Harrel came nearly every evening at eleven o’clock to inform me of the progress of the conspiracy, which I immediately communicated to the First Consul, who was not sorry to find Arena and Ceracchi deeply committed.  But the time passed on, and nothing was done.  The First Consul began to grow impatient.  At length Harrel came to say that they had no money to purchase arms.  Money was given him.  He, however, returned next day to say that the gunsmith refused to sell them arms without authority.  It was now found necessary to communicate the business to Fouche in order that he might grant the necessary permission to the gunsmith, which I was not empowered to do.

On the 10th of October the Consuls, after the breaking up of the Council, assembled in the cabinet of their colleague.  Bonaparte asked them in my presence whether they thought he ought to go to the opera.  They observed that as every precaution was taken no danger could be apprehended, and that it was desirable to show the futility of attempts against the First Consul’s life.  After dinner Bonaparte put on a greatcoat over his green uniform and got into his carriage accompanied by me and Duroc.  He seated himself in front of his box, which at that time was on the left of the theatre between the two columns which separated the front and side boxes.  When we had been in the theatre about half an hour the First Consul directed me to go and see what was doing in the corridor.  Scarcely had I left the box than I heard a great uproar, and soon discovered that a number of persons, whose names I could not learn, had been arrested.  I informed the First Consul of what I had heard, and we immediately returned to the Tuileries.

It is certain that the object of the conspiracy was to take the First Consul’s life, and that the conspirators neglected nothing which could further the accomplishment of their atrocious design.  The plot, however, was known through the disclosures of Harrel; and it would have been easy to avert instead of conjuring up the storm.  Such was, and such still is, my opinion.  Harrel’s name was again restored to the army list, and he was appointed commandant of Vincennes.  This post he held at the time of the Duc d’Enghien’s assassination.  I was afterwards told that his wife was foster-sister to the unfortunate prince, and that she recognised him when he entered the prison which in a few short hours was to prove his grave.

Carbonneau, one of the individuals condemned, candidly confessed the part he had taken in the plot, which he said was brought to maturity solely by the agents of the police, who were always eager to prove their zeal to their employers by some new discovery.

Although three months intervened between the machinations of Ceracchi and Arena and the horrible attempt of the 3d Nivose, I shall relate these two events in immediate succession; for if they had no other points of resemblance they were at least alike in their object.  The conspirators in the first affair were of the revolutionary faction.  They sought Bonaparte’s life as if with the view of rendering his resemblance to Caesar so complete that not even a Brutus should be wanting.  The latter, it must with regret be confessed, were of the Royalist party, and in their wish to destroy the First Consul they were not deterred by the fear of sacrificing a great number of citizens.