but as Bourrienne shows the plan of giving licences to break his own system was too lucrative to be resisted by him, or, still more, by his officers.  For the working of the system in the occupied lands, Laffite the banker told Savary it was a grand idea, but impracticable (Savary, tome v. p. 110).  The Emperor Alexander is reported to have said, after visiting England in 1814, that he believed the system would have reduced England if it had lasted another year.  The English, who claimed the right of blockading any coast with but little regard to the effectiveness of the blockade, retaliated by orders in Council, the chief of which are dated 7th January 1807, and 11th November 1807, by which no ships of any power were allowed to trade between any French ports, or the ports of any country closed to England.  Whatever the real merits of the system, and although it was the cause of war between the United States and England, its execution did most to damage France and Napoleon, and to band all Europe against it.  It is curious that even in 1831 a treaty had to be made to settle the claims of the United States on France for unjust seizures under these decrees.]—­

CHAPTER X.

1806-1807.

New system of war—­Winter quarters—­The Emperor’s Proclamation—­ Necessity of marching to meet the Russians—­Distress in the Hanse Towns—­Order for 50,000 cloaks—­Seizure of Russian corn and timber—­ Murat’s entrance into Warsaw—­Re-establishment of Poland—­Duroc’s accident—­M. de Talleyrand’s carriage stopped by the mud—­Napoleon’s power of rousing the spirit of his troops—­His mode of dictating—­ The Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin—­His visits to Hamburg—­The Duke of Weimar—­His letter and present—­Journey of the Hereditary Prince of Denmark to Paris—­Batter, the English spy—­Traveling clerks—­Louis Bonaparte and the Berlin decree—­Creation of the Kingdom of Saxony—­ Veneration of Germany for the King of Saxony—­The Emperor’s uncertainty respecting Poland—­Fetes and reviews at Warsaw—­The French Government at the Emperor’s head quarters—­Ministerial portfolios sent to Warsaw.—­Military preparations during the month of January—­Difference of our situation daring the campaigns of Vienna and Prussia—­News received and sent—­Conduct of the Cabinet of Austria similar to that of the Cabinet of Berlin—­Battle of Eylau—­Unjust accusation against Bernadotte—­Death of General d’Hautpoult—­Te Deum chanted by the Russians—­Gardanne’s mission to Persia

Bonaparte was not only beyond all comparison the greatest captain of modern times, but he may be said to have wrought a complete change in the art of war.  Before his time the most able generals regulated the fighting season by the almanac.  It was customary in Europe to brave the cannon’s mouth only from the first fine days of spring to the last fine days of autumn; and the months of rain, snow, and frost were passed in what were called winter quarters.