not be able to deliver it to your Majesty, before
your Majesty's departure, it will yet come to your
knowledge, for I intend to publish it according to
the last wishes of M. Z***, unless your Majesty
forbids me."--"No; I allow you to print it, only
leave out whatever may tend to compromise those who
have displayed their attachment towards me. If Z***
has made a faithful report of all that passed, the
people will know that I sacrificed myself for their
good; and that it was not the love of power which
brought me again into France, but that I yielded to
the desire of restoring to the French those gifts
which are dearest to great nations--independence
and glory. Take care lest they should get hold of
your manuscript--they will falsify it. Send it to
England to *****; he will print it; he is devoted
to me, and he may be very useful to you. M. ***
will give you a letter for him: do you understand
me?"--"Yes, Sire."--"But do your utmost to recover
your manuscript before my departure. I see that you
are anxious to keep it, and I will leave it with
you. I only wish to read it." The Emperor read the
manuscript, and he returned it to me, saying, "Z***
has told the truth, and nothing but the truth; keep
his manuscript for future generations."]
I now fulfil my promise. I have not dared to make any alterations in
the narrative: if I had, I should have felt that I was betraying the
wishes of my friend. But I have suppressed the names of the parties
concerned, and I have expunged some passages, in which the Bourbon
family were treated with disrespect.
HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTION OF THE 20th OF MARCH.
When Napoleon resigned his crown, I broke my sword. I swore that I
never more would use it in the service of France, or of the new
Sovereign of the nation. But the generous farewell of the Emperor
could not fail to affect me; and, conquered by the irresistible
influence which the love of glory and of our native land exercises
upon a French soldier, I soon awoke to more praisewor
|