On the stage, poets so far degraded themselves as to make him a divinity.  It was in this manner that whole nations became his flatterers.

There was, in fact, little difference between kings and people in the homage of admiration; no one waited for the example of imitation; the agreement was unanimous.  Nevertheless, the inward sentiments were very different.

At this important interview, we were attentive in observing the different degrees of zeal which these princes exhibited, and the various shades of our chieftain’s pride.  We had hoped that his prudence, or the worn-out feeling of displaying his power, would prevent him from abusing it; but was it to be expected that he, who, while yet an inferior, never spoke, even to his superiors, but in the language of command, now that he was the conqueror and master of them all, could submit to tedious and minute details of ceremony?  He, however, displayed moderation, and even tried to make himself agreeable; but it was obviously an effort, and not without allowing the fatigue it gave him to be perceived.  Among these princes, he had rather the air of receiving them, than of being by them received.

As to them, it might be said, that, knowing his pride, and become hopeless of subduing him, except by means of himself, these monarchs and their people only humbled themselves before him, in order to aggravate the disproportion of his elevation, and by so doing, to dazzle his moral vision.  In their assemblies, their attitude, their words, even the tone of their voice, attested his ascendancy over them.  All were assembled there for his sake alone!  They scarcely hazarded an objection, so impressed were they with the full conviction of that superiority, of which he was himself too well aware.  A feudal lord could not have exacted more of his vassal chiefs.

His levee presented a still more remarkable spectacle!  Sovereign princes came to it in order to wait for an audience of the conqueror of Europe.  They were so intermingled with his officers, that the latter were frequently warning each other to take care, and not to crowd upon these new courtiers, who were confounded with them.  It was thus that the presence of Napoleon made distinctions disappear; he was as much their chief as ours.  This common dependency appeared to put all around him on a level.  It is probable that, even then, the ill-disguised military pride of several French generals gave offence to these princes, with whom they conceived themselves raised to an equality; and, in fact, whatever may be the noble blood and rank of the vanquished, his victor becomes his equal.