Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
with one of those transitions so common to him, said, "By the by,
Bourrienne, I have something to tell you. Madame de Brienne has begged
that I will pass through Brienne, and I promised that I will. I will not
conceal from you that I shall feel great pleasure in again beholding
the spot which for six years was the scene of our boyish sports and
studies." Taking advantage of the Emperor's good humour I ventured to
tell him what happiness it would give me if it were possible that
I could share with him the revival of all recollections which were
mutually dear to us. But Napoleon, after a moment's pause, said with
extreme kindness, "Hark ye, Bourrienne, in your situation and mine this
cannot be. It is more than two years since we parted. What would be said
of so sudden a reconciliation? I tell you frankly that I have regretted
you, and the circumstances in which I have frequently been placed have
often made me wish to recall you. At Boulogne I was quite resolved upon
it. Rapp, perhaps, has informed you of it. He liked you, and he assured
me that he would be delighted at your return. But if upon reflection
I changed my mind it was because, as I have often told you, I will not
have it said that I stand in need of any one. No. Go to Hamburg. I have
formed some projects respecting Germany in which you can be useful to
me. It is there I will give a mortal blow to England. I will deprive
her of the Continent,--besides, I have some ideas not yet matured which
extend much farther. There is not sufficient unanimity amongst the
nations of Europe. European society must be regenerated--a superior
power must control the other powers, and compel them to live in peace
with each other; and France is well situated for that purpose. For
details you will receive instructions from Talleyrand; but I recommend
you, above all things, to keep a strict watch on the emigrants. Woe
to them if they become too dangerous! I know that there are still
agitators,--among them all the 'Marquis de Versailles', the courtiers
of the old school. But they are moths who will burn themselves in the
candle. You have been an emigrant yourself, Bourrienne; you feel a
partiality for them, and you know that I have allowed upwards of two
hundred of them to return upon your recommendation. But the case is
altered. Those who are abroad are hardened. They do not wish to return
home. Watch them closely. That is the only particular direction I give
you. You are to be Minister from France to Hamburg; but your place will
be an independent one; besides your correspondence with the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, I authorise you to write to me personally, whenever you
have anything particular to communicate. You will likewise correspond
with Fouché."
Here the Emperor remained silent for a moment, and I was preparing to
retire, but he detained me, saying in the kindest manner, "What, are
you going already, Bourrienne? Are you in a hurry? Let us chat a little
longer. God knows, when we may see each other again!" Then after two or
three moments' silence he said, "The more I reflect on our situation, on
our former intimacy, and our subsequent separation, the more I see the
necessity of your going to Hamburg. Go, then, my dear fellow, I advise
you. Trust me. When do you think of setting out?" "In May."--"In May?
. . . Ah, I shall be in Milan then, for I wish to stop at Turin. I like
the Piedmontese; they are the best soldiers in Italy."--"Sire, the King
of Italy will be the junior of the Emperor of France!"
--[I alluded to a conversation which I had with Napoleon when we
first went to the Tuileries. He spoke to me about his projects of
royalty, and I stated the difficulties which I thought he would
experience in getting himself acknowledged by the old reigning
families of Europe. "If it comes to that," he replied. "I will
dethrone them all, and then I shall be the oldest sovereign among
them."--Bourrienne.]--
--"Ah! so you recollect what I said one day at the Tuileries; but,
my dear fellow, I have yet a devilish long way to go before I gain my
point."--"At the rate, Sire, at which you are going you will not be long
in reaching it."--"Longer than you imagine. I see all the obstacles
in my way; but they do not alarm me. England is everywhere, and the
struggle is between her and me. I see how it will be. The whole of
Europe will be our instruments; sometimes serving one, sometimes the
other, but at bottom the dispute is wholly between England and France.
"A propos," said the Emperor, changing the subject, for all who knew him
are aware that this 'a propos' was his favourite, and, indeed, his only
mode of transition; a propos, Bourrienne, you surely must have heard of
the departure of Jaubert,
--[Amedee Jaubart had been with Napoleon in Egypt, and was appointed
to the cabinet of the Consul as secretary interpreter of Oriental
languages. He was sent on several missions to the East, and brought
back, is 1818, goats from Thibet, naturalising in France the
manufacture of cashmeres. He became a peer of France under the
Monarchy of July.]--
and his mission. What is said on the subject?"--"Sire, I have only heard
it slightly alluded to. His father, however, to whom he said nothing
respecting the object of his journey, knowing I was intimate with
Jaubert, came to me to ascertain whether I could allay his anxiety
respecting a journey of the duration of which he could form no idea. The
precipitate departure of his son had filled him with apprehension I told
him the truth, viz., that Jaubert had said no more to me on the subject
than to him."--"Then you do not know where he is gone?"--"I beg your
pardon, Sire; I know very well."--"How, the devil!" said Bonaparte,
suddenly turning on me a look of astonishment. "No one, I, declare, has
ever told me; but I guessed it. Having received a letter from Jaubert
dated Leipsic, I recollected what your Majesty had often told me of your
views respecting Persia and India. I have not forgotten our conversation
in Egypt, nor the great projects which you enfolded to me to relieve the
solitude and sometimes the weariness of the cabinet of Cairo. Besides,
I long since knew your opinion of Amedee, of his fidelity, his ability,
and his courage. I felt convinced, therefore, that he had a mission to
the Shah of Persia."--"You guessed right; but I beg of you, Bourrienne,
say nothing of this to any person whatever. Secrecy on this point is
of great importance. The English would do him an ill turn, for they
are well aware that my views are directed against their possessions
and their influence in the East."--"I think, Sire, that my answer to
Amedee's worthy father is a sufficient guarantee for my discretion.
Besides, it was a mere supposition on my part, and I could have stated
nothing with certainty before your Majesty had the kindness to inform
me of the fact. Instead of going to Hamburg, if your Majesty pleases,
I will join Jaubert, accompany him to Persia, and undertake half
his mission."-- "How! would you go with him?"--"Yes, Sire; I am much
attached to him. He is an excellent man, and I am sure that he would not
be sorry to have me with him."--"But . . . Stop, Bourrienne, . . . this,
perhaps, would not be a bad idea. You know a little of the East. You are
accustomed to the climate. You could assist Jaubert. . . . But. . . .
No! Daubert must be already far off--I, fear you could not overtake him.
And besides you have a numerous family. You will be more useful to me
in Germany. All things considered, go to Hamburg--you know the country,
and, what is better you speak the language."
I could see that Bonaparte still had something to say to me. As we
were walking up and down the room he stopped; and looking at me with an
expression of sadness, he said, "Bourrienne, you must, before I proceed
to Italy, do me a service. You sometimes visit my wife, and it is right;
it is fit you should. You have been too long one of the family not to
continue your friendship with her. Go to her.
--[This employment of Bourrienne to remonstrate with Josephine is a
complete answer to the charge sometimes made that Napoleon, while
scolding, really encouraged the foolish expenses of his wife, as
keeping her under his control. Josephine was incorrigible. "On the
very day of her death," says Madame de Rémusat "she wished to put on
a very pretty dressing-gown because she thought the Emperor of
Russia would perhaps come to see her. She died all covered with
ribbons and rose-colored satin." "One would not, sure, be frightful
when one's dead!" As for Josephine's great fault--her failure to
give Napoleon an heir--he did not always wish for one. In 1802, on
his brother Jerome jokingly advising Josephine to give the Consul a
little Caesar. Napoleon broke out, "Yea, that he may end in the
same manner as that of Alexander? Believe me, Messieurs, that at
the present time it is better not to have children: I mean when one
is condemned to rule nations." The fate of the King of Rome shows
that the exclamation was only too true!]--
"Endeavour once more to make her sensible of her mad extravagance. Every
day I discover new instances of it, and it distresses me. When I speak
to her--on the subject I am vexed; I get angry--she weeps. I forgive
her, I pay her bills--she makes fair promises; but the same thing occurs
over and over again. If she had only borne me a child! It is the torment
of my life not to have a child. I plainly perceive that my power will
never be firmly established until I have one. If I die without an heir,
not one of my brothers is capable of supplying my place. All is begun,
but nothing is ended. God knows what will happen! Go and see Josephine,
and do not forget my injunctions.."
Then he resumed the gaiety which he had exhibited at intervals during
our conversation, far clouds driven by the wind do not traverse the
horizon with such rapidity as different ideas and sensations succeeded
each other in Napoleon's mind. He dismissed me with his usual nod of
the head, and seeing him in such good humour I said on departing, "well,
Sire, you are going to hear the old bell of Brienne. I have no doubt
it will please you better than the bells of Ruel." He replied, "That's
true--you are right. Adieu!"
Such are my recollections of this conversation, which lasted for more
than an hour and a half. We walked about all the time, for Bonaparte
was indefatigable in audiences of this sort, and would, I believe, have
walked and talked for a whole day without being aware of it. I left him,
and, according to his desire, went to see Madame Bonaparte, which indeed
I had intended to do before he requested it.
I found Josephine with Madame de la Rochefoucauld, who had long been in
her suite, and who a short time before had obtained the title of lady
of honour to the Empress. Madame de la Rochefoucauld was a very amiable
woman, of mild disposition, and was a favourite with Josephine. When I
told the Empress that I had just left the Emperor, she, thinking that I
would not speak freely before a third person, made a sign to Madame
de la Rochefoucauld to retire. I had no trouble in introducing the
conversation on the subject concerning which Napoleon had directed me
to speak to Josephine, for; after the interchange of a few indifferent
remarks, she herself told me of a violent scene, which had occurred
between her and the Emperor two days before. "When I wrote to you
yesterday," said she, "to announce your appointment, and to tell you
that Bonaparte would recall you, I hoped that you would come to see me
on quitting him, but I did not think that he would have sent for you so
soon. Ah! how I wish that you were still with him, Bourrienne; you could