reside in Hamburg, but he did not wish to conceal himself.
I invited him to visit me, and assured him that he might remain in
Hamburg without apprehension, provided he acted prudently. He wished to
go to Holland, and I took upon myself to give him a passport. I left M.
Hue in the free management of his business, the nature of which I knew
very well, and which was very honourable; he was deputed to pay the
pensions which Louis XVIII. granted to the emigrants. As for myself, I
had tendered my resignation of private secretary to Bonaparte; and even
admitting I was in disgrace in that character, I was not so as Minister
and Consul-General at Hamburg. My situation, which was of little
consequence at the time I was appointed to it, was later on rendered
exceedingly important by circumstances. It was, in fact, a sort of
watch-tower of the Government, whence all the movements of northern
Germany were observed; and during my residence in the Hanse Towns I
continually experienced the truth of what Bonaparte said to me at my
farewell audience--"Yours is a place independent and apart."

It is absurd to say that the kindness I showed to M. Hue was an attempt
to ingratiate myself with the Bourbons. My attentions to him were
dictated solely by humanity, unaccompanied by any afterthought. Napoleon
had given me his confidence, and by mitigating the verity of his orders
I served him better than they who executed them in a way which could not
fail to render the French Government odious. If I am accused of
extending every possible indulgence to the unfortunate emigrants, I plead
guilty; and, far from wishing to defend myself against the charge, I
consider it honourable to me. But I defy any one of them to say that I
betrayed in their favour the interests with which I was entrusted. They
who urged Bonaparte to usurp the crown of France served, though perhaps
unconsciously, the cause of the Bourbons. I, on the contrary, used all
my endeavours to dissuade him from that measure, which I clearly saw
must, in the end, lead to the restoration, though I do not pretend that I
was sufficiently clear-sighted to guess that Napoleon's fall was so near
at hand. The kindness I showed to M. Hue and his companions in
misfortune was prompted by humanity, and not by mean speculation.
As well might it be said that hernadotte, who, like myself, neglected
no opportunity of softening the rigour of the orders he was deputed to
execute, was by this means working h