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

APPENDIX. 823
Bourbons, he sprung like a tiger at the only one of de Lagerbjelke, the Swedish minister at Paris, "that
the family who was within his reach and his power. they had sacrificed an inno-,ent person."
The law of nations and those of society were alike The emperor had expressed himself in the most
forgotten in the thirst of revenge; and, to gratify an friendly manner to King Charles XTIII., as well as
immediate feeling of vengeance, he stained his his- to the Prince of Ponte-Corvo, consenting that the
tory with a crime of which no time can wash away prince should accept the succession to the throne of
the infamy. Sweden. The act of election had been published
The tendency to violence, arising out of a fierce in the Monitecr, and ten days had elapsed without
and semi-barbaric resentment arnd love of revenge, the emperor's having said anything about the Prince
might perhaps have slhown itself' in more instances Royal's departure. iHaing finished the preparations
than actually occurred, had it not been for Napo- for his journey, and seeing that tile emperor still
leon's policy, and his respect for public opinion, remained silent on the subject, the prince:determined
which would not have borne many such acts of vin- to apply to him ft;r letters-patent, emancipating him
dictive cruelty. But though lie was able in general (the prince) fromn his allegiance.
to subdue this peculiar temper, he could not disguise To this formal application, the emperor replied,
it from those by whom he was closely observed. that the expediting of these letters had been retarded
When some one, in the presence of Monnier, pro- only by the proposal made by a menmber of' the privynounced a eulogium upon Napoleon, and concluded council, of a preliminary condition.-" What is it?"
by defying any of the listeners to produce a parallel said the prince.-" It is, that you are to come under
character —"I think I could find soniething like an engagement never to bear arms against me."
him," said Mounier, " among the Alontenegrins." The Prince Royal, greatly surprised, answered, that
his election by the Diet of Sweden, and the consent
to it already given by the emperor, both to himself
No. 6. and to King Charles XIII., had already made him
RE:FLE;CTIONS ON THE; CONDUCT OF PNAPOLEON TO- a Swedish subject; and that, in that quality, lihe
REFLECTIONS ON THE CONDUCT OF NAPOLEON TO- could not subscribe this engagement. — " Your majesty tells me," added le, "that this is the proposal
Pages 504, 519. of a member of the council. I am very sure it never
could have come from yourself, sire; it must have
(Translated from the original French.) come from the arch-chancellor, or the grand judge,
who were not aware to what a height this proposal
IT was Napoleon himself, who, by his insupport- would raise me."-" What do you mean?" —" If
able pretensions, forced Sweden to take a part in you prevent me from accepting a crown, unless I
opposition to him. From the period of the election come under an engagement never to fight against
of the Prince of Ponte-Corvo, the only discussions you, sire,-is not this, in fact, placing me in your
the prince had with the emperor consisted in refuisals, line as a general?"
on the prince's part, to enter into engagements hos- The emperor, after a moment's reflection, said to
tile to the interests of the nation who had chosen him in a suppressed voice, and with a gesture which
him to be her ruler. betrayed his agitation:When the first overtures respecting his election "Well, go; —our destinies are about to be acin Sweden were made to him by a Swedish noble- complished."
nMan, and by General Count de Wrede, he went "I beg your pardon, sire, I did not hear you
immediately to St-Cloud, to inform the emperor, rightly."
who said to him:- "Go; —our destinies are about to be accomplish"I cannot be of any use to you-let things take ed," repeated the emperor, in amore distinct, but
their course," etc. equally agitated voice.''lThe prince went to Plombieires. At his return, he When the report first became current that there
paid his respects to the emperor, who, addressing him was an intention inr Sweden to elect the Prince of
ini presence of a good many persons, asked if he had Ponte-Corvo Prince Royal, Marshal Davoust, thinklately had any news from Sweden? ing to please his master, said, in the emperor's
"Yes, sire." chamber:-"The Prince of Ponte-Corvo suspects
"What do they say?" replied the emperor. nothing." This piece of irony made Napoleon
"That your majesty's charg6 d'affaires at Stock- smile. He answered in a low voice, —" He is not
hiolm opposes my election, and says publicly, that yet elected."
your majesty prefers the King of Denmark." The prince, who till then had been very undecidThe emperor answered with surprise, "It is not ed, intimated, that if the King and the States of
possible;" and changed the subject. Sweden fixed their choice on him, lie should acIt was, however, in consequence of secret instruc- cept.
tions given to M. D6saguiers, that he had presented During this interval, Napoleon, constantly wisha note in favour of the King of Denmark; but ing to preient him fromn becoming heir to the throne
Napoleon, in order not to commit himself in an affair of Sweden, said to him one day:-" You will pro.
of such delicacy, and in which a check would have bably be called to Sweden. I had forned the debeen a proof of the decline of his political ascen- sign of giving you Arragon and Catalonia; for Spain
dancy, disavowed the conduct ofM. D6saguiers. is too great a country for my brother's strength iof
When this agent was recalled a short time after- capacity."
wards, the Duke de Cadore firankly confessed to M. * Here the emperor frowned, and appeared embarrassed.