After breakfast, which was served at ten o’clock, Bonaparte would converse for a few moments with his usual guests, that is to say, his ‘aides de camp’, the persons he invited, and myself, who never left him.  He was also visited very often by Deferment, Regnault (of the town of St. Jean d’Angely), Boulay (de la Meurthe), Monge, and Berber, who were, with his brothers, Joseph and Lucien, those whom he most delighted to see; he conversed familiarly with them.  Cambaceres generally came at mid-day, and stayed some time with him, often a whole hour.  Lebrun visited but seldom.  Notwithstanding his elevation, his character remained unaltered; and Bonaparte considered him too moderate, because he always opposed his ambitious views and his plans to usurp power.  When Bonaparte left the breakfast-table it was seldom that he did not add, after bidding Josephine and her daughter Hortense good-day, “Come, Bourrienne, come, let us to work.”

After the morning audiences I stayed with Bonaparte all the day, either reading to him, or writing to his dictation.  Three or four times in the week he would go to the Council.  On his way to the hall of deliberation he was obliged to cross the courtyard of the Little Luxembourg and ascend the grand staircase.  This always vexed him, and the more so as the weather was very bad at the time.  This annoyance continued until the 25th of December, and it was with much satisfaction that he saw himself quit of it.  After leaving the Council he used to enter his cabinet singing, and God knows how wretchedly he sung!  He examined whatever work he had ordered to be done, signed documents, stretched himself in his arm-chair, and read the letters of the preceding day and the publications of the morning.  When there was no Council he remained in his cabinet, conversed with me, always sang, and cut, according to custom, the arm of his chair, giving himself sometimes quite the air of a great boy.  Then, all at once starting up, he would describe a plan for the erection of a monument, or dictate some of those extraordinary productions which astonished and dismayed the world.  He often became again the same man, who, under the walls of St. Jean d’Acre, had dreamed of an empire worthy his ambition.

At five o’clock dinner was served up.  When that was over the First Consul went upstairs to Josephine’s apartments, where he commonly received the visits of the Ministers.  He was always pleased to see among the number the Minister of Foreign Affairs, especially since the portfolio of that department had been entrusted to the hands of M. de Talleyrand.  At midnight, and often sooner, he gave the signal for retiring by saying in a hasty manner, “Allons nous coucher.”

It was at the Luxembourg, in the salons of which the adorable Josephine so well performed the honours, that the word ‘Madame’ came again into use.  This first return towards the old French politeness was startling to some susceptible Republicans; but things were soon carried farther at the Tuileries by the introduction of ‘Votre Altesse’ on occasions of state ceremony, and Monseigneur in the family circle.