Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
How could he imagine I would submit to such treatment, considering that
we had been friends since our boyhood, and that I was now living on full
terms of confidence and familiarity with him?
Before I speak of the conspiracy of Ceracchi, Arena, Topino-Lebrun, and
others, I must notice a remark made by Napoleon at St. Helena. He said,
or is alleged to have said, "The two attempts which placed me in the
greatest danger were those of the sculptor Ceracchi and of the fanatic
of Schoenbrun." I was not at Schoenbrun at the time; but I am convinced
that Bonaparte was in the most imminent danger. I have been informed
on unquestionable authority that Staps set out from Erfurth with the
intention of assassinating the Emperor; but he wanted the necessary
courage for executing the design. He was armed with a large dagger, and
was twice sufficiently near Napoleon to have struck him. I heard this
from Rapp, who seized Stags, and felt the hilt of the dagger under his
coat. On that occasion Bonaparte owed his life only to the irresolution
of the young 'illuminato' who wished to sacrifice him to his fanatical
fury. It is equally certain that on another occasion, respecting which
the author of the St. Helena narrative observes complete silence,
another fanatic--more dangerous than Steps attempted the life of
Napoleon.
--[At the time of this attempt I was not with Napoleon; but he
directed me to see the madmen who had formed the design of
assassinating him. It will be seen in the course of these Memoirs
what were his plans, and what was the result of them--Bourrienne]--
The following is a correct statement of the facts relative to Ceracchi's
conspiracy. The plot itself was a mere shadow; but it was deemed
advisable to give it substance, to exaggerate, at least in appearance,
the danger to which the First Consul had been exposed:--
There was at that time in Paris an idle fellow called Harrel; he had
been a 'chef de battalion', but he had been dismissed the service,
and was consequently dissatisfied. He became connected with Cerracchi,
Arena, Topino-Lebrun, and Demerville. From different motives all these
individuals were violently hostile to the First Consul, who on his part,
was no friend to Cerracchi and Arena, but scarcely knew the two others.
These four individuals formed, in conjunction with Harrel, the design of
assassinating the First Consul, and the time fixed for the perpetration
of the deed was one evening when Bonaparte intended to visit the opera.
On the 20th of September 1804 Harrel came to me at the Tuileries. He
revealed to me the plot in which he was engaged, and promised that his
accomplices should be apprehended in the very act if I would supply him
with money to bring the plot to maturity. I knew not how to act upon
this disclosure, which I, however, could not reject without incurring
too great a responsibility. I immediately communicated the business to
the First Consul, who ordered me to supply Harrel with money; but not
to mention the affair to Fouché, to whom he wished to prove that he knew
better how to manage the police than he did.
Harrel came nearly every evening at eleven o'clock to inform me of the
progress of the conspiracy, which I immediately communicated to the
First Consul, who was not sorry to find Arena and Ceracchi deeply
committed. But the time passed on, and nothing was done. The First
Consul began to grow impatient. At length Harrel came to say that
they had no money to purchase arms. Money was given him. He, however,
returned next day to say that the gunsmith refused to sell them arms
without authority. It was now found necessary to communicate the
business to Fouché in order that he might grant the necessary permission
to the gunsmith, which I was not empowered to do.
On the 10th of October the Consuls, after the breaking up of the
Council, assembled in the cabinet of their colleague. Bonaparte asked
them in my presence whether they thought he ought to go to the opera.
They observed that as every precaution was taken no danger could be
apprehended, and that it was desirable to show the futility of attempts
against the First Consul's life. After dinner Bonaparte put on a
greatcoat over his green uniform and got into his carriage accompanied
by me and Duroc. He seated himself in front of his box, which at that
time was on the left of the theatre between the two columns which
separated the front and side boxes. When we had been in the theatre
about half an hour the First Consul directed me to go and see what was
doing in the corridor. Scarcely had I left the box than I heard a great
uproar, and soon discovered that a number of persons, whose names I
could not learn, had been arrested. I informed the First Consul of what
I had heard, and we immediately returned to the Tuileries.
It is certain that the object of the conspiracy was to take the First
Consul's life, and that the conspirators neglected nothing which could
further the accomplishment of their atrocious design. The plot, however,
was known through the disclosures of Harrel; and it would have been easy
to avert instead of conjuring up the storm. Such was, and such still is,
my opinion. Harrel's name was again restored to the army list, and he
was appointed commandant of Vincennes. This post he held at the time of
the Duc d'Enghien's assassination. I was afterwards told that his wife
was foster-sister to the unfortunate prince, and that she recognised him
when he entered the prison which in a few short hours was to prove his
grave.
Carbonneau, one of the individuals condemned, candidly confessed the
part he had taken in the plot, which he said was brought to maturity
solely by the agents of the police, who were always eager to prove their
zeal to their employers by some new discovery.
Although three months intervened between the machinations of Ceracchi
and Arena and the horrible attempt of the 3d Nivôse, I shall relate
these two events in immediate succession; for if they had no other
points of resemblance they were at least alike in their object. The
conspirators in the first affair were of the revolutionary faction. They
sought Bonaparte's life as if with the view of rendering his resemblance
to Caesar so complete that not even a Brutus should be wanting. The
latter, it must with regret be confessed, were of the Royalist party,
and in their wish to destroy the First Consul they were not deterred by
the fear of sacrificing a great number of citizens.
The police knew nothing of the plot of the 3d Nivôse for two reasons;
first, because they were no parties to it, and secondly, because two
conspirators do not betray and sell each other when they are resolute
in their purpose. In such cases the giving of information can arise only
from two causes, the one excusable, the other infamous, viz. the dread
of punishment, and the hope of reward. But neither of these causes
influenced the conspirators of the 3d Nivôse, the inventors and
constructors of that machine which has so justly been denominated
infernal!
On the 3d Nivôse (24th December 1800) the first performance of Haydn's
magnificent oratorio of the "Creation" took place at the opera, and the
First Consul had expressed his intention of being present. I did not
dine with him that day, but as he left me he said, "Bourrienne, you know
I am going to the opera to-night, and you may go too; but I cannot take
you in the carriage, as Lannes, Berthier, and Lauriston are going with
me." I was very glad of this, for I much wished to hear one of the
masterpieces of the German school of composition. I got to the opera
before Bonaparte, who on his entrance seated himself, according to
custom, in front of the box. The eyes of all present were fixed upon
him, and he appeared to be perfectly calm and self-possessed. Lauriston,
as soon as he saw me, came to my box, and told me that the First Consul,
on his way to the opera, had narrowly escaped being assassinated in
the Rue St. Nicaise by the explosion of a barrel of gunpowder, the
concussion of which had shattered the windows of his carriage. "Within
ten seconds after our escape," added Lauriston, "the coachman having
turned the corner of the Rue St Honore, stopped to take the First
Consul's orders; and he coolly said, 'To the opera.'"
--[The following particulars respecting the affair of the infernal
machine are related by Rapp, who attended Madame Bonaparte to the
opera. He differs from Bourrienne as to the total ignorance of the
police:
"The affair of the infernal machine has never been properly
understood by the public. The police had intimated to Napoleon that
an attempt would be made against his life and cautioned him not to
go out. Madame Bonaparte, Mademoiselle Beauharnais, Madame Murat,
Lannes, Bessières, the aide de camp on duty, Lieutenant Lebrun, now
duke of Placenza were all assembled in the salon, while the First
Consul was writing in his cabinet. Haydn's oratorio was to be
performed that evening; the ladies were anxious to hear the music,
and we also expressed a wish to that effect. The escort piquet was
ordered out; and Lannes requested that Napoleon would join the
party. He consented; his carriage was ready, and he took along with
him Bessières and the aide de camp on duty. I was directed to
attend the ladies. Josephine had received a magnificent shawl from
Constantinople and she that evening wore it for the first time.
'Permit me to observe,' said I, 'that your shawl is not thrown on
with your usual elegance.' She good-humouredly begged that I would
fold it after the fashion of the Egyptian ladies. While I was
engaged in this operation we heard Napoleon depart. 'Come sister,'
said Madame Murat, who was impatient to get to the theatre:
'Bonaparte is going:' We stopped into the carriage: the First
Consul's equipage had already reached the middle of the Place du
Carrousel. We drove after it, but we had scarcely entered the place
when the machine exploded. Napoleon escaped by a singular chance,
St. Regent, or his servant Francois, had stationed himself in the
middle of the Rue Nicaise. A grenadier of the escort, supposing he
was really what he appeared to be, a water-carrier, gave him a few
blows with the flat of his sabre and drove him off. The cart was
turned round, and the machine exploded between the carriages of
Napoleon and Josephine. The ladies shrieked on hearing the report;
the carriage windows were broken, and Mademoiselle Beauharnais
received a slight hurt on her hand. I alighted and crossed the Rue
Nicaise which was strewed with the bodies of those who had been
thrown down, and the fragments of the walls that had been shattered
with the explosion. Neither the consul nor any individual of his
suite sustained any serious injury. When I entered the theatre
Napoleon was seated in his box; calm and composed, and looking at
the audience through his opera-glass. Fouché was beside him.
'Josephine' said he as soon as he observed me. She entered at that
instant and he did not finish his question 'The rascals' said he
very cooly, 'wanted to blow me up: Bring me a book of the oratorio'"
(Memoirs of General Count Rape. P. 19)]--
On hearing this I left the theatre and returned to the Palace, under the
expectation that I should speedily be wanted. Bonaparte soon returned
home; and as intelligence of the affair had spread through Paris
the grand salon on the ground-floor was filled with a crowd of
functionaries, eager to read in the eye of their master what they were
to think and say on the occasion. He did not keep them long in suspense.
"This," exclaimed he vehemently, "is the work of the Jacobins: they have