Napoleon and the Queen of Prussia
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CHAPTER XXVII.
TILSIT.--NAPOLEON AND ALEXANDER.
A cry of dismay resounded in the camp of the Prussians and Russians--ofexultation in that of the French. Another battle had been fought, andNapoleon had won a brilliant victory. On the 14th of June, 1807, adecisive action had taken place between the French and the unitedarmy--the battle of Friedland had gained Napoleon a new laurel-wreath,and brought an overwhelming defeat upon unhappy Prussia. The Russians,enraged at the loss of the battle, furiously denounced Prussia, for thesake of which Russia had been involved in this war; they asked theEmperor Alexander to put an end to the disastrous and self-sacrificingwar by making peace with France.
The same measure was urged by the adherents of the French party in thecamp and in the suite of King Frederick William. They asserted thatonly unconditional submission, however humiliating it might be, couldsave what was still to be saved; that the king ought to throw himself atthe feet of the victor of Friedland and implore him to restore hiscrown. Such was the advice of the discouraged and despairing--of thosewho always had regarded the war against France as a fatal mistake, andwho now, amidst the general consternation, were overjoyed that theirpredictions had been fulfilled.
"Peace! peace with France!" was the cry resounding in the ears of theEmperor Alexander and of King Frederick William. Alexander promised thathe would comply with the request. Frederick William listened to it insullen silence. The queen, who had remained at Memel, and was no longerwith her husband, veiled her head and wept.
But Napoleon triumphantly thanked his army for this new and decisivevictory.
"Soldiers," he said, "we are victorious. On the 5th of June we wereattacked in our cantonments by the Russian army. The enemy had mistakenour inactivity. He perceived too late that our repose was that of thelion: he repents of having disturbed it. In the battles of Guttstadt andHeilsberg, and in that ever-memorable one of Friedland, in a campaign often days, we have taken one hundred and twenty pieces of cannon, andseven colors. The killed, wounded, or made prisoners, are sixty thousandRussians. We have taken all the magazines, hospitals, ambulances, thefortress of Koenigsberg, the three hundred vessels which were in thatport, laden with military stores, and one hundred and sixty thousandmuskets, which England had sent to arm our enemies.
"From the Vistula to the Niemen we have come with the flight of theeagle. You celebrated at Austerlitz the anniversary of the coronation;this year, you celebrate that of the battle of Marengo, which put an endto the war of the second coalition.
"Frenchmen, you have been worthy of yourselves and of me. You willreturn to France crowned with laurels, and, after obtaining a gloriouspeace, which carries with it the guaranty of its duration, it is hightime for our country to repose, protected from the malignant influenceof England. My bounties shall prove to you my gratitude, and the extentof the love I feel for you."
Napoleon thus promised peace to his army, while thanking it for the newvictory. And he had a right to do so, for peace and its conditions werenow in his grasp. Alexander and Frederick William felt this, and hencethey were under the necessity of making advances to the conqueror; theywere obliged to sacrifice their pride and to conciliate their powerfulenemy. Frederick William was still hesitating. The tears of his wife,the prayers and remonstrances of Hardenberg restrained him; he wasunwilling to listen to the urgent appeals of Generals von Koeckeritz andZastrow, and of Field-Marshal von Kalkreuth, who, now that Dantzic hadfallen, believed unconditional submission to be the only means ofsafety.
Alexander determined first on taking a decisive step. On the 24th ofJune he sent Prince Labanoff to the victor of Friedland, and expressedhis desire for an interview with him. Napoleon complied with thisrequest, and sent Grand-Marshal Duroc to the Emperor Alexander to informhim that he would meet him on the following day, the 25th of June, atnoon. But the two emperors did not wish to see each other on a soil redwith the blood of their soldiers, nor were the peace negotiations to beheld on a territory hostile to the Emperor of the French. A river, whosewaves buried in their depths the reminiscences of the past, was to bethe neutral place of their meeting.
It was a clear midsummer-day; the earth was clad in the freshestverdure; not a cloud floated in the sky; not a breath of wind stirredthe air, or ruffled the limpid waters of the Niemen. The river wassilent, as though it was conscious of its importance, and felt that agreat historical event was to take place on its tranquil surface. Alarge raft was moored by General Lariboissiere, of the artillery,equidistant from and within sight of both banks. A pavilion wasconstructed with all the rich stuffs to be procured in the little townof Tilsit, for the reception of the two monarchs. This gorgeous pavilionseemed a palace descended from some fairy realm, and thousands ofspectators gazed at it in surprise.
The two armies were ranged along the Niemen, their arms and uniformsflashing in the sun. On one bank were the lifeguards of Alexander, withtheir bearded faces and savage features; on the other, the guards ofNapoleon, with their scarred faces, telling the story of many a victory.In the rear of the soldiers were thousands more, who had hastened to thebanks of the Niemen to witness the interview of the two emperors.Shouts, laughter, and songs, resounded on both sides; the air was filledwith a humming sound as from two immense swarms of bees. At times,greetings were sent across the river in a language mutuallyunintelligible. Suddenly, all this noise died away; the guards on bothsides presented arms; the drums were beaten, and the bands played thenational hymns of Russia and France. Amidst these jubilant notes the twoemperors with their brilliant suites approached.
That small, vigorous man, whose delicate hand is holding firmly thebridle of his spirited white charger--he with the pale face andexpansive forehead, crowned with light-brown hair; with impenetrablefeatures, a cold, compressed mouth, and large, gloomy eyes--that man isNapoleon, Emperor of the French. Duroc, Berthier, Bessieres, andCaulaincourt, form his suite, and follow him at a full gallop to thebank of the river.
That slender young man on the richly caparisoned black horse--that tallfigure with smiling and handsome face, full of vigor, health, andvivacity--with soft, restless features; blue eyes radiant withenthusiasm, and crimson lips--is Alexander, Emperor of Russia. TheGrand-duke Constantine, Generals Benningsen and Ouwaroff, PrinceLabanoff, and Count Lieven, accompany him.
The two emperors dismount at the same time, and embark with their suitesin the gondolas that are to convey them to the pavilion. The oarsmenkeep time with their oars and the boats approach each other, reachingsimultaneously the two staircases leading from the platform to thewater. The two monarchs disembark at the same moment. Alexander andNapoleon stand face to face. For a moment they look at each other withinquiring glances, and then embrace in the most cordial manner.
This testimony of a frank reconciliation excited vehement applause amongthe spectators who lined the river; the French as well as the Russiansstretched out their arms toward their newly-won friends on the otherbank. "Peace!" shouted thousands. "Hail, ye friends and brethren! ourenmity is over; our emperors have affectionately embraced each other,and like them their subjects will meet in love and peace! No moreshedding of blood! Peace! peace!" The music joined with the exultantcries of the two nations, and the emperors stepped, keeping time withthe bands, through the doors leading into the pavilion. They were alone.Only the eye of God could behold them. For a few moments they stood faceto face, silent, and undecided which of them was to speak first, whilethe echoes of the music penetrated the heavily-curtained walls of thepavilion. Each of them seemed to be anxious to read the thoughts of theother in his face, and to look into the depths of his soul.
Napoleon's sonorous voice was the first to break the silence. "Why arewe at war?" he asked with an inimitable smile, offering his hand toAlexander.
"It is true," exclaimed Alexander, as if awaking from a dream; "why arewe at war? If your grudge is against England, and against her alone--ifyour majesty hates me only because I am the friend of that country, Ican sever the alliance, and we shall easily agree
, for I have as muchreason to complain of her as you have, and shall readily support you inevery thing your majesty may decide upon undertaking against her."
"In that case," said Napoleon, quickly, "everything can be arranged, andpeace is a matter of certainty. England alone stood betweenus--perfidious, egotistic England, that is always interested only forherself, and is ready at any time to sacrifice her faithful and generousallies!"
"I have allowed England to deceive me a long while," exclaimedAlexander, vehemently; "for I once regarded that nation of traders as anation of men, heroes, and profound diplomatists. But I was terriblyundeceived. Those selfish shop-keepers amused me with fair but falsepromises; they care neither for my welfare nor for that of Europe, butonly for their commerce. The egotism of Great Britain is equalled onlyby her narrow-minded avarice. I asked the British cabinet to guarantee aRussian loan, and they were impudent enough to refuse me, although theyknew very well that I wished to negotiate it for the sole purpose ofequipping an army, with which I intended to take the field more in theinterest of England and Prussia, than in that of Russia. Faithful to myword, and to the treaties I had concluded, I nevertheless equipped myarmy and marched it into the field in order to join them. But where weremy allies? Prussia could not add to my forces a single army, but a fewcorps, utterly demoralized by their misfortunes, and the assistancepromised by England came so late that it failed in saving Dantzic. TheEnglish had taken their own time in appearing before that fortress; theyhad other matters to attend to in the Baltic; they had to make money byhunting up the merchant-vessels of other nations, and, in theirbrutality and avarice, they did not shrink from laying their rapacioushands even upon Russian ships! But while the English were taking unarmedvessels, and calculating their profits, and the Prussians were bewailingtheir misfortunes and dressing their wounds, I alone had to wage war andingloriously to shed the blood of my poor soldiers for a cause that washardly the cause of Russia. Ah, sire, I shall never forgive England fordeserting me in the hour of danger, and for basely deceiving me by falsepromises!"
While Alexander was speaking, Napoleon had steadfastly fixed his eyeson him; he had looked through the restless, quivering face of theyouthful emperor, into the recesses of his heart; and while Alexander,wholly absorbed in his wrongs, and alternately blushing and turning palewith indignation and grief, was uttering his reproaches, Napoleon saidto himself, "Two sentiments of the speaker are predominant, and ought,therefore, to be flattered: spleen against allies, burdensome likePrussia, or selfish like England; and a very sensitive and deeplymortified pride. I must profit by them."
As soon as Alexander paused, Napoleon said in a mournful voice: "Yourallies have taken advantage of your magnanimity, sire! They knew verywell that the heir of Peter the Great was also the heir of his fieryspirit, and that it was only necessary to talk of a field of battle, andlet him hear a warlike flourish, to make him draw the sword. Ah, sire,why was I not so fortunate as to be at your side? Why did we not takethe field together! What heroic deeds would you have already performed!What laurels would not now adorn a head designed by Providence to wearthem! It was your majesty's misfortune that you were united with allieswho duped you for their own purposes--they were a king without a countryand without soldiers, and a nation composed of greedy traders andstock-brokers, calculating whether glory would be profitable to them inpounds, shillings, and pence; and whether stocks would not fall if theyfulfilled their engagements. Your majesty alone displayed nobleness,energy, and courage, in this triumvirate; but your friends were unworthyof your honorable conduct. Your majesty's mistake is to be solelyattributed to generous sentiments carried to excess, and tomisconceptions to which ministers, incompetent and bribed, have givenrise. You were wrong to persist in patronizing ungrateful and jealousneighbors like the Germans; or in serving the interests of mere traders,like the English. God and history have intrusted a much more exaltedtask to you, and for this purpose such large and warlike forces havebeen given you. I and my marshals, I can assure you, are filled withadmiration at the bravery of your soldiers, every one of whom foughtlike a hero."
"Ah," exclaimed Alexander, "this praise uttered by you, sire, is a balmfor my wounds!"
Napoleon laid his hand softly on the shoulder of the young emperor, andlooked him full in the face. "Sire," he said, "if we were to unite thesetwo armies, which fought so valiantly against one another at Austerlitz,at Eylau, at Friedland, but who behaved like giants fightingblindfold--if we were to take the field hand in hand at their head, wemight divide the world between us, for its own peace and welfare. Bywaging war with France, Russia is spending her strength without anypossible compensation; whereas, if the two unite in subjecting the Eastand the West, on land and sea, she would gain as much glory, andcertainly more profit. Yes, sire, you would attain the glory which youhave hitherto been vainly seeking with those who led you into a path inwhich you have met with nothing but defeats and disappointments. Heavenintended, perhaps, that you should pass through a school of suffering tomake you see your false friends in their true character, and then causeyou to turn to new friendships with the whole strength of your heroicsoul. Sire, I offer you my hand, and, if you will accept it, I will leadyou into a career as brilliant as the star-spangled firmament, and asfragrant as the laurels of the south. You shall see at least half theworld at your feet. Sire, will you follow me?"
He fixed his fascinating glance on Alexander, and an unearthly radianceseemed to beam from his countenance. Alexander, dazzled by hisaspect--carried away by the vigor of his language, and flattered also byhearing Napoleon give utterance to reflections on his allies which sowell agreed with his own secret thoughts, extended his hands towardNapoleon.
"Here I am," he exclaimed, "lead me! Show me the career I am to pursue!"
Napoleon hastily seized the proffered hands, and, shaking themcordially, said with an energy which caused Alexander's heart toflutter, "Come, the world is ours!" He conducted Alexander quickly andsilently to the round-table in the middle of the pavilion, on whichseveral rolls of paper were lying. Unfolding the largest, and spreadingit on the table, he said, "Sire, look here. This is a map of the world.There is Asia, which is placed at the side of Russia, like a pillow onwhich to rest your head; there is Persia, with her treasures; the vastChinese empire, with its industry and commerce; there is Hindustan, withher immense wealth, and a population sighing for deliverance from theBritish yoke. Here below you behold Africa, with her dreary deserts, andthe three Barbary states, which lately again plundered French vessels,and upon which I have sworn to inflict summary punishment. I shall notnow speak of America and Australia. That is a world which has first topass through the children's disease of republicanism; after it hasrecovered from it, both of us will be ready to inoculate it withmonarchical principles. But here is Europe! Your majesty, look at thismotley chaos of colors and states, of big and little thrones, lyingbetween France and Russia. We are their bulwarks on the east and west;why should we not rule over them? We are able to do so by joining handsover the heads of all these states. If Russia desires to be the sincereally of France, nothing will be more easy; we shall change the face ofthis part of Europe; we shall break the chains separating these statesand nations from each other in the east as well as in the west. Therewill be but one shepherd and one flock, and the Emperor of the Occidentand the Emperor of the Orient will give laws to the world!"
"Ah," exclaimed Alexander, enthusiastically, "the will of my ancestor,Peter the Great, revives in the mouth of Napoleon the Great!"
Napoleon smiled. "And what Catharine the Great planned," he said, "willbe accomplished by Alexander the Great--the consolidation of the empireof the East! Sire, a courier brought me important news this morning. Myally and friend, Sultan Selim, has been hurled from his throne by thedaggers of conspirators. His overthrow has just set me at liberty inregard to my alliance with the Porte."
"I also heard this intelligence to-day," said Alexander, smiling; "thesultan's throne is vacant; Turkey awaits a new sovereign."
"Sire, you not only read in my eyes, but you look also into my heart!"exclaimed Alexander; "like a magician, you lay your hands on the secretsof my thoughts, that never found words; you teach them to assume adefinite shape, and impart the faculty of speech to them."
"I show you the way of glory, which your allies had taken pains toconceal," said Napoleon, smiling. "Your majesty anxiously desires tosee it, and those perfidious men tried to mislead you. The portal opensto you now, sire, and I already behold the noble Alexander entering it."
"Oh," murmured Alexander, placing his hands on his head, "my brain turnsdizzy; it seems to me as though it were on fire."
"Sire," exclaimed Napoleon, in a powerful voice, "we are destined togive everlasting peace to the world, and woe to those who try to hinderus! England would like to do so as to myself, and Turkey desires as muchin regard to you. Sire, let us unite, therefore, against these twoenemies, and give efficiency to our alliance. We must enlarge ourterritory. I see in the north an obstacle to your progress; Sweden iswatching your majesty with a jealous eye, and will regard an alliancewith me as a declaration of war. Well, then, wage war against Sweden!"
"Sire," said Alexander, in dismay, and confused by those novel ideaspassing so brilliantly before him, "the King of Sweden is mybrother-in-law and ally!"
"For that reason, let him follow the changes of your policy," repliedNapoleon, "or let him take the consequences. Sweden may be an ally forthe moment, but she is your geographical enemy. St. Petersburg is toonear the frontiers of Finland. The fair Russians of St. Petersburg mustnot again hear from their palaces the cannon of the Swedes. Proclaim waragainst the Swedish king, and take Finland as a compensation. And as youmust be strong in the south as well as in the north, take also at oncesome portion of the provinces of the Danube. However, as it is probablethat the Turks will not give up any thing, let us wage war against them.I will assist you, and afterward the partition will take place. Lookhere," added Napoleon, quickly, drawing with his finger a line acrossthe map, "this is the inheritance that Turkey will leave us. You takeBessarabia, Moldavia, Wallachia, and Bulgaria, as far as the Balkan. Ishould naturally wish for the maritime provinces, such as Albania,Thessaly, Morea, and Candia. It is true Austria would object to such anarrangement, but we should offer her indemnities in Bosnia and Servia,to be made the appanage of one of her archdukes. I have thus laid beforeyou a rapid sketch of our new world, sire; the question now is whetheryou like it--what you think of it."
"Your majesty," exclaimed Alexander, enthusiastically, "I feel like aman who has looked at the sun, and whose eyes are dazzled. But I shallbecome accustomed to this brilliant light, and then be able to look morereasonably at the wonderful picture which your majesty has unrolled.But, then, I shall need your explanations and assistance, and Itherefore request you not to let to-day's interview be the last, butrather the commencement of many happy hours!"
"We have to settle many things yet," said Napoleon, gravely; "it is,therefore, my heart-felt desire that we see each other as often aspossible; hence, I should like to ask a favor of your majesty."
"Ah, sire, then you will overwhelm me with kindness," exclaimedAlexander; "will you permit me, your vanquished foe, to confer a favorupon you?"
"I should like to request your majesty to leave the miserable hamletwhere you are now living, and establish yourself in the little town ofTilsit. It is true I am residing there, and I am said to be your enemy;but we may neutralize the town, that your majesty may be there also, andthat I may be so happy as to see you every day."
"Sire, I shall transfer my quarters to Tilsit in the course of the day,"replied Alexander, joyfully.
"But I have made only half my request. It is not enough for you toreside at Tilsit; you must also _live_ there. I have been informed thatyour household is not with you. I, therefore, ask your majesty to let mebe your host, and to permit me to receive you as a guest at my table."
"I accept your hospitality," said Alexander, smiling. "I hope it will bethe beginning of a true and lasting friendship. But," he added, in anembarrassed manner, "I have to ask a favor of you. Sire, when I acceptyour generous hospitality, it must extend to the unfortunate King ofPrussia. He is my ally; in an hour of rashness and sentimentalenthusiasm, perhaps, I swore faithful and lasting friendship to him."
"At the tomb of Frederick the Great, in presence of the beautifulqueen," said Napoleon, shrugging his shoulders. "It was the dream of agenerous heart, sire."
"But I must realize at least a part of this dream, sire. The King ofPrussia is with me at my headquarters; he is waiting for the decision ofhis fate."
"He has brought it upon himself; let him bear it now," exclaimedNapoleon, sternly. "I do not expect, hope, or ask any thing of him. Heis able neither to help nor to injure me. The waves of his destiny arerolling over him; they will engulf him, and I do not mean to save him."
"But I do," exclaimed Alexander; "I must, for my honor is at stake. Icannot allow the king to be utterly ruined without dishonoring myself.Before passing from one system of politics to another, it is incumbentupon me to secure my ally and to protect his crown."
"His estates belong to me; as to his crown, I will leave it to him,"said Napoleon, carelessly. "Let him reside at Meinel and review therehis fifteen thousand soldiers. But I comprehend why you in yourgenerosity intercede for him, and refuse to abandon him. Tell me,therefore, your majesty, what I am to do for the King of Prussia."
"Above all, sire, I request you to receive him, and to let him lay hiswishes and demands before you."
"Well, then," said Napoleon, "I request your majesty to appear with theKing of Prussia here in this pavilion to-morrow. Let him participate inour interview. Although he has so long been an implacable enemy of mine,I shall willingly yield him as much as possible, but I do so only foryour majesty's sake; it is a sacrifice I make to your honor andmagnanimity. Be kind enough to remember this. Sire, I might dissolvePrussia, and cause her to disappear forever. I shall permit her toremain a state, because your majesty desires me. But it is true I cannotgrant her the old frontiers; she will have to sacrifice much in order toretain something."
"She will be content with this something," exclaimed Alexander. "Yourmajesty will confer with the king himself as to the extent of his futurestates."
"You wish me to do so. The King of Prussia, therefore, may have a partin our negotiations," said Napoleon. "That is to say, in the officialnegotiations, but not in our confidential interviews.--You and I," headded, "can understand each other better if we treat directly than byemploying our ministers, who frequently deceive or misunderstand us; andwe shall advance business more in an hour than our negotiators in days.Between you and me there must be no third person, if we are toaccomplish our purpose."
"No one shall be between us," said Alexander, delighted at so skilful aflattery. The two sovereigns then walked hand in hand to the doors ofthe pavilion.
"To-morrow, then," said Napoleon, with a gentle nod.
"To-morrow, I and the King of Prussia will be here," said Alexander,with a smile.
Both emerged from the pavilion. The guards and the people received themagain with shouts in which the bands joined. Alexander turned to theGrand-duke Constantine, his brother, and seizing his hand t
o introducehim to Napoleon, he exclaimed enthusiastically, "What a man! what agenius! Ah, my brother, had I but known him sooner, how many blunders hemight have spared me! What great things we might have accomplishedtogether!"