which the Count d'Artois, yielding to despair, had just watered with his tears. Napoleon entrusted the guardianship of his person and the charge of the palace to the national troops, and would not accept the services of the horse-guards. "Our institutions," said he, "know nothing of national guards on horseback; besides, you have behaved so ill to the Count d'Artois, that I will have nothing to say to you." The truth is, that the Emperor, who always respected misfortune, had made inquiries concerning the Prince on his arrival; and learned that the nobles, of whom the horseguards were chiefly composed, after having sworn to die for him, had deserted his person, with the exception of one, who remained faithful until the moment when he conceived the Count d'Artois' life and liberty out of danger. "I Napoleon, however, did not confine himself to simple praises of the conduct of that generous Lyonese. never yet left a noble action," said he, "without reward:" and the individual in question was forthwith appointed member of the Legion of Honour.* The morning after the Emperor Napoleon arrived at Lyons, he reviewed the garrison as well as the mounted national guard, composed chiefly of nobles of the Lyonnais, who, after a thousand protestations of devotion in the morning, had suffered Monsieur to leave the place in the evening, attended only by a single dragoon, the day after, requested the Emperor to permit them to guard his person. Napoleon's answer is one of those extraordinary traits of character which distinguished and are recorded of his progress to the capital. "Your conduct," he replied, to those faithful servants of the Bourbons, "to the Count d'Artois, tells me how you would behave to me in case of a reverse. I thank you for your offer- -you will return immediately to your homes." CHAP. VIII. Interview between Napoleon and his Secretary, Count Fleury de Chaboulon-The Emperor and Talma, the Tragedian-Enthusiasm of the Lyonese-Imperial Decrees issued at Lyons-Wisdom of Napoleon's Measures-Address to Marshal Ney, and Farewell Words to the Lyonese-Napoleon at Macon-He receives Official Details from Paris-Marches to Chalons-Conduct towards the Mayor of that Town-Enters Avalon: Enthusiasm of the Inhabitants, and Devotion of the Fair Sex-Napoleon receives the Submission of the Prince of Moskwa-Marches to Auxerre, and Reception of the Constituted Authorities--Arrival of Marshal Ney, and his Interview with Napoleon-Various Attempts of the Royalists to assassinate the Emperor-His noble Sentiments in opposition to those of his Enemies—Arrival at the Palace of Fontainbleau-Complete Defection of the Royal Army-Flight of Louis the Eighteenth from his Capital, and Description of Public Feeling at Paris-Napoleon's Entry into that City. I WAS at Lyons the moment when Napoleon arrived, (says Baron Fleury de Chaboulon, ex-secretary of the Emperor's cabinet,) who, being aware of the fact, sent for me that very evening. "Well," said he, with a smile, "you did not expect to see me again so soon." "No, Sire; your majesty is alone capable of causing such surprises." "What do they say of all this at Paris?" Why, Sire, they are rejoiced, no doubt, at your majesty's happy return." "And public opinion, how is that?" It is greatly changed, Sire; formerly, we thought of nothing but glory, and now we only talk of liberty. The struggle that has arisen between the Bourbons and the nation has revealed to us our rights; it has engendered liberal ideas, which did not exist in your majesty's time; people feel the necessity of being free; and the best means of pleasing the French would be to promise and to give them laws truly popular." "I know that the discussions they (the Bourbons) have suffered to take place, have diminished the respect for power, and enfeebled it. Liberal ideas have resumed all the ground I had gained for it. I shall not attempt to re-conquer it: no one should endeavour to contend against a nation; it is a pot of earth against one of iron. The French will have reason to be satisfied with me. I know there is pleasure and glory in rendering a great people free and happy. I will give pledges to France: I never stinted her in glory, I will not curtail her liberty. I will retain no further power than is requisite to enable me to govern. Power is not incompatible with liberty; on the contrary, liberty is never more entire than when power becomes well established. When weak, it is captious; when strong, it sleeps in tranquillity, and abandons the reins loose on the neck of liberty. I know what is requisite for the French; we shall settle that point: but no licentiousness, no anarchy; for anarchy would lead us to the despotism of the republicans, the most fertile of all despotisms in tyrannic acts, because every one participates in its licentiousness.... Do they suppose we shall come to a battle?" "They do not think it: the government has never had confidence in the soldiery; it has made itself detested by the officers; and all the troops they may oppose to your majesty's will be so many reinforcements for "I think so too; and the marshals" 66 Sire, they cannot but be apprehensive that your majesty will remember Fontainbleau; and, perhaps, it would be well to remove their fears, and personally make known your majesty's intention of consigning every thing to oblivion." No, I will not write to them; they would consider me as under obligations; and I will be obliged to no one. The troops are well disposed, the officers are good, and, if the marshals wished to restrain them, they would be hurried along in the vortex Where is my guard?" "I believe at 66 you.' Metz and Nancy." "Of that I am sure, do what they will, that corps can never be corrupted. What are Augereau and Marmont about?" "I do not know." "What is Ney doing? On what terms is he with the king?" "Sometimes well, sometimes otherwise. I believe he has had reason to complain of the court, on account of his wife." "His wife is an affected creature: no doubt she has attempted to play the part of a great lady, and the old dowagers have ridiculed her. Has Ney any command ?" "I do not think he has, Sire." "Is he one of us." "The part he took in your abdication"- Ay, I read that at Porto Ferrajo: he boasted of having ill-treated me and laid his pistols on my table; it was false. Had he dared fail in respect, I would have ordered him to be shot. False tales have been spread respecting my abdication. I yielded, not in consequence of their advice, but because my army was out of its senses; besides, I would not have a civil war; it was never to my taste. They stated that Augereau, when I met him, loaded me with reproaches it was a lie; no one of my generals would have dared, in my presence, to forget what was due to me. Had I known of the proclamation of Augereau, I would have forbidden him my presence:* cowards only insult misfortune. His proclamation, which I was reported to have had in my pocket, was unknown to me till after our interview. It was General Koller who showed it me: but let us be silent on those popular rumours. What has been done at the Tuileries?"-" They have altered nothing, Sire; even the eagles have not yet been removed.". (Smiling) "They must have thought my arrangement of them admirable." "So I presume, Sire: it has been said, that the Count d'Artois went through all the apartments immediately after his arrival, and never ceased admiring them."-"I can readily believe it. What have they done with my pictures?"-"Some have been taken away, but that of the battle of Austerlitz remains in the councilchamber." "And the theatre ?"-"It has not been touched: it is no longer used."-"What is Talma doing?"+ --- The newspapers of the day asserted, that Napoleon, though he had in his pocket the proclamation of Augereau, filled with reproaches and invectives, had thrown himself into his arms, and heard the cutting reprehensions of the marshal, without saying a word. Circumstances of this nature, no doubt, gave rise to the following exclamation, frequently made by Napoleon after he had landed. "Dio mi guardi da quella gatta, che diuanzi mi lecca, e dietro mi graffia!" protect me from those persons who flatter me when present and betray me during my absence!" That such a prayer was required, subsequent events rendered truly manifest. "God ↑ At the first meeting between the Emperor and Talma, the celebrated French tragedian, the former, addressing him with his usual familiarity, said, "So, Talma, Chateaubriand states that you gave me lessons how to act the Emperor; I take his hint as a compliment, for it shows I must at least have played my part well." The intimacy between Napoleon and Talma was of long standing; the reputation of the latter was established when the former was scarcely known, and the young officer accepted of admissions to the theatre from his acquaintance. At that time one of the principal amusements of the two friends, together with that of a third person, M. Le Noir, afterwards a general, was the relation of stories of ghosts and old castles, into which (the candles being extinguished) the future conqueror of Europe entered with all his heart, and was seriously offended when his companions interrupted him by tripping up his chair, shaking the table, or any other pleasantry. Napoleon never dropped the intimacy of his former histrionic patron, nor failed to remember the free admissions, and repay his disinterested friendship by an unlimited credit on the imperial purse. The royal vice of ingratitude found no place in the bosom of an usurper. Indeed, there was something magical in that power of personal attachVOL. IV. 2 H 55. "Why, Sire, he continues to deserve and obtain public applause."-" I shall see him again with pleasure. Have you been at court?"-"Yes, Sire, I have been presented."-"I am told, they all have the air of upstarts of yesterday; that they know not how to utter a word, or take a single step, with propriety: have you seen them on grand public days?"-"No, Sire, but I can assure your Majesty, that people pay as little regard to ceremony at the Tuileries as at their own homes: they go thither in dirty boots, common frock-coats, and round hats."— "That must have a very majestic appearance. How, then, do those old thicksculls spend their money? every thing has been restored to them."-"Probably, Sire, they wish to wear out their old clothes."-" Poor France! into what hands hast thou thrust thyself! And the king, what sort of a countenance has he?"-" He has a tolerably fine head."-" Is his coin handsome?"-" Of this your Majesty may judge: here is a twenty-franc piece.""What! they have not re-coined louis? I am surprised. (Turning the piece over.) He does not look as if he would starve himself: but, observe, they have taken away Dieu protège la France (God protect France), to restore their Domine, salvum fac regem (Lord, preserve the King). This is as they always were: every thing for themselves, nothing for France. Where is Maret? where is Caulincourt? where is Lavalette? where is Fouché?"—" They are all at Paris."-" And Môlé ?"—" He, too, is at Paris; I observed him a short time ago at the Queen's."-"Have we any persons in these environs, who were nearly attached to me?"-"I do not know, Sire."- "You must make inquiry, and conduct them to me. I should feel glad to be thoroughly acquainted with the spirit of the times, and know something of the present state of affairs. What does Hortense do?"-"Sire, her house is still the resort of men, who know how to appreciate wit and elegance and -- ment, which has been proved by a thousand notorious facts to have belonged to this extraordinary man. Never had one who wore a crown so many friends, or retained them so long. In a pocket book belonging to Talma, sold among his effects, was found the following testimonial of Bonaparte's respect for men of genius:-"Doctor Jenner applied to Napoleon, through Corvisart, for the liberty of two Englishmen; the prayer was granted, as also a similar application of my own (Talma's) for the liberty of an Englishman, although the minister of marine had previously told me that the Emperor would not grant a favour of that description, was it even to oblige a brother. |