第407章 CHAPTER XXV(7)

I must take this opportunity of stating that the malevolent and infamous rumours spread abroad respecting the birth of the King of Rome were wholly without foundation. My friend Corvisart， who did not for a single instant leave Maria Louisa during her long and painful labour， removed from my mind every doubt on the subject. It is as true that the young Prince， for whom the Emperor of Austria stood sponsor at the font， was the son of Napoleon and the Archduchess Maria Louisa as it is false that Bonaparte was the father of the first child of Hortense. The birth of the son of Napoleon was hailed with general enthusiasm. The Emperor was at the height of his power from the period of the birth of his son until the reverse he experienced after the battle of the Moskowa. The Empire， including the States possessed by the Imperial family， contained nearly 57，000，000 of inhabitants； but the period was fast approaching when this power， unparalleled in modern times， was to collapse under its own weight.

--[The little King of Rome， Napoleon Francis Bonaparte， was born on the 20th of March 1811. Editor of 1836 edition.]--第一章CHAPTER XXVI

My return to Hamburg--Government Committee established there--Anecdote of the Comte de Chaban--Napoleon's misunderstanding with the Pope--Cardinal Fesch--Convention of a Council--Declaration required from the Bishops--Spain in 1811--Certainty of war with Russia--Lauriston supersedes Caulaincourt at St. Petersburg--The war in Spain neglected--Troops of all nations at the disposal of Bonaparte--Levy of the National Guard--Treaties with Prussia and Austria--Capitulation renewed with Switzerland--Intrigues with Czernischeff--Attacks of my enemies--Memorial to the Emperor--Ogier de la Saussaye and the mysterious box--Removal of the Pope to Fontainebleau--Anecdote of His Holiness and M. Denon--Departure of Napoleon and Maria Louisa for Dresden--Situation of affairs in Spain and Portugal--Rapp's account of the Emperor's journey to Dantzic--Mutual wish for war on the part of Napoleon and Alexander--Sweden and Turkey--Napoleon's vain attempt to detach Sweden from her alliance with Russia.

As I took the most lively interest in all that concerned the Hanse Towns， my first care on returning to Hamburg was to collect information from the most respectable sources concerning the influential members of the new Government. Davoust was at its head. On his arrival he had established in the Duchy of Mecklenburg， in Swedish Pomerania， and in Stralsund， the capital of that province， military posts and custom-houses， and that in a time of profound peace with those countries， and without any previous declaration. The omnipotence of Napoleon， and the terror inspired by the name of Davoust， overcame all obstacles which might have opposed those iniquitous usurpations. The weak were forced to yield to the strong.

At Hamburg a Government Committee was formed， consisting of the Prince of Eekmuhl as President， Comte de Chaban， Councillor of State， who superintended the departments of the Interior and Finance， and of M.

Faure， Councillor of State， who was appointed to form and regulate the Courts of Law. I had sometimes met M. de Chaban at Malmaison. He was distantly related to Josephine， and had formerly been an officer in the French Guards. He was compelled to emigrate， having been subjected to every species of persecution during the Revolution.

M. de Chaban was among the first of the emigrants who returned to France after the 18th Brumaire. He was at first made Sub-Prefect of Vendome， but on the union of Tuscany with France Napoleon created him a member of the Junta appointed to regulate the affairs of Tuscany. He next became Prefect of Coblentz and Brussels， was made a Count by Bonaparte， and was afterwards chosen a member of the Government Committee at Hamburg. M. de Chaban was a man of upright principles， and he discharged his various functions in a way that commanded esteem and attachment.

--[I recollect an anecdote which but too well depicts those disastrous times. The Comte de Chaban， being obliged to cross France during the Reign of Terror， was compelled to assume a， disguise. He accordingly provided himself with a smockfrock； a cart and horses， and a load of corn. In this manner he journeyed from place to place till he reached the frontiers. He stopped at Rochambeau， in the Vendomais， where he was recognised by the Marshal de Rochambeau， who to guard against exciting any suspicion among- his servants， treated him as if he had really been a carman and said to him， "You may dine in the kitchen."--Bourrienne.]--The Hanseatic Towns， united to the Grand Empire professedly for their welfare， soon felt the blessings of the new organisation of a regenerating Government. They were at once presented with； the stamp- duty， registration， the lottery， the droits reunis， the tax on cards， and the 'octroi'. This prodigality of presents caused， as we may be sure， the most lively gratitude； a tax for military quarters and for warlike supplies was imposed， but this did not relieve any one from laving not only officers and soldiers； but even all the chiefs of the administration and their officials billeted on them： The refineries， breweries， and manufactures of all sorts were suppressed. The cash chests of the Admiralty， of the charity houses， of the manufactures， of the savings- banks， of the working classes， the funds of the prisons， the relief meant for the infirm， the chests of the refuges， orphanages； and of the hospitals， were all seized.