memoirs of napoleon bonaparte, v6-第14部分

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the　French　Revolution；　had　subsequently　been　disgusted　by　its　crimes；　and
who　still　dreamed　of　the　possibility　of　founding　a　truly　Constitutional
Government　in　France。　　Even　in　the　Senate　there　were　some　men　indignant
at　the　usual　compliance　of　that　body；　and　who　spoke　of　the　necessity　of
subjecting　the　Constitution　to　a　revisal；　in　order　to　render　it
conformable　to　the　Consulate　for　life。

The　project　of　revising　the　Constitution　was　by　no　means　unsatisfactory
to　Bonaparte。　　It　afforded　him　an　opportunity　of　holding　out　fresh
glimmerings　of　liberty　to　those　who　were　too　shortsighted　to　see　into　the
future。　　He　was　pretty　certain　that　there　could　be　no　change　but　to　his
advantage。　　Had　any　one　talked　to　him　of　the　wishes　of　the　nation　he
would　have　replied；　〃3；577；259　citizens　have　voted。　　Of　these　how　many
were　for　me？　　3；368；185。　　Compare　the　difference！　　There　is　but　one　vote
in　forty…five　against　me。　　I　must　obey　the　will　of　the　people！〃　　To　this
he　would　not　have　failed　to　add；　〃Whose　are　the　votes　opposed　to　me？
Those　of　ideologists；　Jacobins；　and　peculators　under　the　Directory。〃　　To
such　arguments　what　could　have　been　answered？　　It　must　not　be　supposed
that　I　am　putting　these　words　into　Bonaparte's　mouth。　　They　fell　from　him
oftener　than　once。

As　soon　as　the　state　of　the　votes　was　ascertained　the　Senate　conceived
itself　under　the　necessity　of　repairing　the　only　fault　it　had　committed
in　the　eyes　of　the　First　Consul；　and　solemnly　presented　him　with　a　new
'Senatus…consulte'；　and　a　decree　couched　in　the　following　terms：

ARTICLE　I。　　The　French　people　nominate　and　the　Senate　proclaim　Napoleon
Bonaparte　Consul　for　life。

ARTICLE　II。　　A　statue　representing　Peace；　holding　in　one　hand　the　laurel
of　victory；　and　in　the　other　the　decree　of　the　senate；　shall　commemorate
to　posterity　the　gratitude　of　the　Nation。

ARTICLE　III。　　The　Senate　will　convey　to　the　First　Consul　the　expression
of　the　confidence；　the　love；　and　the　admiration　of　the　French　people。

Bonaparte　replied　to　the　deputation　from　the　Senate；　in　the　presence　of
the　Diplomatic　Body；　whose　audience　had　been　appointed　for　that　day　in
order　that　the　ambassadors　might　be　enabled　to　make　known　to　their
respective　Courts　that　Europe　reckoned　one　King　more。　　In　his　reply　he
did　not　fail　to　introduce　the　high…sounding　words　〃liberty　and　equality。〃
He　commenced　thus：　〃A　citizen's　life　belongs　to　his　country。　　The　French
people　wish　that　mine　should　be　entirely　devoted　to　their　service。　　I
obey。〃

On　the　day　this　ceremony　took　place；　besides　the　audience　of　the
Diplomatic　Body　there　was　an　extraordinary　assemblage　of　general　officers
and　public　functionaries。　　The　principal　apartments　of　the　Tuileries's
presented　the　appearance　of　a　fete。　　This　gaiety　formed　a　striking
contrast　with　the　melancholy　of　Josephine；　who　felt　that　every　step　of
the　First　Consul　towards　the　throne　removed　him　farther　from　her。

She　had　to　receive　a　party　that　evening；　and　though　greatly　depressed　in
spirits　she　did　the　honours　with　her　usual　grace。

Let　a　Government　be　what　it　may；　it　can　never　satisfy　everyone。　　At　the
establishment　of　the　Consulate　for　life；　those　who　were　averse　to　that
change　formed　but　a　feeble　minority。　　But　still　they　met；　debated；
corresponded；　and　dreamed　of　the　possibility　of　overthrowing　the　Consular
Government。

During　the　first　six　months　of　the　year　1802　there　were　meetings　of　the
discontented；　which　Fouche；　who　was　then　Minister　of　the　Police；　knew　and
would　not　condescend　to　notice；　but；　on　the　contrary；　all　the　inferior
agents　of　the　police　contended　for　a　prey　which　was　easily　seized；　and；
with　the　view　of　magnifying　their　services；　represented　these　secret
meetings　as　the　effect　of　a　vast　plot　against　the　Government。　　Bonaparte；
whenever　he　spoke　to　me　on　the　subject；　expressed　himself　weary　of　the
efforts　which　were　made　to　give　importance　to　trifles；　and　yet　he
received　the　reports　of　the　police　agents　as　if　he　thought　them　of
consequence。　　This　was　because　he　thought　Fouche　badly　informed；　and　he
was　glad　to　find　him　at　fault；　but　when　he　sent　for　the　Minister　of
Police　the　latter　told　him　that　all　the　reports　he　had　received　were　not
worth　a　moment's　attention。　　He　told　the　First　Consul　all；　and　even　a
great　deal　more　than　had　been　revealed　to　him；　mentioning　at　the　same
time　how　and　from　whom　Bonaparte　had　received　his　information。

But　these　petty　police　details　did　not　divert　the　First　Consul's
attention　from　the　great　object　he　had　in　view。　　Since　March　1802　he　had
attended　the　sittings　of　the　Council　of　State　with　remarkable　regularity。
Even　while　we　were　at　the　Luxembourg　he　busied　himself　in　drawing　up　a
new　code　of　laws　to　supersede　the　incomplete　collection　of　revolutionary
laws；　and　to　substitute　order　for　the　sort　of　anarchy　which　prevailed　in
the　legislation。　　The　man　who　were　most　distinguished　for　legal　knowledge
had　cooperated　in　this　laborious　task；　the　result　of　which　was　the　code
first　distinguished　by　the　name　of　the　Civil　Code；　and　afterwards　called
the　Code　Napoleon。　　The　labours　of　this　important　undertaking　being
completed；　a　committee　was　appointed　for　the　presentation　of　the　code。
This　committee；　of　which　Cambaceres　was　the　president；　was　composed　of
MM。　Portalis；　Merlin　de　Douai；　and　Tronchet。　　During　all　the　time　the
discussions　were　pending；　instead　of　assembling　as　usual　three　times　a
week；　the　Council　of　State　assembled　every　day；　and　the　sittings；　which
on　ordinary　occasions　only　lasted　two　or　three　hours；　were　often
prolonged　to　five　or　six。　　The　First　Consul　took　such　interest　in　these
discussions　that；　to　have　an　opportunity　of　conversing　upon　them　in　the
evening；　he　frequently　invited　several　members　of　the　Council　to　dine
with　him。　　It　was　during　these　conversations　that　I　most　admired　the
inconceivable　versatility　of　Bonaparte's　genius；　or　rather；　that　superior
instinct　which　enabled　him　to　comprehend　at　a　glance；　and　in　their　proper
point　of　view；　legislative　questions　to　which　he　might　have　been　supposed
a　stranger。　　Possessing　as　he　did；　in　a　supreme　degree；　the　knowledge　of
mankind；　ideas　important　to　the　science　of　government　flashed　upon　his
mind　like　sudden　inspirations。

Some　time　after　his　nomination　to　the　Consulate　for　life；　anxious　to
perform　a　sovereign　act；　he　went　for　the　first　time　to　preside　at　the
Senate。　　Availing　myself　that　day　of　a　few　leisure　moments　I　went　out　to
see　the　Consular　procession。　　It　was　truly　royal。　　The　First　Consul　had
given　orders　that　the　military　should…be　ranged　in　the　streets　through
which　he　had　to　pass。　　On　his　first　arrival　at　the　Tuileries；　Napoleon
had　the　soldiers　of　the　Guard　ranged　in　a　single　line　in　the　interior　of
the　court；　but　he　now　ordered　that　the　line　should　be　doubled；　and　should
extend　from　the　gate　of　the　Tuileries　to　that　of　the　Luxembourg。
Assuming　a　privilege　which　old　etiquette　had　confined　exclusively　to　the
Kings　of　France；　Bonaparte　now　for　the　first　time　rode　in　a　carriage
drawn　by　eight　horses。　　A　considerable　number　of　carriages　followed　that
of　the　First　Consul；　which　was　surrounded　by　generals　and　aides　de　camp
on　horseback。　　Louis　XIV。　　going　to　hold　a　bed　of　justice　at　the
Parliament　of　Paris　never　displayed　greater　pomp　than　did　Bonaparte　in
this　visit　to　the　Senate。　　He　appeared　in　all　the　parade　of　royalty；　and
ten　Senators　came　to　meet　him　at　the　foot　of　the　staircase　of　the
Luxembourg。

The　object　of　the　First　Consul's　visit　to　the　Senate　was　the　presentation
of　five　plans　of　'Senatus…consultes'。　　The　other　two　Consuls　were　present
at　the　ceremony；　which　took　place　about　the　middle　of　August。

Bonaparte　returned　in　the　same　style　in　which　he　went；　accompanied　by　M。
Lebrun；　Cambaceres　remaining　at　the　Senate；　of　which　he　was　President。
The　five　'Senatus…consultes'　were　adopted；　but　a　restriction　was　made　in
that　which　concerned　the　forms　of　the　Senate。　　It　was　proposed　that　when
the　Consuls　visited　the　Senate　they　should　be　received　by　a　deputation　of
ten　members　at　the　foot　of　the　staircase；　as　the　First　Consul　had　that
day　been　received；　but　Bonaparte's　brothers　Joseph　and　Lucien　opposed
this；　and　prevented　the　proposition　from　being　adopted；　observing　that
the　Second　and　Third　Consuls　being　members　of　the　Senate　could　not　be
received　with　such　honours　by　their　colleagues。　　This　little　scene　of
political　courtesy；　which　was　got　up　beforehand；　was　very　well　acted。

Bonaparte's　visit　to　the　Senate　gave　rise　to　a　change　of　rank　in　the
hierarchy　of　the　different　authorities　composing　the　Government。
Hitherto　the　Council　of　State　had　ranked　higher　in　public　opinion；　but
the　Senate；　on　the　occasion　of　its　late　deputation　to　the　Tuileries；　had
for　the　first　time；　received　the　honour　of　precedency。　　This　had　greatly
displeased　some　of　the　Councillors　of　State；　but　Bonaparte　did　not　care
for　that。　　He　instinctively　saw　that　the　Senate　would　do　what　he　wished
more　readily　than　the　other　constituted　bodies；　and　he　determined　to
augment　its　rights　and　prerogatives　even　at　the　expense　of　the　rights　of
the　Legislative　Body。　　These　encroachments　of　one　power　upon　another；
authorised　by　the　First　Consul；　gave　rise　to　reports