第 4 节
作者:
精灵王 更新:2024-03-30 10:52 字数:9322
carriage with General Bonaparte。
This prelate had stood the journey well; and appeared in good health and
fine spirits。 Talleyrand; who had arrived at Lyons a few days before the
First Consul; gave a dinner to the Cisalpine deputies and the principal
notables of the city; at which the Archbishop of Milan sat on his right。
He had scarcely taken his seat; and was in the act of leaning forward to
speak to M。 de Talleyrand; when he fell dead in his armchair。
On the 12th of January the town of Lyons gave; in honor of the First
Consul and Madame Bonaparte; a magnificent fete; consisting of a concert;
followed by a ball。 At eight o'clock in the evening; the three mayors;
accompanied by the superintendents of the fete; called upon their
illustrious guests in the government palace。 I can imagine that I see
again spread out before me that immense amphitheater; handsomely
decorated; and illuminated by innumerable lusters and candles; the seats
draped with the richest cloths manufactured in the city; and filled with
thousands of women; some brilliant in youth and beauty; and all
magnificently attired。 The theater had been chosen as the place of the
fete; and on the entrance of the First Consul and Madame Bonaparte; who
advanced leaning on the arm of one of the mayors; there arose a thunder
of applause and acclamations。 Suddenly the decorations of the theater
faded from sight; and the Place Bonaparte (the former Place Belcour)
appeared; as it had been restored by order of the First Consul。 In the
midst rose a pyramid; surmounted by the statue of the First Consul; who
was represented as resting upon a lion。 Trophies of arms and bas…reliefs
represented on one side; the other that of Marengo。
When the first; transports excited by this spectacle; which recalled at
once the benefits and the victories of the hero of the fete; had
subsided; there succeeded a deep silence; and delightful music was heard;
mingled with songs; dedicated to the glory of the First Consul; to his
wife; the warriors who surrounded him; and the representatives of the
Italian republics。 The singers and the musicians were amateurs of Lyons。
Mademoiselle Longue; Gerbet; the postmaster; and Theodore; the merchant;
who had each performed their parts in a charming manner; received the
congratulations of the First Consul; and the most gracious thanks of
Madame Bonaparte。
What struck me most forcibly in the couplets which were sung on that
occasion; and which much resembled all verses written for such occasions;
was that incense was offered to the First Consul in the very terms which
all the poets of the Empire have since used in their turn。 All the
exaggerations of flattery were exhausted during the consulate; and in the
years which followed; it was necessary for poets often to repeat
themselves。 Thus; in the couplets of Lyons; the First Consul was the God
of victory; the conqueror of the Nile and of Neptune; the savior of his
country; the peacemaker of the world; the arbiter of Europe。 The French
soldiers were transformed into friends and companions of Alcides; etc。;
all of which was cutting the ground from under the feet of the singers of
the future。
The fete of Lyons ended in a ball which lasted until daylight; at which
the First Consul remained two hours; which he spent in conversation with
the magistrates of the city。 While the better class of the inhabitants
gave these grand entertainments to their guests; the people;
notwithstanding the cold; abandoned themselves on the public squares to
pleasure and dancing; and towards midnight there was a fine display of
fireworks on the Place Bonaparte。
After fifteen or eighteen days passed at Lyons; we returned to Paris; the
First Consul and his wife continuing to reside by preference at
Malmaison。 It was; I think; a short time after the return of the First
Consul that a poorly dressed man begged an audience; an order was given
to admit him to the cabinet; and the First Consul inquired his name。
〃General;〃 replied the petitioner; frightened by his presence; 〃it is I
who had the honor of giving you writing lessons in the school of
Brienne。〃〃Fine scholar you have made!〃 interrupted vehemently the
First Consul; 〃I compliment you on it!〃 Then he began to laugh at his
own vehemence; and addressed a few kind words to this good man; whose
timidity such a compliment had not reassured。 A few days after the
master received; from the least promising; doubtless; of all his pupils
at Brienne (you know how the Emperor wrote); a pension amply sufficient
for his needs。
Another of the old teachers of the First Consul; the Abbe Dupuis; was
appointed by him to the post of private librarian at Malmaison; and lived
and died there。 He was a modest man; and had the reputation of being
well…educated。 The First Consul visited him often in his room; and paid
him every imaginable attention and respect。
CHAPTER IX。
The day on which the First Consul promulgated the law of public worship;
he rose early; and entered the dressing…room to make his toilet。 While
he was dressing I saw Joseph Bonaparte enter his room with Cambaceres。
〃Well;〃 said the First Consul to the latter; 〃we are going to mass。 What
do they think of that in Paris?〃〃Many persons;〃 replied M。 Cambaceres;
〃will go to the representation with the intention of hissing the piece;
if they do not find it amusing。〃
〃If any one thinks of hissing; I will have him put out…of…doors by the
grenadiers of the Consular Guard。〃
〃But if the grenadiers begin to hiss like the others?〃
〃I have no fear of that。 My old soldiers will go to Notre Dame exactly
as they went to the mosque at Cairo。 They will watch me; and seeing
their general remain quiet and reverent; they will do as he does; saying
to themselves; 〃That is the countersign!〃
〃I am afraid;〃 said Joseph Bonaparte; 〃that the general officers will not
be so accommodating。 I have just left Augereau; who was vomiting fire
and fury against what he calls your capricious proclamations。 He; and。
a few others; will not be easy to bring back into the pale of our holy
mother; the church。〃
〃Bah! that is like Augereau。 He is a bawler; who makes a great noise;
and yet if he has a little imbecile cousin; he puts him in the priests
college for me to make a chaplain of him。
〃That reminds me;〃 continued the First Consul; addressing his colleague;
〃when is your brother going to take possession of his see of Rouen? Do
you know it has the finest archiepiscopal palace in France? He will be
cardinal before a year has passed; that matter is already arranged。〃
The second consul bowed。 From that moment his manner towards the First
Consul was rather that of a courtier than an equal。
The plenipotentiaries who had been appointed to examine and sign the
Concordat were Joseph Bonaparte; Cruet; and the Abbe Bernier。 This
latter; whom I saw sometimes at the Tuileries; had been a chief of the
Chouans; 'The Chouans were Royalists in insurrection in Brittany。'
and took a prominent part in all that occurred。 The First Consul; in
this same conversation; the opening of which I have just related;
discussed with his two companions the subject of the conferences on the
Concordat。 〃The Abby Bernier;〃 said the First Consul; 〃inspired fear in
the Italian prelates by the vehemence of his logic。 It might have been
said that he imagined himself living over again the days in which he led
the Vendeens to the charge against the blues。 Nothing could be more
striking than the contrast of his rude and quarrelsome manner with the
polished bearing and honeyed tones of the prelates。 Cardinal Caprara
came to me two days ago; with a shocked air; to ask if it is true that;
during the war of the Vendee; the Abbe Bernier made an altar on which to
celebrate mass out of the corpses of the Republicans。 I replied that I
knew nothing of it; but that it was possible。 'General; First Consul;'
cried the frightened cardinal; 'it is not a red hat; but a red cap; which
that man should have?'
〃I am much afraid;〃 continued the First Consul; 〃that that kind of cap
would prevent the Abbe Bernier from getting the red hat。〃
These gentlemen left the First Consul when his toilet was finished; and
went to make their own。 The First Consul wore on that day the costume of
the consuls; which consisted of a scarlet coat without facings; and with
a broad embroidery of palms; in gold; on all the seams。 His sword; which
he had worn in Egypt; hung at his side from a belt; which; though not
very wide; was of beautiful workmanship; and richly embroidered。 He wore
his black stock; in preference to a lace cravat; and like his colleagues;
wore knee…breeches and shoes; a French hat; with floating plumes of the
three colors; completed this rich costume。
The celebration of this sacrament at Notre Dame was a novel sight to the
Parisians; and many attended as if it were a theatrical representation。
Many; also; especially amongst the military; found it rather a matter of
raillery than of edification; and those who; during the Revolution; had
contributed all their strength to the overthrow of the worship which the
First Consul had just re…established; co