nations, proclaimed his rights
and his grievances, appealed to humanity, recommended peace, and offered
himself as a mediator; secretly, he offered himself to Napoleon at the
price of Norway, Finland, and a subsidy.

At the reading of a letter conceived in this new and unexpected style,
Bonaparte was seized with rage and astonishment. He saw in it, and not
without reason, a premeditated defection on the part of Bernadotte, a
secret agreement with his enemies! He was filled with indignation; he
exclaimed, striking violently on the letter, and the table on which it
lay open: "He! the rascal! he presume to give me advice! to dictate the
law to me! to dare propose such an infamous act[4] to me! And this from
a man who owes every thing to my bounty! What ingratitude!" Then, pacing
the room with rapid strides, at intervals he gave vent to such
expressions as these: "I ought to have expected it! he has always
sacrificed every thing to his interests! This is the same man, who,
during his short ministry, attempted the resurrection of the infamous
Jacobins! When he looked only to gain by disorder, he opposed the 18th
Brumaire! He it was who was conspiring in the west against the
re-establishment of law and religion! Has not his envious and perfidious
inaction already betrayed the French army at Auerstadt? How many times,
from regard to Joseph, have I pardoned his intrigues and concealed his
faults! And yet I have made him general-in-chief, marshal, duke, prince,
and finally king! But see how all these favours and the pardon of so
many injuries, are thrown away on a man like this! If Sweden, half
devoured by Russia, for a century past, has retained her independence,
she owes it to the support of France. But it matters not; Bernadotte
requires the baptism of the ancient aristocracy! a baptism of blood, and
of French blood! and you will soon see, that to satisfy his envy and
ambition, he will betray both his native and adopted country."

[Footnote 4: Napoleon no doubt spoke of the proposal which Bernadotte
made to him to take Norway from Denmark, his faithful ally, in order by
this act of treachery to purchase the assistance of Sweden.]

In vain did they attempt to calm him. They represented the difficulties
which Bernadotte's new situation had imposed on him; that the cession of
Finland to Russia had separated Sweden from the continent, almost made
an island of that country, and thereby enlisted her in the English
system.--In suc