In the course of the month of February 1806 the Emperor issued two decrees, in which he declared Ouvrard, Wanlerberghe, and Michel, contractors for the service of 1804, and Desprez their agent, debtors to the amount of 87,000,000, which they had misapplied in private speculations, and in transactions with Spain “for their personal interests.”  Who would not suppose from this phrase that Napoleon had taken no part whatever in the great financial operation between Spain and South America?  He was, however, intimately acquainted with it, and was himself really and personally interested.  But whenever any enterprise was unsuccessful he always wished to deny all connection with it.  Possessed of title-deeds made up by himself—­that is to say, his own decrees—­the Emperor seized all the piastres and other property belonging to the Company, and derived from the transaction great pecuniary advantage,—­though such advantage never could be regarded by a sovereign as any compensation for the dreadful state into which the public credit had been brought.

CHAPTER V

1805-1806.

Declaration of Louis XVIII.—­Dumouriez watched—­News of a spy—­ Remarkable trait of courage and presence of mind—­Necessity of vigilance at Hamburg—­The King of Sweden—­His bulletins—­Doctor Gall —­Prussia covets Hamburg—­Projects on Holland—­Negotiations for peace—­Mr. Fox at the head of the British Cabinet—­Intended assassination of Napoleon—­Propositions made through Lord Yarmouth —­Proposed protection of the Hanse towns—­Their state—­ Aggrandisement of the Imperial family—­Neither peace nor war—­ Sebastiani’s mission to Constantinople—­Lord Lauderdale at Paris, and failure of the negotiations—­Austria despoiled—­Emigrant pensions—­Dumouriez’s intrigues—­Prince of Mecklenburg-Schwerin—­ Loizeau.

I have been somewhat diffuse respecting the vast enterprises of M. Ouvrard, and on the disastrous state of the finances during the campaign of Vienna.  Now, if I may so express myself, I shall return to the Minister Plenipotentiary’s cabinet, where several curious transactions occurred.  The facts will not always be given in a connected series, because there was no more relation between the reports which I received on a great variety of subjects than there is in the pleading of the barristers who succeed each other in a court of justice.

On the 2d of January 1806 I learned that many houses in Hamburg had received by post packets, each containing four copies of a declaration of Louis XVIII.  Dumouriez had his carriage filled with copies of this declaration when he passed through Brunswick; and in that small town alone more than 3000 were distributed.  The size of this declaration rendered its transmission by post very easy, even in France.

All my letters from the Minister recommended that I should keep a strict watch over the motions of Dumouriez; but his name was now as seldom mentioned as if he had ceased to exist.  The part he acted seemed to be limited to disseminating pamphlets more or less insignificant.