Meanwhile our troops continued to advance with such rapidity that hefore the end of November Murat arrived at Warsaw, at the head of the advanced guard of the Grand Army, of which, he had the command.  The Emperor’s headquarters, were then at Posen, and, he received deputations from all parts soliciting the re-establishment and independence of the Kingdom of Poland.

Rapp informed me that after receiving the deputation from Warsaw the Emperor said to him, “I love the Poles; their enthusiastic character pleases me; I should like to make them independent, but that is a difficult matter.  Austria, Russia, and Prussia have all had a slice of the cake; when the match is once kindled who knows where, the conflagration may stop?  My first duty, is towards France, which I must not sacrifice to Poland; we must refer this matter to the sovereign of all things—­Time, he will presently show us what we must do.”  Had Sulkowsky lived Napoleon might have recollected what he had said to him in Egypt, and, in all probability he would have raised up a power, the dismemberment of which; towards the close of the last century, began to overturn the political equilibrium which had subsisted in Europe since the peace of Westphalia in 1648.

It was at the headquarters at Posen that Duroc rejoined the Emperor after his mission to the King of Prussia.  His carriage overturned on the way, and he had the misfortune to break his collar-bone.  All the letters I received were nothing but a succession of complaints on the bad state of the roads.  Our troops were absolutely fighting in mud, and it was with extreme difficulty that the artillery and caissons of the army could be moved along.  M. de Talleyrand had been summoned to headquarters by the Emperor, in the expectation of treating for peace, and I was informed that his carriage stuck in the mud and he was detained on his journey for twelve hours.  A soldier having asked one of the persons in M. de Talleyrand’s suite who the traveller was, was informed that he was the Minister for Foreign Affairs.  “Ah! bah!” said the soldier, “why does he come with his diplomacy to such a devil of a country as this?”

The Emperor entered Warsaw on the 1st of January 1807.  Most of the reports which he had received previous to his entrance had concurred in describing the dissatisfaction of the troops, who for some time had had to contend with bad roads, bad weather, and all aorta of privations.’  Bonaparte said to the generals who informed him that the enthusiasm of his troops had been succeeded by dejection and discontent, “Does their spirit fail them when they come in sight of the enemy?”—­“No, Sire.”—­ “I knew it; my troops are always the same.”  Then turning to Rapp he said, “I must rouse them;” and he dictated the following proclamation: