MtiSamv di Sti^NVT^^ Fearst* Exile. 



mi 



e*lile, and it is from t'ac focus of all genc- 

 I'son* ideas that lier sentiineufs and 

 v*piniwiis have derived strength and 

 wanuth. While I listened to l>er, I 

 •>?W{»s; "affected by something inexpres- 

 Brifcihle, which did not proceed from her 

 ^c^randeur, but from the harntonj^of her 

 slSQul ; so long was it since 1 had known 

 irati instance of concord between power 

 ffj*nd virtue. As I was con^ei'sing with 

 iUio empress, the door opened, and the 

 liCmperor Alexander did me the honour 

 gi(o come and talk witli me. >7Iiat first 

 fiiStruck me in him was such an expres- 

 sion of goodness and dignity, that the 

 tw<Kiualities appeared inseparable, and 

 in him to form only one. I was also very 

 much artected with the noble simpli- 

 city with whicli ho entered upon the 

 great interests of Europe, almost among 

 the first words he addressed to me. I 

 have always regarded, as a proof of 

 mediocrity, that apprehension of treat- 

 ing serious questions, with which the 

 best part of the sovereigns of Eui'opc 

 tiave Ix'en inspired; they ai-e afraid to 

 pronounce a word to whicli any real 

 meaning can be attached. 



Tiie Empei-or Alexander, on the con- 

 trary, conversed with me as statesmen 

 in England would liave done, who 

 place their strength in themsidves, and 

 not in the barriers with which they are 

 -.urroundcd. The Emperor Alexan- 

 der, whom Napoleon has endeavoured 

 to misrepresent, is a man of remark- 

 able understanding and information, 

 ;vnd 1 do not believe that in tlie whole 

 extent of his empire he could find a 

 minister belter versed than himself in 

 ;ill that belongs to the judgment and 

 direction of public aftairs. He did not 

 <li.sguise from me his regret for the ad- 

 miration to which he had surrendered 

 Ijimselfiu his intercourse with Napo- 

 Jcoa, His grandfather had, in the same 

 way, entertained a great eutliusiasm 

 for Frederic II. In these sort of illu- 

 sions, produced by an extraordinary 

 cliaracler, there is always a generous 

 motive, whatever may be the errors 

 that residt from it. The Empeior 

 Alexander, however, described with 

 gre^it sagiicily the eflcct produced upon 

 fiim by tliese conversations witli Bona- 

 parte, in which he said the most oppo- 

 site things, as if one must be asfonish- 

 <'d at each, without thinking of tlieir 

 f.'eiug ciiiifradictory. lie related tome 

 also tin; [lessons a In Afac/iinucl wh\v\i 

 NajKilcou had tljoughf projier logivehim: 

 -' You see," said he, '• I am careful (o 

 Kwp my mini^(ers an<l generals at vari- 

 Monthly Mau. No. '.Ur,. 



ance among themselves, in order that 

 each may reveal to me t!»e faidts of th<^ 

 other; I keep up around me a con- 

 tinual jealousy by the manner I treat 

 those who are about me: one day one 

 thinks himself the favourite, the next 

 day another, so that no one is ever cer- 

 tain of my favour." 



In obtaining the conviction of the 

 good faith of the Emperor Alexander, 

 in liis relations of Napoleon, I was at 

 the same time persuaded that he would 

 not imitate the example of the unfor- 

 tunate sovereigns of Germany, and 

 would sign no peace with him who is 

 equally the enemy of people and kings. 

 A noble soul cannot be twice deceived 

 l)y the same person. Alexamler gives 

 and withdraws his confidence with the 

 greatest reflection. His youth and per- 

 sonal advantages have alone, at the be- 

 ginning of ids reipn, made him be sus- 

 pected of levity ; but lie is serious, 

 CA'en as much so as a man may be M'lio 

 has known misfortune. Alexander ex- - 

 pressed to me his regret at not being a 

 great captain : I replied to this noble 

 modesty, that a sovereign was mucli 

 more rare tliau a gen<nal, and that the 

 support of the public feelings of his 

 people, by his example, was achieving 

 ■ the greatest victory, and the first of (he 

 kind which had ever been gained. The 

 Emperor talked to me %vith cutlHisiasm 

 of his nation, and of all that it was ca- 

 pable of becoming. He expiesscd to 

 me the desire, wnich all the world 

 knows him to entertain, of ameliorating 

 the state of the peasants still subject to 

 slaverj'. " Sire," said I to him, " your 

 cliaracter is a constitution for your em- 

 pire, and your conscience is the guaran- 

 tee of it." " Were that even the case," 

 replied lu;, " I should only be a fortii- 

 nate accident," Noble words ! the first 

 of the kind, I believe, which an abso- 

 lute monarch ever pronounced ! How 

 many virtues it requires, in a despot, 

 I)roperly to estimate despotism ! and 

 how miiny virtues also, never to abuse 

 it, when the nation wliicJi he governs 

 is almost astonished at such signal. mo- 

 deiation. 



From the emperor's I went to Ins 

 respectable mother's, that princess to 

 whom calumny has never been able to 

 impute a sentiment unconnected with 

 the happiness of her Iiusband, her chil- 

 dren, or the family of unfortunate pei'- 

 soiiv of whom she is the protectress. I 

 shall relate, farther on, in what man- 

 ner slie governs that empire of charity, 

 which she cxeiicises in (he midst of tJie 

 1 <) fimnipolent 



