  favourable to his acquittal。  During the progress of the trial Corvisart
  arrived at my house one morning at a very early hour; in a state of such
  evident embarrassment that; before he had time to utter a word; I said to
  him; 〃What is the matter?  Have you heard any bad news?〃
  〃No;〃 replied Corvisart; 〃but I came by the Emperor's order。  He wishes
  you to see my brother…in…law。  'He is;' said he to me; 'the senior judge;
  and a man of considerable eminence; his opinion will carry with it great
  weight; and I know that he is favourable to Moreau; he is in the wrong。
  Visit Bourrienne; said the Emperor; and concert with him respecting the
  best method of convincing Desmaisons of his error; for I repeat he is
  wrong; he is deceived。'  This is the mission with which I am entrusted。〃
  〃How;〃 said I; with thorough astonishment; 〃how came you to be employed
  in this affair?  Could you believe for one moment that I would tamper
  with a magistrate in order to induce him to exercise an unjust rigour?〃
  〃No; rest assured;〃 replied Corvisart; 〃I merely visited you this morning
  in obedience to the order of the Emperor; but I knew beforehand in what
  manner you would regard the proposition with which I was charged。  I knew
  your opinions and your character too well to entertain the smallest doubt
  in this respect; and I was convinced that I ran no risk in becoming the
  bearer of a commission which would be attended with no effect。  Besides;
  had I refused to obey the Emperor; it would have proved prejudicial to
  your interest; and confirmed him in the opinion that you were favourable
  to the acquittal of Moreau。  For myself;〃 added Corvisart; 〃it is
  needless to affirm that I have no intention of attempting to influence
  the opinion of my brother…in…law; and if I had; you know him sufficiently
  well to be convinced in what light he would regard such a proceeding。〃
  Such were the object and result of Corvisart's visit; and I am thence led
  to believe that similar attempts must have been made to influence other
  members of the Tribunal。
  'The judges had been pressed and acted on in a thousand ways by
  the hangerson of the Palace and especially by Real; the natural
  intermediary between justice and the Government。  Ambition;
  servility; fear; every motive capable of influencing them; had been
  used: even their humane scruples were employed〃 (Lanfrey tome iii。
  p。  193; who goes on to say that the judges were urged to sentence
  Moreau to death in order that the Emperor might folly pardon him)。'
  But however this may be; prudence led me to discontinue visiting M。
  Desmaisons; with whom I was in habits of the strictest friendship。
  About this period I paid a visit which occupies an important place in my
  recollections。  On the 14th of June 1804; four days after the
  condemnation of Georges and his accomplices; I received a summons to
  attend the Emperor at St。 Cloud。  It was Thursday; and as I thought on
  the great events and tragic scenes about to be acted; I was rather uneasy
  respecting his intentions。
  But I was fortunate enough to find my friend Rapp in waiting; who said to
  me as I entered; 〃Be not alarmed; he is in the best of humours at
  present; and wishes to have some conversation。  with you。〃
  Rapp then announced me to the Emperor; and I was immediately admitted to
  his presence。  After pinching my ear and asking his usual questions; such
  as; 〃What does the world say?  How are your children?  What are you
  about?  etc。;〃 he said to me; 〃By the by; have you attended the
  proceedings against Moreau?〃〃 Yes; Sire; I have not been absent during
  one of the sittings。〃〃 Well; Bourrienne; are you of the opinion that
  Moreau is innocent?〃〃Yes; Sire; at least I am certain that nothing has
  come out in the course of the trial tending to criminate him; I am even
  surprised how he came to be implicated in this conspiracy; since nothing
  has appeared against him which has the most remote connexion with the
  affair。〃〃 I know your opinion on this subject; Duroc related to me the
  conversation you held with him at the Tuileries; experience has shown
  that you were correct; but how could I act otherwise?  You know that
  Bouvet de Lozier hanged himself in prison; and was only saved by
  accident。  Real hurried to the Temple in order to interrogate him; and in
  his first confessions he criminated Moreau; affirming that he had held
  repeated conferences with Pichegru。  Real immediately reported to me this
  fact; and proposed that Moreau should be arrested; since the rumours
  against him seemed to be well founded; he had previously made the same
  proposition。  I at first refused my sanction to this measure; but after
  the charge made against him by Bouvet de Lozier; how could I act
  otherwise than I did?  Could I suffer such open conspiracies against the
  Government?  Could I doubt the truth of Bouvet de Lozier's declaration;
  under the circumstances in which it was made?  Could I foresee that he
  would deny his first declaration when brought before the Court?  There
  was a chain of circumstances which human sagacity could not penetrate;
  and I consented to the arrest of Moreau when it was proved that he was in
  league with Pichegru。  Has not England sent assassins?〃〃Sire;〃 said I;
  〃permit me to call to your recollection the conversation you had in my
  presence with Mr。 Fox; after which you said to me; 'Bourrienne; I am very
  happy at having heard from the mouth of a man of honour that the British
  Government is incapable of seeking my life; I always wish to esteem my
  enemies。〃〃Bah!  you are a fool!  Parbleu!  I did not say that the
  English Minister sent over an assassin; and that he said to him; 'Here is
  gold and a poniard; go and kill the First Consul。'  No; I did not believe
  that; but it cannot be denied that all those foreign conspirators against
  my Government were serving England; and receiving pay from that power。
  Have I agents in London to disturb the Government of Great Britain?
  I have waged with it honourable warfare; I have not attempted to awaken a
  remembrance of the Stuarts amongst their old partisans。  Is not Wright;
  who landed Georges and his accomplices at Dieppe; a captain in the
  British navy?  But rest assured that; with the exception of a few
  babblers; whom I can easily silence; the hearts of the French people are
  with me; everywhere public opinion has been declared in my favour; so
  that I have nothing to apprehend from giving the greatest publicity to
  these plots; and bringing the accused to a solemn trial。  The greater
  number of those gentlemen wished me to bring the prisoners before a
  military commission; that summary judgment might be obtained; but I
  refused my consent to this measure。  It might have been said that I
  dreaded public opinion; and I fear it not。  People may talk as much as
  they please; well and good; I am not obliged to hear them; but I do not
  like those who are attached to my person to blame what I have done。〃
  As I could not wholly conceal an involuntary emotion; in which the
  Emperor saw something more than mere surprise; he paused; took me by the
  ear; and; smiling in the most affectionate manner; said; 〃I had no
  reference to you in what I said; but I have to complain of Lacuee。  Could
  you believe that during the trial he went about clamouring in behalf of
  Moreau?  He; my aide de campa man who owes everything to me!  As for
  you; I have said that you acted very w