“This child in concert with our Eugène will constitute our happiness and that of France,” so Napoleon had written Josephine after the birth of the King of Rome, but it soon became evident that he was wrong. There were causes of uneasiness and discontent in France which had been operating for a long time, and which were only aggravated1 by the apparent solidity that an heir gave to the Napoleonic dynasty.
First among these was religious disaffection. Towards the end of 1808, being doubtful of the Pope’s loyalty2, Napoleon had sent French troops to Rome; the spring following, without any plausible3 excuse, he had annexed4 four Papal States to the kingdom of Italy; and in 1809 the Pope had been made a prisoner at Savona. When the divorce was asked, it was not the Pope, but the clergy5, of Paris, who had granted it. When the religious marriage of Marie Louise and Napoleon came to be celebrated6, thirteen cardinals7 refused to appear; the “black cardinals” they were thereafter called, one of their punishments for non-appearance at the wedding being that they could no longer wear their red gowns. To the pious8 all this friction9 with the fathers of the Church was a deplorable irritation10. It was impossible to show contempt for the authority of Pope and cardinals and not wound one of the deepest sentiments of France, and one which ten years before Napoleon had braved most to satisfy.
230
NAPOLEON AND POPE PIUS VII. IN CONFERENCE AT FONTAINEBLEAU.
231To the irritation against the emperor’s church policy was added bitter resentment12 against the conscription, that tax of blood and muscle demanded of the country. Napoleon had formulated13 and attempted to make tolerable the principle born of the Revolution, which declared that every male citizen of age owed the state a service of blood in case it needed him. The wisdom of his management of the conscription had prevented discontent until 1807; then the draft on life had begun to be arbitrary and grievous. The laws of exemptions15 were disregarded. The “only son of his mother” no longer remained at her side. The father whose little children were motherless must leave them; aged16 and helpless parents no longer gave immunity17. Those who had bought their exemption14 by heavy sacrifices were obliged to go. Persons whom the law made subject to conscription in 1807, were called out in 1806; those of 1808, in 1807. So far was this premature18 drafting pushed, that the armies were said to be made up of “boy soldiers,” weak, unformed youths, fresh from school, who wilted19 in a sun like that of Spain, and dropped out in the march.
At the rate at which men had been killed, however, there was no other way of keeping up the army. Between 1804 and 1811 one million seven hundred thousand men had perished in battle. What wonder that now the boys of France were pressed into service! At the same time the country was overrun with the lame20, the blind, the broken-down, who had come back from war to live on their friends or on charity. It was not only the funeral crape on almost every door which made Frenchmen hate the conscription, it was the crippled men whom they met at every corner.
232
THE KING OF ROME. 1811.
Engraved by Desnoyers, after Gérard. “His Majesty21 the King of Rome. Dedicated22 to her Majesty Imperial and Royal, Marie Louise.”
233While within, the people fretted23 over the religious disturbances24 and the abuses of the conscription, without, the continental25 blockade was causing serious trouble between Napoleon and the kings he ruled. In spite of all his efforts English merchandise penetrated26 everywhere. The fair at Rotterdam in 1807 was filled with English goods. They passed into Italy under false seals. They came into France on pretence27 that they were for the empress. Napoleon remonstrated28 and threatened, but he could not check the traffic. The most serious trouble caused by this violation29 of the Berlin Decree was with Louis, King of Holland. In 1808 Napoleon complained to his brother that more than one hundred ships passed between his kingdom and England every month, and a year later he wrote in desperation, “Holland is an English province.”
The relations of the brothers grew more and more bitter. Napoleon resented the half support Louis gave him, and as a punishment he took away his provinces, filled his forts with French troops, threatened him with war if he did not break up the trade. So far did these hostilities30 go, that in the summer of 1810 King Louis abdicated31 in favor of his son and retired32 to Austria. Napoleon tried his best to persuade him at least to return into French territory, but he refused. This break was the sadder because Louis was the brother for whom Napoleon had really done most.
Joseph was not happier than Louis. The Spanish war still went on, and no better than in 1808. Joseph, humbled33 and unhappy, had even prayed to be freed of the throne.
The relations with Sweden were seriously strained. Since 1810 Bernadotte had been by adoption34 the crown prince of that country. Although he had emphatically refused, in accepting the position, to agree never to take up arms against France, as Napoleon wished him to do, he had later consented to the continental blockade, and had declared war against England; but this declaration both England and Sweden considered simply as a fa?on de parler. Napoleon, conscious that Bernadotte was not carrying out the blockade, and irritated by his persistent35 refusal to enter into French combinations, and pay tribute to carry on French wars, had suppressed his revenues as a French prince—Bernadotte had been created Prince of Ponte-Corvo in 1806—had refused to communicate with him, and when the King of Rome was born had sent back the Swedish decoration offered. Finally, in January, 1812, French troops invaded certain Swedish possessions, and the country concluded an alliance with England and Russia.
234
“NAPOLEON IN HIS CABINET.” THE CHILD AT HIS SIDE IS HIS SON, THE KING OF ROME.
The manuscript on the floor of the cabinet bears the date “1811.” Engraved by Weber, after Steuben.
235With Russia, the “other half” of the machine, the ally upon whom the great plan of Tilsit and Erfurt depended, there was such a bad state of feeling that, in 1811, it became certain that war would result. Causes had been accumulating upon each side since the Erfurt meeting.
The continental system weighed heavily on the interests of Russia. The people constantly rebelled against it and evaded36 it in every way. The business depressions from which they suffered they charged to Napoleon, and a strong party arose in the empire which used every method of showing the czar that the “unnatural alliance,” as they called the agreement between Alexander and Napoleon, was unpopular. The czar could not refuse to listen to this party. More, he feared that Napoleon was getting ready to restore Poland. He was offended by the haste with which his ally had dismissed the idea of marriage with his sister and had taken up Marie Louise. He complained of the changes of boundaries in Germany. Napoleon, on his part, saw with irritation that English goods were admitted into Russia. He resented the failure of Alexander to join heartily37 in the wide-sweeping application he had made of the Berlin and Milan Decrees, and to persecute38 neutral flags of all nations, even of those so far away from the Continent as the United States. He remembered that Russia had not supported him loyally in 1809. He was suspicious, too, of the good understanding which seemed to be growing between Sweden, Russia, and England.
236
THE DUKE OF REICHSTADT.
Engraved by W. Bromley, after Sir Thomas Lawrence.
237During many months the two emperors remained in a half-hostile condition, but the strain finally became too great. War was inevitable39, and Napoleon set about preparing for the struggle. During the latter months of 1811 and the first of 1812 his attention was given almost entirely40 to the military and diplomatic preparations necessary before beginning the Russian campaign. By the 1st of May, 1812, he was ready to join his army, which he had centred at Dresden. Accompanied by Marie Louise he arrived at Dresden on the 16th of May, 1812, where he was greeted by the Emperor of Austria, the King of Prussia, and other sovereigns with whom he had formed alliances.
The force Napoleon had brought to the field showed graphically41 the extension and the character of the France of 1812. The “army of twenty nations,” the Russians called the host which was preparing to meet them, and the expression was just, for in the ranks there were Spaniards, Neapolitans, Piedmontese, Slavs, Kroats, Bavarians, Dutchmen, Poles, Romans, and a dozen other nationalities, side by side with Frenchmen. Indeed, nearly one-half the force was said to be foreign. The Grand Army, as the active body was called, numbered, to quote the popular figures, six hundred and seventy-eight thousand men. It is sure that this is an exaggerated number, though certainly over half a million men entered Russia. With reserves, the whole force numbered one million one hundred thousand. The necessity for so large a body of reserves is explained by the length of the line of communication Napoleon had to keep. From the Nieman to Paris the way must be open, supply stations guarded, fortified42 towns equipped. It took nearly as many men to insure the rear of the Grand Army as it did to make up the army itself.
238
PORTRAIT OF THE KING OF ROME.
Painting by Lawrence. Collection of the Duc de Bassano. This portrait of Napoleon II. is an exquisite43 work of art, a bright and fresh color-harmony. Lawrence must have executed this portrait while travelling in Europe, whither he was sent by his sovereign George IV., and paid twenty-five thousand francs a year, to paint for the great Windsor gallery the portraits of all the heroes “du grand hasard de Waterloo.”—A. D.
239With this imposing44 force at his command, Napoleon believed that he could compel Alexander to support the continental blockade, for come what might that system must succeed. For it the reigning45 house had been driven from Portugal, the Pope despoiled46 and imprisoned47, Louis gone into exile, Bernadotte driven into a new alliance. For it the Grand Army was led into Russia. It had become, as its inventor proclaimed, the fundamental law of the empire.
Until he crossed the Nieman, Napoleon preserved the hope of being able to avoid war. Numerous letters to the Russian emperor, almost pathetic in their overtures48, exist. But Alexander never replied. He simply allowed his enemy to advance. The Grand Army was doomed49 to make the Russian campaign.
240
NAPOLEON READING.
By Girodet. From the collection of Monsieur Cheramy of Paris.
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1
aggravated
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| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
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loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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annexed
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| [法] 附加的，附属的 | |
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clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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cardinals
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| 红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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friction
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| n.摩擦，摩擦力 | |
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irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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engraved
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| v.在（硬物）上雕刻（字，画等）( engrave的过去式和过去分词 )；将某事物深深印在（记忆或头脑中） | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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formulated
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| v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示 | |
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exemption
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| n.豁免，免税额，免除 | |
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exemptions
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| n.（义务等的）免除( exemption的名词复数 )；免（税）；（收入中的）免税额 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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immunity
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| n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权 | |
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premature
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| adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的 | |
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wilted
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| （使）凋谢，枯萎( wilt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lame
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| adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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disturbances
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| n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍 | |
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continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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27
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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28
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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29
violation
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| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
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hostilities
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| n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事 | |
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31
abdicated
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| 放弃（职责、权力等）( abdicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 退位，逊位 | |
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32
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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adoption
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| n.采用，采纳，通过；收养 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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evaded
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| 逃避( evade的过去式和过去分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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persecute
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| vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰 | |
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39
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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40
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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41
graphically
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| adv.通过图表；生动地，轮廓分明地 | |
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42
fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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43
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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reigning
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| adj.统治的，起支配作用的 | |
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46
despoiled
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| v.掠夺，抢劫( despoil的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
overtures
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| n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲 | |
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49
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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