JOSEPH AS A SOLDIER.

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rejected.* His refusal compelled me to make a soldier of him; a curious idea, but it was my only remaining resource. Besides there is no great harm in it. For the next thirty years a soldier will be needed to govern France, and it was necessary Joseph should become one. Now, at least, he knows what it is; epaulettes don't frighten him; he can get on horseback and command like anybody else. He must stick to that; he must get promotion; a decent wound, and a reputation. It is not so difficult as you might think. I shall do for him what I did for Moreau; I will give him a bigger army than the enemy's; he shall have everything that is easy to do; I will keep the rest for myself. With all this, he can win a battle, and there he is on a line with the other military leaders."

I demurred to this last idea. "I do not believe," I said to the Emperor," that Prince Joseph can think of seriously beginning a military career, at his age, or of seeking for glory in one. There are, at the present time, too many established military reputations to leave a hope of making one at so small a cost. That which was possible at the beginning of the Revolution is no longer possible. Besides, Prince Joseph is the natural head of the Civil system:

* As Grand Elector, Prince Joseph would preside over the Senate under certain circumstances, and his new duties were in some sort similar to those of the Chancellorship that he had scorned to accept.

that is his place; and, although I anticipate a good result from his residence in camp, his true place where his success, I believe, will be certain-is the Presidency of the Senate and the Councils.

The Emperor interrupted me. "I intend," said he, "to recall him almost immediately, and to provide him with a suitable establishment."

And then, after dwelling strongly on his affection for his brother, who, he said, had always been his favourite,he dismissed me.

On the following day the Council of State was summoned to meet at St. Cloud. The Emperor presided, announced the re-establishment of the Ministry of Police, with the modifications of which he had already informed me, and proposed to change its name to that of Ministry of Interior Relations. All was approved of except the last proposition, which Cambacérès opposed as a mistake, an uncalled for scruple of delicacy, and it was negatived. I had greatly desired that the Council should adopt it, and from what the Emperor had told me, I hoped that they would have done so. But although I was disappointed in this, I had gone too far to draw back, and I entered at once on my new duties. In the division of the territory of France assigned to me were included the departments of the North, and especially those on he left bank of the Rhine, inhabited by industrious,

THE NORTHERN DEPARTMENTS.

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and, generally speaking, peaceful people, whose moderate opinions had kept them aloof from the political agitation which had so often disturbed the Southern and Western provinces. The departments under my charge asked only for peace and for protection in their industrial pursuits, or rather, for permission to carry them on without interference. So far as these benefits depended on my influence, they enjoyed them. I neither permitted inquisitorial espionage, nor disturbed the manufacturers or their workshops; and during the time that I retained my post, there was never any occasion for the interference of the police. I had, in fact, to temper the zeal of certain prefects, who, in order to prove their devotion to the new order of things, created more enemies than it really had, so that they might have the glory of combating them. Among these over zealous persons was M. de Vaublanc, then Prefect of the Department of the Moselle, who never thought he had sufficiently proved his devotion to the Emperor, unless he had awakened his suspicions of all those under his administration who either did not share his sentiments or displayed them with less warmth and enthusiasm than his own.

I have little to say about my new duties, which, as I have before observed, lay quite apart from affairs of police properly so called, which were exclusively

reserved to Fouché and Dubois. My occupations increased, and filled up almost every moment of my time, without in any way extending my opportunities for observation. I shall therefore continue to record matters of more general interest, and which may hereafter serve as materials for the history of a memorable epoch.

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CHAPTER III.

The ceremonial of the distribution of the crosses of the Legion of Honour in Paris-The Emperor proceeds to Boulogne and performs the same ceremony at the camp-His return to Paris is followed by that of Prince Joseph-Russia and England-The Emperor's satisfaction at the prospect of a Continental war-He discloses gigantic projects to his generals in order to stimulate their ambition-He detaches himself from the Republican party, and inclines to the old nobility-The ambassador of Austria is furnished with new letters of credit to the Emperor of the French-The Pope consents to come to Paris for the Coronation-That solemnity is definitely fixed for the beginning of December-The formation of the Emperor's household and of those of his brothers-Curious omission in the wording of the National Vote on the Imperial succession-Discussion on the ceremonial of the coronation Violent altercation between Napoleon and Joseph-An explanation takes place between the Emperor and Prince Joseph at Fontainbleau, in consequence of which the latter conforms to the views of his brother-The result of the votes of the people on the Imperial system is taken in State to the Tuileries by the Senate-Coronation and consecration of the Emperor and Empress, followed by numerous fêtes-Solemn opening of the Legislative session-Addresses from the Legislative Body and the Tribunate-An incident relating to the terms used in those addresses.

BEFORE setting out for Boulogne, where he was anxious to show himself to the army, and to receive