by L. Mühlbach
CHAPTER XI.
NAPOLEON AND TALLEYRAND.
Napoleon was rapidly pacing his cabinet. His face was pale and gloomy;his lips firmly compressed, as they always were when he was angry, andhis eyes flashed with rage. He held two papers in his hand: one of themwas in writing, the other contained printed matter; and, whenever hiseyes glanced at them, he clinched his small hand, adorned with diamonds,and crumpled the papers.
The emperor's anger, which filled with trembling and dismay every onewho had to approach him in such moments, had no effect, however, on theman who stood in the middle of the room supporting one of his hands onthe table covered with maps and papers, and with the other playing withthe lace frill protruding from his velvet waistcoat. His small,twinkling eyes followed calmly and coldly every motion Napoleon made.Whenever his anger seemed to increase, a scarcely perceptible,contemptuous smile played on the lips of this man, and a flash ofhatred, and, withal, of scorn burst from his eyes. But this neverlasted longer than a moment; his pale and sickly face immediatelyresumed its impenetrable aspect, and the smile of a polite courtierreappeared on his lips. This was Talleyrand, first minister of theemperor--Talleyrand, who had originally served the Church as a priest,then the republic as a minister--who had deserted and betrayed both tobecome minister of the empire, and to combat and deny all the principleshe had formerly advocated and declared to be necessary for the welfareof France.
"Talleyrand," exclaimed Napoleon, in an angry voice, standing still infront of the minister, "I will set a rigorous example. I will trampleupon this haughty Prussian aristocracy that still dares to brave me--Iwill let it feel the consequences of continued opposition to me! Whataudacity it was for this Prince von Hatzfeld, while I was approachingwith my army, and already master of Prussia, to continue sendinginformation to his fleeing king and to the ministers, and to play thespy! Ah, I am going to prove to him that his rank will not protect himfrom being punished according to his deserts, and that I have traitorsand spies tried and sentenced by a court-martial, whether they be of thecommon people or the high-born. Both of us have seen times when theheads of the nobility were knocked off like poppies from the stalks; andwe will remind this aristocracy, which relies so confidently on itsancient privileges, of the fact that such times may come for Prussiatoo, unless those high-born gentlemen desist from their arrogantconduct, and submit to me humbly and obediently. Cause the Prince vonHatzfeld to be arrested immediately: order a court-martial to meetwithin twenty-four hours, to try the traitor and spy. This letter willbe proof sufficient; nothing further is necessary to pass sentence ofdeath upon him."
"And will your majesty really carry out the sentence?" asked Talleyrand,in his soft, insinuating voice, and with his polite smile.
Napoleon flashed one of his fiery glances at him. "Why do you put thatquestion to me?" he said, harshly.
"Sire, because I believe excessive rigor might not accomplish thedesired purpose. Instead of humiliating and prostrating the aristocracy,it might bring about the reverse, and incite them to sedition andinsurrection. Sometimes leniency does more good than severity, and, atall events, in applying either, the character of the nations to besubdued ought to be consulted. The Italians are easily restrained bysevere measures, for they are, on the whole, cowardly and enervated;and, when the straw-fire of their first impetuosity has gone out, theyfeel enthusiastic admiration for him who has placed his foot on theirneck, and is crushing them. But the Germans are a more tenacious andphlegmatic nation. They resemble the white bulls I have seen in Italy,who fulfil with proud composure their daily task. When the driver urgesthem but a little with the iron point of the stick, they work moreactively and obediently; but when he wounds too deeply, their phlegmdisappears, and they rush in fury against him who has irritated them toomuch."
"And you believe that the German white bull is already irritated?" askedNapoleon, morosely.
"Yes, sire! It is time to appease him, if he is not to grow savage andfurious. The execution of Palm has stirred up a good deal of illfeeling, and it would be prudent to counteract it as much as possible.Your majesty may menace and frighten the supercilious and arrogantaristocracy of Prussia; but when they are trembling and terrified, thenexercise clemency and forbearance, which is the best way of subduingthe refractory."
The emperor made no reply, but crossed the room repeatedly. He thenstood still once more closely in front of Talleyrand, and looked himfull in the face.
"I hold to my decision," he said coldly. "I must have the Prince vonHatzfeld immediately arrested, and the court-martial must meet withintwenty-four hours for the purpose of trying him as a traitor and spy."He stepped to his desk, and hastily wrote a few words on a piece ofpaper. He himself, having folded, sealed, and directed it, rang thebell. "Take this," he said to the officer who had entered the room."Send immediately an orderly with this letter to Governor Clarke. Hemust have it in five minutes."
When the officer had withdrawn, Napoleon turned once more towardTalleyrand. "Let no one dare talk to me about mercy," he said, "for Ishall grant it to no one--neither to you, nor to the prince's wife, ofwhose beauty Duroc once informed me. If the Germans resemble the Italianbulls, I will break off their horns, and extract their teeth--then theywill be powerless. Not a word, therefore, about mercy, either for thearistocracy, or for the journalists. These miserable scribblers must bemade to tremble, and lay their pens aside. What language that miserablewriter has dared to use against me in this paper--what sarcasms andsneers he has taken the liberty of uttering against me! And the King ofPrussia did not have him arrested! this weak-headed government permittedthe libeller quietly to pursue his infamous course!"
"Sire, the editor of this paper, called _The Telegraph_, I am told wasone of the intimate friends and followers of Prince Louis Ferdinand."
"And, consequently, also one of the friends of the queen!" addedNapoleon, quickly. "That woman has disdained no expedient to wage waragainst me; she hates me intensely, and with more energy than her feeblehusband. I will pay her for this hatred, and she shall feel what it isto provoke my anger. Yes, I will humiliate her. She may now, perhaps,repent with tears what she has done. She is already a fugitive. I willdrive her into the remotest corner of her country, and compel this proudqueen to bow before me in the dust, and beg me on her knees for mercy!But I will not have mercy upon her; I will be inexorable! My anger shallcrush her and her house, as it has crushed whosoever dared oppose me.Woe unto those who have been her willing tools; they shall atone forhaving served her hatred against me!--Is any thing known about thefellow who edited this paper, and wrote these wretched articles?"
"Sire, the editor is a certain Professor Lange, one of the most zealousroyalists, and especially an ardent admirer of the queen."
"Then he has fled with her, I suppose, and she will instigate him on theway to pen new slanders, which, by virtue of the licentiousness of thepress, he will utter against me?"
"No, sire, he has not fled, but kept himself concealed here; our police,however, ferreted out his whereabouts and arrested him. It remains foryour majesty to decree what is to be done with him."
"He shall be a warning example to the German scribblers, and remind themof the penalty incurred by those who stir up resistance against me bytheir insults and sneers. I will silence these libellers once for all,and destroy their contemptible free press by the executioner's axe. Thepunishment inflicted upon Palm seemed not sufficient--let M. Lange,then, be another warning to them. Let him die as Palm died!"
"Your majesty, then, will give to the sentimental Germans anothermartyr, to whom they will pray, and whose death will increase theirenthusiasm? Sire, martyrs are like fools. 'One fool makes many others,'and thus we might say also, 'One martyr makes many others.' Suppose youhave this M. Lange shot to-day, because he is a faithful adherent of thequeen, and has written in accordance with her views--to-morrowpamphleteers will spring up like mushrooms--there will be more libelsagainst your majesty, written by those having a vain desire of dying fortheir beautiful queen,
and in the hope that she would shed tears forthem, as she did for M. Lange."
"Ah," exclaimed Napoleon, scornfully, "you are strangely inclined tomercy and reconciliation to-day. It seems a sickly fever of leniency hasseized you. Then you think I ought to pardon this miserable pamphleteerinstead of punishing him?"
"Sire, I believe this fellow will be much more severely punished if wedo not make him a martyr, but only use him as a tool as long as it suitsus. As this Professor Lange is so well versed in writing pamphlets, andsending libellous articles into the world, let him continue his trade;only let him be ordered to point his weapons against the queen, insteadof your majesty, and to revile her as zealously as he reviled you."
"And do you believe he will stoop so low as to eat his own words, and toconvict himself of lying? I was told he had hitherto glorified Louisa ofPrussia, and abused me, with an almost frantic enthusiasm."
"Sire, let us threaten him with death--let us offer him money. He willsuccumb to fear and avarice. I know these journalists. They arecowardly, and always in pecuniary trouble. Lange will turn his poisonedarrows against the queen, and the admirer will become her accuser."
Napoleon, frowning, looked musingly at the floor. "What a miserable racethese men are!" he muttered. "One must devour them in order not bedevoured by them. Well, then," he added, in a loud voice, "you may tryit. Let us turn the weapons which the fanatical queen has sharpenedagainst us, against herself. But the accusations must be grave andwell-founded. The eyes of this foolish nation must be opened. We mustshow to it that this woman, whom it worships as a chaste Lucretia, as abeautiful saint, is nothing but a very pretty lady with a well-developedform, endowed with little mind, but much coquetry, and who, so far frombeing a saint, has a very human heart, and has had many an adventure. IfM. Lange is willing to write in this strain, I will pardon him.[20]Tragedy must be sometimes transformed into a farce, that the stupidpeople may laugh at what they were originally inclined to weep for. Ah,that Queen of Prussia was bent upon waging war against me! She shallhave it. We will wage war against each other; let it be a mortal combat.Did the Prussian ambassador accept our terms?"
[Footnote 20: Talleyrand's prediction was fulfilled. Threats of capitalpunishment, and promises of ample rewards, transformed the editor of the_Telegraph_ into as enthusiastic an admirer of Napoleon as he hadformerly been of Queen Louisa; and, after having hitherto writtennothing but fulsome eulogies, he now did not shrink from publishing themost shameless libels against her. The immediate consequence was, thatthe _Telegraph_ lost in a single day most of its subscribers. But Langecontinued publishing slanderous articles against Louisa, for the Frenchgovernment paid him.]
"Sire, he was undecided yesterday; but he will not be to-day."
"Why not?"
"Sire, a courier has just arrived, and I came to communicate to yourmajesty the news. He is from Stettin, and informed me that that fortresshas capitulated. Our hussars took possession of it."
The emperor smiled. "Well," he said, "when hussars take fortresses, newmilitary tactics will have to be invented, and the walls of fortressesmight just as well be razed. But you are right. The fall of Stettin is amost important event, and the government will have to make up its mindto accept our terms. We ought not, however, to accelerate the peacenegotiations too much. The terms which we have offered to Prussia aretolerably favorable; if more couriers of this description should arrive,we ought to render the terms more onerous, and the peace morehumiliating. Try to delay the definite settlement with the Prussianambassador; it is not necessary for us to sign the treaty so soon. Letus await further news."
Just then the door opened, and the _valet de chambre_ appeared,announcing a courier just arrived, who desired to deliver to his majestydispatches from the Grand-duke of Berg. Napoleon made a sign to him. Thedoor opened, and the courier, in his dusty and bespatteredtravelling-costume, entered the room.
"Where is the grand-duke?" asked the emperor, quickly.
"Sire, in Prenzlau."
"Ah, in Prenzlau!" exclaimed Napoleon. "The gates have opened to him,then! Give me your dispatches, and then go and take rest. I see youstand in need of it!"
"Sire, I have been ten hours on horseback, and have just dismounted."
"Breakfast shall be served you. Apply for it to the _valet de chambre_in the anteroom. Go!"
The courier had not yet closed the door of the cabinet after him, whenNapoleon opened the dispatches, and rapidly glanced over their contents.With a proud, triumphant smile he turned toward Talleyrand. "I was rightin saying that we ought to delay the definite conclusion of peace," hesaid; "we shall now be able to impose more onerous conditions onPrussia, and she will have to submit to them. The Grand-duke of Berg hassent me excellent news. The corps of the Prince von Hohenlohe hascapitulated near Prenzlau. The Prussian army exists no more. Tenthousand men, with three hundred and twenty-five officers, about twothousand horses, and fifty-four field-pieces, have been captured by ourforces. Ten thousand men! Now, if ever I should live to see the disgraceof such a surrender of any of my own corps, I would make peace with theenemy for the sole purpose of recovering my captured troops, and ofhaving the miserable officers shot who entered into such a capitulation.Ten thousand men, and three hundred officers! Truly, my brother theKing of Prussia is unlucky, and I am sure the beautiful queen willbitterly repent of her hatred against me."
"Sire," said Talleyrand, with a malicious smile, "it is said there isbut one step from hatred to love. Who knows whether the gods, in orderto punish the queen for her audacity, will not cause her to take thisstep? Who knows whether her intense hatred is not even now but the maskwhich conceals her love and admiration for your majesty? Beware ofapproaching this beautiful Helen, lest your own hatred should run therisk of being transformed into love."
"Ah," said Napoleon, angrily, "were my heart capable of such a change, Ishould tear it with my own hands from my breast in order to smother itsdesires. Though she were the most beautiful woman in the world, andoffered her love to me, I should turn away from her, and hurl mycontempt and hatred into her face. She has offended me too grievously,for it is she who has destroyed all my plans, and instigated her husbandto assume a hostile attitude. France and Prussia are destined to befriends, and a war against Prussia is for France equivalent to chainingher right hand. If Prussia had remained my faithful ally last year, ifshe had not joined the third coalition, our united armies at that timewould have seen not only Germany at our feet, but all Europe. Yet thequeen would not have it thus; childish and passionate, like all women,she did not consult her reason, but only her feelings; and, as herhaughty heart could not bear the idea of accepting the friendship andalliance of an emperor who had not been born under a royal canopy, shepreferred exasperating her husband against me, and plunging Prussia intomisery, distress, and disgrace. For this capitulation of Prenzlau is adisgrace, and if I am glad of it as an enemy, because it is advantageousto me, it causes me to blush as a soldier, because it disgraces thewhole military profession. Ah, there is justice in Heaven, and aProvidence is directing our affairs on earth."
"Ah, your majesty believes in such things?" asked Talleyrand, with asneer. "You believe there is a God who makes it His business to directthe world and mankind, and to dabble in the trade of princes anddiplomatists? As I have not been ordained a priest like you, and neverhave served the Church, I may be allowed to believe in God," saidNapoleon, smiling. "Yes, I believe in Providence, and I believe it was adispensation of Providence that those arrogant officers of the guard,who thought it was only necessary to show themselves in order to driveaway the French, and who went so far in their madness as to whet theirswords on the doorsteps of the house of our ambassadors, should now beduly humiliated and chastised. For the guards of Potsdam and Berlin areamong the captured of the corps of the Prince von Hohenlohe, and theywill soon arrive in Berlin. A royal prince also, the brother of PrinceLouis Ferdinand, is among the prisoners."
"Your majesty is right," said Talleyrand, "we are able now to imposemore r
igorous terms on Prussia. If your majesty permit, I willimmediately enter into negotiations concerning this point with M. deLucchesini. He is at present awaiting me."
"Inform him of the latest news; that will render him submissive. Youknow my intentions, and know, too, what I expect Russia to do. The kingoffered Baireuth to me instead of the contribution of one hundredmillion francs which I had asked for. Such a substitution is out of thequestion now. Besides, we shall add the following conditions: Prussia,in case Russia declares war against Turkey, will ally herself withFrance, and march her whole army against the emperor of Russia."
"Ah, sire, you are bent, then, on breaking the heart of the beautifulLouisa?" asked Talleyrand, laughing cynically.
"It is my reply to the oath she and her husband took with Alexander atthe grave of Frederick II. Go, and inform Lucchesini of the latest newsand of my conditions."
"Your majesty promised to be so gracious as to receive this forenoon theambassadors of the petty German princes, who have been begging for anaudience since yesterday morning."
"It will not by any means hurt these petty dignitaries to practise alittle the virtue of patience," said Napoleon, harshly. "I shall admitthem to-morrow, in order to get rid at length of their complaints. Doyou still remember that I instructed you several months since to draw upthe necessary reports for the formation of a new state in NorthernGermany, between the Rhine and the Elbe?"
"Sire, I carried out your order at that time, and delivered to you thereport concerning this state."
"Yes, it is in my hands, and it is time for us to carry out my views inregard to it. You drew it up with the pen, and I executed andillustrated it with the sword. Both of us, therefore, have done ourduty. To-morrow I will inform the ambassadors of these petty princes ofour views as to this new state, in order that they may evacuate theirown. Go to Lucchesini. I will take a ride, and pay a visit to my gardensin Charlottenburg."
Talleyrand bowed, and left the cabinet. In the large hall contiguous toit, he saw Grand-marshal Duroc, who was standing at the farthest window.Talleyrand hastened to him as fast as his limping leg would permit, anddrew the grand marshal, who had come to meet him, back into the window."M. Grand marshal," he said, in a low voice, "I am about to turn traitorand to disclose to you a secret of the emperor. My life is in yourhands; if you should inform his majesty of what I am about to do, I mustperish. Will you do so?"
Duroc smiled. "Your excellency," he said, "I am a good patriot, and as Iknow how indispensable your life is to the welfare and happiness ofFrance, I shall take care not to undertake any thing against you; Ishould, on the contrary, always deem it incumbent upon me to protect thelife of your excellency, and to attend to your welfare whenever anoccasion offered. You may, therefore, safely communicate your secret tome. I would die sooner than betray you."
"I thank you," said Talleyrand, bowing. "Listen, then; the emperor hasissued orders to arrest the Prince von Hatzfeld, and to have him triedby a court-martial."
"Impossible!" ejaculated Duroc, turning pale. "The Prince von Hatzfeldhas always been a zealous and warm adherent of France, and it wasprecisely on account of this that he was in high disfavor with the courtparty. The inhabitants of Berlin also reproach him with having preventedthem from defending themselves, and with having intentionally failed toremove the arms from the arsenal. What, then, may he have done that heshould be tried by a French court-martial?"
An imperceptible smile passed over Talleyrand's astute features. "He haswritten a letter to the king," he said, "which, if need be, _may_ beconstrued as the letter of a traitor and spy, especially since anopportunity is desired to set an example, and to intimidate the haughtyaristocracy, because they avoid coming hither and doing homage to theconqueror."
"If that be the intention," sighed Duroc, "the Prince von Hatzfeld islost. The emperor will be inexorable."
"Is it necessary, then, to have some one put to death in order tofrighten the others?" asked Talleyrand. "But you are right. The emperorwill have no mercy. The court-martial will assemble to-morrow."
"To-morrow!" said Duroc, sadly. "Oh, into what distress it will plungethe family! The young princess loves her husband passionately; sheexpects to become a mother in a few months, and is to lose the father ofher child before it sees the light!"
Again a smile overspread Talleyrand's face. He inclined closer to thegrand marshal and placed his small, emaciated hand on Duroc's vigorousarm. "My friend," he said, in a low voice, "you must try to save theprince!"
"I?" asked Duroc, wonderingly.
Talleyrand nodded. "Yes, you! You have long known the family; you have,on your various missions to Berlin, been repeatedly at Hatzfeld's house,and, as a matter of course, the young princess in her distress anddespair will apply to you for advice and assistance. You must procureher an interview with the emperor, and she will thus obtain anopportunity to implore his majesty on her knees to have mercy on herhusband. The whole aristocracy, then, in her person will humbly kneelbefore the emperor, and they will all be pardoned in the person of theprince. My dear sir, you must at all events procure the princess aninterview with Napoleon."
"But did you not tell me that the emperor was determined not to pardonthe prince, and that the court-marital will assemble to-morrow?"
"I did. I might have added that the emperor, when I begged him to havemercy on Hatzfeld, angrily rejected my application, and told me he wouldnot permit any one to renew it. He was very emphatic about it. EvenDuroc, he said, should not dare to conduct the princess to him, and thusenable her to implore his mercy."
"Well?" exclaimed Duroc.
"Well," said Talleyrand, composedly. "I believed I might concludeprecisely from this peremptory order, that he wished to indicate to methat he was inclined to pardon the offender in this manner."
"What!" said Duroc, smiling, "the emperor orders us not to admit thePrincess von Hatzfeld; he says he will not pardon the prince, and youconclude from all this that he will grant her an audience and the pardonof her husband?"
"Certainly," said Talleyrand. "What is language given us for, unless toveil our thoughts? Whenever I have to deal with sagacious and prominentmen, I presume that their thoughts are just the reverse of what theirwords express. Only simpletons, and men of no position, say what theymean. Try it, by all means. Procure the princess an interview with theemperor, and leave the rest to her eloquence and beauty."
"But I cannot go to her and offer her my intercession. It would look asthough the emperor had sent me; and if he then should pardon the prince,it would be generally believed to be a mere _coup de theatre_."
"You are right. We must avoid by all means letting the affair assumesuch a character," said Talleyrand, smiling. "If the princess reallyloves her husband, and if she really intends to save him, she willnaturally first think of you; for you are acquainted with her and herfamily, and are known to be the emperor's intimate and influentialfriend. It will be but natural for her to invoke your intercession."
"If she does so, I will try, to the best of my power, to be useful toher, for I have spent many pleasant hours at the prince's house, and itwould be agreeable to me to do her a favor. But I am afraid you aremistaken. The emperor never takes back his word, and if he has said thathe will have no mercy, and not admit the princess, that will be the endof it, and all endeavors of mine will be in vain."
"Try it at least," said Talleyrand. "Perhaps you may accomplish yourpurpose. But you have no time to lose, for, as I have told you already,the court-martial is to assemble to-morrow. What is to be done, must bedone, therefore, in the course of to-day."
