Before I speak of the conspiracy of Ceracchi, Arena, Topino-Lebrun, and others, I must notice a remark made by Napoleon at St. Helena.  He said, or is alleged to have said, “The two attempts which placed me in the greatest danger were those of the sculptor Ceracchi and of the fanatic of Schoenbrun.”  I was not at Schoenbrun at the time; but I am convinced that Bonaparte was in the most imminent danger.  I have been informed on unquestionable authority that Staps set out from Erfurth with the intention of assassinating the Emperor; but he wanted the necessary courage for executing the design.  He was armed with a large dagger, and was twice sufficiently near Napoleon to have struck him.  I heard this from Rapp, who seized Stags, and felt the hilt of the dagger under his coat.  On that occasion Bonaparte owed his life only to the irresolution of the young ‘illuminato’ who wished to sacrifice him to his fanatical fury.  It is equally certain that on another occasion, respecting which the author of the St. Helena narrative observes complete silence, another fanatic—­more dangerous than Steps attempted the life of Napoleon.

—­[At the time of this attempt I was not with Napoleon; but he directed me to see the madmen who had formed the design of assassinating him.  It will be seen in the coarse of these Memoirs what were has plans, and what was the result of them—­Bourrienne]—­

The following is a correct statement of the facts relative to Ceracchi’s conspiracy.  The plot itself was a mere shadow; but it was deemed advisable to give it substance, to exaggerate, at least in appearance, the danger to which the First Consul had been exposed:—­

There was at that time in Paris an idle fellow called Harrel; he had been a ‘chef de battalion’, but he had been dismissed the service, and was consequently dissatisfied.  He became connected with Cerracchi, Arena, Topino-Lebrun, and Demerville.  From different motives all these individuals were violently hostile to the First Consul, who on his part, was no friend to Cerracchi and Arena, but scarcely knew the two others.  These four individuals formed, in conjunction with Harrel, the design of assassinating the First Consul, and the time fixed for the perpetration of the deed was one evening when Bonaparte intended to visit the opera.

On the 20th of September 1804 Harrel came to me at the Tuileries.  He revealed to me the plot in which he was engaged, and promised that his accomplices should be apprehended in the very act if I would supply him with money to bring the plot to maturity.  I knew not how to act upon this disclosure, which I, however, could not reject without incurring too great a responsibility.  I immediately communicated the business to the First Consul, who ordered me to supply Harrel with money; but not to mention the affair to Fouche, to whom he wished to prove that he knew better how to manage the police than he did.