登陆注册
5288200000013

第13章 PREFACE BY THE AUTHOR.(13)

M. de Beaumont, chamberlain to the Empress Josephine, one day at Malmaison was expressing his regret that M. D----- , one of Napoleon's generals, who had recently been promoted, did not belong to a great family. "You mistake, monsieur," observed Madame Campan, "he is of very ancient descent; he is one of the nephews of Charlemagne. All the heroes of our army sprang from the elder branch of that sovereign's family, who never emigrated."

When Madame Campan related this circumstance she added: "After the 30th of March, 1814, some officers of the army of Conde presumed to say to certain French marshals that it was a pity they were not more nobly connected. In answer to this, one of them said, 'True nobility, gentlemen, consists in giving proofs of it. The field of honour has witnessed ours; but where are we to look for yours? Your swords have rusted in their scabbards. Our laurels may well excite envy; we have earned them nobly, and we owe them solely to our valour. You have merely inherited a name. This is the distinction between us."

[When one of the princes of the smaller German States was showing Marechal Lannes, with a contemptuous superiority of manner but ill concealed, the portraits of his ancestors, and covertly alluding to the absence of Lannes's, that general turned the tables on him by haughtily remarking, "But I am an ancestor."]

Napoleon used to observe that if he had had two such field-marshals as Suchet in Spain he would have not only conquered but kept the Peninsula.

Suchet's sound judgment, his governing yet conciliating spirit, his military tact, and his bravery, had procured him astonishing success.

"It is to be regretted," added he, "that a sovereign cannot improvise men of his stamp."

On the 19th of March, 1815, a number of papers were left in the King's closet. Napoleon ordered them to be examined, and among them was found the letter written by Madame Campan to Louis XVIII., immediately after the first restoration. In this letter she enumerated the contents of the portfolio which Louis XVI. had placed under her care. When Napoleon read this letter, he said, "Let it be sent to the office of Foreign Affairs; it is an historical document."

Madame Campan thus described a visit from the Czar of Russia: "A few days after the battle of Paris the Emperor Alexander came to Ecouen, and he did me the honour to breakfast with me. After showing him over the establishment I conducted him to the park, the most elevated point of which overlooked the plain of St. Denis. 'Sire,' said I, 'from this point I saw the battle of Paris'--'If,' replied the Emperor, 'that battle had lasted two hours longer we should not have had a single cartridge at our disposal. We feared that we had been betrayed; for on arriving so precipitately before Paris all our plans were laid, and we did not expect the firm resistance we experienced.' I next conducted the Emperor to the chapel, and showed him the seats occupied by 'le connetable' (the constable) of Montmorency, and 'la connetable' (the constable's lady), when they went to hear mass. 'Barbarians like us,' observed the Emperor, 'would say la connetable and le connetable.'

"The Czar inquired into the most minute particulars respecting the establishment of Ecouen, and I felt great pleasure in answering his questions. I recollect having dwelt on several points which appeared to me to be very important, and which were in their spirit hostile to aristocratic principles. For example, I informed his Majesty that the daughters of distinguished and wealthy individuals and those of the humble and obscure mingled indiscriminately in the establishment. 'If,' said I, 'I were to observe the least pretension on account of the rank or fortune of parents, I should immediately put an end to it. The most perfect equality is preserved; distinction is awarded only to merit and industry. The pupils are obliged to cut out and make all their own clothes. They are taught to clean and mend lace; and two at a time, they by turns, three times a week, cook and distribute food to the poor of the village. The young girls who have been brought up at Ecouen, or in my boarding-school at St. Germain, are thoroughly acquainted with everything relating to household business, and they are grateful to me for having made that a part of their education. In my conversations with them I have always taught them that on domestic management depends the preservation or dissipation of their fortunes.'

"The post-master of Ecouen was in the courtyard at the moment when the Emperor, as he stepped into his carriage, told me he would send some sweetmeats for the pupils. I immediately communicated to them the intelligence, which was joyfully received; but the sweetmeats were looked for in vain. When Alexander set out for England he changed horses at Ecouen, and the post-master said to him: 'Sire, the pupils of Ecouen are still expecting the sweetmeats which your Majesty promised them.' To which the Emperor replied that he had directed Saken to send them. The Cossacks had most likely devoured the sweetmeats, and the poor little girls, who had been so highly flattered by the promise, never tasted them."

A second house was formed at St. Denis, on the model of that of Ecouen.

Perhaps Madame Campan might have hoped for a title to which her long labours gave her a right; perhaps the superintendence of the two houses would have been but the fair recompense of her services; but her fortunate years had passed her fate was now to depend on the most important events. Napoleon had accumulated such a mass of power as no one but himself in Europe could overturn. France, content with thirty years of victories, in vain asked for peace and repose. The army which had triumphed in the sands of Egypt, on the summits of the Alps, and in the marshes of Holland, was to perish amidst the snows of Russia.

同类推荐
  • Dead Men Tell No Tales

    Dead Men Tell No Tales

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 客窗闲话续集

    客窗闲话续集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 曾公遗录

    曾公遗录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 药师如来念诵仪轨

    药师如来念诵仪轨

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 浮山法句

    浮山法句

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 风尘舞女

    风尘舞女

    在国府任职的林恒源,受命先期撤往台湾,临行时派副官南下广东,将定居在梅县的家室子女取道香港接往台湾。在广州乘车时,其五岁小女林丽芳(后改名张丽丽)不幸失散。后被逃往香港一对夫妇收养。十多年后,张丽丽淪为舞女,被香港老大诱奸后,为其长期占有,在一次晚宴上,张丽丽认识了台北经理林祥琦,由于她的容貌与其胞妹容貌相似,他联想起他母亲曾与他讲述过三十年前在广州失散的姐姐。林祥琦即将离港返台前夕,到张丽丽居寓借故从其处取走她女童时代的照片,带回台北让他家母相认。老大发现张丽丽叛逃,派亲信手下,布下天罗地网。为了让张丽丽逃出香港,经男友与新华社香港分社联系,让其逃往大陆避难。
  • 绿光(语文新课标课外必读第七辑)

    绿光(语文新课标课外必读第七辑)

    国家教育部颁布了最新《语文课程标准》,统称新课标,对中、小学语文教学指定了阅读书目,对阅读的数量、内容、质量以及速度都提出了明确的要求,这对于提高学生的阅读能力,培养语文素养,陶冶情操,促进学生终身学习和终身可持续发展,对于提高广大人民的文学素养具有极大的意义。
  • 导弹:千里之外的杀机(青少年科学探索·求知·发现丛书)

    导弹:千里之外的杀机(青少年科学探索·求知·发现丛书)

    本丛书的出发点是用科学的眼光追寻青少年心中对这个已知和未知世界的热情和关注。《导弹:千里之外的杀机》这本书对导弹武器的研制过程、结构原理、分类及其对人类社会的影响和未来发展等进行了详细阐述,以揭开其神秘的面纱。
  • 生存的竞争(大智慧成功方案教程)

    生存的竞争(大智慧成功方案教程)

    有一个问题在这里必须要声明一下,我们所提到的人是一个有机整体,是一个一体化有组织的社会最小单元。心理学家常常非常虔诚地同意这个理论上的声明,然后又平静地开始在实际的实验中忽视它。只有理解了它是实验上和理论上的现实,合理的实验和动机理论才会成为可能。
  • 子午流注针经

    子午流注针经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 总裁大人的倾城时光

    总裁大人的倾城时光

    十七岁的笙年年因为一场认亲,她的生活发生了翻天覆地的变化,继母不待见她没有关系,她可以不认,姐姐讨厌陷害她也没有关系,她可以虐虐渣,反正手痒。本书有甜有虐,值得大家一看。
  • 二十年目睹大学生之怪现状

    二十年目睹大学生之怪现状

    “我们这一代年轻人的希望在哪里?”韩寒的《青春》对社会发出沉痛的叩问。中国的高等教育是否真的病入膏肓?经过四年的大学教育,年轻人的出路在哪里?让我们将目光投向20年前的大学生们,在历史演变中反思自己。时代在召唤赋予思考的年轻人。
  • 赢在激情:草根创业指南

    赢在激情:草根创业指南

    《赢在激情:草根创业指南》指出创业要解决两大问题,一是为什么要创业,二是如何创业。前一个问题是人生定位和想不想创业、有没有决心的问题,后一个是具体如何操作的问题。我们如何给自己人生定位?我们是否愿意改变自己和家族的命运?是否愿意为世界作出自己的贡献?
  • 不良丫鬟:至尊狂女

    不良丫鬟:至尊狂女

    时值中午时分,清风徐徐,灿烂的太阳,正高高的悬挂高空,散发着它独特的魅力。只见此刻,在百合高中七楼天台上,有两个身穿高二校服的俏丽女生,正偷偷摸摸的躲在了天台门后,悄悄的说着什么。“梦莎,你真的要那样做吗?”“恩,是的小月,这次我一定要加油,我绝对不会再像之前那样临阵退缩了!你都不知道因为那样,我被莉莉那个可恶的女人嘲笑了多少次,说我就算到了高三毕业都找不到一个……
  • 卫国英雄:邓世昌(青少版)

    卫国英雄:邓世昌(青少版)

    卫国英雄丛书,将中国历史上在抗击外敌战役中荣立功勋、威名远扬的名将事迹做以介绍,将中国古代名臣名将独有的思想气节,转化为民族共享的文化力量。在当代中国正经历错综复杂的国际局势下,戍边卫疆、保家卫国的爱国主义精神亟需宣扬,卫国英雄的形象更需要深入人民群众,尤其是青少年的心中。本套图书面向青少年读者群,配以手绘插图,装帧精美,作品版本经典,作者均为相关领域研究专家,是值得收藏阅读的人物传记读本。陈明福所著的《卫国英雄:邓世昌(青少版)》以白描笔法,讲述了邓世昌成长经历、抗击外敌的气壮山河故事。?????????????????????????????