me to possess great knowledge of the world, accompanied by honourable principles, and a high degree of generosity, which added greatly to the value of his prudence and discretion.  No human power, no consideration, not even the ingratitude of those whom he had obliged, could induce him to disclose any sacrifice which he had made at the time when, under the Directory, the public revenue may be said to have been always at the disposal of the highest bidder, and when no business could be brought to a conclusion except by him who set about it with his hands full of money.  To this security, with which M. Ouvrard impressed all official persons who rendered him services, I attribute the facility with which he obtained the direction of the numerous enterprises in which he engaged, and which produced so many changes in his fortune.  The discretion of M. Ouvrard was not quite agreeable to the First Consul, who found it impossible to extract from him the information he wanted.  He tried every method to obtain from him the names of persons to whom he had given those kind of subsidies which in vulgar language are called sops in the pan, and by ladies pin money.  Often have I seen Bonaparte resort to every possible contrivance to gain his object.  He would sometimes endeavour to alarm M. Ouvrard by menaces, and at other times to flatter him by promises, but he was in no instance successful.

While we were at the Luxembourg, on, as I recollect, the 25th of January 1800, Bonaparte said to me during breakfast, “Bourrienne, my resolution is taken.  I shall have Ouvrard arrested.”—­“General, have you proofs against him?”—­“Proofs, indeed!  He is a money-dealer, a monopoliser; we must make him disgorge.  All the contractors, the provision agents, are rogues.  How have they made their fortunes?  At the expense of the country, to be sure.  I will not suffer such doings.  They possess millions, they roll in an insolent luxury, while my soldiers have neither bread nor shoes!  I will have no more of that!  I intend to speak on the business to-day in the Council, and we shall see what can be done.”

I waited with impatience for his return from the Council to know what had passed.  “Well, General?” said I “The order is given.”  On hearing this I became anxious about the fate of M. Ouvrard, who was thus to be treated more like a subject of the Grand Turk than a citizen of the Republic; but I soon learned that the order had not been executed because he could not be found.

Next day I learned that a person, whom I shall not name, who was present at the Council, and who probably was under obligations to Ouvrard, wrote him a note in pencil to inform him of the vote for his arrest carried by the First Consul.  This individual stepped out for a moment and despatched his servant with the note to Ouvrard.  Having thus escaped the writ of arrest, Ouvrard, after a few days had passed over, reappeared, and surrendered himself prisoner.  Bonaparte was at first furious on learning that he