Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
Sire?'--'You must pledge yourself not to bear arms against me.'--'Does
your Majesty suppose that I can bind myself by such an engagement?
My election by the Diet of Sweden, which has met with your Majesty's
assent, has made me a Swedish subject, and that character is
incompatible with the pledge proposed by a member of the Council. I am
sure it could never have emanated from your Majesty, and must proceed
from the Arch-Chancellor or the Grand Judge, who certainly could not
have been aware of the height to which the proposition would raise
me.'--'What do you mean?'--'If, Sire, you prevent me accepting a crown
unless I pledge myself not to bear arms against you, do you not really
place me on a level with you as a General?'
"When I declared positively that my election must make me consider
myself a Swedish subject he frowned, and seemed embarrassed. When I
had done speaking he said, in a low and faltering voice, 'Well, go.
Our destinies will soon be accomplished!' These words were uttered so
indistinctly that I was obliged to beg pardon for not having heard what
he said, and he repented, 'Go! our destinies will soon be accomplished!'
In the subsequent conversations which I had with the Emperor I tried
all possible means to remove the unfavourable sentiments he cherished
towards me. I revived my recollections of history. I spoke to him of
the great men who had excited the admiration of the world, of the
difficulties and obstacles which they had to surmount; and, above all,
I dwelt upon that solid glory which is founded on the establishment and
maintenance of public tranquillity and happiness. The Emperor listened
to me attentively, and frequently concurred in my opinion as to the
principles of the prosperity and stability of States. One day he took my
hand and pressed it affectionately, as if to assure me of his friendship
and protection. Though I knew him to be an adept in the art of
dissimulation, yet his affected kindness appeared so natural that I
thought all his unfavourable feeling towards me was at an end. I spoke
to persons by whom our two families were allied, requesting that they
would assure the Emperor of the reciprocity of my sentiments, and tell
him that I was ready to assist his great plans in any way not hostile to
the interests of Sweden.
"Would you believe, my dear friend, that the persons to whom I made
these candid protestations laughed at my credulity? They told me that
after the conversation in which the Emperor had so cordially pressed my
hand. I had scarcely taken leave of him when he was heard to say that I
had made a great display of my learning to him, and that he had humoured
me like a child. He wished to inspire me with full confidence so as to
put me off my guard; and I know for a certainty that he had the design
of arresting me.
"But," pursued Bernadotte, "in spite of the feeling of animosity which I
know the Emperor has cherished against me since the 18th Brumaire, I do
not think, when once I shall be in Sweden, that he will wish to have any
differences with the Swedish Government. I must tell you, also he
has given me 2,000,000 francs in exchange for my principality of
Ponte-Corvo. Half the sum has been already paid, which will be very
useful to me in defraying the expenses of my journey and installation.
When I was about to step into my carriage to set off, an individual,
whom you must excuse me naming, came to bid me farewell, and related to
me a little conversation which had just taken place at the Tuileries.
Napoleon said to the individual in question, 'Well, does not the Prince
regret leaving France?'--'Certainly, Sire.'--'As to me, I should have
been very glad if he had not accepted his election. But there is no help
for it. . . . He does not like me.'--'Sire, I must take the liberty of
saying that your Majesty labours under a mistake. I know the differences
which have existed between you and General Bernadotte for the last six
years. I know how he opposed the overthrow of the Directory; but I also
know that the Prince has long been sincerely attached to you.'--'Well, I
dare say you are right. But we have not understood each other. It is now
too late. He has his interests and his policy, and I have mine.'"
"Such," added the Prince, "were the Emperor's last observations
respecting me two hours before my departure. The individual to whom I
have just alluded, spoke truly, my dear Bourrienne. I am indeed sorry to
leave France; and I never should have left it but for the injustice of
Bonaparte. If ever I ascend the throne of Sweden I shall owe my crown to
his ill-treatment of me; for had he not persecuted me by his animosity
my condition would have sufficed for a soldier of fortune: but we must
follow our fate."
During the three days the Prince spent with me I had many other
conversations with him. He wished me to give him my advice as to the
course he should pursue with regard to the Continental system. "I advise
you," said I, "to reject the system without hesitation. It may be very
fine in theory, but it is utterly impossible to carry it into practice,
and it will, in the end, give the trade of the world to England. It
excites the dissatisfaction of our allies, who, in spite of themselves,
will again become our enemies. But no other country, except Russia, is
in the situation of Sweden. You want a number of objects of the first
necessity, which nature has withheld from you. You can only obtain them
by perfect freedom of navigation; and you can only pay for them with
those peculiar productions in which Sweden abounds. It would be out of
all reason to close your ports against a nation who rules the seas.
It is your navy that would be blockaded, not hers. What can France do
against you? She may invade you by land. But England and Russia
will exert all their efforts to oppose her. By sea it is still more
impossible that she should do anything. Then you have nothing to fear
but Russia and England, and it will be easy for you to keep up friendly
relations with these two powers. Take my advice; sell your iron, timber,
leather, and pitch; take in return salt, wines, brandy, and colonial
produce. This is the way to make yourself popular in Sweden. If, on
the contrary, you follow the Continental system, you will be obliged to
adopt laws against smuggling, which will draw upon you the detestation
of the people."
Such was the advice which I gave to Bernadotte when he was about to
commence his new and brilliant career. In spite of my situation as a
French Minister I could not have reconciled it to my conscience to
give him any other counsel, for if diplomacy has duties so also has
friendship. Bernadotte adopted my advice, and the King of Sweden had no
reason to regret having done so.
CHAPTER XXIII.
1810
Bernadotte's departure from Hamburg--The Duke of Holstein-
Augustenburg--Arrival of the Crown Prince in Sweden--
Misunderstandings between him and Napoleon--Letter from Bernadotte
to the Emperor--Plot for kidnapping the Prince Royal of Sweden--
Invasion of Swedish Pomerania--Forced alliance of Sweden with
England and Russia--Napoleon's overtures to Sweden--Bernadotte's
letters of explanation to the Emperor--The Princess Royal of Sweden
--My recall to Paris--Union of the Hanse Towns with France--
Dissatisfaction of Russia--Extraordinary demand made upon me by
Bonaparte--Fidelity of my old friends--Duroc and Rapp--Visit to
Malmaison, and conversation with Josephine.
While Bernadotte was preparing to fill the high station to which he had
been called by the wishes of the people of Sweden, Napoleon was involved
in his misunderstanding with the Pope,
--[It was about this time that, irritated at what he called the
captive Pope's unreasonable obstinacy, Bonaparte conceived, and
somewhat openly expressed, his notion of making France a Protestant
country, and changing the religion of 30,000,000 of people by an
Imperial decree. One or two of the good sayings of the witty,
accomplished, and chivalrous Comte Louis de Narbonne have already
been given in the course of these volumes. The following is another
of them:
"I tell you what I will do, Narbonne--I tell you how I will vent my
spite on this old fool of a Pope, and the dotards who may succeed
him said Napoleon one day at the Tuileries. "I will make a schism
as great as that of Luther--I will make France a Protestant
country!"
"O Sire," replied the Count, "I see difficulties in the way of this
project. In the south, in the Vendée, in nearly all the west, the
French are bigoted Catholics and even what little religion remains
among us in our cities and great towns is of the Roman Church."
"Never mind, Narbonne--never mind!--I shall at least carry a large
portion of the French people with me--I will make a division!" Sire,
replied Narbonne, "I am afraid that there is not enough religion in
all France to stand division!"-Editor of 1836 edition.]--
and in the affairs of Portugal, which were far from proceeding according
to his wishes. Bernadotte had scarcely quitted Hamburg for Sweden when
the Duke of Holstein-Augustenburg arrived. The Duke was the brother of
the last Prince Royal of Sweden, whom Bernadotte was called to succeed,
and he came to escort his sister from Altona to Denmark. His journey had
been retarded for some days on account of the presence of the Prince
of Ponte-Gorvo in Hamburg: the preference granted to Bernadotte had
mortified his ambition, and he was unwilling to come in contact with his
fortunate rival. The Duke was favoured, by the Emperor of Russia.
As soon as he arrived in Sweden Bernadotte directed his aide de camp,
General Lentil de St. Alphonse, to inform me of his safe passage.
Shortly after I received a letter from Bernadotte himself, recommending
one of his aides de camp, M. Villatte, who was the bearer of it. This
letter contained the same sentiments of friendship as those I used
to receive from General Bernadotte, and formed a contrast with the
correspondence of King Jerome, who when he wrote to me assumed the
regal character, and prayed that God would have me in his holy keeping.
However, the following is the Prince Royal's letter:
MY DEAR BOURRIENNE--I have directed M. Villatte to see you on his
way through Hamburg, and to bear my friendly remembrances to you.
Lentil has addressed his letter to you, which I suppose you have
already received. Adieu, care for me always, and believe in the
inalterable attachment of yours,
(Signed)CHARLES JOHN.
P.S.--I beg you will present my compliments to madame and all your
family. Embrace my little cousin for me.
The little cousin, so called by Bernadotte, was one of my daughters,
then a child, whom Bernadotte used to be very fond of while he was at
Hamburg.
Departing from the order of date, I will anticipate the future, and
relate all I know respecting the real causes of the misunderstanding
which arose between Bernadotte and Napoleon. Bonaparte viewed the choice
of the Swedes with great displeasure, because he was well aware that
Bernadotte had too much integrity and honour to serve him in the north
as a political puppet set in motion by means of springs which he might
pull at Paris or at his headquarters. His dissatisfaction upon
this point occasioned an interesting correspondence, part of which,
consisting of letters from Bernadotte to the Emperor, is in my
possession. The Emperor had allowed Bernadotte to retain in his service,
for a year at least, the French officers who were his aides de camp--but
that permission was soon revoked, end the Prince Royal of Sweden wrote
to Napoleon a letter of remonstrance.
Napoleon's dissatisfaction with the Prince Royal now changed to decided