Napoleon and the Queen of Prussia

by L. Mühlbach

  CHAPTER XXXIV.

  THE CALL.

  Johannes von Mueller shook his head, and as he spoke his voice grewlouder and his face kindled with enthusiasm. "M. Alexander von Humboldthad made me acquainted with the French minister of state, M. Maret, whofrequently invited me, with Humboldt and some other _savants_, to dinewith him, and seemed to like my conversation. One morning he called toinform me that the Emperor Napoleon desired to receive me at seveno'clock in the evening. At the hour appointed I rode to Maret, and wasintroduced to Napoleon, who was seated by himself on a sofa; severalpersons, unknown to me, stood in a remote corner of the room. Theemperor commenced by referring to the history of Switzerland, and toldme I ought to finish it, because the more recent period of the historyof that country was by no means devoid of interest. From Swiss historywe passed to the history and constitution of ancient Greece, to thetheory of constitutions, to the striking difference of those of theAsiatic nations, and the causes of this difference, to be found in theclimate and in polygamy, to the widely different characters of the Arabs(whom the emperor extolled very highly), and the Tartars, which led usto the invasions always threatening civilization from that side, and thenecessity of raising a bulwark against them. We then spoke of the realvalue of European culture, and stated that there never had been greaterfreedom, security of property, humanity, and better times in general,than since the fifteenth century; further, that there was a mysteriousconcatenation in all terrestrial events, that every thing was directedby the inscrutable dispensations of an invisible hand, and that theemperor himself had become great by the very actions of his enemies. Wereferred to the great confederation of nations, an idea that had alreadybeen entertained by Henry IV.; to the sources and necessity of religion;we said that man was, perhaps, not able to bear the whole dazzlingtruth, and required to be kept in bounds; but that, nevertheless, it waspossible to bring about a happy order of things if the numerous warsceased that had been produced by constitutions too intricate, such asthat of Germany, and by the intolerable burdens imposed on nations bylarge standing armies. A great many other things were said, and, infact, almost all countries and nations were alluded to. The emperorspoke at first in his ordinary tone, but in a lower voice as theconversation became more interesting, so that I had to bend down, and noone else could have understood what he said. I myself shall never repeatseveral statements he made on this occasion. I contradicted himrepeatedly, and he entered into a discussion with me.

  "If I am to speak impartially, I must say that Napoleon's knowledge, thecorrectness of his observations, his understanding, the grandeur of hisviews, filled me with admiration, while the amiable manner in which hespoke to me could not but enlist my affection. A few marshals and thePrince de Benevento in the mean time entered the room, but he did notinterrupt himself. After I had conversed with him about an hour and ahalf, he ordered the concert to commence, and I do not know whether itwas a mere accident or whether he did so to oblige me, but he asked themusicians to play Swiss airs, and among them the _Ranz des Vaches_. Hethen bowed to me kindly, and left the room. I must confess I wasfascinated. Since my conference with Frederick II., twenty-four yearsago, I never had a more interesting interview, at least none with aprince; if my memory does not deceive me, the emperor's conversation waseven more solid and comprehensive than that of Frederick, who did notconceal his admiration for the views of Voltaire. For the rest,Napoleon's tone is firm and vigorous, but there is as winning anexpression about his mouth as there was about that of Frederick. It wasone of the most remarkable days of my life. Napoleon conquered me, too,by his genius and unaffected kindness. This, my friend," said Mueller,"is a faithful account of what occurred during my visit to him, and howI was charmed by his genius."

  "Woe to you that he succeeded!" exclaimed Gentz--"that he confused yourunderstanding and infatuated your judgment. Are you, then, really inearnest about this admiration and fulsome praise of a man whom youabhorred formerly--to whom at Frankfort you vowed everlastinghatred--whom, in your wrath, you called the scourge that was torturingus, that we might be aroused from our stupor? Do you now seriouslypraise him as the great genius to whom we ought to do homage and bow ashumble worshippers?"

  "Yes, I say that Providence has intrusted to him the most sublimemission," exclaimed Mueller. "I feel convinced that God has given him theempire of the world. Never before has this been more apparent than inthe late war, in which he obtained victories with which only those ofArbela and Zama can be compared. Inasmuch as the old and rusty order ofthings was doomed to disappear, it was fortunate that these victorieswere vouchsafed to Napoleon and to a nation that is distinguished forits culture, and appreciates the toils of learned men far more readilythan other nations. Just as little as Cicero, Livy, and Horace,concealed from the great Caesar, or from Augustus, that they had formerlybeen opposed to him, have I concealed that I had belonged to a differentparty, or rather entertained different views, which, the issues beingdecided, I willingly give up, ready, if not to cooeperate in, at least tobecome the impartial historian of the reorganization of the world. Now,it is an inexpressibly edifying occupation to raise our eyes from theruins of Europe to the whole connection of history--to seek for thecauses of events, and boldly to remove a little the veil that covers theprobable future. These ideas seem to me so grand and gratifying thatthey fill my soul, absorbing all my reflections. Thus I try to prepareas well as I can for what is to come. History teaches me that, when thetime for a great change arrives, resistance against it is utterlyuseless. True wisdom consists in a correct perception of the signs ofthe times, and true virtue is not transformed into vice when this orthat phase passes away. The ruler of the world will certainly neveroverlook him who demonstrates his manhood, and whose skill and courageentitle him to human respect."

  "Yes," exclaimed Gentz, laughing scornfully, "you are indeed a true man!When the country was overwhelmed with calamities--when your friends,whom your clarion-notes once led to the charge--when the royal couplethat had overwhelmed you with manifestations of kindness and esteem, andall the loyal and faithful fled, you acted like a true man! You onlythought of yourself and your personal interests, and forgot what youonce swore to me, and in reference to which I stand before you at thishour. Johannes von Mueller, I renounce you forevermore! Germany willaccept no further services at your hands, even though you should desireto espouse her cause again, for no one reposes confidence in thefaithless. Posterity will honor Johannes von Mueller, the historian; butthey will despise Johannes von Mueller, the man. I know you nowthoroughly. Your whole character is a strange error nature committed inuniting intellect of extraordinary strength with one of the feeblestsouls. The many sublime thoughts, the ingenious and often profoundcombinations which for many years have characterized your pen, wereapparently intended only for others; you yourself derive no benefit fromthem. You are, and will ever be, the plaything of every accidental andmomentary impression. Always ready to acknowledge and embrace whatevercame near you, you were never able to feel either enduring hatred orattachment. Your life is a mere capitulation. If the Evil One himselfshould appear on earth in visible form, I could show him the way bywhich he could league with you within twenty-four hours. The true sourceof your inconsistency is the fact that, separated from all good and truemen, and surrounded by knaves and fools, you see and hear nothing butwhat is ignoble and false. If you could have made up your mind to leaveBerlin, you would probably have been saved. Your real guilt consists inyour staying here; the remainder of your faults were only consequencesof it. Whether this judgment is more lenient or rigorous, moremortifying or honorable, than that which you may expect at the hands ofthe public, I will not decide. As for myself, it is conclusive."

  "But it is not for me," exclaimed Mueller, with grave dignity. "I forgiveyou the insults you have thrown into my face; and, instead of turningaway from you in silence, and in the consciousness of right, I willaddress you a last word of justification; for you know full well that Ihave loved you, and my heart renounces reluctantly its d
ream offriendship. You have preferred serious charges against me; you havethreatened me with the judgment of posterity; but posterity will havebetter ideas of justice than you, whose eyes are blinded by partisanfeelings and political hatred. It is true, I have said on every page ofmy works that men ought not to shrink from sacrificing their lives fortheir country, for truth, and justice; but I am unconscious of havingdone any thing to the contrary, nor have I ever been exposed to such analternative. Never have I changed my principles. What I desired when Ientered into the covenant with you at Frankfort, was to bring about afirm alliance between Austria and Prussia, and thereby to transformGermany into a strong power, interposing the two great empires. For thatpurpose I have striven, acted, spoken, and written. My utterances werenot listened to, and the year 1805 destroyed all my hopes. The timeschanged, but my principles did not, based as they are on the great truthof all possible liberty, dignity, and happiness for the nations,according to their different circumstances and peculiarities. Never,however, did I permit personal considerations to influence me; I wrotefor Prussia in the good cause of the princes' league, and againstPrussia in the bad one of the separate peace. It is true, I was notquiet with regard to the blunders committed: I did not encourage the madexpectations of the war-party, and was opposed to misleading the publicby false rumors and inflammatory appeals. I desired the truth, andproclaimed it; but the so-called German patriots think I ought to havekept silence. When the Jews were warned with tearful eyes to submit tothe conqueror, into whose hands Providence had delivered Asia for acertain time, they deemed it patriotic to persecute the prophet, butJerusalem was burned. Why did he not keep silence? Because God commandedhim to speak. That is the servility, the faithlessness, and treacherywith which I am now reproached. Hypocrites! Every crime has its motive.Did I intend to increase my glory? Certainly not. It was self-interest,then? Yes!--to give up the beautiful city of Berlin, the title ofcouncillor of war, and a salary of three thousand dollars, doubtless togo to Paris and receive a large pension from the French government! No!but to accept a professorship of two thousand florins in the little townof Tuebingen, and to have the honor to work hard to pay my debts! That isthe brilliant position which is asserted to have induced me to sacrificemy nation, my liberty, and my honor. I am tired of sacrificing myself,of toiling incessantly, and of being exposed to danger, in an ungratefulage and for a degenerate nation, cowardly in deed, slanderous in word,and senseless in hope. A supreme intelligence is ruling over us; one erais past; another is approaching, and of what character it will be,depends on our own reformation! It was Providence that sent Napoleon asthe instrument of the transition."

  "I acquiesce in the dispensation of God, who, during the lattercenturies, has so ordered events as to prevent mankind from recedingfrom the degree of civilization they had attained. The people must takeheart, concentrate their moral and mental strength, and devotethemselves to the culture of the peaceful and the good. That is my lastconfession. If you understand me, and it satisfies you, give me yourhand, and we are reconciled; if you wish to continue to misrepresent meand condemn my course, farewell! for, in that case, our paths divergeforever."

  "Let us, then, pursue different paths!" exclaimed Gentz, contemptuously,taking his hat and preparing to leave. "I go, but not without painfulemotion. Let your heart, in memory of the past, tell you whether I havejudged correctly. I feel what it is to lose you! As a friend ofpatriotism, I pass an inexorable sentence on you; as a man, as yourformer friend, I feel nothing but compassion--to hate you is beyond mypower. If God fulfil our wishes, and crown my efforts and those of mycompanions, then there will be but one punishment for you, and it willbe terrible. Law and order will return, the robber and the usurper behumbled, and Germany, flourishing under the rule of wise sovereigns,will again be free; but you will have to stand aloof, and never bepermitted to join in the sacred hymns of our patriots! Farewell!" Heturned and hastily left the room.

  Johannes von Mueller gazed after him mournfully. "I have lost anotherfriend! Ah, I wish I could escape into the grave from all thisturmoil--these painful misunderstandings and broken friendships."Standing silent, he placed his hand over his tearful eyes. "No," hesaid; "I will not despair! The hand of Providence is everywhere; it willsupport and protect me. I have lost a friend; very well, I will returnto my immortal friends--to the ancients! They never cease to instructand strengthen me by their exalted sentiments." He stepped to his desk,and, sitting down, seized one of the large open volumes. "Come andconsole me, Juvenal," he exclaimed, enthusiastically. "You are to merather a new friend, whom I have learned but lately to understandthoroughly. O Juvenal! let the fire burning in your works warm my heart,and invigorate me by your words, which are among the priceless treasuresof mankind!" He bent over the book and commenced reading. His face,which, at first, had been melancholy, soon assumed a serene and almostgood-humored expression, and, forgetful of the present, he becameentirely absorbed in reading the Roman author.

  All was silent in his room. The busts of Napoleon and Frederick lookeddown on the illuminated but deserted street, as if they were guardingthe great historian from any evil thoughts or cowardly despondency thatperchance might disturb his thoughts. Suddenly a horseman galloped up,and a carriage approached the house. Two gentlemen alighted and entered.Johannes von Mueller saw and heard nothing. He read and copied suchpassages from old Juvenal as pleased him best.

  Some one rapped violently at the door, and a deep voice called out inFrench, "May I enter?"

  "General Clarke!" exclaimed Johannes von Mueller, almost in dismay,starting up and rushing toward the door; but, before he reached it, theFrench governor of Berlin, General Clarke, appeared, followed by a youngorderly, whose dusty uniform told that he had just left the highway andthe saddle.

  "M. Johannes von Mueller," exclaimed Clarke, cordially nodding, andoffering his hand to the _savant_. "See what I bring you!"

  "Well," asked Mueller, in surprise, "what does your excellency bring?"

  "I bring you a courier whom the minister of state, M. Maret, by order ofthe emperor has sent you, and who has been hunting for you all overGermany. At Frankfort he was informed you were already at Tuebingen, andon arriving there he learned that you had not yet left Berlin, althoughyou had been expected for six months."

  "I could not go," said Mueller; "I had not yet received my dismissal; itarrived only to-day."

  "It is well it came to-day," exclaimed Clarke; "it has arrived just intime. My friend," he added, turning to the courier, "this is M. vonMueller; deliver the letter into his hands."

  The courier produced a large letter to which an official seal wasattached. "When can you let me have the reply?" he asked. "I have beeninstructed to return to Paris without delay."

  "The reply?" said Mueller. "But I do not yet know the question?"

  "My learned friend," exclaimed Clarke, laughing, "this game of questionsand answers with Napoleon resembles a thunderstorm; almost as soon asthe flash is seen, the thunder is heard. There must be no hesitation--nodelay. It is the emperor that asks. Permit the courier, in the meantime, to retire into the anteroom. On crossing it, I noticed a sofa. Youwill permit him to take a little rest until your reply is ready. I havealso commissioned your servant to fetch a glass of wine and some food.You must take into consideration that the poor fellow has been onhorseback, day and night, and has but just left the saddle."

  "Go, sir," exclaimed Mueller, in an impressive voice, "take a little restand some food. I am sorry that I have caused you so much trouble."

  "And now, sir," said Clarke, when the courier had left the room, "readthe letter from Minister Maret."

  Johannes von Mueller broke the seal and opened the paper with a tremblinghand. While he was reading, a blush suffused his face, and anexclamation of joyful surprise burst from his lips. "This lettercontains extraordinary news! I am to go to Paris! I am to receive animportant office that I have never solicited!"

  "Yes, sir, you are to go to Paris, and, as speedily as possible," saidClarke, smiling
. "I also received a letter from the minister by thiscourier, and his excellency requests me to have you set out withoutdelay. It is the emperor's order, sir, and must be complied with. Hismajesty himself has appointed you to the exalted position which you areto fill at the court of his brother, the King of Westphalia. Jerome'skingdom sprang from the soil of Germany in a night; hence it is rightthat you should be his minister of public instruction. That is theoffice to be intrusted to you, sir. The emperor has so ordered it. Hepromised his brother a minister of the German nation."

  "I, a poor book-worm, who have had more intercourse with the dead thanthe living--I am to become a minister! That will not do. I lack thenecessary ability and experience."

  "Nonsense, sir!" exclaimed Clarke; "when the emperor bestows an officeon a man, he gives him the understanding required for it. Hesitation isinjurious, because it only postpones your departure. Please notice thatyou have not been asked whether you wish to accept or not, but that theemperor orders your presence, and that quickly. I shall lend you my owntravelling-coach, and send my secretary with you. You will travel by wayof Mentz and Strasburg, and in five days you must be at Fontainebleau,where the emperor is awaiting you to give you further instructions.Well, when do you intend to set out?"

  "When shall I set out? I feel as one dreaming, or as if all this werethe play of my imagination."

  "You will have to admit, however, that it is at least brilliant. It isworth while, I should think, to make a journey to Paris to receive theappointment of cabinet-minister. I ask you again: When will you set out?Remember, it is the emperor that calls you."

  "Oh, then he has not forgotten me, the great man!" exclaimed Mueller."After so many victories, he still remembers that interview in which Ilearned to admire him. I must not be ungrateful for so gratifying aremembrance. Only sublime and salutary ideas spring from the head ofJove; hence, I submit in every respect to his will, and shall go to himto receive his orders and comply with his wishes."

  "Well said!" exclaimed Clarke. "You will set out to-morrow morning. Ishall prepare every thing that is necessary. But, remember, the courieris waiting for your reply. Quick, my friend! write an answer to theminister. But few words are required. Just say to him: 'Your excellency,I come!' That will be sufficient."

  Johannes von Mueller, almost intoxicated with delight, hastened to hisdesk, and wrote a few lines. "I have written what you told me," he said,smiling, and handing the paper to the general. "I have written: 'Yourexcellency, I come!'"

  "Now fold it up and direct it," said Clarke.

  Mueller did so, and gave the sealed letter to Clarke: "Well, general,here is the letter--I deliver it into your hands, and with it myfuture."

  "Mr. Minister, permit me to congratulate you," said Clarke, smiling,and, going to the door, he gave the letter to the courier.

  "Minister!" said Johannes von Mueller, with a joyful air, "I am to be aminister!" But suddenly his face became gloomy. "Alas!" he murmured,"now my country will call me a traitor indeed, and Gentz will seem to beright in denouncing me as an apostate, and accusing me of havingtendered my resignation to obtain a more lucrative office. Well, nomatter," he exclaimed, after a pause, "let them denounce and slander me!My conscience acquits me, and I may be permitted, after all, to beuseful to Germany in my new position. May God in His mercy guide me!"