A PRIVY COUNCIL.

39

extraordinary service of the Council, and of appointing members at his choice to one or the other, and as not one of the Councillors fulfilled the prescribed condition, they all, as a natural consequence, considered themselves ill-used and were dissatisfied. Yet they only protested feebly against this arrangement, and the First Consul paid no attention to their timid objections. Finally, after two sittings, the Senatus-Consultum was definitively decreed on the 22nd Floréal.

On the following day, the First Consul summoned another Privy Council, composed of the two Consuls, the Chief Judge, the Minister of Finance (Gaudin), the Minister of the Treasury (Mollieu), the Minister of War (Berthier), Senators Lacépède, François de Neufchâteau, Fargues, Vimar and Lefebvre, and Councillors of State Portalis, Treilhard, Lacuée and Defermou. The Senatus-Consultum was read and adopted by that Council, without alteration, just as it was supposed to have been framed in the Council of State. The next day, the 26th Floréal, it was carried by three State Councillors to the Senate, who referred it to a Committee, and again assembled on the 28th, under the presidency of Cambacérès. Senator Lacépède, on being ordered to report on it on behalf of the Committee, moved its adoption, and, no dissentient voice having been raised, it was at once put to the vote. The Senatus-Consultum

was accepted, with the exception of three votes, and the Senate decreed that they would proceed to St. Cloud in a body, to carry it to the new Emperor.

The Council of State, the Generals of the Guard, and the officers of the Household had received their instructions, and were in readiness at St. Cloud by noon. Every window was occupied; great agitation prevailed; and all seemed waiting with impatience for the decision of the Senate. At length the sound of cannon announced the moment when the SenatusConsultum had been made Law. It was nearly three o'clock. Shortly afterwards we beheld the arrival of the Ministers, who were vying with each other in speed. Berthier and Talleyrand were the first to reach St. Cloud, and to enter Bonaparte's presence. The others arrived in quick succession. The Councillors of State and the Generals of the Guard were assembled in the Great Cabinet. Towards five o'clock, the Senate came in sight. They were escorted by a regiment of Cuirassiers, and preceded by mounted officers of the Divisional Staff. Cambacérès and Lebrun occupied the same carriage, they had no special guard of honour, and were undistinguished from the rest of the Senate.

When the Senators had arrived, Bonaparte entered the Grand Cabinet and placed himself in the

* Those three negative votes were supposed at the time to be given by Grégoire (Bishop of Blois), Garat and Lanjuinais.

THE FIRST DAY OF EMPIRE.

41

centre of a circle composed of the Councillors of State and the Generals; behind him stood the Ministers, among whom Consul Lebrun took his place.

Cambacérès, at the Head of the Senate, pronounced a discourse in which the words Sire and Imperial Majesty were several times repeated. His speech concluded with these words: "The Senate proclaims Napoleon Bonaparte at the present moment Emperor of the French." A cry of Vive l'Empereur ! arose in the Assembly and some applause, but it was neither loud nor hearty.

The Emperor replied in a firm and clear voice. He appeared the least embarrassed of any. Among those present, there was evident awkwardness, which he alone did not share. After his reply, addressed to all present in general, he went up to Cambacérès, to whom he spoke, as it seemed to me, with much affection; but I could not hear what he said. Then he addressed a few words to Portalis and several other Councillors of State in succession. Some answered according to the new etiquette, using the words "Sire" and "Majesty," and Portalis was one of these. Others became confused between the old and the new formulas, beginning their phrases with "Citizen First Consul" and then stumbling over those they had forgotten, and ending with "Sire" and "Majesty." The whole ceremony did not last half

an hour. The Emperor brought it to a close by withdrawing into his private room. On leaving the Grand Cabinet, the Senate proceeded in a body to visit the Empress, to whom Cambacérès made a speech. The State Council did the same, and Bigot de Préameneu, President of the Committee on Legislation, was spokesman. The Empress replied with evident emotion, and in a trembling voice thanked us with a few kind but almost inarticulate words; we then withdrew and got into our carriages to return to Paris. It was nearly six o'clock.

The

The roads were crowded as we drove along. firing of cannon and the extraordinary concourse of carriages had attracted many sightseers. But in the evening there were neither fêtes nor illuminations. The people were either ignorant of what had taken place, or they took no interest in the event.

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CHAPTER II.

Creation of the great Dignitaries of the Empire-The denomination of Citizen is abolished and the title of Monsieur restored -Failure of a tragedy by Carrion-Nisas at the Théâtre Français-New oath taken by members of the great authorities of the State-New seal of State-Trial of Georges Cadoudal, Pichegru, and their accomplices-Suicide of Pichegru-Verdict-Moreau is condemned to two years' imprisonment Clemency of the Emperor-Eagerness of the numerous place-hunters, and seekers after favour at the Imperial Court-Negotiations in Rome to induce the Pope to come to Paris and consecrate the Emperor-Dissensions in the Council of State respecting the date and ceremonies of the coronation-Debate on the framing of the Criminal Code-Attempt of the Government to abolish trial by jury -The author visits Prince Joseph at Boulogne-Simplicity of the habits of the latter; his affected disdain of the high rank to which he is raised by the elevation of his brother Napoleon-The army at Boulogne-Preparations for the descent on England-The author, summoned to St. Cloud, is appointed by the Emperor to undertake the High Police of the Northern Departments of France-His conversation with Napoleon on the subject of Prince Joseph.

ON the 29th Floréal, the new appointments of Arch-chancellor and Arch-treasurer became known. The Moniteur' regulated the etiquette; the great dignitaries of the Empire were to be My Lord and