"neutralized," and even all neutral, vessels in his harbors, including
those of the United States,--a document which thus left him only a
nominal throne,--he was permitted early in April, 1810, to return to
Amsterdam.

Napoleon's subsequent course was dictated by what might appear to be a
sudden change of view, but was in reality a revival of his perennial
hopes for peace with England. Having in mind the annexation of
Holland, it occurred to him that by desisting from that measure he
might wrench from Great Britain the lasting peace which she had thus
far refused. Accordingly he ordered his brother to open a negotiation
with London and represent his kingdom as in danger of annihilation
unless the British government would consent to a cessation of
hostilities and an enduring treaty of peace. This was done, and though
Labouchere, Louis's agent, had so little to offer that his
propositions were farcical, yet there was at least the show of a
diplomatic negotiation. At this juncture the superserviceable
Mephistopheles of the Empire, Fouche, intervened. By an agent of his
own he approached the cabinet of St. James with an offer of peace on
the basis of restoring the Spanish Bourbons and compensating Louis
XVIII by a kingdom to be carved from the territories of the United
States!

The agent of Fouche reached London somewhat ahead of the one sent by
Louis. He was firmly sent to the right-about. Labouchere was then told
that before entering further on the question, a proposition for peace
must be formulated and presented, not by the King of Holland, but by
the Emperor. The failure of the Walcheren expedition had exasperated
England, Canning had fallen, and Lord Wellesley, his successor,
represented a powerful sentiment for the continuation of the war.
Napoleon replied, therefore, by a note suggesting not a definite
peace, but a step toward it. If England would withdraw the orders in
council of 1807, he would evacuate Holland and the Hanseatic towns.
His note closed with a characteristic threat. If England should delay,
having already lost her trade with Naples, Spain, Portugal, and the
port of Triest, she would now lose that with Holland, the Hanseatic
towns, and Sicily.

Nothing dismayed by his first rebuff, the audacious Fouche again
intervened. This time he selected Ouvrard, a friend of Labouchere's
and of his own, a man well known as a stormy petrel of intrigue, to
operate insidiously through the accredited envoy, who i