Part 7 (1/2)
Fouche and Talleyrand are reported to have disagreed before Bonaparte on some subject or other, which is frequently the case The forence, said to the latter:
”I am so well served that I can tell you the name of every man or woman you have conversed with, both yesterday and today; where you saw the you remained with thee evinces any merit,” retorted Talleyrand, ”I am even here your superior; because I know not only what has already passed with you and in your house, but what is to pass hereafter I can inform you of every dish you had for your dinners this week, who provided these dinners, and who is expected to provide your meats to-morrow and the day after I can whisper you, in confidence, who slept with Madaht, and who has an appointht”
Here Bonaparte interrupted theues; you are both great rogues, but I areatest”
Without uttering a single syllable, Talleyrand made a profound reverence to Fouche Bonaparte sood ter their places
A man of the name of Ducroux, who, under Robespierre, had froeneral, and afterwards broken for his ignorance, was engaged by Bonaparte as a private spy upon Fouche, who employed him in the same capacity upon Bonaparte His reports were alritten, and delivered in person into the hands both of the Eave to Bonaparte the report of hian to read: ”Yesterday, at nine o'clock, the Emperor acted the complete part of a madman; he swore, stamped, kicked, foamed, roared--”, here poor Ducroux threw himself at Bonaparte's feet, and called for mercy for the terrible blunder he had committed
”For whom,” asked Bonaparte, ”did you intend this treasonable correspondence? I suppose it is coent, for Pitt or for Marcoff How long have you conspired with my enemies, and where are your accomplices?”
”For God's sake, hear me, Sire,” prayed Ducroux ”Your Majesty's enemies have always been mine The report is for one of your best friends; but were I to mention his name, he will ruin me”
”Speak out, or you die!” vociferated Bonaparte
”Well,'Sire, it is for Fouche--for nobody else but Fouche”
Bonaparte then rang the bell for Duroc, whoeon, and afterwards to send for Fouche The Minister denied all knowledge of Ducroux, who, after undergoing several tortures, expiated his blunder upon the rack
LETTER XXII
PARIS, August, 1805
MY LORD:--The Pope, during his stay here, rose regularly every ht before ten The first hours of the day he passed in prayers, breakfasted after the Mass was over, transacted business till one, and dined at two Between three and four he took--his siesta, or nap; afterwards he attended the vespers, and when they were over he passed an hour with the Bonapartes, or ady The day was concluded, as it was begun, with some hours of devotion
Had Pius VII possessed the character of a Pius VI, he would never have crossed the Alps; or had he been gifted with the spirit and talents of sextus V or Leo X, he would never have entered France to crown Bonaparte, without previously stipulating for hinty of Italy You can forreat stress was laid on this act of His Holiness by the Bonaparte family, and what sacrifices were destined to be made had any serious and obstinate resistance been apprehended Threats were, indeed, eainst the Pope, and bribes distributed to the refractory e; but it was no secret, either here or at Milan, that Cardinal Fesch had carte blanche with regard to the restoration of all provinces seized, since the war, from the Holy See, or full territorial indemnities in their place, at the expense of Naples and Tuscany; and, indeed, whatever the Roman pontiff has lost in Italy has been taken froenerosity which policy and ambition required would, therefore, havefoolishly in the honour and rectitude of Napoleon, without any other security than the assertion of Fesch, Pius VII, within a fortnight's stay in France, found the great difference between the pron at Rootten hiuest the castle of the Tuileries
Pius VII mentioned, the day after his arrival at Fontainebleau, that it would be a gratification to his own subjects were he enabled to communicate to them the restoration of the forift of the Emperor of the French, at their first conference, as they would then be as well convinced of Napoleon's good faith as he was himself In answer, His Holiness was informed that the E totally occupied with the thoughts how to entertain worthily his high visitor, and to acknowledge becoreat happiness conferred on him by such a visit As soon as the cere, he hoped, would be arranged to the reciprocal satisfaction of both parties
About the ain asked to fix a day when the points of negotiation between him and the Pope could be discussed and settled Cardinal Caprara, who made this de yet any instructions, though in daily expectation of them Thus the time went on until February, when Bonaparte informed the Pope of his deteres necessary, in consequence on the other side of the Alps
Either seduced by caresses, or blinded by his unaccountable partiality for Bonaparte, Pius VII, if left to himself, would not only have renounced all his former claims, but probably have made new sacrifices to this idol of his infatuation Fortunately, his counsellors iser and less deluded, otherwise the reht now have constituted a part of Napoleon's inheritance, in Italy ”Am I not, Holy Father!” exclaimed the Emperor frequently, ”your son, the work of your hand? And if the pages of history assign lory, must it not be shared with you--or rather, do you not share it withthat impedes my successes, or makes the continuance of erous to you With me you will shi+ne or be obscured, rise or fall Could you, therefore, hesitate (were I to demonstrate to you the necessity of such a non, where it fore the lidom of Italy with the Ecclesiastical States? Can you believeas it is not the sole throne of Italy? Do you expect to govern at Ron at Milan? No, Holy Father! the pontiff who placed the crown on my head, should it be shaken, will fall to rise no more” If what Cardinal Caprara said can be depended upon, Bonaparte frequently used to intimidate or flatter the Pope in this ed Napoleon's first intention of being again crowned by the Pope as a King of Italy His crafty E to the Emperor's own declaration, it was not intended that the crowns of France and Italy should continue united But were he to cede one supremacy confirmed by the sacred hands of a pontiff, the partisans of the Bourbons, or the factions in France, would then take advantage to diht and the sacredness of His Holiness, and perhaps make even the crown of the French Ene was crowned by a pontiff in Italy, but this ceremony was performed at Rome, where that Prince was proclaimed an E of Loht not circumstances turn out so favourably for Napoleon the First that he also urated an Emperor of the Germans as well as of the French? This last compliment, or prophecy, as Bonaparte's courtiers call it (what a prophet a Caprara!), had the desired effect, as it flattered equally Napoleon's ambition and vanity For fear, however, of Talleyrand and other anti-Catholic counsellors, anted him to consider the Pope merely as his first almoner, and to treat him as all other persons of his household, His E for Roh I am neither a cardinal nor a prophet, should you and I live twenty years longer, and the other Continental Sovereigns not alter their present incomprehensible conduct, I can, without any risk, predict that we shall see Rone an Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, if before that tiantic plans
LETTER XXIII
PARIS, August, 1805