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allowing　their　discontent　to　be　plainly　manifest；　and　the　faithful　adorer
of　his　Majesty　became　proportionately　more　lavish　of　his　expressions　of
admiration；　as　his　antagonists　showed　themselves　ready　with　reproaches。
The　Duke　of　Rovigo　was　informed　of　these　discussions；　which　each　day
became　more　eager　and　animated；　and　one　fine　day　our　honest　employee
found　on　returning　to　his　home　a　letter　bearing　the　seal　of　the　general
of　police。　　He　could　not　believe　his　eyes。　　He；　a　good；　simple；　modest
man　living　his　retired　life；　what　could　the　minister　of　general　police
desire　of　him？　　He　opens　the　letter；　and　finds　that　the　minister　orders
him　to　appear　before　him　the　next　morning。　　He　reports　there　as　may　be
imagined　with　the　utmost　punctuality；　and　then　a　dialogue　something　like
this　ensued　between　these　gentlemen。　　〃It　appears；　Monsieur；〃　said　the
Duke　of　Rovigo；　〃that　you　are　very　devoted　to　the　Emperor。〃〃Yes；　I　love
him；　I　would　give　him　my　blood；　my　life。〃〃You　admire　him　greatly？〃
〃Yes；　I　admire　him！　　The　Emperor　has　never　been　so　great；　his　glory　has
never〃〃That　is　all　very　well；　Monsieur；　your　sentiments　do　you　honor；
and　I　share　those　sentiments　with　you；　but　I　urge　on　you　to　reserve　the
expression　of　them　for　yourself；　for；　though　I　should　regret　it　very
much；　you　may　drive　me　to　the　necessity　of　having　you　arrested。〃〃I；　my
Lord；　have　me　arrested？　　Ah！　　but　doubtlesswhy？〃〃Do　you　not　see　that
you　cause　the　expression　of　opinions　that　might　remain　concealed　were　it
not　for　your　enthusiasm；　and　finally；　you　will　force；　many　good　men　to
compromise　themselves　to　a　certain　extent；　who　will　return　to　us　when
things　are　in　better　condition。　　Go；　Monsieur；　let　us　continue　to　love；
serve；　and　admire　the　Emperor；　but　at　such　a　time　as　this　let　us　not
proclaim　our　fine　sentiments　so　loudly；　for　fear　of　rendering　many　guilty
who　are　only　a　little　misguided。〃　　The　employee　of　the　treasury　then　left
the　minister；　after　thanking　him　for　his　advice　and　promising　to　follow
it。　　I　would　not　dare　to　assert　that　he　kept　his　word　scrupulously；　but　I
can　affirm　that　all　I　have　just　said　is　the　exact　truth；　and　I　am　sure
that　if　this　passage　in　my　Memoirs　falls　under　the　eyes　of　the　Duke　of
Rovigo　it　will　remind　him　of　an　occurrence　which　he　may　perhaps　have
forgotten；　but　which　he　will　readily　recall。

Meanwhile　the　commission；　composed　as　I　have　said　of　five　senators　and
five　members　of　the　Corps　Legislatif；　devoted　itself　assiduously　to　the
duty　with　which　it　was　charged。　　Each　of　these　two　grand　bodies　of　the
state　presented　to　his　Majesty　a　separate　address。　　The　senate　had
received　the　report　made　by　M。　de　Fontanes；　and　their　address　contained
nothing　which　could　displease　the　Emperor；　but　was　on　the　contrary
expressed　in　most　proper　terms。　　In　it　a　peace　was　indeed　demanded；　but　a
peace　which　his　Majesty　could　obtain　by　an　effort　worthy　of　him　and　of
the　French　people。　　〃Let　that　hand　so　many　times　victorious；〃　they　said；
〃lay　down　its　arms　after　having　assured　the　repose　of　the　world。〃　　The
following　passage　was　also　noteworthy：　〃No；　the　enemy　shall　not　destroy
this　beautiful　and　noble　France；　which　for　fourteen　hundred　years　has
borne　itself　gloriously　through　such　diverse　fortunes；　and　which　for　the
interest　of　the　neighboring　nations　themselves　should　always　bear
considerable　weight　in　the　balance　of　power　in　Europe。　　We　have　as
pledges　of　this　your　heroic　constancy　and　the　national　honor。〃　　Then
again；　〃Fortune　does　not　long　fail　nations　which　do　not　fail　in　their
duty　to　themselves。〃

This　language；　worthy　of　true　Frenchmen；　and　which　the　circumstances　at
least　required；　was　well　pleasing　to　the　Emperor；　as　is　evident　from　the
answer　he　made　on　the　29th　of　December　to　the　deputation　from　the　senate
with　the　prince　archchancellor　at　its　head：

〃Senators；〃　said　his　Majesty；　〃I　am　deeply　sensible　of　the　sentiments　you
express。　　You　have　seen　by　the　articles　which　I　have　communicated　to　you
what　I　am　doing　towards　a　peace。　　The　sacrifices　required　by　the
preliminary　basis　which　the　enemy　had　proposed　to　me　I　have　accepted；　and
I　shall　make　them　without　regret；　since　my　life　has　only　one　object；the
happiness　of　the　French　people。

〃Meanwhile　Bearn；　Alsace；　Franche…Comte；　and　Brabant　have　been　entered；
and　the　cries　of　that　part　of　my　family　rend　my　soul。　　I　call　the　French
to　the　aid　of　the　French！　　I　call　the　Frenchmen　of　Paris；　Brittany；
Normandy；　Champagne；　Burgundy；　and　the　other　departments　to　the　aid　of
their　brothers。　　Will　they　abandon　them　in　misfortune？　　Peace　and　the
deliverance　of　our　territory　should　be　our　rallying　cry。　　At　the　sight　of
this　whole　people　in　arms　the　foreigner　will　flee；　or　will　consent　to
peace　on　the　terms　I　have　proposed　to　him。　　The　question　is　no　longer　the
recovery　of　the　conquests　we　have　made。〃

It　was　necessary　to　be　in　a　position　to　thoroughly　know　the　character　of
the　Emperor　to　understand　how　much　it　must　have　cost　him　to　utter　these
last　words；　but　from　a　knowledge　of　his　character　also　resulted　the
certainty　that　it　would　have　cost　him　less　to　do　what　he　promised　than　to
say　them。　　It　would　seem　that　this　was　well　understood　in　Paris；　for　the
day　on　which　the　'Moniteur'　published　the　reply　of　his　Majesty　to　the
senate；　stocks　increased　in　value　more　than　two　francs；　which　the　Emperor
did　not　fail　to　remark　with　much　satisfaction；　for　as　is　well　known；　the
rise　and　decline　of　stocks　was　with　him　the　real　thermometer　of　public
opinion。

In　regard　to　the　conduct　of　the　Corps　Legislatif；　I　heard　it　condemned　by
a　man　of　real　merit　deeply　imbued　with　republican　principles。　　He　uttered
one　day　in　my　presence　these　words　which　struck　me：　〃The　Corps　Legislatif
did　then　what　it　should　have　done　at　all　times；　except　under　these
circumstances。〃　　From　the　language　used　by　the　spokesman　of　the
commission；　it　is　only　too　evident　that　the　speaker　believed　in　the　false
promises　of　the　declaration　of　Frankfort。　　According　to　him；　or　rather
according　to　the　commission　of　which　he　was　after　all　only　the　organ；
the　intention　of　the　foreigners　was　not　to　humiliate　France；　they　only
wished　to　keep　us　within　our　proper　limits；　and　annul　the　effects　of　an
ambitious　activity　which　had　been　so　fatal　for　twenty　years　to　all　the
nations　of　Europe。　　〃The　propositions　of　the　confederated　powers；〃　said
the　commission；　〃seem　to　us　honorable　for　the　nation；　since　they　prove
that　foreigners　both　fear　and　respect　us。〃　　Finally　the　speaker；
continuing　his　reading；　having　reached　a　passage　in　which　allusion　was
made　to　the　Empire　of　the　Lily；　added　in　set　phrase　that　the　Rhine；　the
Alps；　the　Pyrenees；　and　the　two　seas　inclosed　a　vast　territory；　several
provinces　of　which　had　not　belonged　to　ancient　France；　and　that
nevertheless　the　crown　royal　of　France　shone　brilliantly　with　glory　and
majesty　among　all　other　diadems。

At　these　words　the　Duke　of　Massa　interrupted　the　speaker；　exclaiming；
〃What　you　say　is　unconstitutional；〃　to　which　the　speaker　vehemently
replied；　〃I　see　nothing　unconstitutional　here　except　your　presence；〃　and
continued　to　read　his　report。　　The　Emperor　was　each　day　informed　of　what
took　place　in　the　sitting　of　the　Corps　Legislatif；　and　I　remember　that
the　day　on　which　their　report　was　read　he；　appeared　much　disturbed；　and
before　retiring　walked　up　and　down　the　room　in　much　agitation；　like　one
trying　to　make　some　important　decision。　　At　last　he　decided　not　to　allow
the　publication　of　the　address　of　the　Corps　Legislatif；　which　had　been
communicated　to　him　according　to　custom。　　Time　pressed；　the　next　day
would　have　been　too　late；　as　the　address　would　be　circulated　in　Paris；
where　the　public　mind　was　already　much　disturbed。　　The　order　was
consequently　given　to　the　minister　of　general　police　to　have　the　copy　of
the　report　and　the　address　seized　at　the　printing　establishment；　and　to
break　the　forms　already　set　up。　　Besides　this　the　order　was　also　given　to
close　the　doors　of　the　Corps　Legislatif；　which　was　done；　and　the
legislature　thus　found　itself　adjourned。

I　heard　many　persons　at　this　time　deeply　regret　that　his　Majesty　had
taken　these　measures；　and；　above　all；　that　having　taken　them　he　had　not
stopped　there。　　It　was　said　that　since　the　Corps　Legislatif　was　now
adjourned　by　force；　it　was　better；　whatever　might　be　the　result；　to
convoke　another　chamber；　and　that　the　Emperor　should　not　recognize　the
members　of　the　one　he　had　dismissed。　　His　Majesty　thought　otherwise；　and
gave　the　deputies　a　farewell　audience。　　They　came　to　the　Tuileries；　and
there　his　only　too　just　resentment　found　vent　in　these　words：

〃I　have　suppressed　your　address；　as　it　was　incendiary。　　Eleven…twelfths
of　the　Corps　Legislatif　are　composed　of　good　citizens　whom　I　know　and　for
whom　I　have　much　regard；　the　other　twelfth　is　composed　of　seditious
persons　who　are　devoted　to　England。　　Your　Commission　and　its　chairman；
M。　Laine；　are　of　this　number。　　He　corresponds　with　the　Prince　Regent；
through　the　lawyer　Deseze。　　I　know　it；　and　have　proof　of　it。　　The　other
four　are　of　the　same　faction。　　If　there　are　abuses　to　be　remedied；　is
this　a　time　for　remonstrances；　when　two　hundred　thousand　Cossacks　are
crossing　our　frontiers？　　Is　this