napoleon bonaparte, v4-第11部分

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Cambaceres；　that　when　the　Emperor　asked　for　him；　and　was　told　that
monseigneur　was　at　the　theater；　he　replied；　〃Very　well；　very　well；　he　is
taking　his　siesta；　let　us　not　disturb　him！〃

The　King　of　Wurtemburg　was　large；　and　so　fat　that　it　was　said　of　him　God
had　put　him　in　the　world　to　prove　how　far　the　skin　of　a　man　could　be
stretched。　　His　stomach　was　of　such　dimensions　that　it　was　found
necessary　to　make　a　broad；　round　incision　in　front　of　his　seat　at　the
table；　and　yet；　notwithstanding　this　precaution；　he　was　obliged　to　hold
his　plate　on　a　level　with　his　chin　to　drink　his　soup。　　He　was　very　fond
of　hunting；　either　on　horseback；　or　in　a　little　Russian　carriage　drawn　by
four　horses；　which　he　often　drove　himself。　　He　was　fond　of　horseback
riding；　but　it　was　no　easy　task　to　find　a　mount　of　size　and　strength
sufficient　to　carry　so　heavy　a　burden。　　It　was　necessary　that　the　poor
animal　should　be　progressively　trained；　and　in　order　to　accomplish　this
the　king's　equerry　fastened　round　the　horse　a　girth　loaded　with　pieces　of
lead；　increasing　the　weight　daily　till　it　equalled　that　of　his　Majesty。
The　king　was　despotic；　hard；　and　even　cruel；　ever　ready　to　sign　the
sentence　of　the　condemned；　and　in　almost　all　cases；　if　what　is　said　at
Stuttgart　be　true；　increased　the　penalty　inflicted　by　the　judges。　　Hard
to　please；　and　brutal；　he　often　struck　the　people　of　his　household；　and
it　is　even　said　that　he　did　not　spare　her　Majesty　the　queen；　his　wife；
who　was　a　sister　of　the　present　King　of　England。　　Notwithstanding　all
this；　he　was　a　prince　whose　knowledge　and　brilliant　mind　the　Emperor
esteemed；　for　they　had　a　mutual　affection　for　each　other；　and　he　found
him　faithful　to　his　alliance　to　the　very　end。　　King　Frederic　of
Wurtemburg　had　a　brilliant　and　numerous　court；　at　which　he　displayed
great　magnificence。

The　hereditary　prince　was　much　beloved；　he　was　less　haughty　and　more
humane　than　his　father；　and　was　said　to　be　just　and　liberal。

Besides　those　crowned　by　his　hand；　the　Emperor；　while　in　Bavaria；
received　a　great　number　of　the　princes　of　the　Confederation；　and　they
usually　dined　with　his　Majesty。　　In　this　crowd　of　royal　courtiers　the
prince　primate　was　noticeable；　who　differed　in　nothing　as　to　manners；
bearing；　and　dress　from　the　most　fashionable　gentlemen　of　Paris。　　The
Emperor　paid　him　special　attention。　　I　cannot　pay　the　same　eulogy　to　the
toilet　of　the　princesses；　duchesses；　and　other　noble　ladies；　for　most　of
them　dressed　in　exceedingly　bad　taste；　and；　displaying　neither　art　nor
grace；　covered　their　heads　with　plumes；　bits　of　gold；　and　silver　gauze；
fastened　with　a　great　quantity　of　diamond…headed　pins。

The　equipages　the　German　nobility　used　were　all　very　large　coaches；　which
were　a　necessity　from　the　enormous　hoops　still　worn　by　those　ladies；　and
this　adherence　to　antiquated　fashions　was　all　the　more　surprising；
because　at　that　time　Germany　enjoyed　the　great　advantage　of　possessing
two　fashion　journals。　　One　was　the　translation　of　the　magazine　published
by　Mesangere；　and　the　other；　also　edited　at　Paris；　was　translated　and
printed　at　Mannheim。　　These　ridiculous　carriages；　which　much　resembled
our　ancient　diligences；　were　drawn　by　very　inferior　horses；　harnessed
with　ropes；　and　placed　so　far　apart　that　an　immense　space　was　needed　to
turn　the　carriage。

The　Prince　of　Saxe…Gotha　was　long　and　thin。　　In　spite　of　his　great　age；
he　was　enough　of　a　dandy　to　order　at　Paris；　from　our　hairdresser
Michalon；　some　pretty　little　wigs　of　youthful　blonde；　curled　like　the
hair　of　Cupid；　but；　apart　from　this；　he　was　an　excellent　man。　　I
recollect；　a　propos　of　the　noble　German　ladies；　to　have　seen　at　the　court
theater　at　Fontainebleau　a　princess　of　the　Confederation　who　was　being
presented　to　their　Majesties。　　The　toilet　of　her　Highness　announced　an
immense　progress　in　the　elegance　of　civilization　beyond　the　Rhine；　for；
renouncing　the　Gothic　hoops；　the　princess　had　adopted　the　very　latest
fashions；　and；　though　nearly　seventy　years　of　age；　wore　a　dress　of　black
lace　over　red　satin；　and　her　coiffure　consisted　of　a　white　muslin　veil；
fastened　by　a　wreath　of　roses；　in　the　style　of　the　vestals　of　the　opera。
She　had　with　her　a　granddaughter；　brilliant　with　the　charm　of　youth；　and
admired　by　the　whole　court；　although　her　costume　was　less　stylish　than
that　of　her　grandmother。

I　heard　her　Majesty；　the　Empress　Josephine；　relate　one　day　that　she　had
much　difficulty　in　repressing　a　smile　when；　among　a　number　of　German
princesses　presented　to　her；　one　was　announced　under　the　name　of
Cunegonde　＇Cunegonde　was　the　mistress　of　Candide　in　Voltaire's　novel　of
Candide。＇　Her　Majesty　added　that；　when　she　saw　the　princess　take　her
seat；　she　imagined　she　saw　her　lean　to　one　side。　　Assuredly　the　Empress
had　read　the　adventures　of　Candide　and　the　daughter　of　the　very　noble
baron　of　Thunder…Ten…Trunck。

At　Paris；　in　the　spring　of　1806；　I　saw　almost　as　many　members　of　the
Confederation　as　I　had　seen　in　the　capitals　of　Bavaria　and　Wurtemburg。
A　French　name　had　the　precedence　among　these　names　of　foreign　princes。
It　was　that　of　Prince　Murat；　who　in　the　month　of　March　was　made　Grand…
duke　of　Berg　and　Cleves。　　After　Prince　Louis　of　Bavaria；　arrived　the
hereditary　prince　of　Baden；　who　came　to　Paris　to　marry　a　niece　of　the
Empress。

At　the　beginning　this　union　was　not　happy。　　The　Princess　Stephanie　（de
Beauharnais）　was　a　very　pretty　woman；　graceful　and　witty；　and　the　Emperor
had　wished　to　make　a　great　lady　of　her；　and　had　married　her　without
consulting　her　wishes。　　Prince　Charles…Louis…Frederic　was　then　twenty
years　of　age；　and　though　exceedingly　good；　brave；　and　generous；　and
possessing　many　admirable　traits；　was　heavy　and　phlegmatic；　ever
maintaining　an　icy　gravity；　and　entirely　destitute　of　the　qualities　which
would　attract　a　young　princess　accustomed　to　the　brilliant　elegance　of
the　imperial　court。

The　marriage　took　place　in　April；　to　the　great　satisfaction　of　the
prince；　who　that　day　appeared　to　do　violence　to　his　usual　gravity；　and
even　allowed　a　smile　to　approach　his　lips。　　The　day　passed　off　very　well；
but；　when　the　time　came　for　retiring；　the　princess　refused　to　let　him
share　her　room；　and　for　eight　days　was　inexorable。

He　was　told　that　the　princess　did　not　like　the　arrangement　of　his　hair；
and　that　nothing　inspired　her　with　more　aversion　than　a　queue；　upon　which
the　good　prince　hastened　to　have　his　hair　cut　close；　but　when　she　saw　him
thus　shorn；　she　laughed　immoderately；　and　exclaimed　that　he　was　more　ugly
a　la　Titus　than　he　was　before。　　It　was　impossible　that　the　intelligence
and　the　kind　heart　of　the　princess　could　fail　to　appreciate　the　good　and
solid　qualities　of　her　husband；　she　learned　to　love　him　as　tenderly　as
she　was　loved；　and　I　am　assured　that　the　august　couple　lived　on　excellent
terms。

Three　months　after　this　marriage；　the　prince　left　his　wife　to　follow　the
Emperor；　first　on　the　campaign　in　Prussia；　and　afterwards　in　Poland。　　The
death　of　his　grandfather；　which　happened　some　time　after　the　Austrian
campaign　of　1809；　put　him　in　possession　of　the　grand　duchy；　whereupon　he
resigned　the　command　of　his　troops　to　his　uncle　the　Count　of　Hochberg；
and　returned　to　his　government；　never　more　to　leave　it。

I　saw　him　again　with　the　princess　at　Erfurt；　where　they　told　me　he　had
become　jealous　of　the　Emperor　Alexander；　who　paid　assiduous　court　to　his
wife；　at　which　the　prince　took　alarm　and　abruptly　left　Erfurt；　carrying
with　him　the　princess；　of　whom　it　must　in　justice　be　said　that　there　had
been　on　her　part　not　the　slightest　imprudence　to　arouse　this　jealousy；
which　seems　very　pardonable；　however；　in　the　husband　of　so　charming　a
woman。

The　prince's　health　was　always　delicate；　and　from　his　earliest　youth
alarming　symptoms　had　been　noticed　in　him；　and　this　physical　condition
was　no　doubt；　in　a　great　measure；　the　main　source　of　the　melancholy　which
marked　his　character。　　He　died　in　1818；　after　a　very　long　and　painful
illness；　during　which　his　wife　nursed　him　with　the　most　affectionate
care；　leaving　four　children；　two　sons　and　two　daughters。　　The　two　sons
died　young；　and　would　have　left　the　grand　duchy　of　Baden　without　heirs；
if　the　Counts　Hochberg　had　not　been　recognized　as　members　of　the
ducal　family。　　The　grand…duchess　is　to…day　devoting　her　life　to　the
education　of　her　daughters；　who　promise　to　equal　her　in　graces　and
virtues。　　The　nuptials　of　the　Prince　and　Princess　of　Baden　were
celebrated　by　brilliant　fetes；　at　Rambouillet　took　place　a　great　hunting…
party；　in　which　their　Majesties；　with　many　members　of　their　family；　and
all　the　princes　of　Baden；　Cleves；　etc。；　traversed　on　foot　the　forests　of
Rambouillet。

I　recollect　another　hunting…party；　which　took　place　about　the　same　time
in　the　forest　of　Saint…Germain；　to　which　the　Emperor　invited　the
ambassador　of　the　Sublime　Porte；　then　just　arrived　at　Paris。　　His　Turkish
Excellency　followed　the　chase　with　ardor；　but　without　moving　a　muscle　of
his　austere　countenance。　　The　animal　having　been　brought　to　bay；　his
Majesty　had　a　gun　handed　to　the　Turkish　ambassador；　that　he　might　have；
the　honor　of　firing　the　first　shot；　but　he　refused；　not　conceiving；
doubtless；　that　any　pleasure　could　be　f