The Best of the Bureau/The_Best_of_the_Bureau_Bureau_Development_Inc._1992.iso/dp/0004/00048.txt

Text File | 1992-08-07 | 15KB | 253 lines

$Unique_ID{bob00048}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Life Of Napoleon Bonaparte And Life Of Josephine
Chapter XV}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Tarbell, Ida M.}
$Affiliation{}
$Subject{napoleon
war
emperor
spain
alexander
time
town
new
saragossa
thousand}
$Date{1906}
$Log{}
Title:       Life Of Napoleon Bonaparte And Life Of Josephine
Book:        Life Of Napoleon Bonaparte
Author:      Tarbell, Ida M.
Date:        1906

Chapter XV

Disaster In Spain - Alexander And Napoleon In Council - Napoleon At Madrid

     Napoleon amazed at this unexpected popular uprising in Spain, and angry
that the spell of invincibility under which his armies had fought, was broken,
resolved to undertake the Peninsular war himself.  But before a campaign in
Spain could be entered upon, it was necessary to know that all the inner and
outer wheels of the great machine he had devised for dividing the world and
crushing England were revolving perfectly.

     Since the treaty of Tilsit he had done much at home for this machine. The
finances were in splendid condition.  Public works of great importance were
going on all over the kingdom; the court was luxurious and brilliant, and the
money it scattered, encouraged the commercial and manufacturing classes.
Never had fetes been more brilliant than those which welcomed Napoleon back to
Paris in 1807; never had the season at Fontainebleau been gayer or more
magnificent than it was that year.

     All of those who had been instrumental in bringing prosperity and order
to France were rewarded in 1807 with splendid gifts from the indemnities
levied on the enemies.  The marshals of the Grand Army received from eighty
thousand to two hundred thousand dollars apiece; twenty-five generals were
given forty thousand dollars each; the civil functionaries were not forgotten;
thus Monsieur de Segur received forty thousand dollars as a sign of the
emperor's gratification at the way he had administered etiquette in the young
court.

     It was at this period that Napoleon founded a new nobility as a further
means of rewarding those who had rendered brilliant services to France.  This
institution was designed, too, as a means of reconciling old and new France.
It created the title of prince, duke, count, baron, and knight; and those
receiving these titles were at the same time given domains in the conquered
provinces, sufficient to permit them to establish themselves in good style.

     The drawing up of the rules which were to govern this new order occupied
the gravest men of the country, Cambaceres, Saint-Martin, Hauterive, Portalis,
Pasquier.  Among other duties they had to prepare the armorial bearings.
Napoleon refused to allow the crown to go on the new escutcheons.  He wished
no one but himself to have a right to use that symbol.  A substitute was found
in the panache, the number of plumes showing the rank.

     Napoleon used the new favors at his command freely, creating in all,
after 1807, forty-eight thousand knights, one thousand and ninety barons,
three hundred and eighty-eight counts, thirty-one dukes, and three princes.
All members of the old nobility who were supporting his government were given
titles, but not those which they formerly held. Naturally this often led to
great dissatisfaction, the bearers of ancient names preferring a lower rank
which had been their family's for centuries to one higher, but unhallowed by
time and tradition.  Thus Madame de Montmorency rebelled obstinately against
being made a countess, - she had been a baroness under the old regime, - and,
as the Montmorencys claimed the honor of being called the first Christian
barons, she felt justly that the old title was a far prouder one than any
Napoleon could give her.  But a countess she had to remain.

     In his efforts to win for himself the services of all those whom blood
and fortune had made his natural supporters, the emperor tried again to
reconcile Lucien.  In November, 1807, Napoleon visited Italy, and at Mantua a
secret interview took place between the brothers.  Lucien, in his "Memoirs,"
gives a dramatic description of the way in which Napoleon spread the kingdoms
of half a world before him and offered him his choice.

          "He struck a great blow with his hand in the middle of the immense
     map of Europe which was extended on the table, by the side of which we
     were standing.  'Yes, choose,' he said; "you see I am not talking in the
     air.  All this is mine, or will soon belong to me; I can dispose of it
     already.  Do you want Naples?  I will take it from Joseph, who, by the by,
     does not care for it; he prefers Mortefontaine.  Italy - the most
     beautiful jewel in my imperial crown?  Eugene is but viceroy, and, far
     from despising it, he hopes only that I shall give it to him, or, at
     least, leave it to him if he survives me; he is likely to be disappointed
     in waiting, for I shall live ninety years.  I must, for the perfect
     consolidation of my empire.  Besides, Eugene will not suit me in Italy
     after his mother is divorced.  Spain?  Do you not see it falling into the
     hollow of my hand, thanks to the blunders of my dear Bourbons, and to the
     follies of your friend, the Prince of Peace?  Would you not be well
     pleased to reign there, where you have been only ambassador?  Once for
     all, what do you want?  Speak!  Whatever you wish, or can wish, is yours,
     if your divorce precedes mine.'"

     Until midnight the two brothers wrestled with the question between them.
Neither would abandon his position; and when Lucien finally went away, his
face was wet with tears.  To Meneval, who conducted him to his inn in the
town, he said, in bidding him carry his farewell to the emperor, "It may be
forever." It was not.  Seven years later the brothers met again, but the map
of Europe was forever rolled up for Napoleon.

     The essential point in carrying out the Tilsit plan was, the fidelity of
Alexander; and Napoleon resolved, before going into the Spanish war, to meet
the Emperor of Russia.  This was the more needful, because Austria had begun
to show signs of hostility.

     The meeting took place in September, 1807, at Erfurt, in Saxony, and
lasted a month.  Napoleon acted as host, and prepared a splendid entertainment
for his guests.  The company he had gathered was most brilliant.  Beside the
Russian and French emperors, with ambassadors and suites, were the Kings of
Saxony, Bavaria, and Wurtemberg, the Prince Primate, the Grand Duke and Grand
Duchess of Baden, the Dukes of Saxony, and the Princes of the Confederation of
the Rhine.

     The palaces where the emperors were entertained, were furnished with
articles from the Garde-Meuble of France.  The leading actors of the Theatre
Francais gave the best French tragedies to a house where there was, as
Napoleon had promised Talma, a "parterre full of kings." There was a hare hunt
on the battle-field of Jena, to which even Prince William of Prussia was
invited, and where the party breakfasted on the spot where Napoleon had
bivouacked in 1806, the night before the battle.  There were balls where
Alexander danced, "but not I," wrote the emperor to Josephine; "forty years
are forty years." Goethe and Wieland were both presented to Napoleon at
Erfurt, and the emperor had long conversations with them.

     In spite of these gayeties Napoleon and Alexander found time to renew
their Tilsit agreement.  They were to make war and peace together. Alexander
was to uphold Napoleon in giving Joseph the throne of Spain, and to keep the
continent tranquil during the Peninsular war.  Napoleon was to support
Alexander in getting possession of Finland, Moldavia, and Wallachia.  The two
emperors were to write and sign a letter inviting England to join them in
peace negotiations.

     This was done promptly; but when England insisted that representatives of
the government which was acting in Spain in the name of Ferdinand VII. should
be admitted to the proposed meeting, the peace negotiations abruptly ended.
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