The life of Napoleon Buonaparte, emperor of the French. By Sir Walter Scott.

1 824 LIFE OF NAPOLEON BONAPARTE.
The prince made no reply. For a considerable to have expected such a refusal, and that he ought
time back, not wishing to be an object of inquietude not to have exposed himself to it. He had even
to government, he had been considering what means endeavoured to efface any painful impression w hich
he should use to gain Napoleon's confidence. The his proposal had made on the prince, by making him
greatness of France, the victories gained by her the most fiiendly promises of an indemnity of two
armies, and the eclat which they reflected upon millions for the cession of his principality of Pontethe commander, imposed on the prince the duty of Corvo, and his possessions in Poland, and leaving
not endeavouling to emulate the power of the em- him all the others in property.? He had, besides,
peror. permitted him to take with him all his aides-deJ1 his conversations with Napoleon, he endea- camp.
voured to do away the impressions which the em- The prince knew not what was at the bottom of
peror entertained against him. For this purpose he the emperor's thoughts, but when he left him he was
took general views, spoke of the interests of great full of confidence in him; and Napoleon had no just
states-of the fortunes of men who had astonished motive for imputing to him any designs hostile to his
the world by their successes, of the difficulties and interest, and still less to the interest of France.
obstacles which these men had had to surmount; This illusion, on the part of the prince, was of shoit
and finally, of the public tranquillity and happiness duration. The reception he met with in all the
which had been the result of these circumstances, places he passed through, and particularly when he
from the moment that secondary interests had been arrived in Sweden,-the speeches addressed to him,
satisfied. and the answers he made,-all contributed to dis|The emperor listened attentively, and seemed al- please the emperor. It seemed to him as if the
most always to applaud the principles of stability prince attracted some share of that general attention
and preservation which the prince enlarged upon. which should have been fixed on him alone. Thle
At times, when the latter reminded the emperor of patriotic sentiments expressed by the speakers of
the immensity of the means of recompense which he the four orders were no more to his taste than those
had at his disposal, Napoleon, struck by what he of the prince in his answers. He and the Swedes
said, held out his hand to him affectionately, when were equally the objects of the emperor',$ sarcasms,
they separated, and seemed, by his manner, to say and even of his insults: he treated them as jacobins,
to him,-" Reckon always upon my friendship and as anarchists; and it was chiefly against the prince
support." that these attacks were leveled. To show the
T'he prince used to return from these conversa- prince his displeasure, he annulled.all the promises
tions, thinking himself no longer an object of suspi- he had made him; and took from hilm all thh lands
cion to the emperor. Re expressed this belief to with which he had endowed him, and which he
the members of Napoleon's family, in order that re-united to his own domains. He recalled all the
they, in their turn, might assure the emperor, that as Prince Royal's French aides-de-camp. It was in
the prince went entirely into his system, both from vain that the prince, in his correspondence, tried to
duty and from interest, any mistrust of him should appease him, by writing, among others, the followbe laid aside. ing letter:There were individuals of Napoleon's family, on
those occasions, who smiled at the prince's simpli- "At the moment when I was going to address
city, and told him what the emperor had said the my thanks to your majesty, for your goodness in exevening before, immediately after the conversation tending for a year the leave granted to the French
the prince and he had had together; and all that the officers who have accompanied me to Sweden, I am
emperor said bore marks of the greatest insincerity, informed that your majesty has retracted that faand of an ill-will constantly founded on his ideas of vour. This unexpected disappointment, and, indeed,
the extravagant ambition of the prince. This ill- everything that reaches me fiom Paris, makes me
will seemed to be mitigated, when the time came sensible that your majesty is not well disposed
for the prince's departure for Sweden. One of his towards me. What have I done, sire, to deserve
friends was in high favour with Napoleon. On the this treatment? I suppose that calumny alone has
very day the prince departed, Napoleon, seeing this been the cause of it. In the new situation in which
fiiend come in, Went up to him and said:-" Well! fortune has placed mne, I should doubtless be more
does not the prince regret France?"-" Yes, un- exposed to it than ever, were I not fortunate enough
doubtedly."-" And I, for my part, should have to find a defender in your majesty's own heart.
been very glad if he had not accepted the invitation; Whatever may be said to you, sire, I beseech you
but there is no help for it —" And then, checking to believe that I have nothing to reproach myself
himself,-" Besides, he does not love me." with, and that I am entirely devoted to your person,
On its being answered, that Napoleon was mis- not merely through the strength of my old associataken, and that the prince had chosen his party, and tions, hbut from a sentiment that is unalterablle. If
had been frankly and cordially attached to him for things are not conducted in Sweden entirely accorda long time past, the emperor replied,- ing to your majesty's wish, this is solely owing to
"We have not understood each other: now it is the constitution. To infringe this constitution is not
too late: he has his own interests, his own policy, in the power of the king, and still less in minle.
and I have mine." There are still here many particular interests to be'Napoleon had acquiesced in the reasons given him
I by the prince, for his refusal to engage not to take # The prince never received more than one million of the
aruis against him. I-e saw very well that lie ought two which had been promised aim.