I saw with pleasure that Savary, the Minister of Police, wished to simplify the working of his administration, and to gradually diminish whatever was annoying in it, but, whatever might be his intentions, he was not always free to act.  I acknowledge that when I read his Memoirs I saw with great impatience that in many matters he had voluntarily assumed responsibilities for acts which a word from him might have attributed to their real author.  However this may be, what much pleased me in Savary was the wish he showed to learn the real truth in order to tell it to Napoleon.  He received from the Emperor more than one severe rebuff.  This came from the fact that since the immense aggrandisement of the Empire the ostensible Ministers, instead of rising in credit, had seen their functions diminish by degrees.  Thus proposals for appointments to the higher grades of the army came from the cabinet of Berthier, and not from that of the Minister-of-War.  Everything which concerned any part of the government of the Interior or of the Exterior, except for the administration of War and perhaps for that of Finance, had its centre in the cabinet of M. Maret, certainly an honest man, but whose facility in saying “All is right,” so much helped to make all wrong.

The home trade, manufactures, and particularly several of the Parisian firms were in a state of distress the more hurtful as it contrasted so singularly with the splendour of the Imperial Court since the marriage of Napoleon with Maria Louisa.  In this state of affairs a chorus of complaints reached the ears of the Duc de Rovigo every day.  I must say that Savary was never kinder to me than since my disgrace; he nourished my hope of getting Napoleon to overcome the prejudices against me with which the spirit of vengeance had inspired him, and I know for certain that Savary returned to the charge more than once to manage this.  The Emperor listened without anger, did not blame him for the closeness of our intimacy, and even said to him some obliging but insignificant words about me.  This gave time for new machinations against me, and to fill him with fresh doubts when he had almost overcome his former, ideas.

CHAPTER XXV.

M. Czernischeff—­Dissimulation of Napoleon—­Napoleon and Alexander—­ Josephine’s foresight respecting the affairs of Spain—­My visits to Malmaison—­Grief of Josephine—­Tears and the toilet—­Vast extent of the Empire—­List of persons condemned to death and banishment in Piedmont—­Observation of Alfieri respecting the Spaniards—­Success in Spain—­Check of Massena in Portugal—­Money lavished by the English—­Bertrand sent to Illyria, and Marmont to Portugal—­ Situation of the French army—­Assembling of the Cortes—­Europe sacrificed to the Continental system—­Conversation with Murat in the Champs Elysees—­New titles and old names—­Napoleon’s dislike of literary men—­Odes, etc., on the marriage of Napoleon—­Chateaubriand