At Milan the Emperor occupied the Palace of Monza.  The old Iron Crown of the Kings of Lombardy was brought from the dust in which it had been buried, and the new Coronation took place in the cathedral at Milan, the largest in Italy, with the exception of St. Peter’s at Rome.  Napoleon received the crown from the hands of the Archbishop of Milan, and placed it on his head, exclaiming, “Dieu me l’a donnee, gare a qui la touche.”  This became the motto of the Order of the Iron Crown, which the Emperor founded in commemoration of his being crowned King of Italy.

Napoleon was crowned in the month of May 1805:  and here I cannot avoid correcting some gross and inconceivable errors into which Napoleon must have voluntarily fallen at St. Helena.  The Memorial states “that the celebrated singer Madame Grasaini attracted his attention at the time of the Coronation.”  Napoleon alleges that Madame Grassini on that occasion said to him, “When I was in the prime of my beauty and talent all I wished was that you would bestow a single look upon me.  That wish was not fulfilled, and now you notice me when I am no longer worthy your attention.”

I confess I am at a loss to conceive what could induce Napoleon to invent such a story.  He might have recollected his acquaintance with Madame Grassini at Milan before the battle of Marengo.  It was in 1800, and not in 1805, that I was first introduced to her, and I know that I several times took tea with her and Bonaparte in the General’s apartments I remember also another circumstance, which is, that on the night when I awoke Bonaparte to announce to him the capitulation of Genoa, Madame Grassini also awoke.  Napoleon was charmed with Madame Grasaini’s delicious voice, and if his imperious duties had permitted it he would have listened with ecstasy to her singing for hours together.  Whilst Napoleon was at Milan, priding himself on his double sovereignty, some schemes were set on foot at Vienna and St. Petersburg which I shall hereafter have occasion to notice.  The Emperor, indeed, gave cause for just complaint by the fact of annexing Genoa to the Empire within four months after his solemn declaration to the Legislative Body, in which he pledged himself in the face of France and Europe not to seek any aggrandisement of territory.  The pretext of a voluntary offer on the part of Genoa was too absurd to deceive any one.  The rapid progress of Napoleon’s ambition could not escape the observation of the Cabinet of Vienna, which hegan to allow increased symptoms of hostility.  The change which was effected in the form of the Government of the Cisalpine Republic was likewise an act calculated to excite remonstrance on the part of all the powers who were not entirely subject to the yoke of France.  He disguised the taking of Genoa under the name of a gift, and the possession of Italy under the appearance of a mere change of denomination.  Notwithstanding these flagrant outrages the exclusive apologists of