employment. He promised good titles, orders, to all, and seduced many.
The plot failed from its own impotence, for the police had little to do
with it. Another affair, the consequences of which to those concerned in
it were great, gave increased activity to the police, and diverted it
from the only circumstances which could unfold to it the true enemies of
the government of Louis XVIII. This affair was known as the _Society of
Patriots_ of 1816, and had as its chiefs _Pleigner_, _Carbonneau_, and
_Tolleron_. They intended to ask the Emperor of Russia to grant them a
constitutional King, chosen elsewhere than from the elder branch of the
Bourbons. A man named Schellstein, who had been a kind of enlisting
agent to the conspirators, informed M. Angles, chief of police, of their
plan, and intentions, and by a sentence given July 7, 1816, _Pleigner_,
_Carbonneau_, and _Tolleron_, were sentenced to have their hands cut off
and to be beheaded. Three days after the sentence was executed. Finally,
in 1818, a third conspiracy was pointed out to the notice of the police.
This conspiracy had a more exalted character than the preceding ones,
for it included the ultra-royalists, that is to say the nobles,
generals, peers, and high functionaries of France.

The Morning Chronicle, June 27, 1818, published at London the
following:--"There was a report at Paris, that a conspiracy had been
discovered at Saint Cloud, embracing many of the ultra-royalist party.
The King would abdicate, and be replaced by Monsieur."

The Times, on the 2d July, said--"The plan of the conspiracy is known.
Should the King abdicate, the conspirators have resolved to treat him
like Paul I. The following is the list of ministers:--General Canuel, of
war; M. de Chateaubriand, of foreign affairs; M. Bruges, of the navy; M.
Villele, of the interior; M. de Labourdonnaie, of the police; General
Donadieu, commandant of Paris." All this was announced with an
appearance of truth; for all the persons named belonged to the
opposition to the King and his favorite. When, however, facts were
sought for, and the proof was pointed out, all the edifice crumbled
away, and there remained only a few malcontents, but no rebels were to
be found. The sentence of the Royal Court of Paris, given November 3d
following, declared--"Generals Canuel and Donadieu, MM. de Rieux, de
Songis, de Chapdelaine, de Romilly, and Joannis, are released and
declared innocent." They had been imprisoned fo