Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Volume II

503

Las Cases, tom. iv., p. 333.

504

"Upon the occasion of this gift, the following sorry rhymes were in every one's mouth: —

"Buonaparte à Siêyes a fait présent de Crôsne, Siêyes à Buonaparte a fait présent du Trône." – Montgaillard, tom. v., p. 318.

505

"Siêyes was the most unfit man in the world for power, but his perceptions were often luminous, and of the highest importance. He was fond of money; but of strict integrity." – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. iv., p. 152.

506

"The grand elector, if he confine himself entirely to the functions you assign him, will be the shadow, but the mere fleshless shadow, of a roi fainéant. Can you point out a man base enough to humble himself to such mockery? Such a government would be a monstrous creation, composed of heterogeneous parts, presenting nothing rational. It is a great mistake to suppose that the shadow of a thing can be of the same use as the thing itself." – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 148.

507

Consid. sur la Rév. Française, tom. ii., p. 248.

508

Mémoires de Fouché, tom. i., p. 104. – S.

509

The constitution of the year VIII, so impatiently expected by all ranks of citizens, was published and submitted to the sanction of the people on the 13th of December, and proclaimed on the 24th of the same; the provisional government having lasted forty-three days. The Legislative Body and the Tribunate entered on their functions the 1st day of January, 1800.

510

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 118.

511

Out of 3,012,569 votes, 1562 rejected the new constitution; 3,011,007 accepted it. – See Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 117.

512

"Cambacérès was of an honourable family in Languedoc; he was fifty years old; he had been a member of the Convention, and had conducted himself with moderation: he was generally esteemed, and had a just claim to the reputation which he enjoyed of being one of the ablest lawyers of the republic." – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 153.

513

"Lebrun was sixty years of age, and came from Normandy. He was one of the best writers in France, a man of inflexible integrity; and he approved of the changes of the Revolution only in consideration of the advantages which resulted from them to the mass of the people, for his own family were all of the class of peasantry." —Ibid., p. 153.

514

Consid. sur la Rév. Française, tom. ii., p. 255.

515

Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 115; Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 115.

516

Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 116.

517

"When Cambacérès afterwards vacated the office, Buonaparte appointed M. d'Abrial, who died in 1828, a peer of France. On remitting the folio to the new minister, the First Consul addressed him thus: 'M. d'Abrial, I know you not, but am informed you are the most upright man in the magistracy; it is on that account I name you minister of justice.'" – Bourrienne, tom. ii., p. 118.

518

"Laplace, a geometrician of the first rank, soon proved himself below mediocrity as a minister. On his very first essay, the consuls found that they had been mistaken; not a question did Laplace seize in its true point of view: he sought for subtleties in every thing; had none but problematical ideas, and carried the doctrine of infinite littleness into the business of administration." – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 116.

519

"Forfait, a native of Normandy, had the reputation of being a naval architect of first-rate talent, but he was a mere projector, and did not answer the expectations formed of him." – Napoleon, Gourgaud, tom. i., p. 115.

520

Moniteur, 31st Dec. 1799.

521

Las Cases, tom. iv., p. 337.

522

"The choice of this residence was a stroke of policy. It was there that the King of France was accustomed to be seen; circumstances connected with that monarchy were there presented to every eye; and the very influence of the walls on the minds of spectators was, if we may say so, sufficient for the restoration of regal power." – Mad. de Staël, tom. ii., p. 256.

523

"French Republic – Sovereignty of the People – Liberty – Equality.

"Buonaparte, First Consul of the Republic, to his Majesty the King of Great Britain and Ireland.

"Paris, 5th Nivose, 8th year of the Republic, (25th Dec. 1799.)

"Called by the wishes of the French nation to occupy the first magistracy of the Republic, I think it proper, on entering into office, to make a direct communication of it to your Majesty. The war, which for eight years has ravaged the four quarters of the world, must it be eternal? Are there no means of coming to an understanding? How can the two most enlightened nations of Europe, powerful and strong beyond what their safety and independence require, sacrifice to ideas of vain greatness the benefits of commerce, internal prosperity, and the happiness of families? How is it that they do not feel that peace is the first necessity as well as the first glory? These sentiments cannot be foreign to the heart of your Majesty, who reign over a free nation, and with the sole view of rendering it happy. Your Majesty will only see, in this overture, my sincere desire to contribute efficaciously, for the second time, to a general pacification, by a proceeding prompt, entirely confidential, and disengaged from those forms which, necessary perhaps to disguise the dependence of weak States, prove only in the case of the strong the mutual desire of deceiving each other. France and England, by the abuse of their strength, may still, for a long time, for the misfortune of all nations, retard the period of their being exhausted. But I will venture to say, the fate of all civilized nations is attached to the termination of a war which involves the whole world.

"Buonaparte."

524

See Moniteur, 23 Pluviose, 10th February 1800; and Thibaudeau, tom. i., p. 194.

525