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ON THE 25TH of August, on the eve of the battle of Borodino, the prefect of
the French Emperor's palace, M. de Beausset, and Colonel Fabvier, arrived, the
former from Paris, and the latter from Madrid, at Napoleon's encampment at
Valuev.
After changing into a court uniform M. de Beausset ordered the package he had
brought for the Emperor to be carried before him, and walked into the first
compartment of Napoleon's tent, where he busied himself while conversing with
the aides-de-camp in unpacking the box.
Fabvier stood talking with generals of his acquaintance in the entrance of
the tent.
The Emperor Napoleon had not yet left his bedroom, he was finishing his
toilet. With snorts and grunts of satisfaction, he was turning first his stout
back and then his plump, hirsute chest towards the flesh-brush with which a
valet was rubbing him down. Another valet, holding a bottle with one finger on
it, was sprinkling eau de cologne on the Emperor's pampered person with an
expression which seemed to say that he alone knew where and how much eau de
cologne must be sprinkled. Napoleon's short hair was wet and matted on his brow.
But his face, though puffy and yellow, expressed physical satisfaction.
“Go on, hard, go on …” he said, shrugging and clearing his throat, to the
valet brushing him. An adjutant, who had come into the bedroom to report to the
Emperor the number of prisoners taken in the last engagement, was standing at
the door, after giving his message, awaiting permission to withdraw. Napoleon,
frowning, glanced up from under his brows at the adjutant. “No prisoners,” he
repeated the adjutant's words. “They are working their own destruction. So much
the worse for the Russian army,” said he. “Harder, brush harder,” he said,
hunching his fat shoulders before the valet. “Good. Let Beausset come in and
Fabvier too,” he said to the adjutant, nodding.
“I obey, sire,” and the adjutant disappeared.
The two valets rapidly dressed his majesty, and in the blue uniform of the
guards he walked into the reception-room with firm, rapid steps.
Beausset meanwhile was in great haste setting up the present he had brought
from the Empress on two chairs just before the Emperor as he entered. But the
Emperor had been so unaccountably rapid over getting dressed and coming in that
he had not time to have the surprise ready for him.
Napoleon at once noticed what they were about, and guessed they were not
ready. He did not want to deprive them of the pleasure of preparing an agreeable
surprise for him. He pretended not to see M. de Beausset, and beckoned Fabvier
to him. Napoleon, frowning sternly, listened in silence to what Fabvier was
saying of the gallantry and devotion of his army, fighting before Salamanca, at
the other end of Europe; they had, he said, but one dream—to be worthy of their
Emperor, and one fear—to displease him. The result of the battle had been
disastrous. Napoleon made ironical remarks during Fabvier's account of it, as
though he had not expected it to be otherwise in his absence.
“I must make up for it at Moscow,” said Napoleon. “A tantôt,” he
added, and summoned Beausset, who had by this time succeeded in preparing his
effect, had stood something on the chairs and thrown a cover over it.
Beausset made a courtier's low bow, such as only the old retainers of the
Bourbons knew how to make, and approached him, handing him a letter.
Napoleon addressed him gaily and pinched him by the ear.
“You have been quick, delighted to see you. Well, what is Paris saying?” he
said, his look of sternness suddenly changing to the most cordial
expression.
“Sire, all Paris is regretting your absence,” answered Beausset, as in duty
bound. But though Napoleon knew Beausset was bound to say this or something like
it, though at his lucid moments he knew it was all false, he was glad to hear
this from him. He condescended to pinch his ear again.
“I am very sorry to have made you to travel so far,” he said.
“Sire, I expected to find you at least at the gates of Moscow,” said
Beausset.
Napoleon smiled, and lifting his head absently looked round to the right. An
adjutant approached obsequiously with a gold snuffbox and offered it. Napoleon
took it.
“Yes, it's a happy chance for you,” he said, putting the open snuffbox to his
nose. “You are fond of travelling, and in three days you will see Moscow. You
probably did not expect to see the Asiatic capital. You will have a delightful
journey.”
Beausset bowed with gratitude for this interest in his tastes for travel (of
which he had till that moment been unaware).
“Ah! what's this?” said Napoleon, observing that all the courtiers were
gazing at something concealed under a covering. Beausset with courtier-like
agility retired two steps with a half turn, not showing his back, and at the
same moment twitched off the covering, saying: “A present to your majesty from
the Empress.”
It was a portrait, painted in brilliant colours by Gérard, of the child of
Napoleon and the daughter of the Austrian Emperor, the little boy whom every one
for some unknown reason called the King of Rome.
The very pretty, curly-headed child, with eyes like the Christ with the
Sistine Madonna, had been portrayed playing cup and ball. The ball represented
the terrestrial globe and the cup in the other hand was a sceptre.
Though it was not altogether clear what the painter had intended to express
by representing the so-called King of Rome tossing the terrestrial globe on a
sceptre, the allegory apparently seemed to Napoleon, as it had to every one who
had seen it in Paris, quite clear and extremely pleasing.
“The King of Rome!” he said, pointing with a graceful gesture to the
portrait. “Admirable!” With the characteristic Italian facility for changing his
expression at will, he went up to the portrait and assumed an air of pensive
tenderness. He felt that what he might say or do at that moment would be
historical. And it struck him that the best line he could take at that moment,
at the height of his grandeur—so great that his child was playing cup and ball
with the earth—would be to display, in contrast with that grandeur, the
simplest, fatherly tenderness. His eyes were veiled by emotion; he moved up,
looked round for a chair (a chair seemed to spring up under him), and sat down,
facing the portrait. At a single gesture from him all withdrew on tip-toe,
leaving the great man to himself and his feelings. After sitting there a little
while and passing his fingers, he could not have said why, over the rough
surface of the painting, he got up and again sent for Beausset and the officer
on duty. He gave orders for the portrait to be carried out in front of his tent,
so that the Old Guard, standing about his tent, might not be deprived of the
happiness of seeing the King of Rome, the son and heir of their adored
Emperor.
While he sat at breakfast with M. de Beausset—whom he had honoured by an
invitation to join him—he heard, as he had expected, enthusiastic shouts from
the soldiers and officers of the Old Guard, who had run up to see the
portrait.
“Vive l'Empereur! Vive le roi de Rome! Vive l'Empereur!” shouted
enthusiastic voices.
After breakfast, in Beausset's presence, Napoleon dictated his proclamation
to the army.
“Courte et énergique!” Napoleon pronounced it, when he had read over
the proclamation that he had dictated straight off without corrections. It was
as follows:
“Soldiers! This is the battle you have so greatly desired. Victory is in your
hands. It is essential for us; it will give us everything we need: comfortable
quarters and a speedy return to our own country. Behave as you behaved at
Austerlitz, Friedland, Vitebsk, and Smolensk. May posterity recall with pride
your achievement on this day! And may they say of each of you: he was at the
great battle before Moscow!”
“Before Moscow,” repeated Napoleon, and inviting M. de Beausset, so fond of
travel, to accompany him on his ride, he went out of the tent to the saddled
horses awaiting them outside.
“Your majesty is too kind,” said Beausset, in response to the invitation to
accompany the Emperor. He was very sleepy. He could not ride well, and was
afraid of horses.
But Napoleon nodded to the traveller, and Beausset had to mount. When
Napoleon came out of the tent the shouts of the Guards before his son's portrait
were redoubled. Napoleon frowned.
“Take him away,” he said, with a gracefully majestic gesture, pointing to the
portrait. “It is too early yet for him to look upon the field of battle.”
Beausset, dropping his eyelids, and bowing his head, heaved a deep sigh, to
testify how well he was able to appreciate and comprehend the Emperor's
words.
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