A heavy fall of rain obliged us to return from our walk. I wrote to
General Lauer, requesting that he would give us an account of the
last moments of St. * * *. He informed me that the prisoner had been
executed at seven in the morning of the 27th; that he had taken no
sustenance since the 24th; that food had been offered to him, but that
he had constantly refused it, because, as he said, he had sufficient
strength to walk to the place of execution. He was informed that peace
was concluded; and this intelligence seemed to agitate him. His last
words were:—_Liberty for ever! Germany for ever! Death to the Tyrant!_
I delivered the report to Napoleon. He desired me to keep the knife
that had been found upon the criminal: it is still in my possession.
Napoleon informed me that the preliminaries of the peace were not
yet signed, but that the articles of the treaty were all drawn up,
and that it would be ratified at Munich, where we were to stop. We
arrived at Nymphenburgh: the Court of Bavaria was residing there
at the time. I had not had the honour of seeing the King since the
campaign of Austerlitz. He lodged me in his palace, and gave me many
proofs of his confidence and kindness. He described to me the unhappy
situation of his subjects; and added, that if another state of things
were not speedily established, he should be obliged to put the key
under the door and set off. These were the expressions he used.
I bore this last conversation in mind; for I was determined to report
it, not with the view of injuring the King, but for the sake of
proving to Napoleon that all the indemnities which he granted to his
allies were far from satisfying them and compensating for the burthens
imposed on them by the war.
Peace was ratified. We left Nymphenburgh and arrived at Stuttgard.
Napoleon was received in a style of magnificence, and was lodged in
the palace, together with all his suite. The King was laying out a
spacious garden, and men who had been condemned to the galleys were
employed to labour in it. The Emperor asked the King who the men were
who worked in chains: he replied that they were for the most part
rebels who had been taken in his new possessions. We set out on the
following day. On the way Napoleon alluded to the unfortunate wretches
whom he had seen at Stuttgard. “The King of Wurtemberg,” said he, “is
a very harsh man; but he is very faithful: of all the sovereigns in
Europe he possesses the greatest share of understanding.” We stopped
for an hour at Rastadt, where the Princes of Baden and Princess
Stephanie had arrived for the purpose of paying their respects to
the Emperor. The Grand Duke and Duchess accompanied him as far as
Strasburg. On his arrival in that city he received despatches which
again excited his displeasure against the Faubourg St. Germain. We
proceeded to Fontainbleau: no preparations had been made for the
Emperor's reception; there was not even a guard on duty: but shortly
after, the whole court arrived, as well as the different members of
Napoleon's family.
The Emperor had several long conferences with the Minister of
Police. He complained of the Faubourg St. Germain. The contrast of
humility and boldness alternately displayed by the old nobility, in
the anti-chambers and saloons, disconcerted him: he could scarcely
conceive that these men were so base and perfidious as to destroy with
the one hand while they solicited favours with the other. He appeared
inclined to severity; but Fouché dissuaded him from that course.
“It is a traditionary remark,” said he, “that the Seine flows, the
Faubourg intrigues, solicits, devours, and calumniates. This is in the
order of nature; every thing has its attributes.” Napoleon yielded;
he avenged himself only on men. It was proposed that he should make a
solemn entry into the capital; but this he declined: the conqueror of
the world was superior to the triumphs which transported the Romans.
On the following day the court left Fontainbleau. The Emperor rode
to Paris without stirrups: he outstripped all his escort; none but a
chasseur of the guard was able to keep up with him. In this manner he
arrived at the Tuileries.
Napoleon was now approaching one of the most important epochs of his
life.