On the day after the ball one of the newspapers contained some verses on Hortense’s dancing.  She was exceedingly annoyed at this, and when the paper arrived at Malmaison she expressed, displeasure at it.  Even allowing for all the facility of our newspaper wits, she was nevertheless at a loss to understand how the lines could have been written and printed respecting a circumstance which only occurred the night before.  Bonaparte smiled, and gave her no distinct answer.  When Hortense knew that I was alone in the cabinet she came in and asked me to explain the matter; and seeing no reason to conceal the truth, I told her that the lines had been written by Bonaparte’s direction before the ball took place.  I added, what indeed was the fact, that the ball had been prepared for the verses, and that it was only for the appropriateness of their application that the First Consul had pressed her to dance.  He adopted this strange contrivance for contradicting an article which appeared in an English journal announcing that Hortense was delivered.  Bonaparte was highly indignant at that premature announcement, which he clearly saw was made for the sole purpose of giving credit to the scandalous rumours of his imputed connection with Hortense.  Such were the petty machinations which not unfrequently found their place in a mind in which the grandest schemes were revolving.

CHAPTER XIX.

1803.

Mr. Pitt—­Motive of his going out of office—­Error of the English Government—­Pretended regard for the Bourbons—­Violation of the treaty of Amiens—­Reciprocal accusations—­Malta—­Lord Whitworth’s departure—­Rome and Carthage—­Secret satisfaction of Bonaparte—­ Message to the Senate, the Legislative Body, and the Tribunate—­ The King of England’s renunciation of the title of King of France—­ Complaints of the English Government—­French agents in British ports —­Views of France upon Turkey—­Observation made by Bonaparte to the Legislative Body—­Its false interpretation—­Conquest of Hanover—­ The Duke of Cambridge caricatured—­The King of England and the Elector of Hanover—­First address to the clergy—­Use of the word “Monsieur”—­The Republican weeks and months.

One of the circumstances which foretold the brief duration of the peace of Amiens was, that Mr. Pitt was out of office at the time of its conclusion.  I mentioned this to Bonaparte, and I immediately perceived by his hasty “What do you say?” that my observation had been heard—­but not liked.  It did not, however, require any extraordinary shrewdness to see the true motive of Mr. Pitt’s retirement.  That distinguished statesman conceived that a truce under the name of a peace was indispensable for England; but, intending to resume the war with France more fiercely than ever, he for a while retired from office, and left to others the task of arranging the peace; but his intention was to mark his return to the ministry