Napoleon and the Queen of Prussia

by L. Mühlbach

  CHAPTER L.

  NAPOLEON AT SCHOeNBRUNN.

  While the regiments were forming in the palace-yard below, and thespectators were thronging about them, Napoleon was still in his cabinet.But he was not alone. Some of his adjutants and marshals were with him,and stood, like the emperor, in front of a table covered with strangearticles. There lay a leg encased in a magnificent boot, a hand coveredwith a white glove, an arm clad in the sleeve of a uniform, by the sideof which was a foot cut off close above the ankle, and encased in a neatshoe.

  Napoleon contemplated these things with grave glances, and then turnedhis eyes toward a small man who was standing in humble attire andattitude, and who was no other than the celebrated mechanician andinventor of the metronome, Leonard Maelzl. "You are a genius indeed!"said the emperor, with an air of genuine admiration; "people did not saytoo much in calling you the most skilful member of your profession. Youreally suppose that it is possible to walk with such a leg?" And theemperor pointed at that lying on the table.

  "Sire, I do not only suppose it, I know it," said M. Maelzl, gravely; "aman may use these limbs and feet as easily and naturally as though hewere born with them. Please be so kind, your majesty, as to look atthis." M. Maelzl took the article and placed it in front of a chair."Your majesty sees that it is a foot with about half a leg. It isfastened with these two suspenders, that are thrown over the shoulders,and a man may then walk with it."

  "Yes, walk, but he would not be able to sit down."

  "Yes, he would, sire; you touch this spring, and--your majesty sees, theknee bends and the upper part drops on the chair."

  "So it does!" exclaimed Napoleon, joyously, but suddenly his brow becamedark and his eyes gloomy. "Alas," he said, thoughtfully, "were Lannesstill alive, I might have at least offered him a substitute for thelimbs he lost." He stared at the ingenious work, and stroking his facequickly said, "You assert, also, sir, that a man may use that hand, andhold any thing with it?" asked Napoleon, lifting up the neatly-glovedhand.

  "Sire, it is just as good as one new-grown. The human will controlsevery limb and moves these artificial fingers just as well as thenatural ones. Will your majesty be so kind as to order me to takesomething from the table with this hand which you see now stretchedout?"

  The emperor drew a ring, adorned with a large diamond, from his finger,and laid it on the table. "Let the machine pick up this ring," he said.

  Maelzl took the hand, and, touching the spring fixed at the wrist, thefingers bent immediately and seized the ring. Napoleon looked humorouslyat his astonished marshals and generals. "Now, gentlemen," he said, "weneed no longer be afraid of bullets, for if we lose the hands and feetthat God has given us, we can replace them by those made by Mr. Maelzl."

  "Sire," said Mr. Maelzl, smiling, "will you convince yourself that myartificial hand cannot merely pick up, but also retain an object? Willyour majesty try to take the ring from it?"

  Napoleon seized the ring, but the fingers held it with irresistibletenacity. "Indeed, these are very sensible fingers," exclaimed Napoleon;"they do not give up what they once get hold of."

  "Yes, sire, they will. I touch this spring, and the fingers open again."

  "No, no," exclaimed the emperor, "let them keep this time what theyhave, and wear the ring as a memento. I will allow them only to deliverit to their maker, who knows not only how to use his own hands soskilfully, but also to manufacture serviceable ones for others. Nothanks, sir! we are greatly indebted to you, and not you to us, and itcertainly behooves me to thank you in the name of the brave soldierswhose lost limbs you replace so ingeniously. When the precious day ofpeace will come, people will be able to do without your invention, but Iam afraid we shall not live to see that day. We are, I fear, alwaysexposed to the horrors of war. Hence, your invention is a blessing thatcannot be appreciated too highly, for, thanks to you, there will befewer cripples and unsightly wooden legs. I shall issue orders to selectfive of the bravest and most deserving invalids from every regiment ofmy army, and you will restore to them their lost arms, legs and hands,at my expense. Indeed, sir, you imitate the Creator, and the wonderwould be complete if you knew also how to replace lost heads."

  "Sire, I do know that, too," said Maelzl, smiling.

  "Yes, a head of wax or painted wood!"

  "No, sire, a head that moves, opens, and closes its eyes, and--thinks."

  "A head that thinks?" exclaimed Napoleon, laughing. "Ah, that is apretty strong assertion, which you could hardly prove."

  "Pardon me, your majesty, I engage to furnish the proof."

  "How so?"

  "If your majesty will acknowledge that one must think in order to play agame of chess, then the artificial man in my possession is able tothink."

  "Where have you that man with the thinking head?"

  "Sire, I have caused my assistants to set it up in the adjoining room.But I must observe that this man was not made by myself; it is themaster-piece of the late Mr. Kempeler, a well-known mechanician, ofwhose son I bought my slave."

  "Ah," said Napoleon, laughing, "do you not know that the trade in humanchattels is now prohibited in our civilized states? But let us see yourslave.--Come, gentlemen," added Napoleon, turning toward his marshalsand adjutants, "let us look at the work of this modern Prometheus." Hewalked toward the door, but, before leaving the cabinet, he turned tothe chamberlain. "When the Duke de Cadore comes bring me wordimmediately." He then stepped into the adjoining room and the marshalsand Mr. Maelzl followed him.

  In the middle of the room, at a small table, on which was a chess-board,sat a neatly-dressed male figure, looking like a boy fourteen years old.

  "That, then, is the celebrated chess-player," remarked Napoleon,advancing quickly. "The face is made of wax, but who will warrant thatthere is not a human countenance concealed under it, and that thisprepossessing and well-proportioned form does not really consist offlesh and blood?"

  "Sire, this will convince your majesty that such is not the case," saidMaelzl, touching a spring on the neck of the automaton, and taking thehead from the trunk.

  "You are right," exclaimed Napoleon, laughing, "I am fully convinced. Itis true men are walking about without heads, but they are not so honestas to reveal the fact so openly as your automaton does."

  "Sire, will your majesty grant the favor of playing a game of chess withhim?" asked Maelzl, fastening on again the head of the automaton.

  "What! the thing will dare to play a game of chess with me?"

  "With your majesty's permission."

  "And alone?"

  "Yes, sire; your majesty will permit me, however, to take positionbehind the chair?"

  "Certainly. I see the chessmen are already on the board; let uscommence." The emperor sat down opposite the automaton, and saluted itwith a pleasant nod.

  "Well, comrade, let us commence," said Napoleon.

  The automaton made a graceful bow, and beckoned to the emperor with itsuplifted right hand, as though he wished him to commence.

  "Well, I shall commence," said Napoleon, advancing a pawn.

  The automaton took the pawn in front of the king and advanced it twosquares. The emperor made another move, and so did his opponent. Lookingsmilingly at the figure, Napoleon played his black bishop as a knight,occupying the oblique white square. The automaton, shaking its head, putthe bishop on the square it ought to occupy.

  "Ah, it does not like cheating," exclaimed Napoleon, laughing; "it is avery earnest and conscientious player." And the emperor made anothermove. The automaton continued the game. Another attempt was made tocheat by moving the castle in an oblique direction. His adversary tookthe castle with an impetuous gesture and placed it aside like a pawn ithad won.

  "It very properly punishes me," said the emperor. "We must playseriously."

  The game proceeded. It became more and more intricate; the chances weresoon in favor of the automaton, and the emperor was in danger of losingthe game. Forgetting who was his antagonist, he remembered only that hewas about to l
ose a game, and became serious. He played hastily, and forthe third time tried to cheat by moving a knight contrary to the rules.The automaton shook its head vehemently, and upset the wholechess-board.

  "Ah, it refuses to continue the game," exclaimed Napoleon; "it despisesmy swindling, and forgets that it is itself a swindle. You may bethankful, M. Maelzl, that we are no longer in the middle ages; formerlythey would have burned you at the stake as a sorcerer, attempting to dowhat God alone is able to do."

  "Sire, permit me to repeat that this machine was not made by myself, butby Kempeler. But I hope your majesty will permit me to show you my ownautomaton, and allow it to indulge in a little music before you."

  "Where is it?"

  "Here," said Maelzl, opening the closed curtains of one of the windows,and pointing at the handsome figure visible behind them.

  "Ah, a postilion!" exclaimed Napoleon, "and it will blow us a tune onthe bugle?"

  "Sire, it begs leave to play the _Marseillaise_ to your majesty," saidMaelzl, moving the figure on rollers into the middle of the room.

  "Let it commence," said Napoleon.

  The postilion raised its arm, seized the bugle hanging on a silkenstring around its neck, put it to its mouth and commenced blowing.

  At this moment the door of the cabinet opened; the chamberlain enteredand approached the emperor. "Sire," he said, the "Duke de Cadore hasjust arrived and begs to be admitted."

  "Conduct him immediately into my cabinet," replied Napoleon, risinghastily. He then beckoned the mechanician to his side. "Let yourpostilion still play to the marshals. As to your chess-player, I mustbuy it of you. You may apply to Grand-Marshal Duroc for the money. Inorder to punish the automaton for nearly beating me at the game, I willbuy it, and it is henceforth to be my slave."[47]

  [Footnote 47: This chess-player, which Napoleon bought of Maelzl,remained at the Villa Bonaparte, near Milan, until 1812, when it wasremoved to Paris, where it is at the present time.]

  "Sire, that is no punishment, but a reward, for which I beg leave tothank you in the name of my chess-player."

  "You have invented a most acceptable substitute for such of my invalidsas have lost arms or legs," said the emperor; "now you must inventsomething else for me, and come to the assistance of the wounded on thebattle-field. Make me the model of an ambulance into which the disabledcan be placed safely and comfortably, and which is arranged in such amanner that it may be taken asunder and transported on horseback withthe train of the army. You are an inventive genius, and I shall expectyou with your model in the course of a week. Now let your postilion blowagain. Good-by!" He waved his hand kindly to the mechanician, and thenhastened back into his cabinet. The Duke de Cadore was there already,and saluted the emperor with a low bow.

  "Well, Champagny," exclaimed Napoleon, quickly, "do you not yet bring uspeace?"

  "No, sire, the ambassadors of Austria refuse peremptorily to accept theterms proposed to them."

  "Ah," exclaimed the emperor, menacingly, "those Austrians believe theycan bid me defiance. They have not yet been humbled enough, although Ihave defeated their army, foiled the plans of their commander-in-chief,expelled their emperor from his capital, and am residing at his palace.They wish for further humiliations, and they shall have them. If they donot change their mind very speedily, I shall send for the Grand-duke ofWuerzburg and adorn his head with the imperial crown of Austria."

  "Sire, that would be replacing one puppet by another, but not removingthe men pulling the wires; and they are all animated by the same spirit.Prince Lichtenstein and Count Bubna are no less inflexible than wasCount Metternich. It is true they have already yielded in some points,and declared to-day that the Emperor Francis had authorized them toaccept some of the conditions proposed."

  "Which?" asked Napoleon, hastily.

  "The emperor is ready to cede to France Dalmatia and Croatia, theterritories demanded by your majesty."

  "Well!" exclaimed Napoleon, "we obtain thereby the chief point. I shallextend the territory of France to the Save, and become the immediateneighbor of Turkey. Let the Emperor of Russia try then to carry hisplans against Constantinople into effect: France will know how toprotect her neighbor, and her troops will always be ready to defend thePorte. When I have extended my frontiers into the interior of Dalmatiaand Croatia, Russia's influence in the Orient is paralyzed, and Francewill be all-powerful in Constantinople. What is it that Austria refusesafter granting our principal demands?"

  "Sire, she consents further to cede to Bavaria part of Upper Austria,namely: Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, and part of the district of the Inn andHausruck, but she refuses to give up one-half of Upper Austria, which weclaimed; she refuses further to cede to Saxony such large territories inBohemia, and to Russia in Galicia, as was demanded by your majesty."

  "We may yield a little as to these points," said Napoleon. "It is alwaysbetter to make exorbitant demands, because it is easier then to abate,and appear accommodating. I do not attach, moreover, any great value tothe enlargement of Bavaria, Saxony, and Russia. Only the aggrandizementof France by the extension of our frontiers to the boundaries of Turkeywas to be the object of our ambition. Having attained this, we willyield as to the cession of other territories, and be satisfied withless, provided that Austria accept unreservedly and fully the two otherconditions I refer to."

  "Your majesty refers to the reduction of the Austrian army, and the warcontribution of one hundred millions of francs, which we have demanded."

  "Which we have demanded, and which must be paid, unless they wish me toresume hostilities," said Napoleon, menacingly.

  "Sire, these are the two points as to which Austria shows the greatestreluctance," said Champagny, shrugging his shoulders. "She contends thata reduction of her army, brought about by the imperious demands ofFrance, is incompatible with the honor and dignity of her emperor; andfurther, that she is unable to pay a war contribution of one hundredmillions of francs."

  "She dares then to reject my demands!" exclaimed Napoleon, with a gloomyair. "She will compel me to recommence the war for the sake of a fewmiserable millions of francs!"

  "Sire, Austria makes counter-propositions, and hopes that anunderstanding will be arrived at. She promises to reduce her armyconsiderably in the course of six months, to disband the militia, and toplace the regiments on a peace footing. She further offers one-half ofthe sum which we have demanded, namely, fifty millions."

  "And she believes that I will be satisfied with that?" said Napoleon."She attempts to beat me down as though I were a British shopkeeper! Shedares to offer me one-half, and talks to me about the honor and dignityof her emperor! As if it did not depend on me to trample under foot hishonor and dignity, and to cast the imperial crown of Austria into thewaves of the Danube, or to place it on my own head, just as I prefer!"

  "Sire, I believe the Emperor Francis is fully aware of the dangermenacing him, and he is conscious, too, that his dynasty is at stake inthese negotiations. I do not believe, therefore, that hostilities willbreak out again, owing to his reluctance to submit to these twoconditions."

  "I shall not yield," said Napoleon, "although it seems to me disgracefulto commence another war for the sake of fifty millions, and when I knowthat my own army is in need of repose. I--" The emperor interruptedhimself, and listened to the clock, which struck twelve. "Indeed, it isalready twelve o'clock! My guard must have been waiting for me in thepalace-yard for some time." He stepped to the window and looked down."My splendid guard has already formed in line," he said, "and there is avast crowd of spectators from Vienna to see the parade."

  "To see your majesty," corrected Champagny, approaching the window at asign made by Napoleon.

  "Just look at that crowd!" said the emperor, smiling. "There are atleast three thousand men who have come hither to see me and my soldiers,and they do not belong exclusively to the lower classes, as is proved bythe large number of carriages, the numerous elegant horsemen, and by thewindows yonder." He pointed at the windows of the opposite wing of t
hepalace; and when the minister turned his eyes, he beheld a large numberof ladies, whose toilet seemed to indicate that they belonged to thehigher classes of society.

  "See!" said the emperor, "that beautiful lady in the ermine dress; it isthe Princess von Fuerstenberg, and the lady at her side is the wife ofField-Marshal von Bellegarde. They requested Bausset to lend them one ofhis windows, that they might witness the parade. The ladies at theirside are all members of the highest aristocracy, and the citizens andthe populace generally are in the yard below. You see, these good peopleregard us no longer as enemies; they love and esteem us, and perhaps itwould be wisest and best for me to claim the crown of Austria in orderto put an end to all further quarrels. The Austrians, it seems to me,would be content with it. Well, we shall see further about it! I willnot make the ladies, the populace, and, above all, my soldiers, waitlonger. You may remain here in my cabinet. There is a note on the tablewhich I want you to finish. I shall return soon."

  The emperor took his hat, and, opening the door leading into theadjoining room, he called out: "Gentlemen of the staff--to the parade!"