The Pope’s arrival at Paris produced a great sensation in London, greater indeed there than anywhere else, notwithstanding the separation of the English Church from the Church of Rome.  The English Ministry now spared no endeavours to influence public opinion by the circulation of libels against Bonaparte.  The Cabinet of London found a twofold advantage in encouraging this system, which not merely excited irritation against the powerful enemy of England, but diverted from the British Government the clamour which some of its measures were calculated to create.  Bonaparte’s indignation against England was roused to the utmost extreme, and in truth this indignation was in some degree a national feeling in France.

Napoleon had heard of the success of Caffarelli’s negotiations previous to his return to Paris, after his journey to the Rhine.  On arriving at St. Cloud he lost no time in ordering the preparations for his coronation.  Everything aided the fulfilment of his wishes.  On 28th November the Pope arrived at Paris, and two days after, viz. on the 1st of December, the Senate presented to the Emperor the votes of the people for the establishment of hereditary succession in his family:  for as it was pretended that the assumption of the title of Emperor was no way prejudicial to the Republic, the question of hereditary succession only had been proposed for public sanction.  Sixty thousand registers had been opened in different parts of France,—­at the offices of the ministers, the prefects, the mayors of the communes, notaries, solicitors, etc.  France at that time contained 108 departments, and there were 3,574,898 voters.  Of these only 2569 voted against hereditary succession.  Bonaparte ordered a list of the persons who had voted against the question to be sent to him, and he often consulted it.  They proved to be not Royalist, but for the most part staunch Republicans.  To my knowledge many Royalists abstained from voting at all, not wishing to commit themselves uselessly, and still less to give their suffrages to the author of the Duo d’Enghien’s death.  For my part, I gave my vote in favour of hereditary succession in Bonaparte’s family; my situation, as may well be imagined, did not allow me to do otherwise.

Since the month of October the Legislative Body had been convoked to attend the Emperor’s coronation.  Many deputies arrived, and with them a swarm of those presidents of cantons who occupied a conspicuous place in the annals of ridicule at the close of the year 1804.  They became the objects of all sorts of witticisms and jests.  The obligation of wearing swords made their appearance very grotesque.  As many droll, stories were told of them as were ten years afterwards related of those who were styled the voltigeurs of Louis xiv.  One of these anecdotes was so exceedingly ludicrous that, though it was probably a mere invention, yet I cannot refrain from relating it.  A certain number of these presidents