“That is a mistake.  I have read it myself from beginning to end.”—­ “Then your Majesty must have seen how my grandfather renders justice to your genius.”—­“Fine justice, truly! . . .  He calls me the indispensable man, but, judging from his arguments, the best thing that could be done would be to cut my throat!  Yes, I was indeed indispensable to repair the follies of your grandfather, and the mischief he did to France.  It was he who overturned the monarchy and led Louis XVI. to the scaffold.”—­“Sire, you seem to forget that my grandfather’s property was confiscated because he defended the King.”—­“Defended the King!  A fine defence, truly!  You might as well say that if I give a man poison and present him with an antidote when he is in the agonies of death I wish to save him!  Yet that is the way your grandfather defended Louis XVI.....  As to the confiscation you speak of, what does that prove?  Nothing.  Why, the property of Robespierre was confiscated!  And let me tell you that Robespierre himself, Marat, and Danton did much less mischief to France than M. Necker.  It was he who brought about the Revolution.  You, Monsieur de Stael, did not see this; but I did.  I witnessed all that passed in those days of terror and public calamity.  But as long as I live those days shall never return.  Your speculators trace their Utopian schemes upon paper; fools read and believe them.  All are babbling about general happiness, and presently the people have not bread to eat; then comes a revolution.  Such is usually the fruit of all these fine theories!  Your grandfather was the cause of the saturnalia which desolated France.  He is responsible for all the blood shed in the Revolution!”

Duroc informed me that the Emperor uttered these last words in a tone of fury which made all present tremble for young De Stael.  Fortunately the young man did not lose his self-possession in the conflict, while the agitated expression of his countenance evidently showed what was passing in his mind.  He was sufficiently master of himself to reply to the Emperor in a calm though rather faltering voice:  “Sire, permit me to hope that posterity will judge of my grandfather more favourably than your Majesty does.  During his administration he was ranked by the side of Sully and Colbert; and let me repeat again that I trust posterity will render him justice.”—­“Posterity will, probably, say little about him.”—­ “I venture to hope the contrary, Sire.”

Then, added Duroc, the Emperor turning to us said with a smile, “After all, gentlemen, it is not for me to say too much against the Revolution since I have gained a throne by it.”  Then again turning to M. de Stael he said, “The reign of anarchy is at au end.  I must have subordination.  Respect the sovereign authority, since it comes from God.  You are young, and well educated, therefore; follow a better course, and avoid those bad principles which endanger the welfare of society.”—­“Sire, since your Majesty does me the honour to think me well educated, you ought not to condemn the principles of my grandfather and my mother, for it is in those principles that I have been brought up.”—­“Well, I advise you to keep right in politics, for I will not pardon any offences of the Necker kind.  Every one should keep right in politics.”