mine should be entirely devoted to their service. I
obey."

On the day this ceremony took place, besides the audience of the
Diplomatic Body there was an extraordinary assemblage of general officers
and public functionaries. The principal apartments of the Tuileries's
presented the appearance of a fete. This gaiety formed a striking
contrast with the melancholy of Josephine, who felt that every step of
the First Consul towards the throne removed him farther from her.

She had to receive a party that evening, and though greatly depressed in
spirits she did the honours with her usual grace.

Let a Government be what it may, it can never satisfy everyone. At the
establishment of the Consulate for life, those who were averse to that
change formed but a feeble minority. But still they met, debated,
corresponded, and dreamed of the possibility of overthrowing the Consular
Government.

During the first six months of the year 1802 there were meetings of the
discontented, which Fouche, who was then Minister of the Police, knew and
would not condescend to notice; but, on the contrary, all the inferior
agents of the police contended for a prey which was easily seized, and,
with the view of magnifying their services, represented these secret
meetings as the effect of a vast plot against the Government. Bonaparte,
whenever he spoke to me on the subject, expressed himself weary of the
efforts which were made to give importance to trifles; and yet he
received the reports of the police agents as if he thought them of
consequence. This was because he thought Fouche badly informed, and he
was glad to find him at fault; but when he sent for the Minister of
Police the latter told him that all the reports he had received were not
worth a moment's attention. He told the First Consul all, and even a
great deal more than had been revealed to him, mentioning at the same
time how and from whom Bonaparte had received his information.

But these petty police details did not divert the First Consul's
attention from the great object he had in view. Since March 1802 he had
attended the sittings of the Council of State with remarkable regularity.
Even while we were at the Luxembourg he busied himself in drawing up a
new code of laws to supersede the incomplete collection of revolutionary
laws, and to substitute order for the sort of anarchy which prevailed in
the legislation. The man who were most distinguished for legal knowledge
had cooperated