sephine was admirably adapted to supply his
deficiencies in the management of circles and festivals.

The labour which Napoleon underwent at this period, when he was
consolidating the administration throughout France (in every department
of which intolerable confusion had arisen during the wars and tumults of
the preceding years), excited the astonishment of all who had access to
his privacy. He exhausted the energies of secretary after secretary;
seemed hardly to feel the want of sleep; and yet sustained the
unparalleled fatigue without having recourse to any stimulus stronger
than lemonade. Of the many great measures adopted and perfected during
this short-lived peace we may notice in particular the following:--

A decree of the senate, dated 26th April, 1802, allowed all emigrants to
return to France, provided they chose to do so within a certain space of
time, and to pledge allegiance to the consular government; and offered
to restore to such persons whatever property of theirs, having been
confiscated during the Revolution, still remained at the disposal of the
state. From this amnesty about 5000 persons, however, were excepted;
these were arranged under five heads, viz.: those who had headed bodies
of royalist insurgents; who had served in the armies of the allies; who
had belonged to the household of the Bourbons during their exile; who
had been agents in stirring up foreign or domestic war; and lastly,
generals, admirals, Representatives of the People, who had been banished
for treason to the Republic; together with bishops who were obstinate in
refusing to accept of the conditions on which the exercise of
ecclesiastical functions had been sanctioned by the consuls. The event,
in a great measure, justified the prudence of this merciful edict. The
far greater part of the emigrants returned, and became peaceful subjects
of Napoleon--even although the restoration of forfeited property never
took place to anything like the promised extent. He, having yielded back
a few princely estates to their rightful lords, was, it is said, made
aware, by sufficiently significant behaviour on their parts, that they
had now obtained all they wished, and would not in future trouble
themselves to merit his favour. Some instances of haughty ingratitude
may, very probably, have occurred; but the Consul, in breaking his word
with the despoiled emigrants as a body, was preparing for himself
dangers greater than those he removed by permi