Luneville having been fixed upon for the Congress, the First Consul sent his brother Joseph to treat with Count Louis de Cobentzel.  On his way Joseph met M. de Cobentzel, who had passed Luneville, and was coming to Paris to sound the sentiments of the French Government.  Joseph returned to Paris with him.  After some conversation with the First Consul they set out next day for Luneville, of which place Bonaparte appointed General Clarke governor.  This appeared to satisfy Clarke, who was very anxious to be something, and had long been importuning Bonaparte for an appointment.

A day or two after the news of the battle of Hohenlinden M. Maret came to present for Bonaparte’s signature some, decrees made in Council.  While affixing the signatures, and without looking up, the First Consul said to M. Maret, who was a favourite with him, and who was standing at his right hand, “Are you rich, Maret?”—­“No, General.”—­“So much the worse:  a man should be independent.”—­“General, I will never be dependent on any one but you.”  The First Consul then raised his eyes to Maret and said, “Hem! that is not bad!” and when the secretary-general was gone he said to me, “Maret is not deficient in cleverness:  he made me a very good answer.”

On the 9th of February 1801, six weeks after the opening of the Congress of Luneville, peace was signed between Austria and France.  This peace—­the fruit of Marengo and Hohenlinden—­restored France to that honourable position which had been put in jeopardy by the feeble and incapable government of the pentarchy and the reverses of 1799.  This peace, which in the treaty, according to custom, was called perpetual, lasted four years.

Joseph Bonaparte, while treating for France at Luneville, was speculating on the rise of the funds which he thought the peace would produce.  Persons more wise, who were like him in the secret, sold out their stock at the moment when the certainty of the peace became known.  But Joseph purchased to a great extent, in the hope of selling to advantage on the signature of peace.  However, the news had been discounted, and a fall took place.  Joseph’s loss was considerable, and he could not satisfy the engagements in which his greedy and silly speculations had involved him.  He applied to his brother, who neither wished nor was able to advance him the necessary sum.  Bonaparte was, however, exceedingly sorry to see his elder brother in this embarrassment.  He asked me what was to be done.  I told him I did not know; but I advised him to consult M. de Talleyrand, from whom he had often received good advice.  He did so, and M. de Talleyrand replied, with that air of coolness which is so peculiar to him, “What! is that all?  Oh! that is nothing.  It is easily settled.  You have only to raise the price of the funds.”—­“But the money?”—­