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Page 22
CHAPTER XXV.
M. Czernischeff--Dissimulation of Napoleon--Napoleon and Alexander--
Josephine's foresight respecting the affairs of Spain--My visits to
Malmaison--Grief of Josephine--Tears and the toilet--Vast extent of
the Empire--List of persons condemned to death and banishment in
Piedmont--Observation of Alfieri respecting the Spaniards--Success
in Spain--Check of Massena in Portugal--Money lavished by the
English--Bertrand sent to Illyria, and Marmont to Portugal--
Situation of the French army--Assembling of the Cortes--Europe
sacrificed to the Continental system--Conversation with Murat in the
Champs Elysees--New titles and old names--Napoleon's dislike of
literary men--Odes, etc., on the marriage of Napoleon--Chateaubriand
and Lemereier--Death of Chenier--Chateaubriand elected his successor
--His discourse read by Napoleon--Bonaparte compared to Nero-
Suppression of the 'Merceure'--M. de Chateaubriand ordered to leave
Paris--MM. Lemercier and Esmenard presented to the Emperor--Birth of
the King of Rome--France in 1811.
Since my return to France I had heard much of the intrigues of M.
Czernischeff, an aide de camp of the Emperor of Russia, who, under the
pretest of being frequently sent to compliment Napoleon on the part of
the Emperor Alexander, performed, in fact, the office of a spy. The
conduct of Napoleon with regard to M. Czernischeff at that period struck
me as singular, especially after the intelligence which before my
departure from Hamburg I had transmitted to him respecting the
dissatisfaction of Russia and her hostile inclinations. It is therefore
clear to me that Bonaparte was well aware of the real object of M.
Czernischeffs mission, and that if he appeared to give credit to the
increasing professions of his friendship it was only because he still
wished, as he formerly did; that Russia might so far commit herself as to
afford him a fair pretext for the commencement, of hostilities in the
north.
M. Czernischeff first arrived in Paris shortly after the interview at
Erfurt, and after that period was almost constantly on the road between
Paris and St. Petersburg; it has been computed that in the space of less
than four years he travelled more than 10,000 leagues. For a long time
his frequent journeyings excited no surmises, but while I was in Paris
Savary began to entertain suspicions, the correctness of which it was not
difficult to ascertain, so formidable was still the system of espionage,
notwithstanding the precaution taken by Fouche to conceal from his
successor the names of his most efficient spies. It was known that M.
Czernischeff was looking out for a professor of mathematics,--doubtless
to disguise the real motives for his stay in Paris by veiling them under
the desire of studying the sciences. The confidant of Alexander had
applied to a professor connected with a public office; and from that time
all the steps of M. Czermseheff were known to the police. It was
discovered that he was less anxious to question his instructor respecting
the equations of a degree, or the value of unknown quantities, than to
gain all the information he could about the different branches of the
administration, and particularly the department of war. It happened that
the professor knew some individuals employed in the public offices, who
furnished him with intelligence, which he in turn communicated to M.
Czernischeff, but not without making a report of it to the police;
according to custom, instead of putting an end to this intrigue at once
it was suffered fully to develop itself. Napoleon was informed of what
was going on, and in this instance gave a new proof of his being an adept
in the art of dissimulation, for, instead of testifying any displeasure
against M. Czernischeff, he continued to receive him with the same marks
of favour which he had shown to him during his former missions to Paris.
Being, nevertheless, desirous to get rid of him, without evincing a
suspicion that his clandestine proceedings had been discovered, he
entrusted him with a friendly letter to his brother of Russia, but
Alexander was in such haste to reply to the flattering missive of his
brother of France that M. Czernischeff was hurried back to Paris, having
scarcely been suffered to enter the gates of St. Petersburg. I believe I
am correct in the idea that Napoleon was not really displeased at the
intrigues of M. Czernischeff, from the supposition that they afforded an
indication of the hostile intentions of Russia towards France; for,
whatever he might say on this subject to his confidants, what reliance
can we place on the man who formed the camp of Boulogne without the most
distant intention of attempting a descent upon England, and who had
deceived the whole world respecting that important affair without taking
any one into his own confidence?
During the period of my stay in Paris the war with Spain and Portugal
occupied much of the public attention; and it proved in the end an
enterprise upon which the intuition of Josephine had not deceived her.
In general she intermeddled little with political affairs; in the first
place, because her doing so would have given offence to Napoleon; and
next, because her natural frivolity led her to give a preference to
lighter pursuits. But I may safely affirm that she was endowed with an
instinct so perfect as seldom to be deceived respecting the good or evil
tendency of any measure which Napoleon engaged in; and I remember she
told me that when informed of the intention of the Emperor to bestow the
throne of Spain on Joseph, she was seized with a feeling of indescribable
alarm. It would be difficult to define that instinctive feeling which
leads us to foresee the future; but it is a fact that Josephine was
endowed with this faculty in a more perfect decree than any other person
I have ever known, and to her it was a fatal gift, for she suffered at
the same time under the weight of present and of future misfortunes.
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