be agreeable to him, I
alluded to the facility with which he had nullified the last
'Senatus-consulte'. He scarcely seemed to hear me, so completely was
his mind absorbed in the subject on which he was meditating. At length,
suddenly recovering from his abstraction, he said, "Bourrienne, do you
think that the pretender to the crown of France would renounce his
claims if I were to offer him a good indemnity, or even a province in
Italy?" Surprised at this abrupt question on a subject which I was far
from thinking of, I replied that I did not think the pretender would
relinquish his claims; that it was very unlikely the Bourbons would
return to France as long as he, Bonaparte, should continue at the head
of the Government, though they would look forward to their ultimate
return as probable. "How so?" inquired he. "For a very simple reason,
General. Do you not see every day that your agents conceal the truth
from you, and flatter you in your wishes, for the purpose of
ingratiating themselves in your favour? are you not angry when at
length the truth reaches your ear?"--"And what then?"--"why, General, it
must be just the same with the agents of Louis XVIII. in France. It is
in the course of things, in the nature of man, that they should feed the
Bourbons with hopes of a possible return, were it only to induce a
belief in their own talent and utility."--"That is very true! You are
quite right; but I am not afraid. However, something might perhaps be
done--we shall see." Here the subject dropped, and our conversation
turned on the Consulate for life, and Bonaparte spoke in unusually mild
terms of the persons who had opposed the proposition. I was a little
surprised at this, and could not help reminding him of the different way
in which he had spoken of those who opposed his accession to the
Consulate. "There is nothing extraordinary in that," said he. "Worthy
men may be attached to the Republic as I have made it. It is a mere
question of form. I have nothing to say against that; but at the time
of my accession to the Consulate it was very different. Then, none but
Jacobins, terrorists, and rogues resisted my endeavours to rescue France
from the infamy into which the Directory had plunged her. But now I
cherish no ill-will against those who have opposed me."

During the intervals between the acts of the different bodies of the
State, and the collection of the votes, Lucien renewed his intrigues, or
rather prosecuted them wit