Let’s have another look at Hortense’s Memoirs. If you want to read the book it is available for free at the side bar in English and French. Use the widget on the sidebar to translate the text below into pretty much any language.
We once again see what life is like under a terrorism based regime. It always has a lot to do with the subversion of Justice.
Hortense’s memoirs continues:
I was told that it was absolutely necessary for me to make certain advances to the judges, and have someone who was favorable to me call on them afterwards. I could not believe this was true. It seemed that such an action would be unworthy of justice and of my cause. Monsieur Courtin, procureur du Roi, who was supposed to sum up the case, called on me one morning in reply to an invitation from one of my friends. What could I tell him about the case? I wished to keep my son. He knew this as well as I did.
Consequently, instead of speaking of the subject he related to me, under the most formal promise of secrecy, an extraordinary investigation he had been asked to make a few days before. It seemed that a certain Monsieur de Maubreuil, after having stolen all the diamonds belonging to the Queen of Westphalia, had been arrested by request of the Emperor of Russia.
The Russian minister had received orders to follow up the matter and to try to find the diamonds. The French government had been obliged to take up the investigation. At the time of his first examination Maubreuil had declared to Monsieur Courtin that during the brief period when the Provisional Government was in office the Prince of Benevento [Talleyrand] had sent for him and ordered him to assassinate all the members of Napoleon's family.
Monsieur Laborie, he said, had given him further detailed instructions, and he had set out armed with full authority when a sudden thought caused him to hesitate.
He was not sure whether this order included the Empress Marie Louise and her son or whether they were to be considered as belonging to the Austrian imperial family. He had feared to make a mistake and returned to ask Monsieur Laborie. Laborie had replied impatiently, "Oh, those two! Do as you please about them. The great thing is to act quickly."
The procureur du Roi had sent a report of this examination to the government at once, in spite of the request of the Russian minister not to do so. The affair had been suppressed, and Monsieur de Maubreuil placed in prison indefinitely.
I promised Monsieur Courtin not to repeat this and kept my word. Imagine my feelings when I found myself face to face with the man whom one of his brother lawyers had chosen to defend my case, face to face with this same Laborie, who shortly before had given orders for the murder of my entire family. I looked at him fixedly. He inspired me with pity rather than horror.
I felt that in spite of the deceitfulness of his manner he must be extremely embarrassed when in my presence. What thoughts must have been his when he recalled that horrible plan!
This conversation with Monsieur Courtin left me no doubt as to the number of enemies who surrounded me and from whom the quietest, most retired life had not been able to free me. I kept daily discovering new ones. They detested me so much that they could not forgive me for having an assured position, a household and a few friends.
Those who were under obligation to me were the ones who most resented my presence. They could not pardon the fact that they owed me and my family so much. They considered it a crime on my part, and consequently it was easy for them to say: "It is at her house the conspirators meet. The King and his family are insulted there. No one would think of being seen at such a place."
The original French is available below:
