was
there, I should never quit it with life. It is impossible to convey
an idea to the small number of free nations which remain upon the
earth, of that absence of all security, the habitual state of the
human creatures who live under the empire of Napoleon. In other
despotic governments there are laws, and customs, and a religion,
which the sovereign never infringes, however absolute he may be; but
in France, and in Europe France, as every thing is new, the past can
be no guarantee, and every thing may be feared as well as hoped
according as you serve, or not, the interests of the man who dares
to propose himself, as the sole object of the existence of the whole
human race.

CHAPTER 2.

Return to Coppet.--Different persecutions.

In returning to Coppet, dragging my wing like the pigeon in
Lafontaine, I saw the rainbow rise over my father's house; I dared
take my part in this token of the covenant; there had been nothing
in my sorrowful journey to prevent me from aspiring to it. I was
then almost resigned to living in this chateau, renouncing the idea
of ever publishing more on any subject; but it was at least
necessary, in making the sacrifice of talents, which I flattered
myself with possessing, to find happiness in my affections, and this
is the manner in which my private life was arranged, after having
stript me of my literary existence.

The first order received by the prefect of Geneva, was to intimate
to my two sons, that they were interdicted going into France without
a new permission of the police. This was to punish them for having
wished to speak to Bonaparte in favor of their mother. Thus the
morality of the present government is to loosen family ties, in
order to substitute in all cases the emperor's will. Several
generals have been mentioned as declaring, that if Napoleon ordered
them to throw their wives and children into the river, they would
not hesitate to obey him. The translation of this is, that they
prefer the money which the emperor gives them, to the family which
they have from nature. There are many instances of this way of
thinking, but there are few who would have impudence enough to give
utterance to it. I felt a mortal grief at seeing for the first time
my situation bear upon my sons, scarcely entered into life. We feel
ourselves very firm in our own conduct, when it is founded on
sincere conviction; but when others begin to suffer on our account,
it is almost impossible to ke